The "nearly dying is how you can feel more alive than ever" is certainly true. When I was diagnosed with melanoma, I thought I had months to live or maybe I could get two years. When I learned that it had not spread and that I was fine because they got it all, it was the greatest day of my life. A cup of coffee on the back porch and my wife chatting with me from the kitchen was more exciting than a tropical vacation or winning the lottery.