Was married (unhappily) for 9 years; had 1 child (son, now 39); have one grandson (8 1/2); always felt attracted to girls/women (age appropriate at various times in my life); experimented once (huge failure) before marriage; was virgin when I married; thought I would enjoy sex w/a man, but was terrible (could have been man; never bothered to find out in future).  Met straight woman (1 child, 1 divorce, 1 died (at 23), was engaged when I met her at work); here we are 32 years later in MA (moved from Miami, FL); married and ALWAYS happy w/each other.  I was diagnosed w/Stage 0 breast cancer (DCIS) in right breast in 2002; decided (w/info gathering & support from spouse) to have double mastectomy & lymph node removal); was the 1/2% out of 100 that had breast cancer that had spread to lymph nodes (2 of 7); I am now 5 1/2 years w/out evidence of cancer (had all the latest treatments); 1 year later, after getting me thru my breast cancer battle, spouse went for her mammogram (had one every year since 35), and was found to have DCIS in right breast; had double mastectomy (they told her it was overkill and that I was influencing her because of my bad experience); her lymph nodes were clean, however, in her LEFT breast, she had invasive breast cancer.  The saddest thing in my life is not my cancer experience (good word to describe it), but, the fact that my son, who is still in my life because I have been taking care of my grandson (now pick up after school; sleepovers every other weekend) CANNOT stand me or my spouse (who helped raise him from 7 years old, and whom he adored for years) because we got married (bad enough to be gay, do you have to make it worse by getting married, etc., etc.)?  After my cancer (and many difficult medical situations thereafter, I was forced to give up working in a law firm envirnonment, which I had done for years), however, the experience (that word again) of taking care of my grandson (and sometimes the other way around) has been a huge blessing!!!

 Keep up the good work w/AfterEllen.com.  It got me through a lot of rough times.  You people rock.