My Life With Cancer

This morning I have the "cancer nerves."  After weeks of getting life back to normal and calming down, except for that funky new plant-based diet, and the cancer books, and the cancer research, that is.  I have the nerves because Monday I go to a new Urologist for a second opinion.  And to request more tests be done to see just how invasive (or not) the cancer is.  I should learn nothing new.  And I shouldn't get poked or prodded.  But still the nerves abound. Humor helps.  So I compiled a  list of funny (mostly) cancer jokes.  Enjoy.  (Some of these I wrote by my very own self.  I get my sense of humor from my dear old dad.  Can you tell which ones are mine?) How many cancer survivors does it take to screw in a light bulb?  Only one, and they don't need to replace the bulb if they've had enough radiation treatment. Why did the chicken cross the road?  To get a second opinion. An elderly man goes in for his...

Yup.  It has happened.  Some people, actually A LOT of people, don't know what to say to people that are in crisis.  I've been pelted with "It's JUST prostate cancer."  "Everyone survives THAT cancer."  "You don't have it as bad as other cancers."  And "It could be A LOT worse." The truth is:  Any cancer is cancer and cancer kills.  31,620 men died from prostate cancer in 2018. If not diagnosed and treated early and correctly, prostate cancer is just as bad as other cancers.  And anything could be a lot worse, but really not much.  There really aren't many things worse than cancer.  Any cancer.  Seriously. The thing about Prostate Cancer is that it is usually diagnosed in the later stages of life and usually diagnosed early.  And many forms of Prostate Cancer are very slow-growing.  Thus it doesn't seem quite as invasive as other forms of cancers.  Many elderly men succumb to other causes of death long bef...

I've lived six weeks with cancer.  Hoping for six decades.  We'll see how that goes. So, how are we now?  Another phase.  Acceptance.  I think both Hanna and I have accepted the fact that I have cancer and am going to live the rest of my life with it.  Panic has left.  Deep study of cancer has become boring.  And now we are focused on living.  Staying positive every day that we can.  (She wants to sing while we drive now.......).  And healthy living.  Getting outside.  Getting exercise.  Eating more healthy.  We are not going extreme.  But we are cutting back on meats, especially red meats (my apologies to my beef rancher father), dairy, sugar, aspartame, and increasing amounts we eat of fresh, organic (if possible) veggies and fruits and whole grains. So we chill and have a spinach and almond milk smoothie. Cancer has been, will be, and can be incredibly scary.  When I have a horribly off day,...