According to the latest statistics available from the Center for Disease Control (2003 figures, released 4/19/06) , I'm going to live to least age 45. Or at least, I'm not going to die of cancer before age 45. Only 2,478 people a year die from "Malignant neoplasms of [the] trachea, bronchus and lung." I'm more likely to have an Acute myocardial infarction (3094 deaths/year), Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis) 3020 deaths/year), die in a car accident (6961 deaths/year) suicide (6602 deaths/year), accidental poisoning and exposure to noxious substances (6230 deaths/ year) and homicide (3110 deaths/year) than I am to die from lung cancer.
My friend Aaron, age 27, is even more likely to make it to age 35. Only 154 people per year in his age bracket die of "Malignant neoplasms of the trachea, bronchus and lung." In fact he is far more likely to die of diabetes (657 deaths/year in his age bracket), any number of heart diseases, pneumonia (360 deaths/year), boat/airplane accidents (243 deaths/year), falls (watch your step!) (285 deaths per year), drowning (356 deaths/ year), and "accidental exposure to smoke fire and flames." (252 deaths/year)
For those of you with the same twisted sense of humor as me, you can check it out yourself here:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr54/nvsr54_13.pdf
The stats start on page 30.
Last chemo treatment today. I'm not looking forward to it. I've been coughing up brown shit for a week.
And now for something completely different:
I went to a political rally for Chet Culver yesterday (he's running for governor in Iowa) be cause the topic of the day was stem cell research and Michael J. Fox was speaking. He was pretty funny (even though he appeared to be in rough shape) but I really didn't learn anything. It was first and foremost a political rally. I have some more interesting stuff on stem cell research I'll try to get posted before next Tuesday in case any of you are undecided on who you're voting for.
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