Cancer............

[Steave]

Steve's post got me thinking. As I mentioned in his thread and in several others, I was diagnosed on October 23, 2009 with stage 3 colon cancer, quite a shock for being only 42 years of age.

I know several other folks here have talked about their battle with this awful disease and/or the battle a spouse, parent, etc is waging. It made me think, how many folks here are battling cancer?

 

[afriqueart]

Lost my grandfather to it. Lost my dad to it. Lost an aunt to it.

I think it's the worst thing God created! Wish he'd have created frictionless bearings instead.

 

[feralmerril]

I wrote part of my story on steaves thread. I batteled skin cancer of the nose since 1985. Started out as a pimple. I had about 13 surgerys up to a couple years ago. Always takeing off a little more each time. Always telling me we think we have it all. Always telling me it isnt fatal. Then, about 2 1/2 years ago they changed their tune. Said if I didnt have part of the nose taken off, I had 2 months to 2 years to live. They did the operation but found my entire nose had to go.
They built me a new nose by scalping me leaveing part of the skin and drapeing it over where the nose was. They used grissel from my rib cage and ears. That was 2+ years ago. Three operations, and I am cancer free. I aint pretty, but I dont scare kids. It was more of a ordeal for my wife than me. I looked like a monster for months and came close to death several times when blood clots let go. Also once I fell on the concrete flat on my new nose and destroyed some of the surgeons work but never redone it. The fall flattened my nose quite a bit. This all came about due to working in the fields unprotected as a kid and probley breaking my nose 6 to 8 times in fights etc. I am okay now, Thank God! I Haff pictures!! I dont think you want to see them!

 

[novalty]

Shortly after my 27th birthday, 2 years ago, I was diagnosed with tongue cancer. Fortunately for me it was in as good a location as it could be for cancer, but they still had to remove most of the left side of my tongue. Dec. 17, 2007 I went in for 10 hours of surgery, where the cut from just under my left ear to underneath the center of my chin. Removed half my tongue, and replaced it with a chunk of my forearm--which they covered up with a skin graft from my left thigh. Through in a PEG (stomach tube) just to make things even better.

Was recovered pretty well by Feb. 2008 before I had to deal with treatments. Had to go through 30 rounds of radiation and 4 treatments of chemo-therapy. The chemo-therapy was a breeze compared to the torture of radiation to the face and throat. Had to have a mask made up for the radiation, which involved a mesh like material with a firm outer band, when placed in warm water the mesh becomes maliable. They have you lay on a table, and press the mesh down over your face while having a popsicle like device in your mouth--so your jaw stays apart. Takes about 45 minutes to have the mask formed, to make sure that you don't move the firm outer band is clamped to the table.

Radiation treatments were Monday through Friday, and lasted about 15 minutes for standard treatment, have 5 extended treatments that last 20 minutes. About half way through I was unable to eat by mouth, and had to take all my nutrition through a feeding tube. By the end I was so weak and had lost 25 lbs, unfortunately the effects of radiation don't end with the last treatment and your body doesn't start to recover for a couple months. Now suffer from chronic dry-mouth, due to the removal of salivary glands, and radiation weaking the rest.

Have been cancer free since then, but wouldn't have made it through it without the support of a loving family, and the motivation to see my couple month old son grow up. These are a couple pics of the scars, but the worst scars aren't visible, l live in constant fear of it's return and having my children grow up without a father.

At least this made both hips replacements I had for my rhuematoid arthritis look like a walk in the park.

 

[Firehouse]

So far in my young life, heart disease is my family killer. That and diabetes. I guess you could chalk a lot of that up to bad diet. Boiling your food in grease isn't good for you, but it is good to me. Cancer hasn't been in my family much, yet. I guess we've just been fortunate so far. I don't even smoke, but some of the stuff I've inhaled in all of my firefighting days wouldn't surprise me at all if I developed lung cancer. God bless all of those who suffer and their families.

 

[diamonback68]

I have been battling Leukemia for three years now. Everyday my bone marrow gets a little worse and most days I am dragging ***, but I fight it with the help of some good doctors and Oncologist. I don't usually say much about it on this site. The main things that keep me going is the love of my God, love of my wife and kids and the love of my guns to keep me occupied. Without them, I would be nothing. Life has been good to me. Nuff said.

 

[godlessgael]

I had testicular cancer when I was just 5 years old. Luckily, they were able to surgically remove it all without removing anything that was SUPPOSED to be there. it is still somewhat embarrassing to talk about, but that embarrassment is also the main reason men die from it everyday. Don't worry, I won't put any pics up.......

 

[lobosolo]

cancer

After a trip to the range in 2006 I was feeling terrible went to the Dr"s where they did their tests and they found lung cancer along with a brain tumor.
After Chemo and Cyber Knife treatments its in remission.Still shoot ICORE matches but now I have to do it with an oxygen backpack but I still am able to shoot.
Jim

 

[VonFatman]

Man you guys are my heroes! Hang in there and keep fightin'!!

 

[Len]

Lost about a foot of colon due to cancer, never looked back.

I feel like Rodney Dangerfield..."I had a rough week but I'm ok now!"

Len

 

[681ismyfavorite]

you folks are truly courageous!

cancer is a hell of a thing even if caught early.....

if i were to win the lotto a good chunk-o-change would be donated to cancer research for a cure along with other charities.

keep up the fight, i cant express my thoughts adequately enough for what youve been or are going through.

 

[max]

Three years ago this month, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I had surgery the following March and have been free since. There are some difficulties due to the surgery, but it beats the alternative. I have since learned how common this cancer and other problems are among Vietnam veterans.

There were a couple of guys here on the board who had already had the surgery and they were very helpful and supportive.

 

[ljmvaw124]

Lost my older sister to lymphoma in 1994 after eight years of treatment and surgeries - two years later my wife was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of lymphoma and given two years, max. It's fourteen years and six rounds of chemo later - plus IVIGG infusions, and a host of respiratory issues from a destroyed immune system. She was hospitalized over the holidays for twelve days with pneumonia and two systemic infections - just got home the day before New Years. No known causal factors for lymphoma, other than exposure to the gases used as anasthetics.
But a word to wise - if you're a smoker or chewer, get off that stuff - nicotine is a drug, just like any of the banned substances (more addictive than heroin !). There's just no excuse to be using something that everyone KNOWS leads to cancer !
I'll never forget the three lung cancer patients outside Sloam Memorial Kettering Cancer Center - in their wheelchairs, hooked up to their IV chemos, and smoking through their tracheotomy holes. How do you spell STUPID ?

 

[akviper]

My wife was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2005. She survived extensive surgery and a long bout of chemo. Driving to chemo in Anchorage was a 608 mile round trip every other week during the winter.

We are now five years out and cancer free so far. The irony of all is that she is a health food nut and in great shape. I always thought it would be my fat ass that would have major health problems first.

She has a positive attitude and a great surgeon and oncologist. I believe attitude has a lot to do with survival. We have friends that survived stage three and four and are still going years later. They didn't give up and are still going. My heart goes out to anyone battling this damn disease. It's a long hard road and the specter of the cancer returning is always there.

Best of luck to you and you family. Stay positive.

 

[Marksman]

How do you spell STUPID? That's easy, it is spelled S-M-O-K-E-R! My Mother died November from complications after having her bladder removed due to bladder cancer. She had her epiglotis removed in '80 due to cancer from years of smoking, the cancer lie in wait all those years to return due to the nicotine being flushed from the body in her urine.

 

[butchd]

Bladder cancer Dec 2005. Surgery and 4 years of BCG Treatments. No more scopes till September, thankfully. You have to watch out for me now. I'll get naked for just about anyone wearing hospital whites. Number one cause = smokes. Have quit 3 times in 4 years for periods of 8 months, two months, and now 14 days, again. Like in AA, the one among us that's been quit the longest is the one who got up earliest, today.

 

[smitholdtimer]

Unpopular topic but......

I can not know what you guys are going through and no one can, except those who have been there but please, count me in as being on your team and pulling for your recovery. My story is similar but different in that 18" of my colon was removed in 2006. I had had three colostomies during the year and was given the choice of another in three months or perform surgery, I chose surgery. The attending Chief Surgeon advised that he found no cancer in the polyp he removed that had embedded in my colon wall so my response was one of relief. My story has a favorable ending and I wish and pray for the same for the survivors posting here.

 

[sipowicz]

Mine was minor compared to these stories...only lost the tip of my middle finger...no big deal..Steave, I will pray you beat it.

 

[klondike]

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of my prostate cancer surgery. The Urologist thought that I was a good candidate for the watchful waiting strategy. I chose to be aggressive and kill it as I would never be healthier, who can vouch for the future of medical care and, the cancer was not going to die on its own.
You do lose your modesty, our local hospital hired only beautiful models as nurses.
It turned out that the decision was good as the cancer was more aggressive and larger than originally described. Recovery has been very good.

 

[oldogy]

Nothing like Steve or some other of you guys are going through. I have greatest sympathy for you all. I have had a dozen or so skin cancers surgically removed and they are appearing more frequently and aggressively. I have an excellent dermatologist who gets me in very quickly if I discover anything I do not like the looks of. He examines me very closely every six months.
As a kid I was sunburned badly every year and it appears to have made me very susceptible. I dare not go with out long sleeves or wide brim hat in the summer at all.
oldogy