Counting My Blessings

This coming Saturday is my tenth ‘cancerversary’ of completing biochemotherapy and starting a blessedly long run with “no evidence of disease” status. And yesterday I received the excellent news that my older brother’s Stage 3 lung cancer is officially in remission after a barrage of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. My thirteen-week-old golden retriever pup is thriving and my wife of thirty-two years is still putting up with me. A brand new Bass Pro Shop a couple of miles from home just held its grand opening. And I got to spend last weekend with several of my favorite melahomies. A whole lot to be thankful for, don’t you think?

With thanks to all of the fine physicians who got me here, and wishing you all a happy and blessed Thanksgiving, here’s the Hotel Melanoma rendition of “Thank You” from Sly & The Family Stone…



Lookin' at Black Devil
Skin C’s on a run
Boomer starts shakin'
I begin drug ‘fun’
T-cells start chasin’
I’m too in to stop
We begin to wrestle
C was on the top

I want to thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself for ten
Thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself for ten

Stiff all in the collar
Puffy in the face
Git that cancer dyin’
Stuffy in this place
Thank you for the ‘party’
But I could never stay
Many thangs is on my mind
Cure’s on the way

I want to thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself for ten
Thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself for ten

Dance to the ‘fusin
All night long
Everyday people
Singe their skin to bronze
Mela's so crappy
Mela starts to die
Doctuh still thinkin’
You can shake it if you try

I want to thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself for ten
(Different dopes for different folks, yeah)
Thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself for ten

Flamin' fries should people fear
Burnin' in your youth
Many friends are sittin’ ducks
Braisin’s what they do
Youths in booths are bakin' stuff
Skin C’s got a starter, now
Dyin' young is hard to take
Palin' out is smarter

Thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself for ten
I want to thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself for ten
Thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself for ten
Thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself for ten
I want to thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself for ten