CHAPTER 1
GROWING UP, FAMILY, ANDMY FIRST GUARDIAN ANGELEXPERIENCE
Chapel Hill, North Carolina—11/11/11
Reality slapped me in the face like Don Corleone in The Godfather slapsJohnny Fontaine and says; "You can act like a man—what's the matterwith you?" I just found out that I was diagnosed with Acute MyelogenousLeukemia (AML) at 4:00pm on Friday November 11, 2011. I justcompleted two surgeries to remove squamous cell carcinoma of the lefttonsil and papillary carcinoma of the left and right thyroid.
The flurry of news hit me dead in the chest! I was freaking out and feltlike my world just collapsed. I mean come on—I just finished fightingcancer for eight months and thought that my battle was complete. DoI have enough in the tank to battle AML and a stem cell transplant?AML can take up to two years to cure, and the odds for survival aredevastatingly low. So, the only thing I could do was act like a man andmake the best of my situation. My story will soon unfold before you.
"And in the end it's not the years in your life that count; it's the life inyour years."
This quotation by Abraham Lincoln is an important quotation to thinkabout or at least it was for me. If you take anything away from this book,please live life the best you can no matter what you are going throughcurrently. Please make every day count from this day forward.
I was born and raised in Boynton Beach, Florida. My Father, BillHamilton was born in Rye, New York and worked as a police officer inBoynton Beach. He worked hard and moved up to Chief of Police. It wasalways tough being the son of a police officer, because Dad always knewwhat I was up to every minute of the day. If I was ever in trouble, myFather knew it before I even walked through the door.
My Mother, Madeleine Hamilton was born in Holland and grew up inIpswich, Massachusetts. She moved south and met my Father at SeacrestHigh School in Delray Beach, Florida. Mom caught his eye during one ofhis shifts as a school crossing guard. They have been happily married for50 plus years.
My brother Billy is four years my senior and my only sibling. Billy wouldprove to save my life from AML and MDS with his stem cells. Billyand I were always up to no good as children, and he was always daringme to do things growing up. He and I were also constantly dreaming ofbeing medical professionals. That dream would be the start of my futurein medical sales; moreover, my education would play a major role in mysurviving 25% odds of beating my cancers.
I grew up a happy, active, and fun-loving child. I enjoyed surfing, soccer,football, fishing, running track, and of course wreaking havoc with mybrother Billy. I attended school at Delray Elementary, Barton Elementary,Lantana Junior High School, and Santaluces High School; all located inPalm Beach County. I was a hard working kid and always found odd jobsaround the neighborhood.
I will never forget a life lesson that my Father taught me back when I was13 years old. Back in the late 1970s to early 1980s, the new craze was Nikeshoes. I just had to have a pair of these magnificent shoes that many kidswere wearing in school. My Father worked as a police officer, and we couldnot afford the luxuries that were afforded by many. I also wanted the newAC/DC album Back in Black.
Dad said to me, "Son you need to go earn some money to buy thoseexpensive Nike shoes. They are out of their mind on how expensive theyare." Dad was always teaching me life lessons and street smarts.
Well, I listened to my Dad. I rode my bike to the end of my street where aplant farm was located. I was determined to get my shoes quickly so thatI could enjoy them. I knocked on the door of trailer located on the plantfarm and asked for the owner. I introduced myself and asked him if heneeded any help with loading plants on their trucks.
The owner was thrilled and offered me a job right there on the spot.I asked how much he paid and he answered that he only could afford acouple of bucks per hour. I was thrilled and told him that I could workevery weekend and after school if needed.
The first weekend I worked 12 hours, and this was tough work. I had toload semi trucks up with plants all day long. At the end of the day, I wastired, and covered in soil from head to toe. By the third weekend, I hadenough to buy my Nike shoes, a Led Zeppelin album, and the AC/DCalbum. What a vast sense of accomplishment I felt that day. My Fatherwas truly proud that I figured out a way to get my shoes and albums Iwanted. Thank you Dad for instilling the knowledge of what hard workcan get a person in life. I am not sure he appreciated the rock-n-rollblasting from the back of the house though.
Another great lesson that my father taught me was how important acollege education was back then. I will never forget this life lesson becauseit did not take me long to figure out that he was right. I had just turned18 and graduated high school from Santaluces High in Lantana, Florida.Most of my friends were already attending college, and I was not ready formore school.
My father suggested that I work with my neighbor Charlie Cale. Charlieowned a successful construction company and was always in the need ofgood help. I met with Charlie, and he was more than happy to hire me.Charlie headed out every morning at 5:30am, and he reminded me to packa lunch. I was excited to work with Charlie because he was a character.He was particularly charismatic and always had exceptional jokes, not tomention his wife Nancy was a prominent cook.
Boy 5:30am sure did come early on the first day! During my first hour onthe job, Charlie gave me the responsibility of running the cement mixer.My body and clothes were covered in white powder. Once the cement wasready, I had to pour it into a wheelbarrow and push it through fine sand.The sand was ankle deep and felt more like quick sand. What did I getmyself into?
The construction crew was using the cement quicker than I could make it,and they were yelling at me all day to get it to them faster. I felt like LucileBall on the famous chocolate scene on I love Lucy. I just could not keep up.I also had to balance the wheelbarrow, and push it up planks of wood toreach the building that we were constructing. We took a short break to eatlunch, although it was not like the movies where the construction crew sitsaround and whistles at female passersby.
When I returned home, my Father asked me, "what the heck happened toyou?" Just by his tone, I knew that he and Charlie were in cahoots. I wokeup the next day, barely getting out of bed; I felt as if I was pummeled by aprofessional boxer. I managed to pull myself up yet again for another day ofabuse. Charlie greeted me that morning and said, "how are you feeling?" Ireplied great! We arrived at the construction site just as the sun was rising.
Charlie put me on the cement mixer again. As I worked throughoutthe day, I kept asking myself; do you want to do this crap for the rest ofyour life? Well, I lasted two weeks, and then I sat down with my Father.I told him that I was aware of what he was trying to teach me, and that itconvinced me that I needed to apply for college that day. He laughed andsaid, "Son, I am so proud of you."
See my Father has a master's degree from Pepperdine University inMalibu, California. I tell him that he has a master's degree from the schoolof hard knocks, and he always chuckles. He is tough to outsmart and hasalways been a fabulous father figure. Thanks again Dad for instilling thatwork ethic that has helped me so much in my lifetime.
Please, do not get me wrong; my Mother Madeleine was, and is the bestmother anyone could ever have. She dedicated her life to Billy and me bystaying home with us until I was 18. She taught me how to be humble.She taught me to always use my manners and, most of all, to treatpeople exactly how I wanted to be treated. Mom was always as cool asa cucumber and as happy as a lark. Everyone always said that I had thesweetest and most giving mother. I could not agree more.
Mom was always there for all of us and always put her family first. I willnever forget her loading all of my friends up countless times, with all ofour surfboards tied down to the roof of her car. She would drive us upcoast to Hobe Sound, Florida every time the north swells would kickup. She sat for countless hours watching us surf, and she also collecteddriftwood for her garden at home.
Thank you Mom for your endless love, unselfishness, and sense of humor.Furthermore, thank you for your support throughout my first 45 years,and most of all for being my Eagle. You also give hope to everyone that youmeet, and you are the most giving person I know.
During college, I parked cars at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach,Florida. I also worked at other great employers such as The Boca RatonResort and Club as a bellhop. I met many famous people while workingat the Breakers and Boca Raton Resort; including, Princess Diana, PrinceCharles, President Ronald Reagan, First Lady Nancy Reagan, DanMarino, Madonna, Robin Williams, Chevy Chase, Steven Tyler, GeorgeBurns, and many more. Both hotels were built back in the 1920s and haveyears of history behind them. Boy, I sure was lucky to have those jobs incollege.
One more story about my childhood. I had mentioned in the chapter titlethat I had a run-in with my guardian angel. One beautiful morning inBoynton Beach, Billy and I went on a bike ride. He and I were always onthe go, and we enjoyed growing up in a small town.
We were on our way up to Bethesda Memorial Hospital, where we lovedto drive our bikes routinely. Billy and I ran into some trouble or should Isay trouble ran into me. An elderly man was speeding and did not see meon my bike. Before my Brother and I could react, the man blew throughthe stop sign, and struck me on my bike.
Like a runaway train without a conductor, he did not realize that I wasstuck under the car or that he even hit something. Those that live in SouthFlorida understand and see this often with the elderly population. Hetraveled a couple of blocks with me pinned under the car until someonewaved him to a stop. All I remembered was being able to ride in theAmbulance, which to a young boy was a big deal. The doctors could notbelieve it. I walked away with only a small scratch.
How was this possible? How did I not get crushed under his car? MyFather went back to the scene of the accident, and he found a coupleof long lines dug out in the pavement. This was from my pedal and myhandle bars being pushed into the asphalt. My bike was a total loss andcrushed beyond recognition.
How did I survive such an unexplainable accident? How did I not haveseveral broken bones? My only explanation was that this was my firstbrush with a miracle and would prove to me that guardian angles doexist. Who protected me that day? Over the years, like most people, Ihave questioned spirituality and if there is life after life? I have definitelyopened my eyes to believing more after this bike accident.
A great quotation that comes to mind when I think of guardian angels:"People only see what they are prepared to see."—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe in guardian angels? After thatbike accident, I am a believer. There is no way anyone can just walk awayfrom an accident like mine without an injury. We never know when it isour moment to have our time card punched, and only one higher beingknows when that time is. As you will read, I think you will agree that mytime on earth is not over until my mission is complete. See, time is allwe got, and some of us find out that we have less time than we thoughtwe had. You must also keep hope and know that we can survive almostanything with prayer and positive thinking; I am 100% certain that this istrue.
My mission is to ultimately reach as many cancer/AML and MDSpatients as possible and give them hope through this book. I startedwriting this book because the nurses and friends that took care of me toldme that I should do so. They constantly asked me how I kept my head upduring the entire two year journey. I will touch upon how this is possiblethroughout the book and hope that I can make a difference in your life.
CHAPTER 2
SUCCESSES, MONEY, AND AWARDSDO NOT MEAN ANYTHING
Another great quotation that helped me understand that I ignored myhealth in order to become successful. "Judge your success by what youhad to give up in order to get it." The Dalai Lama XIV
The Dalai Lama XIV nailed this quotation right on the head. Do youknow anyone that is giving up their health to obtain success in life? Thinklong and hard about what causes people stress because it just might bethat stress that consumes them or causes illness. I definitely feel that stresswas a contributing factor in my life and with my cancers.
After graduating college in 1991 with my Bachelor's in BusinessAdministration from Florida Atlantic University (FAU). I continuedon into the workforce. I met my wonderful spouse Laura just as I wasgraduating college, and this is who gave me my two beautiful Sons.
Riley and Brennan, now 16 and 13 years old, are and will always be the centerof my life. Oh the joy of children, especially when they are such fabulousmen as mine. I cannot explain how strong and understanding they have beenthrough my journey. Nothing wavered! Their grades, their attitudes, theirzest for life, their sports; I mean nothing gave. They were my inspiration.Riley loves playing hockey, and Brennan loves playing soccer. They have beenplaying since they were four years old, and I have had the pleasure of coachingthem in many sports including football, hockey, and soccer.
My dream was to work for Johnson & Johnson (J&J) coming out ofcollege, and I knew that it would be a tough goal to accomplish. I alwayswanted to work in medical sales and work with medical professionals. Itried contacting and interviewing with J&J, and I received the proverbialdoor in the face each time. I did, nonetheless, receive great advice atthe interviews. I was told that I should get as much sales training andexperience as I could obtain. I was also told that I should strive to be inthe top 2 to 5% in sales no matter where I worked.
I worked for a few Fortune 500 companies including Spectracide, TheGlidden Company and Ralph Lauren Paints. I received several President'sCup awards throughout my tenure, and I was always in the top 5% in sales.I was also awarded the number one sales rep in the nation a couple of timeswith Spectracide. My final position at The Glidden Company was a regionalmanager position in which I was responsible for $30,000,000 in sales and14 sales representatives. My region was Mid-Atlantic and included SouthCarolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and District of Columbia. This regionalmanager position was what relocated my family to Cary, North Carolina.
Knowing that I finally bolstered my resume, it was time to go after mydream. I had an interview scheduled just before a family vacation in Octoberof 2004. I knew this was my best chance to get hired, and I made surethat I was prepared. I prepared a brag book which showed all of my salesaccomplishments, and I had proof of all my awards and President's Cups. Iwill never forget the interview, because it was with a district manager withwhom I would spend many years with at two different companies.
The interview also included another district manager and the regionalmanager. The interview reminded me of a firing squad; asking questionsat a rapid pace. However, it went well. Have you ever walked into aninterview and felt that everything was aligned for you? This interviewfelt that way to me. The hiring process was about two months long andincluded second, third, and fourth interviews. The hiring process alsoincluded psychological testing and background check. I finally received myanswer on December 11, 2004. My new manager called me, and I startedmy career with J&J on December 27, 2004. Wow, I remember beingelated, and I called my family to start the celebration. That news definitelymade our family vacation a blast.
This job would serve as a base not only for my family but also for myeducation in the medical field. The training at J&J is by far the best inthe medical industry. My original job with J&J was in the pharmaceuticaldivision. The medications that I sold were Levaquin, Aciphex, andUltram. The training was intense and learning the antibiotic market wasparticularly tough. Just studying the pathogens and where they causeinflammation and infections was mind boggling. Heck, even pronouncingthe pathogens was difficult for a boy from Boynton Beach.
