I'm sixty f***ing years old? When did THAT happen? And here's what I want for my birthday:

[DFW]

I swear, I just turned thirty last week. Or was that forty? Sixty sounded SOOOOO old, and not so long ago either. Like last week? I can't believe this. But the calendar says I'm sixty, so I guess I am.

In honor of the occasion, fate chose today to schedule my wife for a dangerous but necessary operation to remove some tumors growing on what's left of her thyroid gland. She had something similar done twenty years ago. There was a tumor the size of a tangerine growing on her thyroid then, and back then, as now, it was growing inward, so it was difficult to tell how big it was. In the meantime, she had cancer, but came through that pretty much OK. So, it could be evil, it could be totally benign, it could be somewhere in between. If the tumors have attacked her vocal chords, her voice could be affected. We just don't know other than the surgeon having told us all beforehand that it would be complicated.

We all find out in just about an hour from now. I hope the Great Pumpkin has a nice birthday present
for me. Call me selfish, but I have been waking up next to this smile for over 30 years now, and I don't
want to stop now:

[IMG][/IMG]

[onethatcares]

1. well, that beats a sharp stick in the eye all to hell

Hope you have many more birthdays and I hope they are all good.

[DFW]

9. My family genetics says no way José

But maybe I'll have a little luck at "Beat The Reaper."

[crunch60]

32. Don't pay attention to family genetics, I've had something similar to your wife, I am

seven years this month. NED! No evidence of disease. woo.woo.. She'll do it to, I feel it in my bones, we are warriors and we are a tough bunch.
She is beautiful and you are a lucky dude!

[DFW]

33. Wow! Good for you!

And, yes, I am one lucky dude. I may be stupid, but I'm not THAT stupid. With her I won life's grand lottery.

[blue neen]

2. I hope you get your birthday wish.

What a lovely, lovely lady.

[DFW]

7. That she is.

And her personality is very accurately reflected by that photo.

Thanks for the birthday wish. No one hopes it comes true more than I do!

[Uben]

3. Try the cancer forum here

...there are a lot of us who are currently and have been dealing with the horrible disease of cancer. If you need to talk or ask questions, come join us. My wife turned sixty last May. I lost her to the cancer Feb. 5th.

[DFW]

5. I'll know very shortly whether or not I'll be taking you up on that.

I hope not, but I appreciate the invitation!

[Uben]

12. We know the pain of waiting....

Anyone who has dealt with cancer knows the pain of waiting for results. It can be one of the worst times. We're scared, we have unanswered questions, and we're unsure of what lies ahead. You are not alone. Talking with someone who who has been there sometimes helps. I have been through it twice. We don't have all the answers, but we can give support if not answers, and you don't have to wait until you have a diagnosis to visit.

Take it from me, sharing your experience can ease the tensions associated with illness. Cancer affects care-givers, too.

[DFW]

19. If the news is bad, it wouldn't be my first time, unfortunately

My cousin died of a glioblastoma at age 41, my wife's brother the same at age 51.
My dad died of pancreatic cancer, his sister of brain cancer, my mom's sister of
breast cancer, etc. etc. My wife beat her breast cancer 11 years ago.

I'm no stranger to cancer. I was just hoping that today would not be an unwanted re-introduction.

[DFW]

51. We got the results back this morning (FINALLY)

The tumors were benign. This is no guarantee against future misery, but for now, she's cancer-free.

Thanks for the offer of support. I would have taken you up on it, had the news been bad. For now, we'll just breathe one big collective sigh of relief that it's "not this time."

[siligut]

55. Yay, good to hear

Is she taking you out for a nice birthday dinner now? Is she up and about?

[DFW]

63. Yes, I brought her home yesterday when we got the green light.

She made ME a nice dinner last night (brilliant chef along with everything else). We went shopping,
and bought some cod filet, some cherry tomatoes, salad, and she did her magic. I have to run down
to France today, but I'll be back this evening, and we have the whole weekend together.

[Uben]

62. I am so happy for you!

I have experienced getting good news like that, as well, so I know the relief you now have. BTW, I 'm in the DFW area, too. My wife was from Dallas and I own an apartment complex over on Spring Valley Rd. although I live north of Dallas about 60 miles. Anytime you need support or someone to talk to, just float on over to the cancer forum.

Uben

[DFW]

64. Thanks for that. I'll keep it in mind

When I'm home, I'm near the corner of Preston and Mockingbird, but that's almost never. These days, we are usually to be found in the German Rheinland, in a town dating from the early medieval times, near Düsseldorf. My wife is German, and she prefers living there. Now that she is retired from her thankless, strenuous job, she'll be coming with me to some of the more pleasant places I have to be for work. My trips to Paris, Barcelona, Munich, Brussels, etc. will now need double rooms instead of the lonely singles I always book.

Fine with me!

[Uben]

66. Hey, I know whatcha mean!

I've been living alone for about eight weeks now. Longest run in my entire lilfe. I don't like the lonliness at all, but I do like the quiet.
I have had a dose of going to get-togethers as a single, and you feel llike a fifth wheel. I'm glad you'll now have a companion in your travels. I plan to travel a lot in the near future, and will be looking for a travelling companion. I won't do it alone, although the thought of meeting up with a lady overseas is intriguing. My wife left me a lot when she died, so I can pretty much do what I want now. I'm talking millions (gulp!). Problem is, I'm just a blue-collar guy, and I haven't learned how to spend money. We never lived like we had that kind of money (she inherited it a few years ago when her mom died). We always had to save where we could because we retired at a young age (when she got cancer initially). We had big plans for the future, but fate put a halt to that. I know that kind of money changes people, but I can't see me changing too much. I don't really want anything and I'm not that crazy about travelling alone, so I'll just have to wing it for a while to see where fate takes me now. My life right now is consumed with fishing and yardwork, two of my favorite pastimes.
Take care and I hope the future for you and your wife holds many happy and fulfilling years.

Uben

[DFW]

69. Sounds like we think very much alike

What I inherited, I spent on my children's college education in the States, so I have practically nothing left of that, but I've done moderately well. No scads of millions on the side, but not starving either. The cost of living here in Germany is way higher than in TX, and since I'm still paid in dollars, I have to watch it. Even so, we don't live beyond our means and have no debts. There's still a LOT of this planet I'd like to see, and I don't know if I could handle doing it all on my own. After 38 years, getting used to a new partner would be weird, and probably grossly unfair to any new partner, as I'd unconsciously keep comparing her.

I don't think coming into money necessarily has to change someone, as long as there's no pressing need to show it off. We certainly have some money-obsessed neighbors here in our part of Düsseldorf, and in Highland Park in Dallas we're practically surrounded by them. We can'r choose our neighbors, but we can choose our friends, and that's what counts. It's funny, I just completed my first novel (hobby undertaking, not my profession), and the main character is in the middle of a failing marriage. He married a rich girl who is exasperated with him because he has no ambition to become a multimillionaire like her dad. By pure accident he does become instantly rich, but he hides it from his wife so she doesn't go out and spend it on a fancy car and a house that is bigger than what they need. Well, it's a lot more complicated than that (he also befriends Thomas Jefferson and gets pursued by some hired Mafia thugs, and that's just the start LOL!!). My family and friends go nuts at birthdays and Christmas with me, too, because there really isn't anything I want, either. They DO get creative. My friends find all sorts of exotic honey and apricot marmalade as I am a big fan of both. My younger daughter brought me up a big container of hummus from some Israeli deli in Frankfurt because she knows I love that stuff. Cool presents don't have to be fancy or expensive, just inspired.

I hope you have some accident of fate like the character in my book, and find someone to share your happy trails with.

[Phentex]

4. Happy Birthday!

and best wishes to you wife.

[DFW]

6. Thanks from both of us!

She's the one who needs it this time.

[geckosfeet]

8. Happy birthday

And I hope all your wishes and more come to be.

[unapatriciated]

10. and such a beautiful smile, Happy Birthday

May your wish be granted.

[MarianJack]

11. It"s obvious that you love your wife as I do mine!

I hope that your birthday gift is a very successful proceedure with a very positive result and that you and she get to spend another 30+ years waking up to each other's smiles.

You have mine and my family's best wishes.

K&R!

PEACE!

[DFW]

30. Thanks, Jack!

Another 30 years would do just fine, thanks! Where do I place my order?

[MarianJack]

37. When you find out,...

...will you place an order for 44 more years for me & my wife?

I'm 56 and we want to go until I'm 100!

BTW, How's your lovely wife doing? Please give her (and yourself) a great big from my lovely wife and I! While you're at it, throw in a or 6!

PEACE!

[DFW]

38. We're hoping for the biopsy report tomorrow

If it's clean, she comes home at the end of the week.

If it's not, well, it's back to the operating table, and then "oh, shit" after that.

Keep your fingers crossed into pretzels for a day or so. We are, anyway.

[MarianJack]

39. Pretzels they will be!

Have I said that your lovely wife looks like a very fun lady who truly enjoys life. My (our) best to her! !!!!!


PEACE!

[DFW]

42. She is very much is that, though no smiles this morning

She just called to say that the other woman in her room got her biopsy back (negative), but
that my wife's biopsy was not back. My wife has been operated on first. Not good.

Keep those good thought and smilies coming. We might need them more than we thought.

[MarianJack]

43. Best thoughts and prayers, too!

My wife was in the Convent until 4 years before I met her, so I think she has an in with her "ex-husband".

We will hope for the best for your wife, you and your family!

PEACE!

[DFW]

53. By the way, though never in a convent, my wife was raised a Catholic, too

She retired from that long ago. She's from the farm country in northwestern Germany, near the Dutch border. As you have probably seen, we got the result this morning, and there was no malignancy. So she can get back to being that fun woman you correctly assumed she was. The smile does give a lot away, doesn't it? Here we were, half a life ago, in 1981:

[IMG][/IMG]

She was wearing that same smile today when I brought her home from the hospital.

[MarianJack]

58. A few comments about your family's good news!

!!!!!

Your family's good news truly fills my heart in the midst of a string of crappy days. We a VERY HAPPY for you and your lovely wife!

She's from Germany? WOW! How'd you meet? were you in the service? If so, thank you for your service to our country. If not, good for your wife and you for meeting someone you love so much regardless of the circumstances.

I'm originally from Philadelphia and my wife was born in Puerto Rico. I only mention this to say that it's amazing that your true love can come from far away and somehow the lucky ones, like you and I, find them and make a life together.

Again, I am SO happy for you!

PEACE!

[DFW]

61. Your kind words are appreciated!

My wife is indeed German. We met when I was playing in a cabaret during my summer vacation after graduating from college. She was in the audience. A friend of hers that I knew slightly introduced us. It was dark, crowded, and smoky. The friend said "I'm leaving for China tomorrow, but you should meet my girlfriend." I couldn't see who she was talking about. She leaned back and this tall blonde angel materialized. I said "oh, yes, I definitely SHOULD meet your girlfriend." That was it for me.

I wasn't recruited for my outfit until a year later. We don't wear uniforms in my line of work. I said one of the conditions of my accepting the post was that I be sent to Europe a lot so I could visit my German girlfriend. Within fifteen years, I was station chief for Europe. Still am. Seems they can't find anyone else who speaks Russian, German, French, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch and Catalan. They must just not be looking hard enough, right?

Funny thing about Philadelphia--THAT is where I went to college. I'm sure the area around 37th and Spruce rings a bell.

The distance seemed a LOT farther back in the old days. Now we have two bilingual daughters who are citizens of both countries. They are home in either country, both linguistically and culturally. One now lives in Manhattan, and the other in Frankfurt am Main. There is a good reason we live near a major airport!

You and I are indeed truly lucky, and there are enough broken hearts around to testify to that. Losing my blonde angel would have turned me into a miserable wreck in no time. I am not a hermit type, but my hat goes off to any woman who would make the attempt to take her place, and if I were to find such a woman, I would pity all the single guys out there who missed her. Fate chose to let me stay together with the one I've been with all these years, and THAT was the best birthday present I could wish for.

Thanks again for your good wishes!!

[TBF]

13. congratulations on making it to sixty -

that is how I've learned to deal with birthdays ... and I will be thinking positive thoughts (and maybe send up a prayer or two - can't hurt right) - that it will be all good news after surgery.

[midnight]

14. Sixty is the new thirty-congrates and have a happy birthday!

[LeftishBrit]

15. Very best wishes to your wife!!!

[Moondog]

16. Best of luck. Oh, and

she does have a great smile.

[DesertFlower]

17. happy birthday. sending

my thoughts and prayers to you and your beautiful wife.

[kag]

18. What a beautiful lady!

Oh, my dear DFW. My thoughts will be with you and your lovely bride today. Please let us know what you find out.


Haven't you heard? Sixty is the new forty! (Especially when the Rethugs get finished mucking with Social Security. )

I know what you mean about waking up next to "that" smile. My hubby's is the warmest, kindest, funniest smile in the world--even first thing in the morning, and I have been lucky enough to wake up next to it for just over twenty years. Here's wishing you the best birthday present ever!

[DFW]

21. The news is now 3 hours late. Finger crossing time

They said call at 11:30. Then 12:30. Then 1:30. Now it's 2:30 and there was no answer at the nurses' station. I'm sure that's just temporary. Hurry up and wait. But if the news is three hours late, it is not an indication that everything went smoothly, though not necessarily an indication of bad news. Just no news. This is starting to drag out.

Andy Tobias told me at his 60th birthday party that 60 was the new 40. But he lost his partner soon after that. I wonder if he still feels as young, but I haven't dared ask him. It is impossible to replace the comfort of being close to someone and growing with them for 38 years. I hope I don't have to try. Fingers crossed into a double helix here.

[siligut]

20. She is quite lovely, vibes for the best possible outcome for your wife.

And happy birthday to you.

[DFW]

22. Thanks! I'll send those vibes on to the hospital.

They have to have some news sooner or later.

[TuxedoKat]

23. Happy Birthday

and I hope you get your wish. Your wife is beautiful and I hope all goes well with her surgery. (((HUGS to you both))).

[Kali]

24. good wishes for both of you

[DFW]

25. Thanks to ALL who replied!! She's out of surgery

She spent a LONG time in the recovery room. Apparently the anesthetic really
knocked her out. I was able to talk to her for a few minutes, but it was clear
that it was costing her a monumental effort to stay awake. My younger daughter
and I told her to just get some sleep, and I'd be back. My daughter now lives
down in Frankfurt, so she had to get back to Düsseldorf Hbf. to grab the next
train down there. Normal working hours don't exist in her line of work (she takes
after her crazy parents), so she'll probably head right to her office when she gets in.

The nurse's station said the operation went as well as could be expected. Her vocal
chords did not have to be touched in any way, and her tumors appeared to be benign.
That is no guarantee, of course, but this clinic is a thyroid specialty clinic with people
coming from all over this part of Germany, as well as from the Netherlands for thyroid
operations. The people have a lot of experience in the field, and they can usually spot
malignant tumors when they see them. We get the definitive biopsies back at the
end of the week. Cautious optimism until then. That's about as good a birthday
present as I'm gonna get, and for now, it'll do just fine.

Thanks for all the good wishes for her. It looks like I get to have her for a good long
while longer, and that's the best birthday present of all.

[siligut]

27. Thank you for the good news

I agree, the people at the clinic would know what they are looking at, but it is just good medicine to send a sample to the lab. At any rate, hurrah!

[HappyMe]

29. Best possible news to hear.

Happy birthday, and a speedy recovery to your dear wife.

[freshwest]

34. So glad to hear it's going better. Keep the good vibes going. It'll be okay.

[bigwillq]

35. That's good news.

All the best to her.

Happy Birthday!

[emilyg]

36. Good news. Happy Birthday.

[kag]

44. Excellent, DFW.

I'm so happy for you and your wife. I'd love to hear what the biopsies reveal. (Don't want to be morbid, just hoping the original diagnosis will be confirmed.)

I'll keep my fingers in knots, just in case

Happy, happy birthday!

[DFW]

45. You will hear. I'll let you know

All of the luck. I went to see her in the hospital, and she was going crazy with waiting, so we
went down to the cafeteria for coffee, and in that time the doctors came by with her results.
Due to confidentiality laws, they couldn't tell anyone except her what the results were, and
they all headed back to the OR for their afternoon surgeries, and now we are stuck with
waiting again with the added agony of knowing the results are in, but we can't find out what
they are. We're hoping they'll stop by this evening before they leave for the day. They must
have one hell of a rough schedule. I don't envy them but WE WANNA KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bluesbassman]

26. Happy Birthday DFW!

Thanks for paving the way to 60! (I've got 6 more years).

I know what you mean about the years. Keep wondering who that old guy is that smiles at me when I look in the mirror.

Best wishes to your lovely wife for a successful procedure and speedy recovery.

[DFW]

31. Hey Bass Man!

You can do a LOT in those 6 years. And they'll go by as if in a heartbeat if you don't watch out. Get started!

[frogmarch]

28. May your birthday wish come true, and

may good fortune smile on your and your dear wife, now and always.

My best wishes to you both.

[Odin2005]

40. Happy Birthday!!!

[marzipanni]

41. Happy Birthday! (a bit late for your time zone)

I hope the biopsy is clear and you two will continue to be a cute couple for a long time. I like that photo of you and your wife on the beach on Cape Cod, one of my favorite places, too!
We're sending our good vibes and get well wishes.

[DFW]

46. Finally!!!!!!!!!! Got the report. She's OK, no malignancy!!!!!!!!!

No one knows why it took so long to get that report back, but the second I finish typing this, I'm on my way to the hospital to pick her up.

NOW I can tell myself Happy Birthday.

And a big thank you to all who went first!!!!!!

[WCGreen]

47. That's the best Birthday gift you could ever receive.....

[marzipanni]

49. That is such great news!

I hope you have a wonderful celebration with your wife soon, with two things to celebrate!

[DFW]

50. Thanks!

We have EVERY intention of following your suggestion!!

[Phentex]

54. I am so happy to thear this!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

56. Oh, thank goodness for that most excellent report!

This is the BEST possible news!

Happiest of Birthdays to you, my dear DFW, and here's to many more wonderful years with your beautiful wife!

[DFW]

57. Thanks, Peggy! You've had your own medical adventures of late

So I really appreciate this from one "in recovery" herself!

[sharp_stick]

59. So happy to read this

I was revisiting this post just hoping to see some good news.

Now... Happy Birthday for sure.

[MissHoneychurch]

48. A belated Happy Birthday DFW

and I am glad to hear the good news regarding your wife.


I wanted to share with you that my dad was also born on March 19th. He would have turned 66 this year.

[DFW]

52. It's an obscure birthday I share with a few other "unknowns"

Probably the best known March 19th birthday is David Livingstone (Dr. Livingstone, I presume?).

And thanks for the good wishes for my wife. She had JUST retired from her job, was looking to be free to accompany me on a few of my trips to Barcelona, Stockholm, Paris, just spend some more time together while I was doing my job. It would have been one cruel stroke of fate to strike her with a second round of cancer just that very week. Not this time. BIG sigh of relief up here in the Rheinland!

[PassingFair]

60. Happy B-Day, DFW and many more and many more anniversaries, too.

Hope your wife is feeling good today!

[DFW]

65. She had kind of a rough night, but is better this morning, thanks!

Ever since her cancer treatment 11 years ago, she sometimes suffers from restless legs syndrome, and it intensifies after a general anesthetic, and she got a whopper of a general anesthetic during this operation. Magnesium helps, but its effects are in part diminished by antibiotics, which she has to take for a few days after the operation. She'll get over it slowly, and she was resting peacefully when I left this morning. I have to run down to Paris for a few hours, but I'll be back this evening, and am not going anywhere over the weekend.

As for anniversaries: our 30th this April!! We had a double wedding in Washington with my brother and his wife, and the place looked like a junior session of the United Nations (his wife is from Japan, and I think the only reason all continents weren't represented is because penguins don't swim in the Potomac). I'll post about that one when the time comes--don't want to jinx it beforehand!

[hedgehog]

67. Breathing : you're doing it right!

[era veteran]

68. Great News

Happybirthday. I'll visit that 60# in a couple of years.

[DFW]

70. Don't be in any hurry!

60 is something to survive in good shape, but sure hell NOT something to shoot for!

PS--and whatever you do, DON'T celebrate your 60th the way I did mine!!! NOT recommended LOL!!