Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for this year that I need to make a list. It's all feel good, so if you need a little spice before the sugar, check out William Burroughs' Thanksgiving Prayer. Try that one out on the family before digging into the turkey! For my own benediction, I've got happy thoughts.

1) Sheela. I get all the attention and she does all the work of keeping things going. Without her I would be sitting in a dirty apartment with no idea of how to approach the difficult parts of life. Instead I have a partner and we're taking on our challenges together.

2) Friends and family. All the notes of warm thoughts and rides and little gifts that have been pouring in go a long way towards keeping my spirits up. I have soaked up the white light and have used that energy to keep my thoughts focused.

3) Modern science and medicine. Before platinum chemotherapy for testicular cancer was discovered in the 1970s, the survival rate was 10%. These days it is above 95%. The good folks at Dana Farber are taking good care of me and I'm thankful for that too.

4) An easy third cycle. It was as gentle as I could have hoped for. I had learned more about how to use the anti-nausea medication and the acupuncture definitely helped, but the luck of the draw had something to do with it. I've been eating lots and in good spirits all week.

5) I get to return to normal soon. I plan on leaving my life of watching Columbo reruns and going back to work on Monday 11/29. My immune system is crawling back so I'm starting to go outside more. I've even got tickets to see the Pixies when they come to Lowell. I give thanks for good rock band reunions too.

December will be a month of tests where I find out how successful the treatments have been so far. There is always the possibility of another chemo cycle or follow-up surgery, but at this point there is no way to know so there is no sense worrying about it. My blood tests point to remission, so that is where my head is at.

In the meantime, enjoy some turkey and know that I'm thankful for having all of you in my life.