Paul Vreeland
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Interview with my husband, Paul
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Interview With Paul Vreeland
I have known Paul since 2003 and let me tell you what a roller coaster it has been! There is so much we need to go over, so let’s dive right in…
Tammy - What do you do for a living? How long have you been doing it?
Paul - I am an owner/operator. My business is Vreeland Transport. I own a 9-car hauler and transport cars for a living. I have been in business for 24 years.
Tammy - How did you get into it?
Paul - I worked for Joe Barina in Lakewood, NJ. Joe put me in one of his trucks. He was my mentor. Because of him, I pursued my career.
Tammy - Once you were on your own, how did your business grow?
Paul - I transported salvage cars with a 4-car carrier. Then I began to do wholesale with the 4-car. I began to get busier, so I purchased a 5 pack. The business grew so quickly I had to buy a 9-car carrier. I continue to take wholesale and lease turn-ins to the auctions.
Tammy - It’s been amazing watching you grow.
Was work always readily available?
Paul - We definitely had our ups and downs. Cash for Clunkers actually hit us pretty hard. We thought that was bad, but it was nothing compared to the Covid crisis.
Not only due to the fear everyone had, but the shortage of chips for new cars affected everything! For two solid years now, work has been very scarce.
Many of my friends either gave up, went out of business, or retired. In my 20+ years in this business, this economy today, has been the worse I have ever seen! Not going to lie, it has been very stressful, to say the least.
Tammy - I definitely have some gray hairs to attest to that!
Have you always been a one-man band?
Paul - I had until I married you in 2004. Then for 12 years you rode in the truck with me every day.
Tammy - I remember those days quite fondly.
What was it like going from being alone in the truck to bringing your wife every day?
Paul - I actually enjoyed it! Wasn’t as lonesome driving alone. You helped me pull cars, you could drive anything I threw you in. You even drove box trucks and could drive the rig if needed.
You helped with loading. I remember one time, in the winter, I chained a car that had to be drug up onto the rig. It was icy. I pulled you up practically sideways onto the rig, but you handled it like a trooper!
Tammy - I didn’t think I had much of a choice! It was a lot of fun, especially getting to drive so many types of cars and trucks.
Being self-employed, what sort of personal issues did you have to deal with throughout the years? Were there times you wished you weren’t self-employed?
Paul - Most definitely! Missing out on paid vacations. If the wheels don’t roll, we don’t get paid! We didn’t take a vacation for 12 years! I missed archery tournaments, birthdays, holidays, parties, all because I had to keep clients happy for fear of losing accounts.
Let alone being sick or getting hurt, I never felt I could take off. Once, I fell off the truck and gouged my leg to the bone and used bumper stickers from the auction to keep working. Another time, I fell off the truck and cracked my ribs, but kept working. I also got a concussion while loading on a Friday. Thankfully, you were with me and took me to the hospital. I lost my memory for 7 hours and broke my elbow, busted my eye, only to go back to work on Monday.
That was bad enough, but the times I needed to be there for you were the hardest. You broke your tailbone, resulting in no longer being in the rig with me. You had operations, double pneumonia, and yet I had to keep working often times leaving you alone.
Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come. I became sick.
Tammy - Car hauling is listed as one of the more dangerous jobs and yet I can count on one hand the times you got hurt so for that I’m thankful! Not being able to take off work has always been hard, I’ll give you that, but you handled it the best you could. I know no other who would do what you have or are having to do.
Explain what you have now. The symptoms that led you to agree to see the doctor. What and when did you find out?
Paul - I have Stage 4 Colon Cancer. I started having blood in my stool. I thought nothing of it, perhaps hemorrhoids. I am a driver? I also began having more frequent stools along with cramping.
I let it go for two years, always too busy to go to the doctor. One night, I filled the stool with blood. Even then, I wouldn’t let you take me to the emergency room. I had work set up the next day that had to be delivered. You were the one that made a colonoscopy appointment and made me go.
When I went in, they told me they couldn’t do it. There was a blockage, and it probably was cancer. That was in 2017.
Tammy - I will never forget that day.
When you got diagnosed, what was the prognosis?
Paul - They removed a fist size tumor in my colon, along with 12 lymph nodes. 8 were positive. They then found cancer on my liver. Thus, making it Stage 4. They gave me two years to live.
Tammy - Besides the obvious, how did this affect you with your business?
Paul - Everything work related suddenly didn’t seem as important. And yet, I still needed to work to pay the bills.
After the first surgery, I was back in the truck two weeks after surgery. The doctor was not happy. I also worked while on chemo. Loading cars with the pump on, no less. Being self-employed, I didn’t have the luxury of paid time off.
I have to say during this whole time, my clients and fellow truckers have been so good to me! They helped out, lightened loads, and understood sometimes doctor appointments had to be made before their cars were delivered.
Tammy - Such a heartbreaking time to see you go through all of it! And yet, I can’t help but honestly believe working gave you a purpose. Sitting at home day in and day out, thinking about it, did you no good. Plus, you drove me nuts being bored!
So, you get the prognosis. You have surgery. They open you up from the top of your stomach to your groin. They insert a port in your shoulder to pump in chemo. You were to do chemo for 12 treatments but only did 11.
What happened next?
Paul - They decided to put me on the pill form. It would be much easier for me loading cars without a pump. But the pill form is harder on your body. I had a bad reaction. The entire inside of my mouth turned white with sores, making it even harder for me to eat or keep anything down. That was the lowest in weight I got, 145 pounds. I didn’t realize how bad I looked until I saw pictures later.
Tammy - I hate even talking about that time. It scared me so much! But miraculously, we thought, it worked! You were completely clear! Then they go to take your port out.
Tell us about that experience.
Paul - Yea, go figure, here I thought I beat cancer only to have the port being taken out almost kill me! When they went to take it out, a piece broke off. The doctor was like, um, that’s not good! That piece is traveling to your heart, once there it could block a valve!
I’m like, what do you mean? They then scheduled me the next day for emergency surgery. Next day!?! With all I had been through, honestly? I was in total fear, lying all night trying to be perfectly still!
Tammy - Of course, that night I’m on the computer researching the hell out of it to see what we were up against. Go figure, it only happens to 2%, our luck!
The next day, at the hospital, the doctor first had no clue to why you were there. Then he looked mortified at the thought of having to do it since he had never done one!
He quickly x-rayed you and was relieved it was in a spot he may be able to get to and quickly wheeled you into surgery. He literally came running to the waiting room, grabbed me and took me back to you, proudly showing me he got it!
After that first process - a year and a half went by with you being clear. What did you do?
Paul - I still worked, but made sure to travel more. Went to Florida to see family. Alaska to ski. You gave me the gift of going to Europe for my 50th. I had never been out of the country. We saw 5 countries in 10 days. It was amazing! Then I then took you to Sturgis with our motorcycles. And of course, being home more, I was able to enjoy our home and our pets more.
Tammy - What struggles did/do you have with work and this prognosis?
Paul - Working while on chemo is hard. With the pump on, it was a struggle not to hit my port or pump while I chained down the cars. The chemo makes you very tired. As well as nauseous, among other things. You become creative in trying to hide your sickness.
I have severe damage to my hands and feet due to neuropathy from the chemo, which makes it harder to load and drive. Then eating and drinking on the road was always tough to begin with. Now I don’t have the luxury of missing lunch or dinner without having to deal with the wrath of you making sure I eat!
Tammy - Yes, eating is a must!
Was there anything outside of work that was affected?
Paul - I could no longer do archery. I used to do target competitions; I miss that. Our personal relationship had to change due to chemo. At times I am toxic, so I have to be careful with you. And of course, my self-image. Scars from my surgeries, changes to my appearance while on chemo, it depresses you.
Tammy - To compensate for those changes, did you replace them with other things?
Paul - I will never replace you! If anything, we became closer, which didn’t seem possible since we did everything together, anyway. But yes, the things I couldn’t do we replaced.
You decided to pull me more into your world of writing. We lost ourselves as King & Queen at a Renaissance Fair. Which in turn led you to writing a Children’s book. To promote it, you dressed me up in a unicorn costume. Yes, a truck driver in a big pink blowup unicorn costume! I even wore it in front of the Eiffel Tower. We had so much fun making little videos to help promote the book.
Then you changed it up and decided to get me involved in your horror book’s promotion. We worked on unusual costumes to wear at the horror conventions. Coming up with me being the Ring Master, a character from your first horror novel The Folks.
Never would I had imagined doing any of those things, but I have enjoyed it so much! We have met so many amazing people, including stars. It lets me live outside the truck.
Plus, of course, we rode our motorcycles more. Our quads. Even bought a camper to do smaller trips. We have crammed so much into the last couple of years.
Tammy - What have you come to learn because of your prognosis?
Paul - Unfortunately, cancer is everywhere. Either you have it or know someone who does. You find friends you never knew you had and, unfortunately, friends you thought would be there, distance themselves. Which is ok, some people aren’t sure what to do and I get that.
And yet, complete strangers can be supportive and sympathetic. I have even had movie stars and rock stars from the cons, offer advice. Things like that really mean a lot to me. Makes me feel like I am someone who can have hope, not just be a statistic.
Tammy - Did you have setbacks with your prognosis?
Paul - The first was the reaction to pill form. Then getting port taken out, which was bad but not as bad as what happened next. My scans for a year and a half we thought I was clear, had not been read correctly. The cancer had been growing; they missed it and I needed to be operated on immediately.
Tammy - Your second surgery. How was it different from the first?
Paul - The timing couldn’t have been worse. It happened at the beginning of the pandemic. I was no longer allowed to have you in with me during the visits to help me ask the questions that needed to be asked.
Then the surgery itself was far riskier than the first. They wanted to take 70% of my liver out. In doing so, there was a risk of me dying on the table or 3 days after.
Tammy - What was going on at work and in your personal life?
Paul - Covid had hit. I was very busy to begin with, then work dried up. We were concerned about getting Covid because of my weakened immunity, but I still kept working. Mostly, I was concerned about the risk of the surgery. However, I was extremely hopeful for if it worked, I could be clear!
Tammy - I will never forget dropping you off the day of your surgery, in your pj’s and mask. Going back home to the house alone, anxiously waiting for the phone call.
They called me half way through and things were going well. However, later in the day, the next call was quite different. They removed the 3 spots, but when they lifted your liver to get at the last spot, not only did they find it had grown over a major artery, but you flatlined. They got you back and closed you up.
When you heard the surgery was not completely successful, what was your first response?
Paul - For the first time, I was ready to give up. I was not going to do chemo again; I was done! You convinced me otherwise. Making me realize all the fun we had made the chemo worth it.
Tammy - After the chemo worked that time, what happened next?
Paul - I was completely clear again. We had a great summer. I was the healthiest I had been in years.
Tammy - It really was and even though in the back of our minds we knew it was only a matter of time for that one spot to come back, there was a plan to radiate it when it got big enough. And yet, it didn’t come back for a couple of scans, so we were hopeful it wouldn’t come back.
Then what happened?
Paul - Our false sense of security was rudely awakened! This last fall, the problem child came back. We prepared to take care of it through radiation only to find out, right before Christmas, I have new growth in my lungs.
Tammy - How are they planning on taking care of it?
Paul - I was put back on chemo but could not handle the original chemo due to the damage to my feet and hands. They played around with a different concoction, but unfortunately, it is not working as well. It only shrank everything in half.
They then kept me on chemo for more rounds and we’ll find out in June if it got rid of the rest for now. However, because I continuously have re-occurrence, they want to keep me on chemo for the rest of my life.
Tammy - So many see you as an inspiration. The way you have handled such a difficult situation is admiring.
Is there something you to want to tell others?
Paul - Do not wait, if your body is trying to tell you it is sick, listen! If I had listened, I could have been completely cured through an operation. It would not have spread.
Of course, hindsight will always be 20/20 but you also need to remember, prognosis is only a guess. New developments and cures are happening, even during the time I have had it.
They only gave me two years. I am going in my fifth year. It may be a struggle, the hardest thing you ever do, but it’s been worth it to live with my friends, family, even strangers and enjoy life!
Lastly, work for a living but don’t live to work. Embrace life and hobbies, because it’s more precious than you know!
Tammy - I have to ask, if you had it to do it all over - would you?
Paul - The only thing I would change is ignoring my body when it was trying to tell me something was wrong. Do not hesitate, if it happens to you, listen to it and others!
With that being said, I have enjoyed owning my own business. Sure, it was tough at times. But I am very proud of what I accomplished. The trucks I have owned, the cars I have moved, the reputation I built, the bonds of friendship and people I have interacted with and, more importantly, having you beside me to share it with. It’s been a great life and I am thankful.
Tammy - It’s definitely been a roller coaster with you, one I have enjoyed and not ready to get off just yet! Personally, I enjoy a good roller coaster. Scary at times, but always thrilling. I will take that over a well-known traveled road any day! Perhaps the roller coaster is what makes us appreciate the harder, less traveled roads? Our future has been predicted but not written.
We have made changes along the way because of that prediction and have several tough ones yet to make. While Paul’s story is not one many like to hear, it is one that has to be told. Owning your own business can be a very rewarding and proud experience.
It can also take a toll on you. It can make even the simplest personal decision a task. But what never ceases to amaze me about Paul is his outlook. He is always upbeat, hardworking, loving life.
Paul’s key may have very well been to continue to work, giving him purpose, but also to make changes. Not only to preserve the business he worked so hard in obtaining, but to enjoy life and to appreciate the ones in his life. A line that can be hard to balance but worth it.
This is why Paul tells his story. Not to get sympathy or pity, but to bring awareness. Not only to the illness, but how precious life is and to enjoy it to its fullest. It’s like a tank of fuel. At first you use it up quickly, thinking there will be more when you need it. Then when you realize there is no endless supply, and it gets expensive to refill, you appreciate it more. Only for you to realize, finally, perhaps it’s best to just let it coast and enjoy what is around you.
Tammy - What do you do for a living? How long have you been doing it?
Paul - I am an owner/operator. My business is Vreeland Transport. I own a 9-car hauler and transport cars for a living. I have been in business for 24 years.
Tammy - How did you get into it?
Paul - I worked for Joe Barina in Lakewood, NJ. Joe put me in one of his trucks. He was my mentor. Because of him, I pursued my career.
Tammy - Once you were on your own, how did your business grow?
Paul - I transported salvage cars with a 4-car carrier. Then I began to do wholesale with the 4-car. I began to get busier, so I purchased a 5 pack. The business grew so quickly I had to buy a 9-car carrier. I continue to take wholesale and lease turn-ins to the auctions.
Tammy - It’s been amazing watching you grow.
Was work always readily available?
Paul - We definitely had our ups and downs. Cash for Clunkers actually hit us pretty hard. We thought that was bad, but it was nothing compared to the Covid crisis.
Not only due to the fear everyone had, but the shortage of chips for new cars affected everything! For two solid years now, work has been very scarce.
Many of my friends either gave up, went out of business, or retired. In my 20+ years in this business, this economy today, has been the worse I have ever seen! Not going to lie, it has been very stressful, to say the least.
Tammy - I definitely have some gray hairs to attest to that!
Have you always been a one-man band?
Paul - I had until I married you in 2004. Then for 12 years you rode in the truck with me every day.
Tammy - I remember those days quite fondly.
What was it like going from being alone in the truck to bringing your wife every day?
Paul - I actually enjoyed it! Wasn’t as lonesome driving alone. You helped me pull cars, you could drive anything I threw you in. You even drove box trucks and could drive the rig if needed.
You helped with loading. I remember one time, in the winter, I chained a car that had to be drug up onto the rig. It was icy. I pulled you up practically sideways onto the rig, but you handled it like a trooper!
Tammy - I didn’t think I had much of a choice! It was a lot of fun, especially getting to drive so many types of cars and trucks.
Being self-employed, what sort of personal issues did you have to deal with throughout the years? Were there times you wished you weren’t self-employed?
Paul - Most definitely! Missing out on paid vacations. If the wheels don’t roll, we don’t get paid! We didn’t take a vacation for 12 years! I missed archery tournaments, birthdays, holidays, parties, all because I had to keep clients happy for fear of losing accounts.
Let alone being sick or getting hurt, I never felt I could take off. Once, I fell off the truck and gouged my leg to the bone and used bumper stickers from the auction to keep working. Another time, I fell off the truck and cracked my ribs, but kept working. I also got a concussion while loading on a Friday. Thankfully, you were with me and took me to the hospital. I lost my memory for 7 hours and broke my elbow, busted my eye, only to go back to work on Monday.
That was bad enough, but the times I needed to be there for you were the hardest. You broke your tailbone, resulting in no longer being in the rig with me. You had operations, double pneumonia, and yet I had to keep working often times leaving you alone.
Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come. I became sick.
Tammy - Car hauling is listed as one of the more dangerous jobs and yet I can count on one hand the times you got hurt so for that I’m thankful! Not being able to take off work has always been hard, I’ll give you that, but you handled it the best you could. I know no other who would do what you have or are having to do.
Explain what you have now. The symptoms that led you to agree to see the doctor. What and when did you find out?
Paul - I have Stage 4 Colon Cancer. I started having blood in my stool. I thought nothing of it, perhaps hemorrhoids. I am a driver? I also began having more frequent stools along with cramping.
I let it go for two years, always too busy to go to the doctor. One night, I filled the stool with blood. Even then, I wouldn’t let you take me to the emergency room. I had work set up the next day that had to be delivered. You were the one that made a colonoscopy appointment and made me go.
When I went in, they told me they couldn’t do it. There was a blockage, and it probably was cancer. That was in 2017.
Tammy - I will never forget that day.
When you got diagnosed, what was the prognosis?
Paul - They removed a fist size tumor in my colon, along with 12 lymph nodes. 8 were positive. They then found cancer on my liver. Thus, making it Stage 4. They gave me two years to live.
Tammy - Besides the obvious, how did this affect you with your business?
Paul - Everything work related suddenly didn’t seem as important. And yet, I still needed to work to pay the bills.
After the first surgery, I was back in the truck two weeks after surgery. The doctor was not happy. I also worked while on chemo. Loading cars with the pump on, no less. Being self-employed, I didn’t have the luxury of paid time off.
I have to say during this whole time, my clients and fellow truckers have been so good to me! They helped out, lightened loads, and understood sometimes doctor appointments had to be made before their cars were delivered.
Tammy - Such a heartbreaking time to see you go through all of it! And yet, I can’t help but honestly believe working gave you a purpose. Sitting at home day in and day out, thinking about it, did you no good. Plus, you drove me nuts being bored!
So, you get the prognosis. You have surgery. They open you up from the top of your stomach to your groin. They insert a port in your shoulder to pump in chemo. You were to do chemo for 12 treatments but only did 11.
What happened next?
Paul - They decided to put me on the pill form. It would be much easier for me loading cars without a pump. But the pill form is harder on your body. I had a bad reaction. The entire inside of my mouth turned white with sores, making it even harder for me to eat or keep anything down. That was the lowest in weight I got, 145 pounds. I didn’t realize how bad I looked until I saw pictures later.
Tammy - I hate even talking about that time. It scared me so much! But miraculously, we thought, it worked! You were completely clear! Then they go to take your port out.
Tell us about that experience.
Paul - Yea, go figure, here I thought I beat cancer only to have the port being taken out almost kill me! When they went to take it out, a piece broke off. The doctor was like, um, that’s not good! That piece is traveling to your heart, once there it could block a valve!
I’m like, what do you mean? They then scheduled me the next day for emergency surgery. Next day!?! With all I had been through, honestly? I was in total fear, lying all night trying to be perfectly still!
Tammy - Of course, that night I’m on the computer researching the hell out of it to see what we were up against. Go figure, it only happens to 2%, our luck!
The next day, at the hospital, the doctor first had no clue to why you were there. Then he looked mortified at the thought of having to do it since he had never done one!
He quickly x-rayed you and was relieved it was in a spot he may be able to get to and quickly wheeled you into surgery. He literally came running to the waiting room, grabbed me and took me back to you, proudly showing me he got it!
After that first process - a year and a half went by with you being clear. What did you do?
Paul - I still worked, but made sure to travel more. Went to Florida to see family. Alaska to ski. You gave me the gift of going to Europe for my 50th. I had never been out of the country. We saw 5 countries in 10 days. It was amazing! Then I then took you to Sturgis with our motorcycles. And of course, being home more, I was able to enjoy our home and our pets more.
Tammy - What struggles did/do you have with work and this prognosis?
Paul - Working while on chemo is hard. With the pump on, it was a struggle not to hit my port or pump while I chained down the cars. The chemo makes you very tired. As well as nauseous, among other things. You become creative in trying to hide your sickness.
I have severe damage to my hands and feet due to neuropathy from the chemo, which makes it harder to load and drive. Then eating and drinking on the road was always tough to begin with. Now I don’t have the luxury of missing lunch or dinner without having to deal with the wrath of you making sure I eat!
Tammy - Yes, eating is a must!
Was there anything outside of work that was affected?
Paul - I could no longer do archery. I used to do target competitions; I miss that. Our personal relationship had to change due to chemo. At times I am toxic, so I have to be careful with you. And of course, my self-image. Scars from my surgeries, changes to my appearance while on chemo, it depresses you.
Tammy - To compensate for those changes, did you replace them with other things?
Paul - I will never replace you! If anything, we became closer, which didn’t seem possible since we did everything together, anyway. But yes, the things I couldn’t do we replaced.
You decided to pull me more into your world of writing. We lost ourselves as King & Queen at a Renaissance Fair. Which in turn led you to writing a Children’s book. To promote it, you dressed me up in a unicorn costume. Yes, a truck driver in a big pink blowup unicorn costume! I even wore it in front of the Eiffel Tower. We had so much fun making little videos to help promote the book.
Then you changed it up and decided to get me involved in your horror book’s promotion. We worked on unusual costumes to wear at the horror conventions. Coming up with me being the Ring Master, a character from your first horror novel The Folks.
Never would I had imagined doing any of those things, but I have enjoyed it so much! We have met so many amazing people, including stars. It lets me live outside the truck.
Plus, of course, we rode our motorcycles more. Our quads. Even bought a camper to do smaller trips. We have crammed so much into the last couple of years.
Tammy - What have you come to learn because of your prognosis?
Paul - Unfortunately, cancer is everywhere. Either you have it or know someone who does. You find friends you never knew you had and, unfortunately, friends you thought would be there, distance themselves. Which is ok, some people aren’t sure what to do and I get that.
And yet, complete strangers can be supportive and sympathetic. I have even had movie stars and rock stars from the cons, offer advice. Things like that really mean a lot to me. Makes me feel like I am someone who can have hope, not just be a statistic.
Tammy - Did you have setbacks with your prognosis?
Paul - The first was the reaction to pill form. Then getting port taken out, which was bad but not as bad as what happened next. My scans for a year and a half we thought I was clear, had not been read correctly. The cancer had been growing; they missed it and I needed to be operated on immediately.
Tammy - Your second surgery. How was it different from the first?
Paul - The timing couldn’t have been worse. It happened at the beginning of the pandemic. I was no longer allowed to have you in with me during the visits to help me ask the questions that needed to be asked.
Then the surgery itself was far riskier than the first. They wanted to take 70% of my liver out. In doing so, there was a risk of me dying on the table or 3 days after.
Tammy - What was going on at work and in your personal life?
Paul - Covid had hit. I was very busy to begin with, then work dried up. We were concerned about getting Covid because of my weakened immunity, but I still kept working. Mostly, I was concerned about the risk of the surgery. However, I was extremely hopeful for if it worked, I could be clear!
Tammy - I will never forget dropping you off the day of your surgery, in your pj’s and mask. Going back home to the house alone, anxiously waiting for the phone call.
They called me half way through and things were going well. However, later in the day, the next call was quite different. They removed the 3 spots, but when they lifted your liver to get at the last spot, not only did they find it had grown over a major artery, but you flatlined. They got you back and closed you up.
When you heard the surgery was not completely successful, what was your first response?
Paul - For the first time, I was ready to give up. I was not going to do chemo again; I was done! You convinced me otherwise. Making me realize all the fun we had made the chemo worth it.
Tammy - After the chemo worked that time, what happened next?
Paul - I was completely clear again. We had a great summer. I was the healthiest I had been in years.
Tammy - It really was and even though in the back of our minds we knew it was only a matter of time for that one spot to come back, there was a plan to radiate it when it got big enough. And yet, it didn’t come back for a couple of scans, so we were hopeful it wouldn’t come back.
Then what happened?
Paul - Our false sense of security was rudely awakened! This last fall, the problem child came back. We prepared to take care of it through radiation only to find out, right before Christmas, I have new growth in my lungs.
Tammy - How are they planning on taking care of it?
Paul - I was put back on chemo but could not handle the original chemo due to the damage to my feet and hands. They played around with a different concoction, but unfortunately, it is not working as well. It only shrank everything in half.
They then kept me on chemo for more rounds and we’ll find out in June if it got rid of the rest for now. However, because I continuously have re-occurrence, they want to keep me on chemo for the rest of my life.
Tammy - So many see you as an inspiration. The way you have handled such a difficult situation is admiring.
Is there something you to want to tell others?
Paul - Do not wait, if your body is trying to tell you it is sick, listen! If I had listened, I could have been completely cured through an operation. It would not have spread.
Of course, hindsight will always be 20/20 but you also need to remember, prognosis is only a guess. New developments and cures are happening, even during the time I have had it.
They only gave me two years. I am going in my fifth year. It may be a struggle, the hardest thing you ever do, but it’s been worth it to live with my friends, family, even strangers and enjoy life!
Lastly, work for a living but don’t live to work. Embrace life and hobbies, because it’s more precious than you know!
Tammy - I have to ask, if you had it to do it all over - would you?
Paul - The only thing I would change is ignoring my body when it was trying to tell me something was wrong. Do not hesitate, if it happens to you, listen to it and others!
With that being said, I have enjoyed owning my own business. Sure, it was tough at times. But I am very proud of what I accomplished. The trucks I have owned, the cars I have moved, the reputation I built, the bonds of friendship and people I have interacted with and, more importantly, having you beside me to share it with. It’s been a great life and I am thankful.
Tammy - It’s definitely been a roller coaster with you, one I have enjoyed and not ready to get off just yet! Personally, I enjoy a good roller coaster. Scary at times, but always thrilling. I will take that over a well-known traveled road any day! Perhaps the roller coaster is what makes us appreciate the harder, less traveled roads? Our future has been predicted but not written.
We have made changes along the way because of that prediction and have several tough ones yet to make. While Paul’s story is not one many like to hear, it is one that has to be told. Owning your own business can be a very rewarding and proud experience.
It can also take a toll on you. It can make even the simplest personal decision a task. But what never ceases to amaze me about Paul is his outlook. He is always upbeat, hardworking, loving life.
Paul’s key may have very well been to continue to work, giving him purpose, but also to make changes. Not only to preserve the business he worked so hard in obtaining, but to enjoy life and to appreciate the ones in his life. A line that can be hard to balance but worth it.
This is why Paul tells his story. Not to get sympathy or pity, but to bring awareness. Not only to the illness, but how precious life is and to enjoy it to its fullest. It’s like a tank of fuel. At first you use it up quickly, thinking there will be more when you need it. Then when you realize there is no endless supply, and it gets expensive to refill, you appreciate it more. Only for you to realize, finally, perhaps it’s best to just let it coast and enjoy what is around you.
