F*** You, Cancer! Catch all

You sure as hell deserve a long rest, after all this!

That would be nice for all of us, wouldn't it

Cauliflower crust (there is an Amy's one that is pretty good) and Rebel, Enlightened or Keto ice cream only

Stay away from ones with fruit bits in them. They won't be bad but they will spike for a little.
I like the coffee/dark chocolate ones. I typically look for 5g or less but 6g is okay. 7g is not.

Net or at least what I have found labeled as net on the package. If you look at the actual carbs on the back I have no idea how they come up with the net carbs since it sure isn't fiber that is countering the carbs.

On that note, almonds are the bomb dot com. Way more so than any other nuts sadly. They are a perfect way to get some protein, fiber and they quell hunger.

Well here we are gang, the update to the thread I never believed I'd ever have to write, and the one I know you don't want to read.

Our hero bowed out gracefully early yesterday morning in the ICU with us all (mom, dad, sisters) right there with him, speaking to him until the end came and went, as peacefully as you could possibly hope for - less than 24 hours after we made the call to prioritize calm and comfort for him.

As you may know, he'd been in since his BMT went south in early September, 6+ months of consecutively living there, always - always - believing, just as with every other stay over the past 6 years, that getting back home and on to the next phase of this journey was right around the corner, just as it always has been.

Over the past few weeks, he developed TMA and the combo of that with ongoing GVHD of his lung and gut - constantly dancing between steroids to help organs and drugs to help cancer and effects - caught up with too many vital organs. But he - and we - never imagined the end and thus lived every day with purpose and fun.

Given the length of his fight, his ever-present smile on his face, and his ability to find many reasons to laugh and be joyful each day, we - and hundreds upon hundreds around this community - are devastated and empty. But we are also so inspired by and so proud of the life he made the absolute most of in his 10.5 years on this rock.

We're still very much in the washout, every hour is a blurry roller coaster, but things have aligned enough here and there for calm and reflection. The biggest thing that might resonate here is the power and joy of gaming. Whether it was being an extension of himself in some way, or becoming someone or something else, living a story, overcoming challenges and obstacles, competing, progressing, unlocking, solving solvable problems when real life was a small-to-nonexistent circle of control - video games, card games, board games all brought him so, so much joy, and honestly a reason to push on in times where it was one of very few reasons to do so.

Our hobby often gets a very bad rap, sometimes even from ourselves, and sometimes for very good reasons, but at its core it is such an incredibly powerful source of meaning, connection and joy in a world where those things are becoming increasingly challenging to find and so important to have.

I will never have enough appreciation for the ability to stay connected to my son, and for him to stay connected to a world bigger than himself, that gaming empowered us with - even when I was at home with the girls while his mom was keeping his eyes forward at the hospital, which was a lot of time.

Every hour is hard, we have a long way to go, and it's been that way for a long time now, but we'll get there. If you're fighting anything, don't ever give up, and always prioritize anything - gaming or otherwise - that brings you joy and purpose.

Hug someone tighter than you normally would for us in the days to come, and thanks for being a place where entertainment, connection, meaning, and support have all come together for so long now.

I'll leave out plenty, but top of the mind special thanks:

Overwatch (his gateway drug he started playing at 5 or 6)
Fortnite (THE game with his sisters and me, the last video game he played. I was able to notch a win and get him this season's pinnacle Spider-Man skin 2 days ago, he was so excited!)
Super Smash Brothers Brawl (so many great memories here)
NBA 2K19-2K22
Madden 2019-2022
Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 1 and 2
Knight Squad
Lego Avengers, Spider-Man, Harry Potter, Star Wars, City, etc.
Minecraft, Minecraft Dungeons
Roblox (the go-to with mom and sisters every night for the past year in particular)
Avengers
Guardians of the Galaxy

Sleeping Queens
Skyjo
Twisted Farkle
Rack O
Uno
Mad Libs
Sushi Go
Blank Slate
Do You Really Know Your Family?
Name 5
Exploding Minions
Apples to Apples
Tiki Topple
Hit or Miss
Scattergories
Imaginiff
Chameleon (the family loved this one)
Sorry! (next-to-last game we played)
Skip-Bo (last game we played and his favorite...he never seemed to lose)

I am so sorry, that's heart wrenching. Please remember you and your family are not alone right now.

So much this.

Sorry for your loss WizardM0de.
Sending a trillion f*ck c*ncers to your family.

WizardM0de, what a beautiful post that is nonetheless crushing to read. Thank you for sharing it. You'll be in our thoughts often in the days ahead.

I'm so sorry. No word that I conjure up can convey that heartbreak.

My condolences to you and your family.

I'm so sorry.

Heartbreaking news Wizard, I am so sorry.

Wizardm0de, I am so sorry. I cannot imagine what you and your family are going through, but please reach out if you need anything.

f*ck cancer.