@ Karl - I am glad that pm/email was helpful. I have posted it under the other thread as you suggested. One of the reasons, I didn't post it on the board sooner was that I didn't want new growers to feel constrained to do exactly what I did. Generally, I sent it out to guys who specifically were looking to grow and maintain a similar style or those who specifically asked for trimming details. That being said, I think I made it clear in this post that there are many ways to trim; I'm just sharing my own experience and each bearder has to find what works for him.
@ Steve - You will have no trouble trimming (if you decide to do it yourself) when the time comes. I can definitely see you trimming/shaping a great classic full beard. Regarding my health, thank you, I am feeling much better.
@ Don - Thank you for your well wishes. I wanted to give some background to my health situation because I know that health issues can be difficult to discuss. I also wanted to provide some context for my situation and let everyone know how much better I am doing. I’m glad my recent trimming post could be helpful.
@ Paul - It's always great to hear from you. I appreciate your concern over my health situation. You’re right about the pictures; as I got sicker I became severely anemic losing a lot of energy and colour. Now, I am on EPO (Erythropoietin) a synthetic hormone which tells my body to make more red blood cells. It’s the same type of drug Lance Armstrong used to boost his red blood cell count. I am so glad to hear everything is going well on the home front. Congratulations to you and your wife, both on your second daughter and the new baby on the way. That is a great story about your 4 year old asking you to grow your beard back. It’s fantastic that you can share the experience with your daughter too. Children seem naturally to like beards. My 4 year old niece was asking questions recently about my grandfather (her great-grandfather). He died in 2002 so she never met him. Anyways, we told her that he looked a lot like me and my niece’s first question was – Did he have a beard? We had to tell her “no” but that is what she sees as my most identifiable trait.
@ Maybethistime – Glad the info is useful. Thank you for the compliment and well wishes.

You either live life -- bruises, skinned knees and all -- or you turn your back on it and begin dying - Christopher Pike paraphrasing Dr. Philip Boyce (Star Trek - "The Cage")

Bearded in BC's Thread