DEVASTATING! That’s about the only word that seems to capture our feelings when we heard “STAGE 4 Lung Cancer.” Having just gone through a similar situation with Lee’s “sister” Barbara, we were all too familiar with the implications of this diagnosis — Inoperable, Incurable, Terminal.

And yet, for me, this wasn’t the worst thing I could possibly hear. It was, instead, a kind of relief. We all know that we’re going to die. It is an inevitable consequence of being born. However, the uncertainty about death revolves around the how and the when. Now, I have been given a huge clue about this mystery. The chances are pretty good that I will die from Lung Cancer and it is very likely that I will be dying in the next few years.

The only actual mention of time in my case was when my oncologist indicated that most people with cancers like mine are given a life expectancy of 15-16 months. However, he also said that since I am in very good health and am a big, strapping guy, with a great attitude, I can expect to live longer than that. My reasoning translates this into about 2 years, which means I MIGHT get to see the ball drop in 2015.