Day 140 - 90

I ran into my next door neighbor this morning.  Dave is a 3 year survivor of stage 3 skin cancer.  He is a rather shy man, but has always been very loving towards our family.

When we first bought our house I was pregnant with Graham. Imagine this bachelors surprise that within 3 years we had 3 kids.  Doug and I worried that our household may be too noisy for him, but Dave has never seemed to notice.

We first heard of his cancer from one of our other neighbors.  Then silently watched as family and friends came to nurse him back to health.

A few weeks after I was diagnosed we ran into each other coming out of the grocery store.  I told him that I was joining his club, after which he stared at my blankly.  As I learned then, and still learn each day there is simply no easy way to tell someone you have cancer.

He asked all the right questions, showed all the right concern, and each time I see him he checks in to see how things are progressing.

Today we had a long conversation about surviving cancer.  I was telling him that I only had 3 more treatments, then surgery, and that I would be moving to the next phase of our new life.

I was feeling feisty, and he complimented me on my attitude.  Then he asked me, "Do you think I am going to make it?"

Which totally took me by surprise.  He said he thinks about his cancer everyday, that he worries it is coming back.

I said, "we were both going to live to be 90." 

He thought about that for a moment, and said, "90 will be nice".