Daniel,
Leave it to someone with your strength of character to try and make all of US feel better about your situation. It will be such an honor when I meet you in September.
My 6 year old grandaughter, Kayla, climbed up on my lap tonight and asked me to tell her about "counting blessings". She's quite dramatic and loves to talk about things like this. So I explained to her what it meant and we started counting off her blessings........her mom, me,grampy, sister, etc. For myself I sent up a thank you for this board and my friends on here that bless my life each day. This board allows me to express my "cancer baggage" to others that will understand me. I have the luxury of unloading without burdening my family with feelings they would be hard pressed to understand. My greatest wish has been that this cancer not "define" me where my children are concerned. I don't want them to be "the kids whose mother has cancer". I don't want them to think of mom everytime they hear the word cancer. This board allows that, it improves my mental health, giving me a better quality of life...........making me a better wife and mother! The boomerang effects are astounding and I wonder if Brian realizes the long arm of this board. This little Maine raised backwoods girl has friends all over the world now.
You are all in my "blessings" tonight and every night.
Love,
Minnie

SCC Left Mandible. Jaw replaced with bone from leg. Neck disection, 37 radiation treatments. Recurrence 8-28-07, stage 2, tongue. One third of tongue removed 10-4-07. 5-23-08 chemo started for tumor behind swallowing passage, Our good friend and much loved OCF member Minnie has been lost to the disease (RIP 10-29-08). We will all miss her greatly.