My Life With Cancer

I am reading several books right now.  One is John Grisham's famous nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man" which has a bunch of chapters describing real live life in a prison cell on death row.  In fact, the above picture is of a cell on death row. One of the other books is Michael Korda's book (also very much nonfiction) "Man To Man, Surviving Prostate Cancer."  In it, he gives second-by-second play-by-play of his Radical Prostatectomy he had done at John Hopkins (a very reputable cancer hospital). I can't help but see the similarities in the living conditions, or lack thereof. Just saying. As I have listened to the advise, pleadings, and pains of my fellow cancermates, especially those who are in or have done treatment, the prognosis is disturbing and not good.  The extremely invasive medical procedures, some of which are so antiquated they were being used in the 70s, seem in most cases to rid the body of cancer.  At least that is the hope...

My Wood Badge Patrol, and some of my best friends ever!  Friends are a big deal in the fight against cancer. Just days after being diagnosed, Hanna and I were getting ready to leave for a drive to the country on a lazy Sunday when she announced that she wanted to sing songs together while we drove.  I was baffled.  We've been married almost seven years and we have NEVER sung in the car.  As I pried into what had gotten into her, she told me she had read in one of the many cancer survival books she was reading that a positive attitude was paramount to overcoming cancer.  And that the author actually SANG IN THE CAR whenever he drove, to keep a positive attitude. Well, that may eliminate any stress from road rage while we drive, in us anyways, perhaps not in the other drivers though.  :)  As we talked further, we, or at least I, concluded that I could have a positive attitude without singing in the car.  I continued to listen to upbeat music ...

Here! Have a carrot!  In fact, have a POUND worth.  IT KILLS CANCER!!! You know, for the most part, I am living my life the way I normally would.  Going to work.  Doing service work (IT'S TIME FOR WOOD BADGE!!!!!!)  Having my grown kids over for dinner.  Posting smack on Facebook.  So some must be wondering, how are you doing? UPDATE! I'm doing well.  If this were an emotional disease, I would totally be kicking its butt!  Unfortunately, it's a physical disease that you can't even tell you have in the early stages.  I feel fine.  But I still do, maybe, have cancer.  I say maybe, because we MAY (by some miracle) be KILLING it with vegetables!  More about that later. Last Monday, we visited with another Urologist to get a second opinion and order more tests that our first very confident Urologist wasn't too keen on ordering.  We have an MRI scheduled for May 7th in which he will be able to actually LOOK a...