Eeny meeny miny moe, catch a cancer by the toe. If it lingers make it go

[DFW]

Eeny meeny miny moe.

Since both my parents had cancer, and all their siblings had cancer, and one of my cousins died of cancer at age 41 decades ago, I figured that I would be the first of my siblings to get it. Nope. Heart issues--plenty, but no cancer yet (that I know of). My sister has had the honor of the first diagnosis. It's what has been called a slow-moving cancer of the "feminine area." I didn't have time to talk to my wife on the phone about it, and she was in a public place when she called. Since she's in New York City, you can never count on a language barrier being there to keep a conversation private.

The cancer known as "the murderer," like my wife had, has been ruled out. Where "the murderer" moves with the speed of an Olympic sprinter, this thing my sister has moves more like a two toed sloth, and her oncologists hope to remove all of it in an operation next month. The reason my wife is in the USA at all is to be with my sister for her 70th birthday, which is tomorrow. I couldn't make it, having already shirked some serious duty to run back to Europe for four days the funeral of my wife's mom a month ago. It's OK. None of three of us made the 70th birthday of either of the other two, although my sister and her husband DID make it to our 70th birthday/40th wedding anniversary celebration in Hawai'i in April of 2002 (all expenses paid by my extremely successful--
and generous!!--younger daughter). Knowing my wife, she will want to go back to the States for the operation as well, but I will try to talk her out of it. She is going to be 74 this year, and needs to slow down like the rest of us, even though her not-so-former profession (social worker) still sits deep within her.

(/%§&/$§ cancer--never seems to stay away when it knows it isn't wanted.

[mwmisses4289]

1. Sending a healing hug 🫂 to your sister

and all your family.
Cancer is a pita.

[DFW]

2. Thanks!

That can never hurt!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Cancer sure as hell is a PITA, my dear DFW. Regrettably, I am well acquainted with this!

My best wishes to your sister! I hope they get it all and that she thrives after the surgery.

[DFW]

7. I have been following your ordeal along with the rest of us

You haven’t been spared, as all of DU knows. All we can do is place our trust in the hands of those whose profession it is to treat us and see us through to the best possible result, whatever that turns out to be. If my finger crossing gets any more elaborate, I will probably be served with a court order from some pretzel foundation for unfair competition.

[livetohike]

4. Holding positive thoughts for your sister and her

oncology team.

[DFW]

8. Thanks for that

I spoke to her briefly today from Sprout City, and she said that her oncology team gets high marks from a circle far wider than its local reach. Here’s hoping!

[BoomaofBandM]

5. Lost 2 siblings and my dad to cancer, dad in his 60's sibs in their 50's.

Lost an uncle and a cousin in their 40's to heart attacks. My sister and her husband as well as my husband are cancer survivors. I send positive thoughts to you and your wonderful family

[DFW]

9. Much appreciated!

When the genes align the wrong way, all we can do is man the barricades, and put up what defense we can put together.

[Marthe48]

6. I wish you well

It's possible that my husband's family has the gene for Lynch Syndrome, which allows clusters of cancer to carry along. My family has other ailments to worry about, and I'm hoping that my kids and grandkids get skipped. For all of it.

We do what we can to celebrate, support, rejoice or sympathize. I hope you can get through this with no regrets

[DFW]

10. Thanks! We can only hope to beat the odds.

Neither of my dad’s parents made it to 70. Neither of my parents made it to 80. If make it to “nearly” ninety, I’ll already be close to immortality by my family’s standards. Only my mom’s father broke the mold. He made to 102. At age 99, he sent out a Christmas card with the caption: “Compliments of the Seasoned.”

Now, THAT’s going out in style!

[Marthe48]

11. I like the card's sentiment

Great sense of humor!

I have no idea about longevity. We shall see

[DFW]

12. He was one of the 20th century's great unsung wits.

If he had been born a century later--he was born in 1894--, he would have been writing for Colbert.

In 1965. when LBJ had announced the "War on Poverty," and one of the biggest international concerns was the Population Explosion, out of nowhere, he said he was going to start a War on Puberty to stop the Copulation Explosion. He was born into poverty in New York City, descended from unsuccessful Mississippi riverboat gamblers who had fled north to escape their debts. He survived on nothing but his wit, which at some point was noted by someone from a Madison Avenue advertising agency, and suddenly he had a "real" job that let him afford his own apartment.