I got some distressing news from my oncologist this morning, not a death sentence, but he definitely has me planning for the day I am no longer here. No one is digging the grave yet, don't misunderstand me, but treatment is not going as well as it could. I am writing this because I want to thank everyone who has given of themselves to me, advice, well wishes, gift certificates, and teams. You have no idea how much it has meant to me. This is such a welcome distraction for me, and I want to, again, thank all of you. Please, the very best of Holiday wishes from me to you, and yours, and many, many more. Please remember me in your prayers, as I do you.
  

You are in my prayers. I just was visited by my mother, father, and brother this weekend. All of them have cancer and two of them have been given death sentences. This is a despicable disease and I oppose it with all my faith. I am believing God to destroy all these cancerous cells and to fully restore you and my family to health.

My wife has lung cancer, & I wish you all a miraculous new year.

damn man that is terrible...I know we haven't always seen eye to eye but this breaks my heart...you are in my prayers...so sorry

I'm in cancer research,  albeit the sit at the computer and crunch stats kind, not the boil stuff and look in a microscope and boil stuff kind.  In my work we pay a sort of lip service to the human element of cancer, but its really about how we need prevention programs and screening and whatnot to try to keep incidence and mortality rates down.  But somehow in all this we really lose touch of the fact that no early detection is going to be infallible, and no treatment options are going to always work.  We work towards early detection and prevention of the Big Cancers -- lung, prostate, breast, colo-rectal, skin, those sorts of things. Myeloma...it's just not even on the radar.

But goddammit, every once in a while someone comes along and reminds us that not all cancers can be caught with early detection.  Not all cancers are Big Cancers that have lots of research funding and awareness behind them.  Sometimes the best treatments just fail.  And, most of all, there is a person with that disease.  A real, breathing, dreaming, walking, talking, baseball-loving person behind it. 

I'm not a religious man, pfattkatt, so I'm not going to lie and say I'm praying for you. But know that you are in my thoughts, and I wish all the strength in the world for you and your loved ones.  As I sit here crunching numbers on melanoma mortality rates over the past 20 years, all I can think of is all the lives that have been touched, all the hearts that have been broken. 

Maybe that's the best thing I can do for you...is to remember the lives, the people, that these numbers represent.

flakfizer, I have been changed by my illness. Staring my mortality in the eye, I understand things that simply glanced off my skull before. All that matters is who we love, and are loved by, and God. All I pray for is to live what is left to me well. All we can ask is forgiveness for, and understanding of, our mistakes. All I pray for is the strength and compassion to not hurt anyone again. If you read the Bible, the New Testament in particular, what you will find is a guide, by which if you live it, will help you to love and be loved by those you come into contact with. I believe, not because I have witnessed miracles. I have not. Not because I expect miracles. I do not. I believe because I can see, plainly, that if we lived by the tenets Jesus put forth the world would be a much happier, more peaceful place. I do not expect to see another Christmas, but who knows? It isn't important. I lived without Faith most of my life. Having cultivated Faith for the last several years, it is a huge comfort, and an important consolation to me now. They also serve who only stand and wait.

The distilled essence of those tenets:  Love each other as I have loved you. As the Quakers say, I'll hold you in the light.

You are always in my thoughts, pfattkatt.  Even when I don't acknowledge or heed your advice about filling my lineups with higher OBP players, you know I'm always listening.  I hope the coming year is good to you and yours.  Myeloma, like most cancers, is maddeningly unpredictable, and the good news is that what seems like bad news today often turns into good news tomorrow.  Your theme leagues need you, and I look forward to competing with you in many of them.  Looks like a few of them will be ready to roll in January -- spring is already in the air. 

pfattkatt - Damn! Fairly new bie here, and yesterday I started checking out your theme leagues, saying to myself "I'm gonna latch on to this pfattkatt guy...he's got cool leagues", then this forum entry! Like everyone here, I wish the best for you.

thank you. I have recieved so much love and support from people who play this game...I am speechless. What more could I ask for? Thank you.

pfattkatt .... My best friend of the last 17 years and I married 5 years ago. She is a very religious woman.  Through her example I have been praying everyday.  I give thanks a d sak for his help all the time.  I believe with all my heart praying makes a difference,  So pfattkatt, you will be in my wife and my prayers,  God speed ! 

pk - sorry to hear your recent report was not as good as you hoped.  Fortunately, my situation is going in the other direction.  Last week it was determined I will not need radiation treatment, and this week we'll decide if my chemo can be stopped a month early.  As you know, though, that doesn't mean I'm out of the woods; I still get to sweat out the next five years, wondering each day if this is the day I get the dreaded remission phone call, but things are trending well for me.  You're in my thoughts, my friend; may your future reports be as optimistic as mine have been lately.