Good times - good news

Ellen ANSEL,  my great friend from Oakland, Ca came to visit.   When she first heard my diagnosis,  she immediately booked a flight to come East.  I was quite surprised and flattered.... But I know she expected to find me less energetic etc.   Ellen and I originally met at Rancho de la Puerto in Tecate Mexico in 1988 or 9.  Since then we would get together at least twice a year - once at Rancho and in the winter to ski at Vail.  We have shared a lot in those years... And much more in the last three days.  I miss her already.

As we started our friendship with exercise... We relived it a bit by spending the day at Kripula - a Yoga training center in the Berkshires.   We walked the labyrinth (having been encouraged by some incredible words gifted to me by Suzan Zeder), went to a "yoga dance" class, ate vegetarian, and had an oily massage or facial.  We then returned to Longmeadow where John had dinner ready for us an Will and KA.  That was a slice of the fun we had... But mostly we couldn't stop talking!!

And the good NEWS....the Doctor I saw at Dana Farber called to tell me that my cancer DOES qualify for the new immunotherapy that is going on in The battle against Cancer.  My genomes have the ROS 1 mutation, which is in less than 1% of patients with lung cancer.   There is a targeting chemo program in pill form which has been very affective.  Right now we will stay the course with the chemo as long as it is working and start the other when we need a new attack procedure.  I don't pretend to understand this new therapy but I am thrilled.  What I will be taking is not on trial basis,  it's been approved by the FDA.

There's the good news!

So now, more preparations for Christmas, the boys and the DeWeese family.  I enter it with a little lighter heart from friendship and news.  Let the good times roll!