Passing Milestones

Wednesday was sort of a special day - on May 14, 2003, I had a doctor's appointment. Dr. MC told me that there was something "smudgy" and difficult to decipher on my last C/T scan; what did we want to do? At that time we decided to wait and see for the next scan results, and at that time I was only getting scans every six months. That next scan in fact identified a lesion in my liver that led to my Stage 4 diagnosis, then to my liver resection, the subsequent spread, my involvement with treatments, retirement and clinical trials. But - though the last five years haven't been a bed of roses, I've had those five years, and not many other renal cell patients can say that. Statistically I'm way ahead of the game. I'm thankful for every new day, and surprised by how much has happened since that day five years ago. Would it have made any difference, had we scanned more frequently then? I don't think so - I was in the grip of aggressive disease, and suspect it would be just so now, were I not on Nexavar.

I'm very happy to have lived to see our beautiful niece Candy get married Friday, May 16. "Uncle" danced with the girl he has always looked on almost as a daughter, and we danced together too. I made it through slow dances and even some of the goofy "wedding group dances" that are always played; a good time was had by all. Good times, good tears. Some things are just worth living for.