Slight digression to a sea story: In a former life, I was on a trip to the Florida Keys with a bunch of guys, boats and coolers of beer.

Drifting along behind my drifting Boston Whaler 16' Montauk, I spotted a couple of small (4') nurse sharks dozing under a coral head, so I called to the guy currently resting on the deck to hop in to see them. He replies that he's now nice and comfortable and would I be so kind as to bring one up so he could see it. Sure, sez I, but the first one slithered away and I told him that -- "So get the other one, sez he" -- OK, sez I and next thing he knows, he's sharing the boat with a shark flopping around on the deck, flashing its teeth.

He starts to hurriedly jump the railing and I hollered "Don't come in the water -- The first one is still here and it's P***ED!! The look on his face as he contemplated which way to move was priceless!!


Age 67 1/2
Ventral Tongue SCC T2N0M0G1 10/05
Anterior Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 6/08
Base of Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 12/08
Three partial glossectomy (10/05,11/05,6/08), PEG, 37 XRT 66.6 Gy 1/06
Neck dissection, trach, PEG & forearm free flap (6/08)
Total glossectomy, trach, PEG & thigh free flap (12/08)
On August 21, 2010 at 9:20 am, Pete went off to play with the ratties in the sky.