cancer suvivors

[Jerry]

There seem to be several members of Xmarks who are dealing with this disease either themselves, or family members. I think it would be encouraging for them to know, how many of us are cancer survivors. I'll start. I survived having male breast cancer in the lats 1990s. I was nearly stage 3, and with lots of chemo and several great doctors, I'm still around today. Anyone who is dealing with cancer and the effects of treatment, feel free to PM me. I learned a few ways to get through treatment without too much in the way of side effects.

[Cawdorian]

My wife is a three time cancer survivor,her first bout,many years ago, was with cancer of the uterus, the second round was 15 years ago with Lymphoma. She was sucessfully treated with chemptherapy. The last round was five years ago with very agressive Lymphoma, she was treated with chemotherapy and radition. The treatments were successful and she is still in remission.

The key to beating cancer is early detection, treatment, continuing medical supervision and observation. Find the best Oncologist you can find, even if you have to travel a few extra miles to see him or her. It is worth it in the long haul.

[Livingston]

1. Six years ago, my father had 7 inches of intestine removed due to cancer. After a year of visits to the doctor he was told not to worry about coming back again

2. About 25 years ago my father-in-law was diagnosed with colon cancer and had a colostamy. He is now 88 and is still cancer free.

3. About a year or two either befor or after, my mother-in-law also had a colostamy. Unfortunatly we lost her last summer but NOT due to cancer. She never had any other cancer.

[Chaplain Harris]

My wife was diagnosed with cervical cancer after our second child. She had her entire cervix removed. We thank God everyday that it has not come back. MAKE SURE ALL GIRLS YOU KNOW GET TO THEIR OBGYN to have a yearly screening for cervical cancer. It is one of the most easily treated cancers if they get it early.

God bless and good health to all.

Brian Harris

[possingk]

I was diagnosed with Testicular cancer almost 8 years ago, I had my surgery May 6, 1999. I was lucky to catch it early, I educated my doctor at the time about a monitoring regiment. Since my cancer was the 'good kind' as the doctor put it and a slow moving cancers, and I caught it early (most likely in less than a year) after it was removed I went through MRI's every month for two years, every six months for two years and every year for three years. I am technically out of remission and cured according to doctors, according to the rest of the world (insurance wise) I am still just in remission. I tell this story not to downplay all the people who have spoken up before me and the chemo treatments, and radiation, but simply to remind people that if something doesn't feel right get to a doctor immediatly.

I am a hockey player to this day, and I have a rule that if something hurts for more than three days, I go to a doctor, at least that is what I tell my wife. In reality I don't go to doctors at all, I broke the bone between the bottom knuckle of my pinky and my wrist while playing a few years ago and never went to the doctor I just let it heal on it's own. I hate doctors, but I am glad that faithful day in April of 1999, when something didn't feel right in that area, I didn't wait for it to heal itself, I remembered my health class and knew what it was, I sought help.

A side note, do some research on your own, my doctor recommended radiation treatment for me and I talked him out of it because I had done research on the net, and showed him sights from patients and doctors. On one of my last check ups in Buffalo, the same doctor thanked me and said that he had more patients now just being monitored instead of going right into radation.

Please everyone stay healthy, and good luck with the fights we all have in life. My cancer tattoo on my arm is a constant reminder not only of my struggles but now of all of you.

[mang1974]

Great advice Keith! My father-in-law has survived colon cancer, and recurring skin cancer. Now he's battling type-2 diabetes. He just keeps rolling along.

[Mr. Kilt]

What a great idea, Jerry!

My baby sister was diagnosed with a malignant brain-stem tumour in 1981, when she was 11 years old. They operated and removed most of it, then the chemo and radiation treatments started. She came through that fairly well, but the "experts" told my mother that there was a good chance she wouldn't live to see 16. When she was 15 they operated again, removing a bit more of the growth, followed by more chemo and radiation. Due to the way the tumour was wrapped around the brain stem it was impossible to get all of it.

The tumour and resulting surgeries slowed her down a bit, but she was still able to graduate high school on time, and she continued on to college. Her balance and ability to walk properly were the worst of the after-effects.

I'm happy to say that she just turned 37 years old, is happily married, and works full-time with other physically-challenged people. She still can't walk properly, but she's alive and healthy. Just goes to prove that even the experts can be wrong.

As a side note...you always hear talk about people's "heroes". Sports figures, actors, musicians, etc. Sorry folks...those people aren't heroes. People like my sister are the true heroes, at least in my eyes.

[Dreadbelly]

I have a massive lump growing off of my liver that I never bothered to go back and have checked.

I really should do that. It's been years.

[Colin]

Great thread Jerry.

My family and I participate in the Relay for Life every year in support of cancer research. In the past few years I have noticed that the Suvivor lap at the beginning of the Relay seems to be getting bigger and bigger. At first it disappointed me that it seems like more people are getting cancer, but later thought that maybe more people aren't getting cancer, but rather that more people are surviving cancer.