21 thoughts on “Seven Years”

  1. Thought provoking. I’ve already told everyone I’m off to see the eclipse in 2024. So easy to take for granted that life goes on.

  2. Very nice.

    I guess I haven’t mentioned here that I was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in October. I’m getting immunotherapy rather than traditional chemotherapy. I feel perfectly fine and I haven’t noticed any side effects so far.

    1. The cartoon showed a total solar eclipse. I’ve never seen one but would like to. But for the recent August 21 eclipse, the closest site for me would have been South Carolina, which is hundreds of miles away. I didn’t go see it.

      But my 17-year-old cat Kira was dying at the time. Even if I had made travel plans and hotel reservations, I would have cancelled them. There is no way I would have left her. She was more important to me than any eclipse. She died on August 26.

      Even if I had been diagnosed before then, my decision would have been the same.

      1. I’m so sorry to hear that, and wish you the best. Immunotherapy is making great strides. I met a federal attorney many years ago who survived many years after a diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer, with treatment consisting of monoclonal antibodies tuned to his cancer. It was remarkable. Please, keep us informed, and do well!

      2. Sorry to hear that rickl. You said on another site that at least we are better at fighting cancer now than at any point in history. Glad to hear your treatments are going well.

    2. I’m very late in extending my best wishes for your recovery, but I do so hope for you a speedy and full recovery.

  3. GBM for me. Reading this while taking oral chemo.

    But I did see totality with my wife and little girl.

  4. First comment here (I think). Big fan of XKCD. My son – the love of my life – is a freshman at Christopher Newport University where the author is an alumni. I hope the creativity, compassion, and intellect is a common attribute at CNU. Go Captains!

    1. We saw it in Murphy, NC (we were staying in the N. GA mountains) and miraculously, traffic for us wasn’t bad at all. What an amazing experience.

  5. I don’t know if this will help anyone facing these nightmares, but my wife was diagnosed with stage 4 anal cancer in mid-2010. She received two types of IV chemo, plus an extensive course of 3D radiation. At the end of 2012 this was determined to have metastacised to her liver and bones, and she was given roughly 6 months to live, then placed on oral chemo as a palliative. By fall 2013, her tumors had become indolent, so she was told she might last another year or two. Periodically, new bone tumors would appear, and receive radiation to reduce them. Then, in late 2016, the tumors seemed to invade her left lung. She was placed on a clinical trial for immunotherpy, which included repeatedly giving her listeriosis, then curing it with antibiotics. Talk about sick! It didn’t seem to work, as the tumors invaded her other lung and began expanding rapidly. At that point, with only weeks to go on her lifespan, they did an invasive surgical biopsy to see why the immunotherapy wasn’t working. Turned out she now had lymphoma as well, so she went on a long course of RCHOP chemo. At the end of that, a few months ago, scans revealed the lymphoma was gone. And also all other signs of disease. To quote the oncologist: “I don’t know what happened to your cancer.” I don’t know what it’s like to live for 5 years with a terminal diagnosis of one’s own, but it is tough to watch a loved one suffer for so long. And very glorious indeed to see her come out the other end.

    1. It helps.

      Cancer is so frustrating. There are so many promising treatments we read about in the popular press and endless commercials. But everything is so personalized or applicable to very specific types of cancers it makes it hard to read articles or watch tv. Navigating available trials and treatments is incredibly complicated.

      It sounds like you have been through it all and your wife is very fortunate that you were there to help her through all of it. Glad to hear she came out on top =)

  6. Today my wife had the first of ten antibiotic IV infusions to fight an infection resulting from her March breast cancer surgery. Next Tuesday will mark one year since my own surgery for colon cancer. And next Wednesday will mark one year since my brothers passing from pancreatic cancer. Meanwhile my best friends wife is about midway through her radiation treatments for her breast cancer. I hate cancer.

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