Living with Cancer (from Cancer Survivors)

This is proposed as an extension to the thread Cancer Survivors, which is currently being closed due to length, yet there is still much to say.My previous opening post said:

quote:

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My name is Paul Smith
I'm 59
I have Follicular Lymphoma
and I'm a survivor

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Here's an update for my 'icon' self:

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Links:
Welcome lymphomation.org - BlueHost.com
http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/.../TypesofNHL/Follicular
http://pleiad.umdnj.edu/hemepath/follicular/follicular.html
What Is The Diagnosis and Staging of Follicular Lymphoma?
Follicular Lymphoma | Lymphoma Survival Online Community

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lymph -noun

1. Anatomy, Physiology. a clear yellowish, slightly alkaline, coagulable fluid, containing white blood cells in a liquid resembling blood plasma, that is derived from the tissues of the body and conveyed to the bloodstream by the lymphatic vessels.

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I was first diagnosed in September 2005, and underwent chemo-therapy for 4 months, 6 sessions every 3 weeks. This reduced the lymphoma to baseline levels and I was declared in remission.

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The correspondence on that thread have been very therapeutic for me, and I would like to thank again all those that have posted there.There are a couple of things I would like to correct\update there:I am now 65, and I am not really a survivor ... yet.I'm back in treatment once again, and it is a rather intense\invasive\whelming, with one week in hospital, one week of continued effects of the chemo and one week to recover strength and blood counts etc before starting again. This is now the 3rd of 6 rounds of treatment, and it won't really cure me, just knock it back into relative remission for an indeterminate amount of time.My form of cancer is incurable at this stage of medical knowledge, so in reality I am living with cancer as part of my life. This has been going on for 7 years now, and with treatment can go on for many more years. Hopefully a cure can be found before too long, or I die of natural causes due to other body function loss, many years down the road (dad lived to 91, gramp to 96, it's potentially in the genes ... ).But there are also other people that are living with cancer, not just those of us (especially those that have posted on the other thread about their cancer) currently undergoing treatment, but caregivers, family and friends that live with the effects of cancer on their lives and demands on their time.So I've expanded the coverage to include all these people.Enjoy and thanks.

From the other thread, just before closing: Damn onifre. Another one. What kind? What treatments?Let us know your progress -- we care.Enjoy (?)

Curiously I've been humming that tune for a week now, and couldn't figure out why ...Keep us posted eh?Enjoy.

Well I just had an interesting time ... my port started leaking blood all down my right side, and a small panic with the nurses and interns over the cause. Seems they were a little over concerned about blood clots and had thinned my blood too much - I was also bleeding back out of a needle location. That is all cleared up now, and I am back on schedule to get out of hospital on Thursday, starting the recovery process at home.Overall I am in better shape than the last round, having learned how to control some of the side effects to minimize them, and I look forward to seeing how this affects next week as well.This is the third round of six, and it looks like my biggest concern at this point is not having the last round interfere with voting in November.Enjoy.

Good to know Asgara,ps -- what about promoting this? We now have a new member, omnifre, who might like to comment ... Keep strong and rest when you can. Cat naps at work can do wonders.Enjoy.

Hi hooah212002, Untreated skin cancer can kill. So now you need a biopsy to determine if it is cancer.The good news is that Obama was reelected and so Obamacare is here to stay, and possibly improve. Universal health care is a social contract issue, imho, because you do not cause your illness, but are a random victim. This is the kind of thing that insurance is supposed to cover, but what makes it a social issue to me is that insurance companies make profits (big ones) off the misery of individuals. Again, my personal opinion is that veterans should have lifetime government provided health care insurance in return for their service, regardless of reasons for termination.Enjoy.Edited by RAZD, : added

Hi Asgara, As my brother reports, I am doing well. The chemo has left me weaker than previous sessions, more on the order of when I had the autogenic transplant. It also left me susceptible to the fall colds, which had me in bed for a while. My energy level is low, so I restricted my activities to the simpler things in life.Here are some pictures: ... the mini as bought (at auction) ... originally built in Italy in 1967, she now has a windshield, and we are working on the clutch and brakes, hoping to have it running by xmas. ... the tandem, "daisy", also as bought (at same auction) -- been able to ride it for ~5 blocks ... with some assistance. ... kayaking on my street during Sandy (and obeying traffic signs): lunar high tide plus 4-6 ft storm surge made out home temporarily waterfront property (no damage fortunately), so I launched directly from my driveway. Excellent news, thanks. I am currently NED as well, and just working on recovering my strength and energy.Enjoy.Edited by RAZD, : ...Edited by RAZD, : splngEdited by RAZD, : pic links

Hi again Asgara Cool stuff.I was dropped from the study that I had joined when I did not show any positive results and started have lymphodemic swelling in my legs. The large nodes in my groin were radiated and then I started a new program that had me in hospital for a week with 24/7 treatment for 5 days, going back every three weeks. Barely had I recovered from previous sessions before starting the next.and my hair is now growing back.Enjoy.

from In Memoriam - Buzsaw

quote:

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Longtime EvC Biblical Creationist Buzsaw has died, according to his wife whom I talked with today. He was one day shy of his 77th birthday and had advanced cancer of an unknown type.

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Some of the joy of my recovery is now diminished, wishing I could share my fortune with Buz.Pax vobiscum old friend

Hi folks Love the kayaking ...Enjoy

glad to hear it Asgara.don't worry about looking over your shoulder though to see if it is coming back -- we are much more aware of it now and it's pretty hard to sneak up twice.I am still slowly getting my energy back. The white hair that came in is slowly being replaced by gray (looks like I need another dye job, as the roots are showing).Had enough energy to get the new heating system working for the kitchen and diningroom -- radiant floor heat with hot water tubing between the joists in the basement. It is a real pleasure to sit with bare feet on a warm floor while reading a book.Enjoy

Hope that doesn't mean what I think it means. ?

Sounds like good news. I was thinking of you just yesterday and wondering how you were. I'm currently still in remission since last chemo -- going on 18 months now, about the longest I've made it previously before the little buggers came back, so I'm hopin ...Got the bike out and ready to start another 1000 mile year if all goes well. My bike buddy will be 66 this year, so that will be a good ride.Is there a chance that if the chemo works real well that you can avoid the surgery? I expect ti will be done with one of those little robotic snaky arm devices to minimize intrusion trauma.Let us knowEnjoy!

Puppy walks a are good. hmmm a touchy feely guy eh? Yep still dancin ... and ya gotta dance like no one is lookin

we be the everready bunnies ... they can't get rid of us that easily.