1928: Seven Years

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Seven Years

Title text: [hair in face] "SEVVVENNN YEEEARRRSSS"

Explanation

This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: May require explaining the activities shown. If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks.

Randall's then-fiance was diagnosed with cancer in late 2010, a matter he has discussed in the comic multiple times before. Here, motivated by the seven-year period between the American solar eclipses of 2017 and 2024, we see them reminiscing the seven years prior to the eclipse, leaving an open question to what the next seven years will bring.

The title text is most likely a continuation to panel 15 concerning hair regrowth, in which she references the horror movie, The Ring.

"The little girl from The Ring." refers to Sadako Yamamura, the antagonist of the Ring series by Koji Suzuki, and popularized in a 2002 movie.

This comic is a continuation of 1141: Two Years, which is shown as the first eight panels, slightly grayed out.

Transcript

This transcript is incomplete. Please help editing it! Thanks.

[Randall and Randall's fiancée sit on a bed, Randall's fiancée is talking on the phone. The person she is talking to, a doctor holding a clipboard, is shown inset.]

Randall's fiancée: Oh god.

[Randall and Randall's fiancée sit together while Randall's fiancée, now bald, is receiving chemotherapy. They are both on their laptops.]

IV pump: ... Beeep ... Beeep ... Beeep ...

[Randall and Randall's fiancée (who is wearing a knit cap) are paddling a kayak against a scenic mountain backdrop.]

[Randall and Randall's fiancée sit at a table, staring at a cell phone. There is a clock on the wall. Her head is stubbly.]

Randall's fiancée: How long can it take to read a scan!?

[Randall and Randall's fiancée are back at the hospital again, Randall's fiancée receiving chemo. They are playing Scrabble.]

Randall: "Zarg" isn't a word.

Randall's fiancée: But caaaancer.

Randall: ...Ok, fine.

[Randall and Randall's fiancée (wearing a knit cap) are listening to a Cueball-like friend. A large thought bubble is above their heads and it obscures the friends talk. The text below, split in three is the only part there can be no doubt about:]

Friend: So next year you should come visit us up in the mounta

a

and

Randall and Randall's fiancée (thinking): "Next year"

[Randall and Randall's fiancée are getting married, with a heart above their heads. Randall's wife's hair is growing back.]

[Randall and Randall's wife (wearing a knit cap) stand on a beach, watching a whale jump out of water.]

Fwoosh

[Randall and Randall's wife (with her hair noticably longer) are walking through a forest.]

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Discussion

no... I'm not crying... Zazathebot (talk)

Liar 172.68.34.34 20:13, 13 December 2017 (UTC)

(162.158.58.105 23:04, 13 December 2017 (UTC)

Do we know her name? Dogman15 (talk) 00:34, 14 December 2017 (UTC)

Should we remove the transcript incomplete mark? I know it's early, but I don't think it can be any better. 162.158.166.233 02:25, 14 December 2017 (UTC)

Is someone cutting onions here? I am almost close to tears soon.Boeing-787lover 08:10, 14 December 2017 (UTC)

Why is my face leaking??? _{--Nialpxe, 2017. (Arguments welcome)}

Yay life!

I love the phrasing "Panel 17: The sky has been brightened." I'm just commenting to preserve it from edits. 198.41.230.52 13:22, 14 December 2017 (UTC)

I don't want to take away anything from this very moving comic, but he does realize there's an eclipse or two every year, somewhere on the planet? Does the fear of cancer somehow limit them from ever leaving the US?

Do you realize that most people can't afford to travel to the other end of the world just to watch a particular eclipse for 5-7 minutes? 141.101.77.68 09:47, 15 December 2017 (UTC)

God that's beatiful. 162.158.91.17 20:39, 14 December 2017 (UTC)

First off this is fantastic. As someone in the same situation, at the same part of the timeline, this rings so honest and true. The tree scene ... brilliant. Walking among beings for who a human lifespan is insignificant. Second. a hearty, contemptuous, giant F you to Joshupetersen. I can't stand conspiratorial know it alls like you. You think people in this situation don't know every single treatment that is out there? Every single immunotherapy drug in Cuba, every single clinical trial being run out of some backwater lab in China? There is no big pharma conspiracy. There is however a conspiracy called "evolution," which after several million years of practice ensures that cancer is one of the wiliest, most resilient killers out there. 172.68.47.30 22:26, 14 December 2017 (UTC)Kaeleku

The way you speak about evolution suggest cancer is some kind of infectious organism which evolved to kill effectively. It isn't and it isn't infectious at all. Even the kind of cancers caused by infections are not DIRECT result of infections. Cancer is basically failure of normal cell functionality, abnormal growth of your own cells which your self-repair mechanisms failed to prevent, and evolution is the reason why it's rare to have cancer before the age when it's natural to have children.

I *think* that Devil facial tumour disease may be a counterexample.162.158.63.196 14:13, 15 December 2017 (UTC)

Nevertheless, there is no reason for conspiracy: large companies are just slower to adapt to changes. Radiology and chemotherapy are tested, immuno-oncology is new, not well tested and may not work on all kinds of cancer. And regarding how aggressive those old methods are, think about dentistry, which instead of curing anything limits itself to effectively amputation and replacement by artificial prosthesis. -- Hkmaly (talk) 02:52, 15 December 2017 (UTC)

The wrongest thing to do in this regard is to think of "cancer" as one disease. Yes, the suffering aspect of various forms can be similar and it is sometimes useful to lump them together when making broad policy decisions. But just about every organ and cell type presents a unique challenge, which is best dealt with differently. Some cancers are extremely chemo- and radiosensitive, others are rather resistant. The same is true for novel and experimental treatment methods. Do your own research by all means, but if your oncologist strongly recommends one treatment option, consider that they are weighing previous outcomes of available treatment methods before making the suggestion. _{--Nialpxe, 2017. (Arguments welcome)}

I feel it important to point out to anyone who may be looking at here and thinking about dealing with cancer... talk with your trusted health care professional who knows your case, and is not only well aware of but well practiced in modern medicine. 162.158.74.9 23:58, 14 December 2017 (UTC)

...solar eclipses visible from North America... Americans!162.158.165.16 04:10, 15 December 2017 (UTC)

According to 881: Probability, she had about 79% chance of surviving this far. 162.158.238.191 09:59, 16 December 2017 (UTC)

In 931: Lanes his friends asks if they are "out of the woods". Maybe that's what panel 9 is all about? They are still in danger and therefor "into the woods"?

Two years, here. Really meaningful, this one. Thanks.

..it's 2024 now. Stay safe Randall and Megan. I fucking love y'all. R3TRI8UTI0N (talk) 03:46, 15 January 2024 (UTC)

1 month to go!