Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen from sunny Augusta, Georgia, just over one month before the eyes of the world fall on our city as millions, if not billions, tune into the Masters. We plan to go for a few days this year, so look for us on television...or not.
Thinking of poetry today: Gather 'round friends for I want to you to hear why David Foster has much less to fear...
So much for poetry. To the gist of things, am now taking 800 MG of a new drug called Nexavar, which was approved by the FDA last December for renal cancer patients, the first renal specific drug ever. I take four pills a day and no chemo, though I have to admit I miss those Monday morning naps in the oncologist's office. The strategy is not so much to rid of those six or seven remaining tumors, but to keep them from spreading or growing. If we can accomplish then I can live to ripe old age. I truly look forward to living to ripe old age. Or any kind of old age for that matter.
As for the seizure I had last month, after two CTs and two MRI's and one EEG, seems there is noting physically wrong between my ears (please, no brain jokes, though my favorite is the one Billy Morris had about a possible brain tumor: It would have to be small). Years ago I told a friend that a I wore a 7 1/2 size hat. He looked at me skeptically and said, with that big of a head, isn't it bothersome to have your brain rolling around in it? Yuk, yuk. I am anything if not riffed upon.
Anyway, I am driving, got a clean bill of health and not expected to pass out again.
So, there you are. If things worsen, I will keep you posted, but I don't
expect things to do anything but get better. Though I will tell you it was really touchy last summer when I had the kidney removed. Live or die, that was the question. Answer: I had no intention of doing anything by living my life and my life is not now and never has been cancer. My life is family, friends, magazines and writing. Cancer is a part of my life, no way to avoid it, but will never be all of my life.
Again, the main reason I am doing so well is you folks and the hundreds of other people across the United States who have not only wished me well, but also put me in their prayers and thoughts. Few things are more humbling and more healing.
And while mentioning champions for my little cause, Sherry has been a
godsend. What a super woman and wonderful wife. Of all things I am most thankful for it is she. She has dealt wonderfully with the stress and has made it a point to keep other stresses from me, such as dealing with the insurance folks while at the same time working through our daughter Alex's 16th year. Amazing, I say, amazing.
Again, thank you for your support and if you ever need a prayer from me just let me know and it will be delivered.
Dave
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