Not so bad, this life thing

I had cancer a few years ago.  Took a while to sort it out - two episodes and about 18 months, actually. And then, when things seemed to be running off track again last Fall, the first question was whether it was a recurrence of the old neck cancer.

Then, as we went through surgery and the information it revealed, it became as clear as things get in this world (which isn't 100 percent clear) that I was dealing with a new cancer, brain version, that really didn't have much to do with the old one.  Number two (or three?), and about four years later.  Bad luck Mikey!

Ah well.  You know, you go through these things two or three times and really, at least in my case, it just gets to... here's the deal, play your best hand.  Not a terrible hand - hey, I didn't just get hit by a truck and pulverized - if not a great one.  The consensus at this point seems to be that I'm not looking at clearing things up 100 perfect and living for decades.  More like holding things off and living well for some time.

Since I'm now 63 and a half, well, it's not terrible.  The final number isn't what most folks seem to be looking at these day  - it could be kind of cheezy on post-age-65 retirement benefits  - but it sure could have been worse.  There was a time in my 20's when I really doubted if I'd make it to 30; the parties were pretty dangerous.  Then, law school, marriage (one), foreign work, marriage (two and still pumping), children, Europe in the 80's, Asia in the 90's, kids graduating from colleges, getting married, having babies, and me, more or less throughout, practicing law... really, not sure how much more than that I deserve.  Many people much finer than me have had much less.

So, here I now go into more treatments, some well established and maybe some experimental -  and after that, maybe lots more time and law practice and maybe not.  Either way, lucky me, as ever, lucky and blessed.

A new life.

So this one is it.  It.

I will try to get it out - but it will be many days.  My able to write has gone into a strange place, and who knows how it comes back.

So you know... I start today, December 26, 2013.  I am 63 ages old.  And I am now as young as I have been in many years.

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(1/13/2014... seems hard to believe.)

OK I really couldn't write for beans at first, nearly three weeks ago, and I still have some amazing flaws.  Like I can't remember names.  NOT AT ALL.  Amazing stuff.  I do seem to remember the people, and I do seem to want to talk to them.  Writing?  Emails?  Even Strays, Morgan's written word? We'll see.  I'm going down the road into a new life.

So below is what I sent out to lots of folks yesterday and today.  Says what it says, and for today. Tomorrow will be... tomorrow.  And many tomorrows to come, they will be what they are.  No predictions; no promises; nothing but joy to be alive.

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I have been trying to stay quiet about Morgan's latest medical adventure, but just cannot any more. Each of you is important to me for reasons that in some cases go back decades. I want you to have an idea what happened.

Just a quick first note: in the past, with these sorts of status reports, I have done carefully different versions for different groups. No more. You're all on this one.

On December 23 I went in for surgery on my brain. It was a big deal. Five hours later they had pulled out about a baseball's worth of cancer.

The amazing part is that since then I have never been more in love with my wife and family or more fond of my clients, partners, and friends.  So hey. There is a really interesting dynamic going on here. I have a batch of issues to come, and my doc says I have to take at least month off. So I will. But in the meantime I hope to hear from each you a lot,  legal stuff or other.

From here:  It may not be a long future but I sure plan it to be interesting.

All the best to each of you.  I will forget a few pals on this  - hey, I never was perfect and still ain't - so please forward to anyone you think might want to know.

M