Dashed Hopes

Is there anything more cruel than dashed hopes? If so, I don't want to experience it.

As you now know Danny had the surgery about three weeks ago with a new PSA blood test two weeks later. Yesterday they received the unhappy news that although the doctor was optimistic he'd gotten all the cancer, apparently he didn't. The test was elevated showing more cancer cells to deal with. A serious course of radiation therapy is now on the agenda.

This unhappy news comes just days before Amanda, their eldest daughter, graduates with high honors from University of Florida. Apparently Danny took the news better than Lisa--she is devastated. You know a little about Lisa, but not so much about Danny. What I can tell you is that he is a quiet man of many talents. He was a fireman with the City of Orlando until retirement and is now a fire inspector. Throughout their married life Danny has always taken excellent care of Lisa and his girls. A wonderful father, good cook, hard worker, and exemplary husband. Why he has to have cancer I don't know, but if you are the praying type please keep him in yours.

----------------
Listening to: Andrew Bird - Why
via FoxyTunes

Vulnerability

I don't know what has made me blog exactly. I kept seeing it on Picassa and I guess I thought, why not. Having said that, I now realize that I have made myself very vulnerable, not only with the blog, but my flickr account (www.flickr.com/photos/gailpeck). You begin writing, and then you think, wow, am I just contributing to the blogosphere, or does anyone really care what I think? I had a bit of reinforcement lately though because my dear friend Karen, who has remained a bit of a Luddite for years, showed up at the market, having read about it on the blog. Lisa worries about me if I don't post and Matt's friend, Sarah, apparently catches up with me now and again as well. Thanks guys.

I got a bit of a shaky start this morning; I was having dry heaves in Geology, but I'm doing better now. In order to put logarithms behind me, I made a tiny detour off my main drive home. I know there is a neighborhood in Conway that is overrun by wild peacocks--I decided to see for myself. There are scads of them hanging around front yards and in trees, unbelievable. I'll post more on the flickr. They seem unafraid of people, thus I was able to get pretty close. The light today wasn't great as it is a bit overcast, so I'll try again on a sunnier day. Nice.

I've been thinking about Elizabeth Edwards. I feel very sad about her metastases, and almost sadder at the hope she feels. Having worked as a mammographer for twelve years, I know first hand that it is a rare person who survives for long with her condition. As well, bone cancer is extremely painful. Having young children just adds to the pathos. Here's hoping she is an exception to the rule.