I can't fathom how it must feel to live each day while a cancer grows inside of me. Pieter is definitely a man of much greater fortitude than I.
I also can't get over the fact that 1 in 2 people develop cancer in their lifetimes. One would think curing cancer ought to be amongst humanity's greatest concerted challenges.
> One would think curing cancer ought to be amongst humanity's greatest concerted challenges.
One of the reasons "curing cancer" is so difficult is that cancer itself is not really one disease but many, with diverse causes and treatments. What works for one kind cancer doesn't work for another, so some kinds are fully curable and others unstoppable, with of course many in between. New research tends to chip away at variations of the disease without being able to cure it wholesale. If you're interested in the recent history of cancer and cancer medicine, the book "The Emperor of All Maladies" is a fascinating treatment of the subject.
In my case, my lungs are filling up with something that is slowly choking me. I take oxygen and have bad coughing spells, and that's it. No pain yet. When the cancer grows into my stomach it'll be worse. I've no timetable so am guessing a month or two before I need permanent pain killers and am effectively out of action.
(If I can't think and write clearly, I'm finished.)
I'm organizing a party/wake/meetup/barbeque at my place on 5th June, no matter what state I'm in. :)
I also can't get over the fact that 1 in 2 people develop cancer in their lifetimes. One would think curing cancer ought to be amongst humanity's greatest concerted challenges.