Thank you for all the comments.
Here's a bit more about me. I've got the sort of cancer that just doesn't go away. I've had it for eleven years now and I was fortunate in having good clinicians right from the beginning. Partially luck, but also a bit of hard work and some good contacts who gave very good advice. So in some ways I've had a dream run. My clinicians gave me very aggressive treatment which is why I'm still around. Statistically I shouldn't be - all that goes to prove is that statistics are about the average, not the individual. So when someone tells you you have so much time, then that's based on averages, not necessarily you. Initially I hopes that the treatment had been successful and that appeared to be the case for the first three year, then it came back! More aggressive treatment but this time it came back in two years. Since then it has been periods of mild chemotherapy, then waiting until the blood markers go up again, more treatment and so on - so I'm in my sixth recurrence just at present. The only problem is am I beginning to become resistant to the chemo? My blood markers are up slightly when six weeks ago they were undetectable. My oncologist claims to be unconcerned and has ordered more tests for three months time. So you carry on impatiently waiting for the next three months to get moving.
Five years ago a specialist from another state 'phoned me as they had heard about the experimental treatment I had after the first recurrence. They wanted to know the stats on my cancer and when I told them gave the response "Your still lave six years later, that's my good news story for the week". Well I'm still here eleven years later and still pretty active. Just occasionally it gets to you, however. So twelve months ago I started doing a whole lot of things and ended up seeing a psychologist who made me realise that I was in fact putting my affairs in order, getting ready for when I will not be here. That was a bit frightening.
Cheers top all of you and hang in there.
Sailor
