mrmertz Posted January 4, 2016 Posted January 4, 2016 Several of you on here may have remembered me from 2014-2015. I made a small quip in a post how I had been out of the flight simming community (or any computing at all for that matter) due to an illness, that being diagnosed with MM stage III cancer in late 2014. Needless to say, I didn't expect the response that I received as I didn't intend to make an issue of it. Well, I'm still here and in complete remission, which simply means it's undetectable. But so long as one single cell remains, I still will have it. I'll be on low dose chemo throughout 2016 (Revlimid if you care to Google it!). I just accept each day as a gift and try to enjoy it. I have been practicing with the Russian attack aircraft provided in DCS. My hands still have "good" and "not so good days" still but much less shaking than before as the Revlimid was reduced from 25mg off and on to 10mg every day. I also have been testing myself with Rise of Flight and the good news is I seem to be pretty steady and got my landings back. Not bad I must say, using those rudder peddles sure helps too! Been banging around in World of Warships also for hand/eye concentration as well. I have yet to tackle any of the heavier stuff like F-15, SU-27, etc. But it's all on my bucket list now. Anyways, I REALLY WANTED TO SAY THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO SENT THEIR PRAYERS, WISHES AND KIND WORDS AND EVEN SOME GOODIES my way during the roughest days of my life. IT REALLY DID MAKE A DIFFERENCE. My wife Debbra even spread the stories of how generous and caring people were on this forum that have never even met me. Restored faith and hope in humanity in both of us. Anyway, without further ranting, a huge "thank you" to all of you on this forum and I wish nothing but the best for you and yours this coming year in 2016! Bless you all. You can always PM me too if I can be of any help to any of you also! I'd be proud to try. :) Check Six! Jeff Barner aka mrmertz
Trubshaw Posted January 4, 2016 Posted January 4, 2016 Tremendous news. All the best to you and yours. If you see a Shrek Squadron Server up please come and join us on TS. You would be most welcome! [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] TrubshawRN -=SHREK 94=-
NeilWillis Posted January 4, 2016 Posted January 4, 2016 Good news Jeff, but let's just hope that you stay in remission permanently, and have a long and prosperous future. A happy and healthy new year to you, and yours.
mrmertz Posted January 7, 2016 Author Posted January 7, 2016 Thanks guys! Yeah, being 54 I had planned to be around for a good number of years and would like to continue to do so - I still have a lot to learn now with all of DCS's functionalities and several handfuls of aircraft! I had just built my new rig before the bomb was dropped on me in 2014, so now is catch up time. After I was diagnosed as in total remmision the wife and I asked my one oncologist point blank about the outlook for my survival he responded "...many, many years" which of course, in my interpretation, isn't a normal lifespan. So gloom and doom be damned, I'm just enjoying each day I have and putting the 'throttle thought the firewall' and not living in the future. I focus on the here and now and try to enjoy the hobbies I always have had in the past, and particularly have an even deeper respect for the old adage "the best things in life are free"...family, friends and all the people who's paths I cross and yet will never get to know on a personal level, such as those here on the forums. Well, my brother is in town and I know I'm going to get chastised for not knowing how to operate and fly the P-51D or F-15 so I'd better wrap up and do my best in crash course learning! Be well everyone.
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