On Wed. July 1st I was admitted to the hospital with severe stomach pains. By July 3rd, the pain had become excruciating, I had never felt such pain in my life. I had emergency surgery where they removed a mass of cells that was completely blocking my colon. After a tough day of recovery, I started to sweat and be nauseous for two straight days. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t even drink water and by Mon. July 6th I was rushed into my second surgery of the short week. I had a possible infection within my wounds that had to be addressed ASAP.
Now finally I can look back at the worst week of my life and begin to move forward in life. They have let me know that my cell mass was indeed cancerous and that although I am clear of infections, I have a long road ahead. So why am I writing all this detail? It’s not to complain but to speak about the good I have seen in people this week and how inspired I feel that I know I will beat this cancer!
Hearing “you have cancer” is the single most frightening thing that has ever happened to me. But what this week has to taught me, in order to begin my journey of beating this cancer, is to lean on people that truly care and love you. Is that a little cheesy? Sure but my amazing supporting wife, children, the notes from family members, co-workers, close friends and friends you haven’t seen in years, medical workers, and people I have met in the lacrosse industry have inspired me beyond belief.
My entire life I have lived with a sense of unrealized potential. I was a very good athlete but always felt I never achieved what I wanted to in any of the sports I played. I then began to feel the same way as an educator and a coach. I knew I could coach and have inspired many young people over the years as a teacher but sometimes it’s an internal struggle that we all battle. As the years start to go by, we all gain a sense of fear that we might not achieve what we had set out to achieve in our careers. But this internal struggle also led me to starting the best thing in my career and that’s US Club Lacrosse. I had a vision, inspiration and more importantly, now as I reflect on it over the last two years, a “love” for it. Being able to enhance the club lacrosse experience for boys and girls across the country has become one of my biggest driving forces and is our ultimate goal at US Club Lacrosse.
I know I am at the beginning of my journey to beat this horrible disease but with my new sense of “love and support” guiding me I know I will destroy it and will not live in fear of colon cancer.
Colon cancer will not define me. I will meet it head on and come out on the other end, knowing that this time I did everything I could to beat it.
This will be one tough road but my inspiration to helps others, continue to build this company and my love for others will keep my spirits and optimism an all time high.
Now finally I can look back at the worst week of my life and begin to move forward in life. They have let me know that my cell mass was indeed cancerous and that although I am clear of infections, I have a long road ahead. So why am I writing all this detail? It’s not to complain but to speak about the good I have seen in people this week and how inspired I feel that I know I will beat this cancer!
Hearing “you have cancer” is the single most frightening thing that has ever happened to me. But what this week has to taught me, in order to begin my journey of beating this cancer, is to lean on people that truly care and love you. Is that a little cheesy? Sure but my amazing supporting wife, children, the notes from family members, co-workers, close friends and friends you haven’t seen in years, medical workers, and people I have met in the lacrosse industry have inspired me beyond belief.
My entire life I have lived with a sense of unrealized potential. I was a very good athlete but always felt I never achieved what I wanted to in any of the sports I played. I then began to feel the same way as an educator and a coach. I knew I could coach and have inspired many young people over the years as a teacher but sometimes it’s an internal struggle that we all battle. As the years start to go by, we all gain a sense of fear that we might not achieve what we had set out to achieve in our careers. But this internal struggle also led me to starting the best thing in my career and that’s US Club Lacrosse. I had a vision, inspiration and more importantly, now as I reflect on it over the last two years, a “love” for it. Being able to enhance the club lacrosse experience for boys and girls across the country has become one of my biggest driving forces and is our ultimate goal at US Club Lacrosse.
I know I am at the beginning of my journey to beat this horrible disease but with my new sense of “love and support” guiding me I know I will destroy it and will not live in fear of colon cancer.
Colon cancer will not define me. I will meet it head on and come out on the other end, knowing that this time I did everything I could to beat it.
This will be one tough road but my inspiration to helps others, continue to build this company and my love for others will keep my spirits and optimism an all time high.
Denis Noonan
Founder & CEO of US Club Lacrosse
Founder & CEO of US Club Lacrosse
