My brother, Tony - his prostate cancer showed back up, so he's been undergoing a series of radiation treatments.
My brother-in-law, Todd - his kidney cancer seems to be gone with the successful removal of one kidney.
My other brother-in-law, David - fighting pancreatic cancer; holding his own for now.
My friend, Bob - still dealing with the after-effects of prostate cancer. Poor guy is taking Lupron to keep it at bay. Lupron is also known as 'that damned shot' when I speak of it. I had to take several rounds of the drug - it's downright nasty.
From work, Greg - his bone cancer came roaring out of a five year remission last December; he's just undergone a second bone marrow transplant and will know soon how well it worked.
One of my favorite college professors, Tom - he's treating a tough lung cancer with one of the new immunotherapy drugs. He's not quite halfway through the treatment series, which sounds like it's pretty brutal.
All these, I think of often and send prayers.
But the one that's been tearing my heart is the story of little Mason - my brother Mike's grandson.
Mason is four. Four.
Four year-old children are not supposed to have to fight cancer, but there he's been for the past year. His is a rare sort of brain tumor. He's been put through the mill. Chemo, radiation, more chemo.
By all accounts he's been a little trooper. He doesn't understand what's going on, of course, but trusts his parents to do the right thing. Sarah's pictures and stories about treatment have been both heart-warming and heart-rending.
These last rounds of chemo were especially hard on his little body - he ended up in the hospital more than once dealing with the side effects. They dealt with all the pain and suffering under a cloud of uncertainty - there was no guarantee the treatments would actually work.
I got on Facebook this morning to see the most-liked post I've ever seen on my feed - Sarah told us his latest scans show no signs of cancer.
I read her encouraging words, and felt my shoulders drop back and down several inches.
Cancer is never fair - but it's more extra-unfair when it strikes the young and the innocent.
And I learned today the corresponding relief when told it's been held at bay is all the greater.
Go, Mason!
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