Fuck Cancer

[::: :::]

TBS
thx for the update - glad to hear it's headed in the right direction so far

[abraham]

Well Fuck, checking in.

[Self Jupiter]

I’m sorry to read that abraham. Wishing you the best.

[Danno]

I hate this thread, fuck cancer.

TBS, best wishes to Mrs TBS. Didn't expect to cry this morning, jerk.

[BmillsSkier]

Thanks for the good wishes.
She’s recovering well. Told me to go skiing tomorrow, I’m driving her crazy.

She has appt with radiologist in a couple of weeks to set radiation program, based on the pathology.

Doc is a skier - recognized the ON3p logo on my t-shirt - and said the treatment will be quite targeted and a lot more tolerable than our last rodeo. So we are intellectually upbeat about this.

Sorry for the emotional vomiting yesterday. It’s why I’ve stayed out of this thread. Nobody needed to get whacked upside the head with my horror story, esp. when there’s kids fighting thru this. And I know there are many here dealing with their own breast cancer grief. Hope I didn’t trigger anybody…

You owe no one any apologies. I am so very sorry for your loss, that is absolutely inconceivable amounts of grief. Best of luck to Mrs. TBS.

Well Fuck, checking in.

I too am sorry to hear this Abraham. Hoping for a swift and positive plan through and better days ahead.

[Trackhead]

That's one of the most heart-wrenching things I've ever read.

Best of luck to Mrs. TBS.

Same, but kids have a way of wording things adults can't comprehend, or don't want to comprehend. My 11 year old has had some wisdom along the way through this cancer crap that has blown me away.

So sorry for you TBS. I know all these posts are from mostly random folks, but I really do wish you the best. Life is hard, and often times seems so unfair.

[abraham]

Last week I just got home from urgent care where the doctor told my dad what they thought might be a broken rib was most likely cancer after an x ray and cat scan. Unclear if it's lymph nodes around the pancreas or in the pancreas proper, from what I understand there's a significant difference there. A week later I'm sleeping over so I can help my dad get up.

Six weeks ago he was skiing. Now he barely has the energy to walk.

I spent much of the last year thinking about what to do next for work, covid was a good reason for several people we work with to retire. I went through a lot of savings, but we have some projects that felt like they could make us comfortable while we figure out what to do with the business next. I've worked with my dad on a business we started for the last 15 years. At time we were bigger but now we're 3 of us and I thought I had a plan to go forward. We argued, I wanted him to work less and go do some things, but he seemed to enjoy the design work. Now I'm facing shutting down the business for another reason. My parents wanted to ski together this spring but there were always excuses, the weather wasn't great and they didn't want to go, we needed to work on a sale, so I did it and told them to go enjoy skiing, nothing big got in the way, but we didn't make it work. It's hard to tell if that's going to be an option still.

I saw some of you reach out, I appreciate it even though I haven't had time to check in. I took a half day to work in the garden and think on Saturday but other than that I've been busy. Fortunately my mom is good at advocating and my girlfriend has been giving advice so things are moving. But everything seems like it takes forever or takes no time at all. Last night was the first night in a week I went to bed before 3am, there's just so much to take care of.

A few mags have met my dad or might connect the dots, but he hasn't told everyone yet and I want to respect that. If you know him can you talk to me first please? I just also feel like I can't just check in here and disappear again, I appreciate all you mags.

[huckbucket]

^^
Sorry to hear this. Stay strong for your pops Abraham. This thread sucks hard, but it's here to vent 24/7.

[Bunion 2020]

As inconsequential as words can be, best wishes for your Dad.

And yes, please vent.

[Kenny Satch]

Abraham I can empathize because I've worked with my dad for 40 years and when he had Cancer it was me he wanted around when he was at his worse. My sister's helped at times and my brother was MIA.

I thank God for all my family & friends that know him well because they helped me cope which helped calming me down. The stress was unbearable at times because he didn't know how deal with it and who would. With effort his attitude towards having colostomy surgery as a necessary thing for him to survive changed. Thing is had never been sick in his entire life so he went from zero to 100 mph in a matter of months. It took all of their support for me not to lose my shit. They were always a phone call way.

This place rocks with good ppl. When I posted about my wife having Alzheimer's the support and stories shared truly helped me along with family and friends.

Therefore please KEEP REACHING OUT FOR HELP.
As heavy as gets you'll find that support will help you help him. Stay strong.

[abraham]

Well an update, after what seemed like a ton of tests and imaging my dad started chemo for lymphoma yesterday and should get to go home from the hospital today.
The doctor said if you're gonna have a cancer this is a pretty good one to have I guess.
They still haven't finished all the tests but because of the speed of his decline and and masses near the spine the doctors wanted to start sooner rather than later. I'm sure he's going to be glad to have some privacy but we still have to make sure he's able to manage the pain and function at home.

Last weekend was not fun, he got admitted to the hospital from urgent care, got partial MRIs due to pain, and the results concerned the doc enough that his biopsy was moved up and squeezed n Friday afternoon before the holiday weekend. Then they told us the results would say if we we're looking at treatment or hospice care. Fortunately it appears not to be one of the pancreatic cancers they were worried about.
It finally feels like I can get caught up on all the things that I dropped in the last couple weeks.

[ötzi]

Really sorry to ear about your Dad, Abraham but lymphoma is often treatable/curable, here's vibes to him and your family. Glad to see your name on the board, though, I was just wondering what was up a few days ago.

[Trackhead]

dad started chemo for lymphoma yesterday and should get to go home from the hospital today.
The doctor said if you're gonna have a cancer this is a pretty good one to have I guess.

Oncologist told me the same with my Hodgkins Lymphoma, and as a healthcare worker AND a patient, I think docs should refrain from that statement because it's bullshit. Chemo fucking sucks, and it's a total shock to hear the words "cancer"..... then have docs act like it's no big deal. Yes, lymphoma (depending on the type) is very treatable with often times a good prognosis for legit cure, but those words still piss me off.

I'm now about five months out of chemo and enjoying life, but I do have what seems like a permanent disability with a mostly numb left foot and a floppy ankle. Can't climb anymore for shit, can't run, but I can ski and bike. Small price for being alive, but still, the new disability hardly makes the Lymphoma like "a good cancer to have".

Best wishes to your dad. I saw a lot of folks older than me getting through chemo, it seems impossible, but it isn't.

[::: :::]

best wishes for your dad’s recovery, Abe

[Self Jupiter]

Sending +++vibes for your dad, Abe.

[shroom]

vibes and godspeed Abe

[TBS]

@Abraham - best wishes for your dad.

FWIW, a couple of days ago I rode MTBs with a 75YO guy that’s a year out from treatment for Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma. Diagnosed in April, skied in August at T-line. No discernible loss in strength or heart-lung capacity. Hoping for the same outcome for your dad.

[present tense]

Vibes to Abe and your dad.

“everything seems like it takes forever or takes no time at all.” - really sums it up as someone from the outside looking in or supporting a FIL battling for days.

[TBS]

And update on Ms TBS…
Bad news - Turns out the cancer is invasive (so not stage zero), and the tumor’s genetics have a better than tiny chance of recurrence.

Good news - biopsy of lymph nodes last week shows no evidence of disease. So no more surgery, and the treatment will be less intense than we feared. The 10yr survival rate is 95+%.

Talked with the oncologist today. She’s getting fitted with a chemo port on Wednesday and starts getting poisoned a week later. Four rounds followed by a week of radiation. So she should be done by Halloween.

She’s psyched up for the fight.
Tap is taking “before” photos tomorrow.
She’s throwing a head shaving party at my barber’s before the first chemo round, and is perusing tattoos to commemorate the experience.

Now I just have to match her courage…

[ötzi]

Tough chick. Those long-term numbers are great, this is just something to get through. For both of you. Hang in there.

[Supermoon]

Positive vibes to Ms TBS. Y’all got this

[Meadow Skipper]

My commiseration and very best wishes to family TBS and Abraham. I’m sorry for the tribulations.

Fuck cancer.

[Flyoverland Captive]

TBS, you and yours keep fighting the good fight. You need anything, you know where to find me.

[::: :::]

Best to J
You guys got this

[old goat]

Oncologist told me the same with my Hodgkins Lymphoma, and as a healthcare worker AND a patient, I think docs should refrain from that statement because it's bullshit. Chemo fucking sucks, and it's a total shock to hear the words "cancer"..... then have docs act like it's no big deal. Yes, lymphoma (depending on the type) is very treatable with often times a good prognosis for legit cure, but those words still piss me off.

I'm now about five months out of chemo and enjoying life, but I do have what seems like a permanent disability with a mostly numb left foot and a floppy ankle. Can't climb anymore for shit, can't run, but I can ski and bike. Small price for being alive, but still, the new disability hardly makes the Lymphoma like "a good cancer to have".

Best wishes to your dad. I saw a lot of folks older than me getting through chemo, it seems impossible, but it isn't.

The operative words here are "depending on the type". People's personal experiences with lymphoma may or may not be relevant to Abraham's dad.
And yeah, doctors say stupid stuff sometimes. When it comes to good cancers to have I'd stop at a little basal cell on the skin you can cure with a few drops of 5FU. Beyond that, getting cured of a curable cancer is no joke.