A sincere apology.

[arc]

I want to apologize to everyone here for my behavior in the past, and especially lab rat who had the misfortune of being the recipient of my most recent digressions. I am truly sorry to everyone who may have been impacted.

 

Last Friday my beautiful wife of 27 years, Georgette, underwent her fourth surgery since last December for thyroid cancer. The first was to remove the thyroid and the following two for the lymph nodes on either side. We were encouraged that this is the most curable cancer and her prognosis was estimated at 90%. She had the one prescribed radiation treatment in the early spring, and still encouraged, we hoped for the best.

 

She went for her sixth month follow up where the blood work showed some cancerous thyroid cells had resisted the radiation and had regrown. My wife played down the situation to me and I was unaware the prognosis had changed drastically, I assumed this was just one node that they had missed earlier and another treatment of radiation or something else would take care of things. On Friday they removed one tumor half the size of a pea from her neck just below her left ear.

 

While my wife was in recovery her doctor came out to talk to me. She somehow knew my wife had possibly downplayed the re-occurrence and quickly brought me up to the current situation. She cannot receive any more radiation and in the doctor's words “the cat is out of the bag.” I don’t know how much time we have now, I believe it is in the several to many years range due to these cancer cells normally slow growth rate, but it is dependent on these cells reoccurring in areas that are assessable. I have slept very little since, and feel generally numb to what goes on around me.

 

I should have delayed indefinitely joining you nice people here back in March. But I so much wanted to share my plate tectonic thesis and I naively thought it would be quickly received and accepted ( what a maroon! ) and my wife would recover and I could get back to taking care of her and our four kids. I need to back away now and really concentrate my attention on this wonderful woman and make the most of what we have. arc

 

P.S. I will peek in to check for Ophiolite's response to my thesis. He's not getting off that easy.

 

Oh, what the heck. I love to show her off. This was taken two month's ago by her and sent to my phone.

 

• 

[studiot]

It is always sad to hear of someone else's difficulties.

 

Keep strong.

[ewmon]

Thank you for sharing. I never know what to say.

 

She kept it from you to spare you the pain. What a wonderful friend! Don't let her shoulder the burden alone, but don't let it define her either. You must now exercise your courage and show her that you can handle it. This will support her immensely in an emotional way, which will also help to give her both of you the best prognosis.

 

The only thing any of us ever has is the present: the past is gone forever, and the future may never happen. This reality has become unavoidable to you in a very personal way.

 

Treasure the present.

 

... and forgive me for waxing philosophically.

[pears]

I'm so sorry to hear this arc

 

I wish you and your family all the best (your wife is beautiful by the way)

 

take care

[EdEarl]

arc, your heartbreaking news leaves me lost for words. I wish the best for your wife, you and your family.

[Phi for All]

This is a community, and as such we feel the hopes and pains and joys and anguish of our members deeply. What strength, support and insight we may offer is yours; please take what you need. Our best wishes go out to your loving family.

[Moontanman]

My thoughts and hopes go out to you arc, I wish you the best of all possibilities...

[Ophiolite]

arc, I am saddened to hear this news. Beyond that there is very little else I can say that is of any value. The only way I can now show my concern for you is by taking the time to respond properly to your tectonic hypothesis and by attacking it as vigorously as I am able. I believe, based on what I have read of your posts, that you will understand this is not as perverse as it may sound to some, but is a mark of respect.

[Moonguy]

Arc,

We are not acquainted but, being a cancer survivor myself, your wife's story resonated with me. The great thing here is she has a husband who truly appreciates her and is with her in the struggle.

I'm sure she is as proud of you as you are of her. .

[arc]

Thank you everyone for the kindness you have shown to Georgette and me, I cannot express my gratitude enough. This last week has been the hardest I have ever had in my life, and distant future the leaves me with great trepidation, but what you have shared with me has given me a great strength of spirit. I will always take comfort from what you have shared and all of your generous kindness you have given us. Thank you, Marc

 

Ophiolite, I would expect nothing less than what you have always shown, your best.