Liza -- thanks for your post and for keeping Ed's memory alive. We all gained inspiration from him. It is good that we take a little time in memory and also in prayer for his family. -- dave

Liza,

It is a rare day that I think of my survival without thinking about Ed. Since I have participated in DS, 4 of our most valiant soldiers have passed away: Ollie, Jay, Eddie, and Andrea. There are times when I try to pull away from our wonderful group, for my own sanity, in a way. But the gravitational pull of soldiers who continue to sally forth into the unknown, supported by their comrades in arms that will never allow me to escape from this orbit. I agree with Dave, our voice of reason, that it was wonderful to see a post about Ed. He was a warrior in every sense of the word, and a selfless one at that. If anyone gets so cynical as to deny the existence of good people, just remember Ed. He was one of them.

Cliff

I also think of Eddie constantly. I was having a hard time dealing mentally with the "what ifs" and Eddie saw my pain and gave me much needed support, all while he was struggling with his own problems. He was one of the good guys. Our plans to meet in person and share a bottle of wine over a homemade Italian meal never came to pass and that is one of the biggest regrets of my life. I miss him terribly and Andrea too. And I also want to send out prayers to Billy who along with his son lost his beloved Tina late last year. And a young woman I had been following on the LLS board,only 25, what a shame. And there are so many others that have lost their battle after valiant fights against this disease. I pray for their souls every night and hope they are in peace.

Lou

Lou,

Thank you for reminding me about Tina. What a valiant soul and what a loving husband and son. I miss her too.

Cliff

I'm very sad

Oh no!! I will pray for his friends and family. He was so nice and I am sad that he is gone :(

Lou,

I just reread your post. You too are one of the good guys. I think we need to all remember that although not everyone can be cured of AML, most of us appear to have made it. We should rejoice in that. I don't think that any of us will ever forget the wonderful people who lost the battle. Funny, but they all seemed to be the most loving and the most loved. Having met Ed in person, I will never forget his wonderful spirit. Our Andrea was totally selfless. Tina put up with so much and Billy was always there for her. Ollie..., well I still cry when I think of his words..."we all have to die, but I won't die of AML." He was one of the first people that I "met" on DS and a true philospher. Jay...well, my heart aches for his young wife and his loving mother-in-law.

I think we have all benefited from knowing them in the way that we did.

And Jon,

Don't be sad. Be happy that you are here. Be happy that, despite the annoying things that you are still experiencing, you are alive. I pray that one day you will wake up and all of the skin issues will have vanished. You never know.

The same goes for you, Majella. I want you to be rid of that blasted skin issue.