Dave Beauparlant - NEVER GIVE UP

Thursday Dec 28/2023 The fight began. 6-8 months prior my wife and son noticed something was wrong with me I was losing weight at a fast paste not eating lots, always tired and night sweats. I battled day in day out getting up for work. It started with my Dad being in the hospital for Christmas due to emergency surgery for his intestines. 

We spent Christmas in the hospital with him and my mom and had our little Christmas in his hospital room and celebrated our son Ben’s birthday on Christmas Day as well. Dec 28/2023 @ 4pm my wife my rock said Dave this is enough we are going to go get you checked out this is not normal. 

We went to a few clinics and all of them we're completely full I told her we can come back tomorrow she said NO Dave we are going to the Emergency. I swallowed my PRIDE and went. I was called in to explain my symptoms about 30min after being there, 20 mins later I was brought in for bloodwork. hhh boi bloodwork I says I’m terrified of needles but again put my fear aside. I was sent back in waiting room 15 min later I’m back in for X rays then sent back in waiting room about 1/2 hour later called in and asked to sit on a bed in the hallway. Nurse came and says are you Dave Beauparlant? I said yes she say Mr Beauparlant you have leukemia. Nothing registered at the moment I looked and my wife and said what’s that? She says Dave you have Cancer and we both collapsed crying. 

About 15 min after Dr Jani comes in and says Mr Beauparlant I’m not going to lie you are a very very sick man and start going through all the processes of life support if needed and other life saving measures sign here sign there. I asked well can i go home tonight and come back tomorrow he says Dave you’re way to sick and need to stay here I started crying and couldn’t figure out what was actually going on at that time. Dr said we will get an iV in you I says oh boy again with the needles then he says we will be transferring you to the Oncology floor very shortly. Now this was just 2 hrs since I was registered in Emerg. Sure enough they brought me up to the 4th floor. 

By then my wife had got in contact with our son to let him know to make his way to hospital we have some bad news. We could not believe what was happening and honestly thought it was a mistake. My wife and son made lots of calls that night to let our family know what was happening. I called up my Boss and said Mike my friend I’ve got bad news I won’t be at work tomorrow he says that’s ok Dave what’s happening then I told him the phone went silent for 15-20 seconds he says omg Dave omg I’m going to make some calls now my dad retired not long ago Cancer Doctor. 

Now it’s midnight Friday morning and we are looking outside at all the Christmas lights at Science North since my room was facing that direction. Told my wife and son guys go home get some rest I think we will need it all. Friday morning Dr Jani walks in with lab technician and says we are here for a Bone Marrow nothing registered with me. They were just about to begin the procedure and my wife and son walks in the room Dr says to both of them I’m not sure you guys should be here for this both of them said we are NOT going anywhere he’s terrified of needles.

Let me tell ya it was the most painful experience ever i refused pain medication for it, my wife was holding my hand while the procedure was going on I was crying, shaking, and sweating bullets it was intense I can remember clear as day when the lab technician said the piece not big enough need to go back in after another 10 min it was done. We could not believe what was happening with all of this.

The rest of the day Friday my mind was going 110mph so was my wife and son. I was honestly ready to give up in my mind. I said to my wife I need to take a shower she called the nurse and I still remember it was Eddy he says what can I do for ya Dave I said need shower. I went to get up and almost fell over being all dizzy he says Dave you can’t shower right now. I says I need to shower and it’s happening now he went and got me a chair so I could sit in the shower it was the best shower ever.

Now my phone is ringing off the hook with family calling, coworkers etc On the Saturday nurse comes in and says Dave we are going to move you to another room I said plz don’t I’ve got the view of Ramsey lake and Science North but they had to. They brought me to a big big room with my own washroom etc but no view I says this ain’t happening but my wife and son said Dave stop it this is what it is. I pouted the rest of day. Now it’s Sunday 5am still feeling depressed and ready to give up. I got up and looked at myself in the mirror and said to myself your a Viking Dave Vikings don’t give up, I grabbed my (friend) the machine for IV put my slippers on and started doing laps around the ward . I was doing 10 laps in morning 10 in afternoon and 10 at night even some of those I was jogging them yes jogging.

Now it’s Wednesday night watching some TV with my wife and son before they left to go home and I says to them wow my left leg hurts so much but didn’t make much of it. Thursday morning 1am I was in so much pain crying due to extreme pain buzzed the nurse and Aaron came in and asked what’s wrong Dave I says my leg my leg it hurts so much she gave me a pain pill and comes back about an hour later and says that’s better now eh i says Aaron it’s not it’s actually worse.

She called Dr Jani for guidance he said he can’t have more pain meds for now. Well now it’s 7am and it’s only getting worse. I tried to get up and almost fell face first. Dr sent me for ultra sound and come to find out I had a Hematoma in my leg the size of a small football. Now almost being completely paralyzed on my left leg I was not able to do my laps. Again I started to feel depressed and looked at myself and said again Dave you’re a Viking don’t let this take you down.

Long story short I didn’t give up and was finally told I could go home on January 8/2024 the battle continues.