That is awesome Steve!!!  The best to both of you :-)

Great story!  It's great to have you around, "alive and kicking" as the 80s classic pop song goes. 

Steve your blog has brought back many memories. I remember working on ( the Wilson road Wart as it was called at that time)The place had a lot of controversy. It was built by a Church Group and I do not recall the name. The builders were Johnson and Mapes out of Fresno. There has been many changes to the building and I hope the planning and building dept had close vision. This is where those who are elderly live and need the best. ............I have had multiple cancers for the last ten years and have had  countless surgeries. You are so right, as we develop a close bond with those who are suffering thru the same. They are the ones who really understand. I will not go into all the cancers I have had but am now in the final stages of Bone Cancer. I cannnot recieve any more radiation, chemo, or surgery so I am cared for by a pharm pain care nurse. This is all done by the VA. What I like to say is how much I love the Chemo Nurses who so patiently cared for us. God bless them. Bless you for beating a terrible demon.

The Mrs. is going through the same thing with her swallowing and saliva glands..still has to be fed through her 'peg'...good to hear that you two are doing well..it's '  Round Two ' for us--another CT scan and the results go down to Loma Linda for scheduling..damn...

Great to hear from you, Steve! And you look terrific, BTW. Keep it up!

Have you decided against regrowing the beard Steve?

Uh Oh. Sore subject Audrey. He has been trying so hard to grow it back to no avail.  Its the only thing that he is really mad at Dr. Davis for. He is sure Dr. Davis told him his beard would come back in time.....I was at all those appointments and that's not what I heard ....but sometimes we hear what we want to hear.

eebee grad, I'm so sorry to hear what you are  going through. I cant even imagine not having a family member to take care of you. And to go through multiple bouts of that horrendous treatment.  Good luck to you and God Bless

Lingtaowoo, By saying "round two" do you mean she is having the second round of treatment for this cancer or has she had a second diagnosis of a new cancer?  Either way,  good luck and God bless to her too!

I had breast cancer 14 years ago with 6 months of chemotherapy....I'm not sure what I would do if they said it was back.

I have a question for anyone on this site who may have some information about this.  Both of my sisters have had breast cancer and my oldest was tested for the defective gene.  Her test came back as positive for BRCA2 (variant).  I am also going to get tested.  However, my 20 year old daughter wants to be tested but is worried about the possible repercussions with getting insured in the future, or not getting jobs because employers find out and don't want you on their insurance etc.  In this day and age and with all the privacy laws  how much of a risk is there for her?  If it was your daughter would you have her tested?

WOW Mary, that's a toughie.  I was once turned down for Blue Cross because my doctor wrote that I "might" have to have a hysterectomy in the future.  At the time I thought, "HUH, I might have to have an appendectomy too".  In any case, it was enough to disqualify me.  In spite of Hippa, we don't have privacy where insurance is concerned since they usually have you fill out a questionnaire and get permission to contact your doctor.  I've never had that happen from work insurance but then I always went with HMO's.  I'd call around and see if you can find out.

Speaking of hair 'n things.  When my sister had chemo for breast cancer and lost her hair she had high hopes that it would come back in thick and curly.  It didn't...she's still ticked.

She's been off radiation and chemo for 90 days and re-evaluated by a cancer board member at Loma Linda Medical University---when checked..he noticed that the growth shrank from the size of a cherry tomato to the size of a pea..but still there...

We need to know if it's-(pardon my spelling) benign or cancer---and HE wants to do the biospy himself down there....If it's good..then he'll take it out and the swallon lympnods...if not..then he'll close up and schedule the major surgery--(throat-portion of the jaw) NOT good--either way..it's got us holding on to each other-fingers crossed-talking softly....but I'm like her--scared to death...neither one of us will say so though...

That's where we are at right now..just waiting for the call to go down there and do this thing....

I'm truly sorry you both have to go through this Ling.  My sister went through months and months of tests, biopsies all to be told they thought it might be lung cancer.  Then it wasn't.  Then it was TB and after a couple of treatments decided it wasn't that either.  Her daughter flew back to TN because of the seriousness and I was ready to take off until they said it wasn't cancer.  They finally went in and removed it and sent it to the lab.  She waited for almost two months then discovered they had the results in the office but no one had called her.  It turned out to be scar tissue from pneumonia last year.

It's a relief but I'd be raising some hell if it was me.

It's so hard to wait and I feel for you.  I hope it turns out to be benign and no further serious surgery is needed.

Having lost one wife to cervical cancer years ago..and couldn't do a thing to help except make her as comfortable as possible...this one I'm taking personel...WE are fighting as hard as possible--failure is not an option....

We have our fingers crossed-rabbit foots rubbed-and we talk to the Lord when walking the dog-driving-or blogging...but we talk...scared--oh hell yes...

Ling:  I will have you in my thoughts.  I'm hopeful for the best outcome possible. 

Steve:  Glad to hear the good news.  Nothing but the best for the future.  Reminds me of Rocky.

Scarymary......... Hi there. Used to write reports for a QME before my cancer ordeal started. At my age with no children, not much of a family left, just my brother and his son and daughters who are Mds. and even though they are busy they call their uncle often. I am on a treatment that is called "Human Antibodies'.Trust God and pray.