Today (1/17) was my last cancer treatment.

The therapists (Wayne, Jesse, Lorri F., Arlene and Lorri C.) at the Florence Wheeler Cancer Center gave me a silver graduation pin that looks like a flame and says, "Hope."

The sun was out when I left the center and I felt uplifted.

I also felt my very sore throat after 39 radiation treatments to my neck and three chemo treatments to my veins. It was four months I wouldn't wish on anyone.

It will take at least two or three months to return me to the state I was at the end of August when physician's assistant Kevin Nelson felt the side of my neck and said, "Oh, oh."

Before I even knew what I had, I began blogging about my condition in hopes it would demystify the cancer experience.

Well, I demystified it all right — every barf, diarrhea, constipated, nauseated, fatigued, sore throat, dry mouth, blister tongue, mucus mouth, stomach tube, needle poking, can't sleep, can't eat  and raw coughing moments.

Dr. Anthony Ciarolla (chemo) and Dr. Dean Davis (radiation) and their wonderful staffs held my hand and answered all my questions through the ordeal.  My wife, Mary, literally kept me alive with her care.

While I was knocked down more than I've ever been knocked down in my life, I would recover from the treatments enough to write about it.  The one thing was the treatment was working.

Ciarolla got giddy when when he saw how much the meatball-sized tumor shrank with the chemo, and Davis pronounced on my Jan. 3 birthday that his radiation treatments zapped away any sign of the cancer. They don't believe it's ever coming back.

I shared the good and the bad, not really knowing how bad it was going to be. I joked about the misery (in the belief humor allows you to wrap your mind around life's difficulties). And it's worth noting throat cancer is one of the more difficult types of treatments. Other cancers have far less bad side effects.

My extended family and friends — some of whom I had not heard from in years — as well my church and blogging friends offered prayers and support. People I don't even know sent me cards.

One caught me pleasantly by surprise. It was from Dr. Ravi Patel, head of the wonderful Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center on Truxtun Ave. It was called, "Upbeat Cancer Coverage."

Because it expressed the thoughts of many I've heard from, he said I could reprint it here:

Hello Steve,
 
Thanks for sharing your experiences during treatment with others
This creates a lot of encouragement for patients who are undergoing cancer therapy.
These kinds of stories with all of its humor always bring out the positive side of cancer.
In spite of all that you are going through, your ability to continue writing your articles, is lifting the hearts and minds of many.
Please do not hesitate to call me if I can in any way make your journey through cancer easy. (I am an oncologist in town).
The great work your physicians have done and your attitude is going to cure you.
 Wishing you a very healthy and cancer free New Year and life.
 Ravi Patel.

It illustrates that Bakersfield is a very caring town. It's one of the reasons I've stayed here  nearly 30 years and more than six times longer than any other place I've lived in my life.

I still have a way to go. My throat and mouth are battered and sore. I'll let you know when they get better.

But right now I am better.

I played 18 holes of golf on Sunday (the first since Dec. 2) and plan to play a couple rounds this weekend. I feel that kind of fun and exercise is therapeutic.

The doctors didn't even have to prescribe it.