Six months from today I will reach my five-year point. With the sort of tumor that I had, the odds of a recurrence are small. Still, it will be good to see that day. It has been a life changing experience, that's for sure. I sometimes forget that I was sick at all and other times it seems like it all happened yesterday. There were some very scary parts and some painful times, too, but what I'm remembering now is how people rallied round me.
All of that came back to me clearly the other day. The subject of the surgery came up when I was talking to my friend Audra. She remembered coming to the hospital shortly after the surgeon had come out to tell my family that all had gone well. She told me that she came into the waiting room to see that they were crying and hugging each other. I knew that it was a scary period for all of us but I had never imagined that moment for them. It was so wonderful to have them with me.
So, six months to go until I reach my five-year landmark. I'm looking forward to that day.
About this blog
I had a lung carcinoid tumor. It was removed, along with the lower and middle lobes of my right lung, on November 6, 2007. This is a slow growing form of a malignant tumor. I considered the title "malignant me" but that seemed too negative. I locked in on "Not by myself" since that captured how I have felt during this whole, long run. I have set up this blog for people who want to know how things are going. I'll update it regularly, I hope. I'll probably be posting all sorts of things in here. Please check the Category List below to find posts on a particular topic. 