My end-of-year tradition in Iowa is to attempt to embrace the winter, gather family, think about the life changes I need to make in the new year. The routines vary slightly from year to year, but the general feelings have become rather ingrained.
2025 was a different year. So challenging, I did not get Christmas cards out the door until mid January. My fairly comfortable routine was stood on its head.
I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. This started mid-year with some gentle suggestions and prodding from my doctor to see a urologist. Then there was an MRI. A biopsy. The dreaded phone call with results. Consultations. Research. Consultations. Scheduling. Surgery November 3rd. All of this was followed by the usual Christmasy things.
Cancer is just as terrifying the second time around (my first, testicular, was in 2001). I can report that this medium-grade-aggressive cancer was caught before it spread. Lymph nodes clear. DNA testing puts me in a low risk category for spread. And my PSA level has dropped to the near-zero desired number. All good news. So no chemo. No radiation. No prostate.
It has taken until the middle of January to actually feel some of the renewal I look for after the holidays. This is finally a time of decompression and focusing inward on taking care of my body as I deal with the aftereffects of surgery, which I am told by reliable sources can take months, maybe years.
So here’s to a 2026 that is less stress, more healthy, less surprises, and more creative. For me and for you.
Ars longa, vita brevis.