laurie2020

I can relate so much. Petrified of being stuck in closed places or drowning. I too have to belightly medicated for scans

Hello Kathy, I will pray for positive results for you. Stay strong and as hard as it is to imagine try to stay positive. Your system can use positive thoughts at this point. There may not seem to be much to be positive about everyday I am alive to be with my family is the focus I use to give thanks daily. Please keep me updated and thankyou for the interest in y story.

Congratulations, Tom!  i second everything Lisa, Lennie and Lou have said!  Yay for you!

Tom,
CONGRATULATIONS!!!  This is indeed a great thing to celebrate!
You service to our country, battle with cancer is inspiring for so many of us who came here for help.  But, what continues to amaze me even more than your Army years or even your difficult treatment is how many others you are helping out each and every day.  The first thing I give to almost all newcomers is your "10 Steps..." and I often after reading your responses to complex questions I wonder, "where the hell did he learn all this?!".  Then I realize you've fortified your personal experience with an acquisition of a lot of knowledge so that you could help people today to navigate their journey through this disease.

You have my deep respect and you're a great role-model for the rest of us.  Thank you for all the time, effort and caring you've put into this support effort.  No doubt you've saved lives and reduced grief and pain for many.
Congratulations again on your 18th Anniversary of Life.
Lou

Sue BB,
Well said and well written! Your Mandan News editorial expertise is showing.
In my struggle for life with this disease, I realized writing about my experience was a tonic. I kept a near-daily journal chronicling thoughts throughout my 3-year journey of failed treatment and mayhem.  I did this because, as a trained engineer, I was schooled to keep a detailed "design" notebook recording lessons learned. Engineers use this tool to look back at design problems encountered and solution sets explored. Our memories fail often, and what presents as a new problem is often a problem previously solved or an unimportant one. But my treatment journal revealed a brand new advantage: the ability to realize progress in a sea of uncertainty. 
Keep writing and stay the course!
Tom