If A Tree Falls In The Forest...

I realize that people can enter this blog, read something, and leave without posting a message or a reply and I would never know it. But still I can't help but wonder with all of the "0 comments" after recent blogs if anybody besides Cyndy and me is reading this blog anymore. At one level I suppose it is good news, in that I have progressed to a point where there really isn't day-to-day news or status that needs to be reported and everything is going so well for me. But it's still nice to see replies to a blog as some type of "proof" that people still have an interest in what's going one with me. Of course this all begs the question that if people aren't coming to the blog anymore, then who is reading this particular entry? Hence the title of this blog. So if you are out there but not visiting the blog but did in the past, thank you (though you don't know I'm thanking you).

As far as the latest news, I have finished my second chemo weekly cycle and have two to go. These are separated by three "off" weeks (of which I have just finished the first one between the second and third cycles). Once the fourth cycle is done, that will be it for scheduled treatment. I was worried about this second cycle because I felt pretty bad by Friday of the first cycle. But other than a little nausea that I had on Thursday of this past cycle, I had a pretty good week. Now I had some more nausea this past week, which may have been some carryover. As the nurses have told me, just because they disconnect me from the chemo doesn't mean the chemo isn't still working and having an effect inside of me. But other than that, I have felt pretty good this time.

In fact, I am overall feeling the best I have felt in a long time. The constant pain I had following the surgery has subsided and now all I deal with is "the bag." My strength has returned and I am able to walk and do anything else I need to at my normal pace. I am so glad to have recovered to this level so relatively quickly and I do feel blessed. Again I thank God for his healing blessings upon me.

I just heard yesterday that Ernie Harwell, the former Detroit Tigers radio announcer, has pancreatic cancer, which in his case is incurable. I grew up listening to games with him on the radio and his unique sayings ("He stood there and watched that one go by like the house by the side of the road." "A man from Ferndale (or any other local town) caught that foul ball." "The umpires that paid to get in didn't like that call." "Good catch by an upper-deck outfielder (or a lower-deck infielder)." He's 91 years old (born the same year as my mother and has the same birthday as Cyndy, as she informed me - not the same birth year, of course), and he has a great attitude. He's looking upon this as his "next adventure" and because of his great faith in God, is not afraid of the future but accepts whatever is yet before him. I know that having as positive an attitude as possible about your situation is quite important in dealing with cancer so I sincerely wish Ernie well and know he'll stay positive. Already the responses to his situation have been pouring in through emails, blogs, Internet forums, and the like. If I could find out an email address for him, I would write him something. Cyndy and I have been looking. God Bless You, Ernie!