Traveling a Rocky Road with Love, Faith and Guts, Another Update!

Recently, some new information about my bladder cancer was revealed.  I had always tried to find out why I had bladder cancer and no one on my side of the family that I knew of ever had any kind of cancer.  Well, that is a story in itself.  A few years ago, I receive a phone call from a lady who said she had been trying to find me.  At first, I thought that was very odd.  At least that was my first thought until she told me that we shared the same great-grandfather on my mother’s paternal side of the family.  She went on to tell me that her grandfather and my grandfather were brothers…more information!  I soon learned that there were a number of relatives that lived in another state.  Wow!  For a lot of people, that may not be too exciting, but for me it was. 

This past weekend, I called her to keep in touch and to get an update on everyone.  I was surprised to hear that her brother has bladder cancer.  She knew about my bladder cancer, so she decided to DNA test to see if she had the genetic marker for bladder cancer.  The results were positive, and she does have the gene strand.  Once I got off the telephone with her, I called my children to make them aware that they may also have the marker.  What I have learned that this gene strand was very possibly passed down from our great-grandfather.  How much farther back than him this gene strand may go we will never know because of what was known about cancer during his lifetime and earlier.  However, learning this information may prove to be vital to our children.  Being aware of the possibility is important, and if they choose they can have a DNA test just to be sure.

The birthing of the new book is almost here, and I wait with anxious anticipation.  I have been working on pages to add to my blog to prepare for its launch.  I have some scheduled interviews coming up, working on a booksigning tour, and a media kit.  I working on updates on my Author’s Den webpage, and I am out of the dark ages (I think!) because I now have Skype.  I haven’t quite worked out all the ways to use it, but I will…remember…I am persistent…and I persevere.  I will conquer Skype!
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