On April 6, 2005 Peter Jennings announced on ABC News that he had lung cancer. He said that he would be back soon and that as a cancer victim he had joined the group of survivors. Some details were posted on CNN.com the next day.
http://www.ioa.com/~zero/103-CNN.htm
Peter did not come back and as a newsman AND did not give us details of his cancer before or after his death on August 8,2005. It is a pity that the great communicator, Peter Jennings, did not make public the details of his cancer. With millions reading he could have helped and gave comfort to many.
My connection to Peter Jennings was on the evening news on December 9, 1987.
http://www.ioa.com/~zero/111-ABC.htm
On the same day Jennings announced his cancer my lung doctor told that the tumor (3.5 x 4.5 cm) in my lung was squamous type non-small cell cancer.
The chances that I would survive the lung cancer were slim. My RUSSIAN wife Vera could not drive so the first task was to find a way to let her pass the test for a driver's license. She could not read English well enough to take the written test but we found a way. She was able to obtain a NC license in June 2005 just after the cancer doctor announced that the tumor was in remission.
Another problem was that Vera had no desire to learn the business of renting or banking. She had no desire to live in the USA even one day if she was alone.
My oldest son Kenneth died on July 28,2005 after a long battle with a failed liver. His ashes were placed in the high mountains of North Carolina in accordance with his wishes.
I decided to use the title "Zero to Eighty" for this memoir in 2003. The book with the same name is a fictional account of the life of EH Northrup as he lived to age 80. He died in1941 before his 75th birthday. My occupation for many years was based on the career of Northrup. My health was excellent when I started the 2003 edition of this tale and I had every expectation of living to the age of 80. MY FIRST OBJECTIVE AFTER FINDING THE CANCER WAS TO LIVE LONGER THAN NORTHRUP. In October 2005 I accomplished that task.
In March 2006 we sold the rental property and our residence for enough money. The buyer was a Florida Real Estate operation. I offered to remain in the same house and run the operation. The buyer accepted my offer so my day-to-day life remained the same as it was before.
All medical items were positive in 2007. I thought I was cured and the lung cancer would not come back.
A miracle operation on my eyes gave me 20-20 vision for the first time in my life.
Read on for details of my fight with cancer.