October 2007 (Zeeland / Amsterdam)

Wouter writes: After years of not really knowing what was deteriorating Adriaans health, it is my understanding that the cancer was discovered in June 2007. When the treatment (a very advanced way of stem cell transplant) was proposed as the only way out, Adriaan very bravely did all the necessary treatments. In July he wrote me "Kahler is inderdaad erg heftig....helaas.... We doen ons best to kill the motherfucker ! (Kahler is very heavy indeed. Unfortunately. We do our best to kill the mf)".

It was all much harder than expected. Radiation, medicines, … But Adriaan kept organizing future ArtFairs and exhibitions. The right attitude. But the stemcell operation was planned around the time of ParisPhoto November 2007, so he canceled that one.

Early August he wrote "I hope I wasnt braver when I decided it than when I have to undergo it... I didnt really realize all I guess...perhaps good in the end I didnt...I need to become in a comateus situation first before getting the right cells...this means that I am technically spoken dead for a while. didnt realize either that I need 2 to 3 weeks hospital in complete isolation... (all happens oktober or early november....) So I hope when I resurrect ,that you , Ed ,Nicolas & Nathan are extra proud of me !"

In September Adriaan wrote: "Misschien lukt het niet..., Zou een medisch wonder zijn is me reeds verteld. Maar ja , dat is meteen ook een uitdaging voor me... 1 okt. 4e en laatste chemo kuur, 1/2 okt. Stamcellen inwinning, operatie hoop ik half November, dan moet 14 dagen in quarantaine...., daarna hoop ik ziekenhuis uit te mogen...misschien wishful thinking.. (Maybe it won't work ... it would be a medical miracle ... but then that's also a challenge for me ... Oct 1: 4th and last chemo treatment, mid Oct gathering stemcells , operation hopefully mid-November, have to be then 14 days in quarantine..., then hopefully leaving the hospital... maybe wishful thinking.. )

The fear kicked in and my friend and I decided to fly over to Amsterdam to try and cheer up Adriaan. That was October 2007. See pictures above.

November 2007: Treatment seems to go "well". Ofcourse Adriaan was a wreck, but he did the art fair Pulse in Miami. See pictures below (in my former posting). Upon return (Dec 12): Adriaan wrote: "Arrived few hours ago from Miami. Tomorrow early I will leave for hospital and hopefully they let me go again early january. If so that would be a good sign. No feastdays for uncle TORCH this year I am afraid.Very strange..Never was in these circumstances before...".

2008 was an unsure time for Adriaan. Not knowing which road the cancer would go. Sometimes it did seem to go quite well and doctors told him “you shouldn’t be alive now”. Many of us really thought he was a unique survivor. The treatments did give Adriaan another year. Doing several art fairs including ArtDubai, Pulse NewYork, Pulse Miami, … It all seemed to go better. We all thought that denying the cancer would trick his destiny. Then Adriaan told us maybe 1 more year. Then 5 more months. Then 2 months. And suddenly 5 days later he was gone.