Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Current Picture

Many of you that read this blog know me. Some I see frequently, some I have not seen before my cancer diagnosis 3 years ago. The above is a picture taken about 2 weeks ago. It is a friend, my sister, and me. Yes, that’s me on the right. I’ve lost 60+ pounds since this started. Not exactly the diet method I had in mind, nor one I would ever recommend. I thought that some of you might be curious what I look like after 7 surgeries, 35 radiation treatment, and 8 chemo cycles. They really do amazing work with facial reconstruction. I do have numerous scars on my neck, but they are not really visible in this picture.

I found a new Internet resource for cancer victims, survivors, and care givers. It is called the Cancer Survivor Network (http://www.acscsn.org/). It includes brief stories and personal web pages by 1000s of people touched by this disease. It is searchable by cancer type, gender, etc. For me, it’s helpful to see stories from people with similar disabilities, treatments, and decision requirements. The caregiver stories are also compelling. I hope you never have a need to go to this website, but if you do, either for yourself or a loved one, know it is there. You have to register to gain full access, but registration is free and only takes a few minutes.

Take care and stay healthy.

2 comments:

Clare said...

Thanks for the photo Ed. You look really great! You are a courageous pioneer in cancer survival. I appreciate all the great information you provide us in you log.

justme519 said...

Dear Ed, Yes thanks for the photo. I think you look great. I know this has been a difficult stuggle but your lookin' darn well. Keep up the great blog. I have visited the redtoenail site often and find it helpful. I am especially glad to hear your spirts are up. I continue to pray for your strength and healing.
Sincerely, Tanya