Hi Lisa,
As it turns out, she is stage 4, not 3. She is on a regimen of hormone therapy and is having an operation this week to replace her 4th vertabrae, which has been consumed by cancer. There are other suspicious spots, but none to this degree. What surprises us both is that she had none of the common complaints before she was diagnosed (no weight loss, no pain (not even in her neck!!!), no cough, etc. The oncologist was astounded that she was riding (over fences) the day before she saw her...which will be put on hold, at least until she gets the okay from the neck surgeon. It's going to be a long road, but we will carry on. I go to all of her appointments with her and we talk a fair amount about her treatment. I tell her every single day how much I love her and she returns the favor. We also hug a lot (we're a hugging family). Thanks for all your wisdom, it helps a lot. Hugs to you!