Gina....I am sorry....your last remark says it all.
I learned last night about a strong, robust, vital, active friend who has been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma.
$hi!....it just stinks!

Oh Gina, how sad. I am so sorry you lost your friend. You do reach a stage in life when you start to hear about deaths more and more frequently. Cancer is so often the reason. I just said goodbye to one of my best friends from high school who died of cancer at age 64.

Hugs to you and I hope it is a good long while before you have to bear another loss.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Gina.

Gina, I am so very sorry.

Oh Gina, I am so sorry to hear about your friend, and 65 is still far too young, even after a long battle like that.

I'm sending hugs and strong thoughts.

LindaC, I'm sorry to hear about your friend and will pray for a recovery.

Annie

Very sorry to hear about your friend, and sending my best to you and your hubby. It's never easy to lose someone you care about, but I know you'll get through this.

Gina, I'm very sorry for your loss.

Ann

Gina, I'm glad your friend had one last Christmas. It is often the case that very ill people hang on until after the holidays so their loved ones won't forever associate the holiday season with their passing. Hold your friend near in your heart.

Teresa

Hugs and condolences, Gina. I think muddling through is the best we all do when we loss a dear one. May the warm memories bring you some comfort.

Eileen

(((Gina))) I am so very sorry. Just keep muddling through with each other and you'll be ok.

-Robin

Aw, my condolences, too, Gina. It's never easy to lose a friend. Hug your husband and keep muddling.

Gina, I'm very sorry to hear of your loss.

((((Gina))))

How very sad. My MIL passed away from cancer on the day after Thanksgiving, 2 years ago. We are quite sure that she willed herself on just one more day.
Hugs to you and DH. Your personal & group memories will keep his spirit alive.
E

Ouch. We've lost three in our group so far. All of them with spouses and kids. One sudden heart attack (no closure), two cancer. I understand the 'numb' feeling. Get your colonoscopies!

My condoleances to you, how sad.

I'm so sorry, Gina.
Sending prayers to you and your hubby.
Cancer sucks!

Deanna

Never easy. I'm so sorry, Gina. We also have lost friends, neighbors, & family unexpectedly too soon. I second Jessy's advice - have your annual physical & get your Wills in order, especially if you have young children.

/tricia

Annual physicals can't uncover everything. Just try to stay healthy - eat good foods, exercise, sleep well and try not to have stress in your life.

What's scary is watching the cancer treatments. So disjointed, patchwork, not focused on the whole body, etc. I just finished reading Steve Jobs, and even he, with unlimited money to spend on the best treatment available, had to get all his doctors on the same page and not scattered independently doing this that or the other. (Although to be fair, Jobs had eating disorders and complusive behaviors all his life, which didn't help him.)

What I took away from the last six years is that if you are diagnosed with cancer or any disease, you still need to be in the driver's seat of your own treatment, and not hand that off to any doctor. I had already had that mindset but this experience drilled that home. Helps to have a spouse at your back as well.

I don't deal well with with losses like that, and so I do understand your numbness and send you my condolence. I lost a lot of friends who were in the 30s and 40s, and so by now I am beginning to feel that reaching 60 is adequate, but I know that is wrong. One friend in his 40s died suddenly of a brain aneurysm while I was in the middle of preparing an astrological reading for him. When I noticed that he had a very exact Mars-Uranus conjuction in the 8th House (Death), I called him to set up an appointment to warn him to be careful when he had transits of that conjuction, as it could mean a sudden unexpected death. I only got his voice mail, and then he left a voice mail for me the day before he died. I kept that message for a long time.

Anyway, I really feel for your loss.

Lars

Gina, I'm so sorry to read about your friend. It does feel as though you are in a dream, but sadly it's not.

You are so very right about being in charge of your own treatment - no one knows your body better than yourself. Hopefully we each have physicians that we respect and trust but we still have to be at the helm. And I don't think anyone can believe more strongly than I do in the healing power of someone who loves you, advocates for you and has the faith that you will ultimately be OK.

Lee, sending thoughts of comfort and peace to both of you.

Thanks everyone. And one more thing while on my soapbox - live your dang lives! Don't let it pass you by, don't be a bystander in your own life. Get out there and live! My friend squeezed 25 hours out of every day. He was a whirlwind of action, passion and didn't know the meaning of the words "no" or "can't" or "shouldn't" - he was always looking for the next project, the next adventure. I will try to remember to live like that everyday.

My sincere sympathy to you, DH, and your friends family Gina.

David

Oh dear, Gina, I'm so sorry this happened. I'll be thinking of you and his family.

Sally

Gina, I'm so sorry for your loss. Your wise words about living your life and not being a bystander hits me close to home. Thanks for that....even in grief you give of yourself and in the end isn't that what really matters?

Duane

Thanks David, Sally and Duane. Duane, I know you're no stranger to grief, along with a lot of y'all here.

DH and I were talking about our aging parents and sick friends. I am not looking forward to this stage in life if this is what it's going to be about. Death is one thing but cancer and doctors and hospitals and treatments and on and on, it's scaring me a little.

I was backing up some pictures and came across a bunch of pictures of my friend. We had so many good times together, including my wedding a couple years ago - remember?

These pictures are so precious to me now. I am going on a short trip with some friends soon and I will take lots and lots of pictures. Maybe get a better camera. And take some videos too.

Your words say it all gina; "Live your dang lives! Don't let it pass you by." Let me also offer my condolences on your friends passing. We all know someone who has passed on due to cancer. It is never easy even if it is expected. Take care of yourself. NancyLouise

I'm so sorry, Gina.

Getting old and sick scares me too. And I can only imagine how scary it is when it becomes a reality instead of just an idea. But the more research I read, the more hopeful I am that we'll have a leg up on cancer, Alzheimer's, AIDS, and spinal cord injuries in our lifetime. I hope we'll have major medical breakthroughs, and see these as the dark ages. The guy who discovered the structure of DNA came to speak at Hopkins, and he was very optimistic that we are on the verge of curing cancer. I hope he's right!!

Gina, I'm so sorry that you and DH lost your friend. I'll be thinking of you and your family.