April 27, 2011 
Scan my bones, Jones! (Official T-shirt of the Prostate Cancer Foundation)
Today was Scanday, the day between Wednesday and Thursday, of two CT scans and one bone scan at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. The scans are in preparation for my almost-certain radiation treatment…depending still on a third medical opinion a week off. An uneventful, information-free Scanday.
Except for the young man, the very young man, sitting opposite me in the waiting room. In his 20s, there with his mom, drinking the same contrast solution I was, and wearing a patient i.d. wristlet like mine. One of the mind games I play in the waiting room of the cancer ward is to try to guess what kind of cancer someone has — an impossible game of no consequence whatsoever, but one that does put my senses on alert for clues and ambient conversations.
Across the aisle, May 5, 2008: Man #1: “Are you a bone-marrow transplant, too?”
Man #2, tapping his right abdomen: “Pancreatic.”
Fast forward to the young man today. I couldn’t glean enough to learn what his cancer is or what stage it’s in. I merely drank in his wristband, his mom, his presence in the cancer ward — and his raw youth: so much life ahead. Maybe. And I recalled what my dad would say when he’d hear of someone else’s straits:
“I got no problems today.”
My First Cancer 
Bill — I read your blog with great interest — probably more so since we’re in the club that no one would prefer to join. We are all in this together, so reading your thoughts connects to my own.
David
Bill:
You have an important story to share and it is good for you to talk about what you are going thru and it is very helpful in so many ways for all of us.
God bless
Jim
It’s true. No matter how bad, it seems as though there’s someone worse off. Small consolation (and a bit mean-spirited, I admit) yet anything that maintains a positive attitude is, well, positive.
BTW, nice photo. Have the scanner people approached you about being the cover-patient on their annual calendar? If not, they’re missing a bet.
Bill This is so powerful. It will stay with me for a long time. You are so gifted and have so much to share. This journey needs to be in a book. So many people could use your help in navigating through these muddy waters. I’ll be the first in line for an autographed copy.