Thank you for sharing, yet again this forum has the words I need when feeling low.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/10/opinion/terminal-cancer-chronic-illness-health.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hlA.NZfs.mW-oce2zsWyE&smid=nytcore-android-share

Good morning All,

I hope you can open the link to this NYT article of 10 May called When Your Terminal Cancer Becomes a Chronic Illness.

It uses the expression Living in the Grey to describe the Long Middle and one of the ideas that resonated with me,  and will I'm sure with others,  is 

how to be present with the people they love in a timeline that keeps shifting.

The article doesn't answer the question; it just puts it out there as one of the choices in our lives today...

The heat in Lanzarote has been great and I've been swimming every day. Heading home shortly to 10° C colder but longer evenings!

x

Sideways 

Thanks for sharing the article.  A good one.  

^ "Living in the Grey" is quite a nice phrase!

But it's not a consistent "colour" I think. Unusually, this a.m. I awoke to more of a black  -  just deeply sad I guess. Again not so much for me, although I do fear the eventual pain, but for my sleeping partner.

I cannot put her through the hell I went through with my wife when she was dying from cancer. Yet how do I prevent it? All I can think of is behaving so badly that she throws me out, but that would leave very unhappy memories of our otherwise delightful  >7 years together. I must think harder......

Good luck all, Dave.

Thank you. Another great article on this interesting subject. Thankfully I don’t feel Life to be grey. 

Not sure where else to report that I have managed another clear scan cycle. Now 2.5 years of NED since my last active treatment and 4.5 years in total since diagnosis. I am well into uncharted territory and in interesting debate about the level of surveillance now needed. Details are in my blog. 

Many congratulations on your latest clear scan, 2.5 years NED and 4.5 years since diagnosis is excellent. 

The more time passes the more surreal it can feel.

I'm now over 12 years since lung cancer diagnosis (surgery then adjuvant chemo) and haven't had any surveillance for several years. I was convinced it was going to kill me within a year, yet here I am, a little breathless at times but otherwise normal.

Then prostate cancer 10 years ago, treated but recurred 2 years ago, chemo and now indefinite drug treatment. Told last week my latest 12 week tests remain negative.

I still get survivors' guilt sometimes, especially when responding to some forum members.

I hope your run continues for many years.

Derek.

Thanks Derek. Survivors guilt is exactly right. 

what a beautiful article