As someone "over 50" I've got a lot to look back at through my life.  There've been good times and there have been bad, as well.  Some very bad.  Regardless of both, I have a lot to be thankful for.  Like the weather, our lives change with the seasons.  Two years ago, we had a miserable winter.  Last year it was tolerable.  What will this year be like?  Each of the "seasons" of our lives are different, as well, and I find myself extremely thankful for where I am right now after some very trying years.  My husband, Dave, has survived a disease many don't.  We found out he had cancer on January 16, 2014 after I found him writhing in pain on the floor of our living room.  We rushed to the emergency room where he was taken into surgery and a mass the size of an orange was removed from his colon.  After the surgery, everything progressed as it does in dealing with this horrible disease.  He was put on chemo, had side effects, some very bad, some not so bad, and we prayed.  Then in April, a mere three months after his treatments began and only three treatments completed out of the eight scheduled, a second CT scan was done.  Waiting for the verdict we held our breaths until we were told he was CLEAN!  They saw no cancer.  How could that be?  After only three months!!!  We believe it was our unwavering faith (although I wondered if the results WERE a mistake before I mentally slapped myself and reminded myself what it REALLY was - God's healing hand) and Dave's POSITIVE ATTITUDE that brought about this miraculous, and I do mean miraculous, recovery.  Since then, he finished what was reduced to six chemo treatments and another CT scan was done.  Again we held our breaths as we waited for the results -- HAD it been a mistake?  NO, it was not.  Again Dave's results were clean.  We were doing the happy dance, for sure!  Since then, I've written a small booklet that I'm giving away to anyone who wants one.  It chronicles Dave's and my journey in dealing with this awful disease.  The title is CANCER, FAITH, and M&M'S:  One Man's Journey to Survival.  I'll have copies at my events going forward (as long as my publisher and I can keep putting them out there), so if you're interested, let me know or come visit me on October 18th or 19th in Warsaw at their Heritage Days.  If you're from out-of-town and would like a copy, please contact me directly at my email at dlrogers2@peoplepc.com and we'll figure out the best way to get one to you.  Thanks for all your continued support throughout the years, and all your prayers throughout this difficult ordeal.

Diane (and David)