You Can't Always Get What You Want

I’m one of the lucky ones, blessed with nearly eight years of “relapse-free survival” after a Stage IIIc diagnosis and completing biochemotherapy treatments. But at every six-month checkup my doc invariably tells me I’m still at risk for a recurrence, and it sounds like I will always be on his watch list. This medical truth sometimes makes me a bit angry and frustrated—not at my doc, just at the reality of this disease. I so much want to hear that I’m “cured” and receive some sort of graduation certificate that I can frame and hang with other mementos on an “I Love Me” wall in my home office.

One the other hand, I often think that my permanent residency at The Hotel Melanoma is a great gift. The melanoma experience has taught me so much that I so needed to learn. (See my blatherings at the end of my very first blog post of March 19, 2010.) The most important lesson being that I’m not immortal so I’d better employ and enjoy my blessings as best I can, while I can. The learning continues. And I doubt that I would learn nearly as much from some readily-curable cancer.

I suspect that some of my old friends think I should’ve “moved on” by now and find it a waste that I blog about what seems to them to be ancient history. I disagree. If my little blog has brought hope, encouragement, and a smile to just one reader then I’m quite gratified and satisfied. In celebration of life at this Hotel, here are some new lyrics to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by the Rolling Stones…



I showed up today at the reception
Insurance card in my hand
I know I will never break this connection
At their door is boomer man

I can't always get what I want
I can't always get what I want
I can't always get what I want
But if I try sometimes well I might find
I get what I need

I laid down for examination
To get my next share of good news
Hoping, I’m gonna get no frustration
If I do I’m gonna blow a 50-amp fuse

I can't always get what I want
I can't always get what I want
I can't always get what I want
But if I try sometimes well I just might find
I get what I need

I go up to that cancer clinic
With hope my black cancer’s killed
I was standing in line with other patients
And man, do some look pretty ill
I decided that all should win remission
My favorite tenure, rest of life
I plead my case to Dr. Cancer
Yeah, and he said two words to me, which were “no dice”
I said to him

I can't always get what I want
I can't always get what I want
I can't always get what I want
But if I try sometimes well I just might find
I get what I need

I get what I need--yeah, oh doctor

I saw docs today at the Pavilion
On the screen was a MRI
I am practiced at the state of confusion
Well they could tell by look in my eyes

I can't always get what I want
I can't always get what I want
I can't always get what I want
But if I try sometimes well I just might find
I just might find
I get what I need

I can't always get what I want
I can't always get what I want
I can't always get what I want
But if I try sometimes I just might find
I just might find
I get what I need

Just might be that I got just what I needed?