Wanted to post today.  Two years ago I received word that my younger brother Steven had stage 3 rectal cancer.  I couldn't at the time begin to comprehend the battle we would fight for the next year and a half.  His odds of surviving were a little less than 30% but I always thought he would win the battle, I just didn't know how hard it would be and how hard the next couple of years would be.  He did have one complication and that was he is schizophrenic.  Well he fought hard, lived with a stoma for 6 months, had chemo, radiation, two surgeries, a complete breakdown, followed by a month in a psych unit of the hospital. In the midst of all of this our mother is suffering from dementia, our little sister Lorie committed suicide, and we were sharing in the care of my husbands now 99and 1/2 year old mother.  But guess what?  We survived the last two years and do you know what else-Steven had his first colonoscopy  and he is cancer free. He is cancer free and he has also had his rectum reattached and it is all working.  It is a happy day.  We are still caring for our mothers, I miss my little sister Lorie, and life is very busy, but I am so thankful that I have stayed well and strong the last two years, Steven is cancer free, and I have a wonderful family,  the moms (even suffering from dementia) are sweet, and kind, and cute.  I adore my 13 grandchildren.  Hailey and Leighton are well and growing and learning.  There is so much to be thankful and I shouldn't ever complain.  Do I complain?  Yes, sometimes too much, but to get myself out of it I just have to stop for a minute and think and reflect!

Happy 52 and 65th birthday  Steven and Dennis!!!!