Steve, I've been reading the posts from these amazing people and realizing how lucky we all are that options are open to us to fight these terrible things.

I respect your decisions. 100%. It's your life and you should have every right to live it the way you want.

But at the same time I hope you'll consider the fact that all of these heroes have been through what you're going through (I consider myself a very junior member of our family) and made the decision to keep at it, for themselves, for their families, for friends, for whatever reasons.

I can't even imagine how hard it must be for you right now. I honestly can't. I had a few months of pain, a year or so lost in a fog and some side effects that linger. Easy for me to say that I never was anything but completely convinced that I'd come out ok.

You're in a different position. But the basic facts remain: life is better than the alternative. There's no comparison. As there are no guarantees even if you decide to go on with the most aggressive treatment you can find.

But you'll never know if it could work unless you give it a shot.

I'm not preaching or moralizing. I'm personally not religious and I look at things - I hope - logically and dispassionately. My quality of life isn't as great as it was 4 years ago. But I'm alive, and so are you.

Please continue to be so. We want you around.