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Some of you will remember my occasional posts on this forum and also some reports of trips my wife and I have taken. I am sad to report that Sally passed away on September 6, a victim of metastatic colon cancer.
Compared with many on this forum, we were latecomers to rail travel. Our introduction to long distance trains was in the summer of 1986. Since then we have traveled all the major routes (except the auto train), some of them many times. We have crossed Canada from Halifax to Vancouver. All together we have logged to date over 278,000 miles by train!
Most of out journeys have begun out of Worcester on the westbound Lake Shore Limited. I plan to continue traveling by rail, mainly to visit family in California, Minnesota and Alabama. Of course, it won't be quite the same. In fact I will be boarding #449 at the end of the month, my 40th departure on that train.
It may be of interest to some that I called Guest Rewards to see what would happen to my wife's accumulated points. I thought maybe they would just disappear. I was told that in the case of death of a spouse, I should send in a copy of the death certificate and the points would be transferred to my account. I thought this was nice of them and I have now done so. We'll see if that actually happens. It always annoyed me that you couldn't combine points for a trip even though both persons were traveling.
Finally, I strongly urge everyone to schedule a colonoscopy if you are over 50 (earlier if there is a family history). Colon cancer is treatable if it has not spread.
Posts: 127 | From: Worcester, Massachusetts | Registered: Jan 2007
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Sorry for your loss. I hope I can travel as much with my wife in the future as you were able to do. Good Luck and God Bless.
Posts: 406 | From: La Grange, CA | Registered: Sep 2007
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Bob, Sorry to hear the news. I had noticed that you've been gone from this place for most of this year. Stay with us; your comments are always informed and welcome. As I recall, it was your wife's nervousness of flying that got you to AMTRAK in the first place. As I also recall, you've a son in San Diego...might be a nice place to spend part of the New England winter this year. Nothing like a train trip to distract you.
Posts: 518 | From: Maynard, MA, USA | Registered: Sep 2000
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I am so sorry to hear the sad news. My condolences to you and your family. Take some comfort from knowing you have a number of friends here who are thinking about you.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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Bob, sorry to hear your loss, but one hopes your wife is free of pain and is happier now. I do remember your posts - only the good or the bad stick in my mind, and you're the former.
Geoff M.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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I my sincere thoughts are with you. I had no family history of colon cancer and they found a Stage 2 tumor in September 2007. I was hospitalized for 2 weeks for surgery and recovery, followed by chemotherapy through the winter, and reversal of the surgery in May 2008. All is well, and I am fully recovered, and my wife and I are taking a "Good Health" train trip in three weeks to California!
I think a colonoscopy should be allowed at age 40 regardless of your family history. My doctor says that we come from smaller family units today, and family history can't detect a trend as well as in the past. And, it is an easy procedure, I have had three in the past year; it is not as disgusting as everyone assumes.
Posts: 76 | From: Steubenville, OH | Registered: Oct 2004
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Bob, my condolences as well. I am sorry for your loss.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Bob -- so sorry to hear of your loss. My condolences also. You will surely have a lot of nice memories of trips taken by you and Sally. Keep in touch with us, and stay positive........
Rich K
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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My condolences to you also. Try to be thankful for the time you had together.
Posts: 510 | From: Richmond VA USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by AHALL: I think a colonoscopy should be allowed at age 40 regardless of your family history. My doctor says that we come from smaller family units today, and family history can't detect a trend as well as in the past. And, it is an easy procedure, I have had three in the past year; it is not as disgusting as everyone assumes.
My mom had colon cancer, and I'm told that I should have a colonoscopy since I'm over 40 now. But I've been too afraid to have one done. Maybe I should rethink that. But I REALLY don't want to do it.
Bob, I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. That's nice that you made a post about it here.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Sorry I don't have a link for this, but Dave Barry has written a very good column for those of us who have waited well past 50 for a colonoscopy.
I managed to put it off for over 10 years and was fortunate that there were no negative results.
Smitty, they put you out and you feel nothing, remember nothing.
Thank you, Bob, for thinking of us in the midst of your own sorrow.
-------------------- Railrev Escondido, CA Posts: 99 | From: Escondido, California | Registered: Jul 2003
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Bob, I am so very sorry to hear about your loss. My deepest condolences to you and your family.
I recently rode the LSL from Boston just to Albany and thought about your excellent, helpful posts as I did. I hope that when you take the LSL later this fall, it eases your pain a little bit to recall the wonderful times you and your wife had together. She is never really gone because she will always be in your thoughts.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Thanks to everyone for your kind messages. I had forgotten to mention that we had been married for 53 years. Fortunately, we have 5 children and they have been calling and coming by the house quite a bit, Three live in Massachusetts (Arlington, Belmont and Dudley), one is in the Minneapolis area and one in San Diego. Unfortunately the distant ones are the only ones with children, so our grandchildren are far away.
If anyone cares to read the obituary, it is still available at the funeral parlor website. It does mention our love of trains, by the way. I have shown the link, below. Just put in the name Lingner where it asks. www.milesfuneralhome.comPosts: 127 | From: Worcester, Massachusetts | Registered: Jan 2007
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quote:Originally posted by railrev: Smitty, they put you out and you feel nothing, remember nothing.
Not exactly true. My first one, I woke up in the middle of the procedure. The doctor & nurses were watching th TV as the scope traversed my colon. I asked them what they were watching and the doctor told me it was my colon and watch that little pollup he was fixing to "retrieve". It was interesting, and I had absolutely NO pain as I watched him snip the pollup off. They must have given me some more Demerol because I went back to sleep shortly after the snip.
The worst part of the entire colonoscopy was the prep the night before. That's no fun! The colonoscopy was easy.
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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