At 59, Mike Pickering’s life changed when he woke up one morning and could barely see out of his left eye.
After visits to an optometrist, ophthalmologist and retina specialist, Mike was referred to Calgary, where he was diagnosed with ocular melanoma. The tumour had wrapped around his retina, and he underwent plaque brachytherapy radiation.
The diagnosis brought fear and uncertainty for Mike and his wife, Beverley, who have been together since high school. For Mike, one of the hardest parts was not knowing what the future might hold.
At a follow-up appointment, his specialist shared something Mike desperately needed to hear: there were people living 15 years or more after the same diagnosis.
“For the first time, I felt real hope.”
Today, Mike continues regular follow-up care and has learned to focus less on what he cannot control and more on the life in front of him. He spends more time talking with people, asks them what they’re passionate about, works on his bucket list, and appreciates every day with Beverley and his family.
He also brings a little extra courage to every appointment: his Batman T-shirt, which has become his lucky shirt and a reminder to stay strong.
Mike now encourages others to think about what really matters:
“If you only had 10 seconds, 10 hours, 10 days, 10 weeks, 10 months or 10 years, what would you do to make your time count?”
For Mike, the answer is to keep living.
“We all have a last day someday. But my last day is not today.”
Mike Pickering
A.K.A. Batman