cynicism about sports is easy.  Just like it is about your opponent, right John?.  We are used to being that way.  But I offer you a ray of hope in our suspicious, expecting performance-enhancing drugs world.  

We do have some GOOD people there.  I even know one of them.  He's a member of the US Soccer team.  Yesterday, he scored the winning goal in the match against Japan. But, as much as I love and respect Stu, I wish I didn't know him.......

The spouse and I went to the urologist today to get the verdict on the biopsy on his removed right testicle.

I was hoping for "benign."

No such luck.

Follow me below the fold...

A special welcome to anyone who is new to The Grieving Room.  We meet every Monday evening.  Whether your loss is recent or many years ago, whether you have lost a person or a pet, or even if the person you are "mourning" is still alive ("pre-grief" can be a very lonely and confusing time) you can come to this diary and process your grieving in whatever way works for you.  Share whatever you need to share.  We can't solve each other's problems, but we can be a sounding board and a place of connection.

This is the schedule for the upcoming weeks:

August 11 - filled by birberwitch
August 18 - filled by bigjacbigjacbigjac (bigjac - please confirm!)
August 25 - OPEN
September 1 - OPEN
September 8 - filled by Random Factor
September 15 - filled by NewDirectionsMom
September 22 - filled by Lize in San Francisco
September 29 - OPEN
October 6 - OPEN
October 13 - OPEN

This link will take you to past editions of The Grieving Room: http://www.dailykos.com/...

Please contact  smnytx at yahoo.com to volunteer to host an upcoming week, or respond in this diary.

The phone rang and my wife took the call. Her cousin Matt was in the hospital and was expected by the Doctors to be dying soon.

He lost his battle yesterday, but the war against the VA and the U.S. Government's lack of concern for it's brave troops rages on.

Matt served in the US Army for 8 years and 9 months. Staff Sergeant, Command Section Sergeant and Stryker Vehicle Commander; and was in Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment. He was exposed to radiation and chemicals in Iraq. The V.A. repeatedly denied him care.

He leaves behind his wife and two young sons.

Not exactly shocking, given last weeks news. But now it is official. From the Chicago Sun Times:

Ever attentive to the trauma of brain cancer and injury, I took a moment to look for an update on Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) while wondering if he'll make the Convention in late August.

It seems that a film crew has arrived in Hyannis Port to create a short piece overviewing the Senator's life and career. It's to be viewed some time during the "Obama Brouhaha" (a colloquialism used by a friend of mine who is also a National delegate).

News of this crew's activities has created some speculation that the Senator may not be attending the event in person for whatever reason seems to make the headlines bolder for that day.

Still trying to wrap my mind around this idea.

The press, and the public, are generally aware that McCain had a major melanoma episode in 2000. I don't believe, however, that there is much, is any awareness, of the full implications of that.

By Donna Smith, American SiCKO,
Communications specialist, California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee

Tomorrow I'll have my third colonoscopy.  Twice before, precancerous polyps have been found and removed, so my schedule for testing is every three years.  That three years goes by way too fast.  I know the screenings are life-saving for many, but I still hate them.  And my hatred goes well beyond my dislike of the preps necessary.  

As a uterine cancer survivor and an insured American who was financially devastated after illness, my cancer checks are always fraught with a bit of trepidation and a lot of projecting.  

But private, for-profit insurance leaves me exposed -- and worse still, it leaves millions and millions of unsuspecting insureds wide open to financial ruin.  On the eve of my screening, this is what I think about.

What if I have cancer again?  What if the insurance doesn't pay for something? And then beyond... What if I miss work?  What if we have to move again?  What if the bills pile up?

I don't know how many of you were aware of Randy Pausch, but here's a bit of his back-story.  He got a incurable pancreatic cancer diagnosis in September 2006.  He had started a lecture series before this, called the "Last Lecture," where various professors and luminaries were invited to give a lecture as if it were their last.  Professor Pausch then gave his own for-real last lecture in September, 2007.

He died today at his home in Virginia at the age of 47.

Sen. McCain is at Ohio State right now at the LIVESTRONG Summit, hosted by Lance Armstrong:

On Thursday, July 24, at 7 p.m., Senator John McCain will share his cancer plan and answer questions from the audience. Lance Armstrong will moderate the event.

This event was not open to the general public, but I took a few photos of a small demonstration outside (High St.) put on by SEIU and ProgressOhio, to the chants of "John McCain get off our backs, we don't want your health care tax." Nothing too exciting, but for the record:

I’ve posted before on childhood cancer.  The stats and the faces.  The "compassion" of some Republican Senators (interestingly enough, S911, the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act, passed within 4 days of that Post! The power of the kos!)

But a recent article in CURE magazine entitled No Child Left Behind frightens me.  And it should you too.  Because if you have kids, know kids, are a kid, then you should know that 1 in 300 kids are diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20.  4 out of 5 of them survive at least 5 years.  But the long term affects of using smaller doses of adult chemo regimes effects them developmentally, internally, and increases the chances of secondary cancers.  

So, why don’t we just develop new drugs specifically for children......I mean it’s the #1 Killer disease of kids today.  

Judging from the last couple days on the site, and the endless stream of diaries about how to properly imagine  other people's opinions of cartoons, or how to properly eulogize a political opponent, I think it's more proper, actually, to recognize this editorial opinion from Elizabeth Edwards on the death of Tony Snow.  Edwards and Snow are linked by virtue of being diagnosed with recurrences of their cancer within days of one another in 2007, and the news of his death clearly came to her as chilling and sad.  In the article, Edwards reveals some universal, human truths, which often get lost in the clatter of political warfare, not limited to this site.  I want to excerpt a bit:

( cross-posted at my personal blog 43-Ideas-Per-Minute )

The question comes to me more often than not - why is honesty punished while 'pretending' to be so is rewarded?

Pretty simple question that can be used in varous situations.

This time, we see the question manifest itself at the time of Tony Snow's death.  

It is not suprising in the least that many conservative blogs have - and will continue to use - the occassion of his death to besmirch, smear, and do everything but deficate on anyone and everyone with opposing political viewpoints who don't stop what they are doing and say something positive about the man.

You see, this is where conservatives and everyone else differs.

No, I don't mourn the passing of Tony Snow's politics, nor can I muster much sympathy for him in the context of his professional life.

I never met the man, and probably wouldn't have had much to say to him if I had.

But he touched the life of a dear friend of mine in a very deep way, and that - that I am mourning tonight.

We would like some information about where to go as we have not been able to get the information from the medical community that we need in order to make the right decision for our dad.

Our father is an 83 year old man who is trying to decide whether to go home on hospice or to have the dual surgeries: free flap surgery and debriding of his head wound.

Sometimes it's funny as hell, and sometimes it's not. Life, I mean. Life with serious illnesses and big families, and old friends who are every bit as flawed as they are cherished.

I've been lurking at DKosw without cease since my earlier cancer diaries, though I have not often had the stamina to write. But I wrote an email letter to some good friends, lately, and when I got the impusle to share the letter with you, I found myself explaining its context, which grew into a diary.  Besides, I think it's worth letting people like nyceve know that her healthcare and insurance diaries hit me right where I live, and they mean much to me; it's worth letting you know that your Top Comments keep me sane, that the Billary/'Bama pie fights were not always tedious, and that the recent MeteorBlades retrospective was just awesome.  How'my doin?  Jump.

In all of my 36 years, I cannot recall my grandmother ever being sick beyond a simple cold.  This entire "happening" is so strange.  On Wednesday, someone wrote a diary asking who is the oldest person that you know.  I immediately replied my grandmother and went on to add that her mother lived to be almost 103.  Thursday evening my grandmother was admitted into the hospital because she had a bad cough and could not hold down any food.  Yesterday, the doctors said they saw spots on her lung x-ray, which they suspected was cancer, and her liver and pancreas were malfunctioning.  Tonight she passed...48 hours later.