Donna;

I know you have seen thousands of students in the course of teaching at DVC, and you couldn’t possibly remember any one particular name, but I’m sure that if you saw me, you would remember me.  I was one of your students that graduated in May of 2001.  This has been the most rewarding job I have ever had in my life, even though, as we know, the pay is close to nonprofit.

I just want to thank you for everything you have done to help me realize this.  You, and all of the teaching staff of the ADS Program.

My own recovery from addiction and alcoholism was the impetus that made me want to help others recover.  However, a common byproduct of drug addiction is Hepatitis.  Frequently Hepatitis “C”.  I contracted hep C probably 30 years ago.  As it turns out, one of the things that hep C can lead to is liver cancer; a little bit of which can oddly be a good thing, as a tumor of 5 centimeters or less can boost one up to the top of the liver transplant list.  Over 5 centimeters, and one if off the transplant list.  Mine developed rather nebulously, and by the time it was detected, it was 16 centimeter, making a transplant unthinkable.  So, we are looking at various treatments that will, in the end postpone the inevitable at best – if I even qualify for the treatments.

 Regardless of the outcome of any treatment, I hope to be as much of a help to others as I can, and to let them know that my case is a rather odd one, and if they develop liver cancer, the odds are that theirs will develop in a more traditional manner, be detectable earlier, and dealt with in a more positive manner, and that for the most part they can deal with what ever comes down the pike. 

I still feel that these nearly 15 years of recovery have been the best years of my life, and I have been blessed beyond anything I could have possibly wished for.  Of course, I would have liked to stretch the time out a bit longer, but I have the most wonderful wife, literally tons of friends, a good relationship with my grown children, and now grandchildren and the richest life imaginable.

I just want to reiterate my most heartfelt thanks to you for preparing me for what is the most meaningful work I have ever done in my life.  My father used to say that he didn’t believe that a person had a right to be on the planet, unless they contributed something to society.  Those words used to haunt me, as I knew that I contributed nothing to society.  Thanks to AA, a concept of God, and to a large extent, you, those words no longer haunt me, as I know that I have contributed something, and again, I want to thank you from the bottom of my hear.

Thank You,

Doug Mullens
2004