I have been an observer of this sie for almost a year now. Personally, the many messages of hope and support shown here have helped me in so many ways. Thank you to all of you for that - even though you were unaware of me.
Briefly, my partner of 27 years was diagnosed with stomach cancer in March 2007 at 55 years of age. We went through the usual protocol of gastrectomy, 3 cycles of chemotherapy and a five week chemo/radation treatment cycle. Thankfully and gratefully, he is in remission at this time and the first year survelance testing was negative.
He is back to work. These days he is still experiencing a great deal of nausea and fatigue, but making the most of every day and opportunity. We are most grateful to be in this position.
During this last year there have been moments of great fear and sadness for me, the partner. One of the resources I have relied on is to follow a cancer blog on the National Public Radio (NPR) website entitled My Cancer by a journalist named Leroy Sievers. Mr Sievers writes a small journal entry every weekday and posts it on the NPR website. This past week (Tuesday, 4/29) he posted a message Finish this Sentence: My Cancer. Rather than the usual 90-100 some replies from the visitors to the blog, that day 363 people commented on this message. It was most powerful. Here is the website address if any of you might be interested in seeing those entries: http://www.npr.org/blogs/mycancer/.
This message from me might really belong on the general tab of this message board, but I feel more affinity to those of us here who are struggling with the same nasty beast - stomach cancer. I offer this to you as someone who is grateful that this message board exists. I promise to be more active, and less longwinded (?), in the future and not just an observer anymore.
Paul