diagnosed with lymphoma

I merely want people to know that smoking and drinking combined can cause oral cancer.

Either tobacco or ethanol alone are associated with oral cancer. When they are combined, the effect is synergistic.
 
I am so glad to read your good news. Thanks for keeping us updated.
 
Hey Ratface
I've been absent a lot lately. You may assess me a proper number of demerits so I have to stay after school every Friday. :( Just kidding.
I read all your posts and all I can say is Hallelujah! :clap: Nothing like a positive outcome to make your day.

So how does that sunrise look lately? :flowers:
 
Sunrise looking good

Hi All

Just want to thank all of you for your support this memorable year 2009. I will be the first in line to bring in 2010. Merry Christmas and peace to all of you over this holiday time. More importantly good health to you and yours.

I am healing very nicely. Some pain in the right shoulder from the moving of nerves during the operation. Mobility is good and I continue my exercises. The scar/incision site is completely healed. I had a scar in that same location from the previous surgeon doing a biopsy. My last surgeon used the same line extending the aforementioned scar. The only sign of incision left is the original incision for biopsy , apparently the level of expertise between the two surgeons is significant.

Looking forward to whatever I can eat, taste or swallow during the upcomming festivities. I'm down about 34 pounds since this started so I can afford a little indulgence. Indulge I shall!
 
Splendid!
How about some Bacon?
 
And don't forget your med's, if allowed.
img_885085_0_0ff25d720d269205de68fc80b5a9b3e4.gif
 
Wonderful!! Ratface, it sounds like a memorable and even delightful holiday season ahead, for you. I recommend turkey. Hopefully 2010 will be the best year ever. :D
 
Great news, ratface!!!

Running marathons and finishing them while still smoking? You must have had the VO2 max of Lance Armstrong........:)

I ran 5 marathons, and finished all, and I can't imagine being able to do that as a smoker..........did you post some good times?
 
I'm glad to hear you are healing nicely, however the thought of Zorro intrigued me.....;)

I think my Christmas will be a little sweeter knowing you are doing so well. Shoot, I just might indulge a little myself and celebrate with you!

smiley-eatdrink051.gif
 
Hi Ratface,

I am new to this website and just found your thread. Very inspiring, how bravely you faced your challenge.

I was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma Stage 2B in 1986, Malignant melanoma Stage 1 in 1991 and last year 2 separate lesions of Basal Cell carcinoma. Have been through countless surgeries, 6 months of chemo, and 15 days of radiation.

One thing I can assure you is this: You will definitely have a greater appreciation for the little things in life as you move forward. And not let inconsequential things get you down.

A side benefit of the radiation - I didn't have to shave for 6 months, then when my beard grew in it was peach fuzz like an adolescent. 23 years later I have no sideburn on one side of my face.

Given my history I plan to take a large reduction in my pension when I retire so that my wife will have 100% survivor benefit. Likewise on her pension we will cut me out so that she gets a larger monthly benefit. Just being realistic not gloomy.

Anyway God bless you for making it through this, congrats on all the positive test results and take good care of yourself going forward!

Oh also I was a bit of a tightwad and now I find it easier to spend my money! Climbed Kilimanjaro this past February.

So I will be interested in 5 years from now how your outlook on life has changed for the better! Every cancer survivor I talk to (I go to Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philly) has told me that their life has improved because of their ordeal! Hard to believe now perhaps but trust me!
 
chemist said:
I was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma Stage 2B in 1986, Malignant melanoma Stage 1 in 1991 and last year 2 separate lesions of Basal Cell carcinoma. Have been through countless surgeries, 6 months of chemo, and 15 days of radiation.
Click to expand...

chemist said:
Climbed Kilimanjaro this past February.
Click to expand...

Way to go, chemist! What a role model....and welcome to the forum!
 
chemist said:
Oh also I was a bit of a tightwad and now I find it easier to spend my money! Climbed Kilimanjaro this past February.

So I will be interested in 5 years from now how your outlook on life has changed for the better! Every cancer survivor I talk to (I go to Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philly) has told me that their life has improved because of their ordeal! Hard to believe now perhaps but trust me!
Click to expand...


Congratulations and thanks for a great post !
 
Hey FinanceDude I never got out of the 4 plus hour category, I think 4:20 was my all time best. Not a fast runner, weighed 175lbs in 7th grade and 185 at my leanest marathon. Thats a lot of weight to carry for 26.2 miles. I just finished Lance's book by the way. It talked about his oxogen volumn as the all time greatest ever recorded. Amazing man and amazing fight agaist cancer, really enjoyed the book.

Chemist thats quite a fight you put up yourself. Congratulations!!!! Sounds like your past the worst. I have the same mindset of planning for the worst and hoping for the best. I don't consider myself a survivor yet. I'm in the too soon to tell category. I've read from other survivors what you describe to be true, that cancer can in fact be a blessing in disguise. I can see how that can occur but I'm not ready for that frame of mind. I first need to be rid of the beast and I still harbor anger at the disease. It has drastically changed my life plans and has changed me profoundly.

I'm hoping to get the feeding tube out on Wednesday if I can get an appointment. I understand it's a highly technical procedure where they give you a bullet to bite on then yank as hard as they can. Pain suppossedly subsides quickly. Well worth it to get a comfortable nights sleep, I can bring my own bullet.
 
Was able to get an appt. for removal of the feeding tube. The tube was below my left pectoral muscle kind of in between two rib bones it then extended about a foot to allow bending and manipulation when feeding and taping. The back side inside the stomach is a plastic bulb which keeps it from being pulled through the small openning about the size of a pencil. The bulb is about the size of a half dollar. On the outside there is a bumper which keeps it from falling into the stomach.

The nurse has me unbutton my shirt and lift up my undershirt. She then states it's going to hurt for a few seconds only as it is comming out. She then grabs it firmly and pulls the tube where the half dollar bulb now must travel through the pencil size hole. It's over almost as fast as it started with some of the most intense pain I have ever felt. She then uses some chemical on long sticks to burn a flap of skin which has built up around the hole in the last five months, It was nitrious something? It cauterizes the wound and makes the extra skin eventually fall away. It is now some 10 hours later and this stuff continues to burn, almost like a lit match in your stomach.

No one could have bought me a Christmas present that would equate to the elation of having this damn plastic tube gone from my body. No more dangling of the tube afraid to get it caught on something. No more taping everyday and being restricted every night to what position I can sleep in. Santa came to my house first and I'm grateful. I am tube, port, and drain free as of today. It's totally amazing how much discomfort some foreign plastic thing can cause a human body.
 
Wow, that sounds unpleasant and I'm glad it's over for you. Here's wishing you a very Merry Christmas, RF...and a happy, healthy New Year.
 
Another step forward and more good news - very pleased to hear of your early Christmas present. :rolleyes:

I hope the burning wears off before long. Happy Christmas !!
 
Oh RF...I'm so relieved you are rid of all the plastic in more ways than one!

Seems like this whole experience has brought many congratulations your way. I expect you've been a good boy this year....Santa sure seems to like you. :)
 
latest scans

hello everyone

just updating on my latest scans. These would be six month scans done last week. Despite some anomolies for all intents and purposes at this moment my scans are considered clear. They are watching some nodules that are not believed to be related to the cancer. Hopefully time will bear this out. Resigned to another three month wait. I am hopeful that if the next one is good it will get easier to wait from that point forward:confused::confused:
 
Well...I have to tell ya, I danced a jig when I read this post (even though my hip is a bit cranky this a.m.)! Here I go...
smiley-dance007.gif


Clear scans....that's what I'm talkin' about! :D

I'm sure it's not a lot of fun to wait until the next scans, but for now smile as you look forward to the future...as we all try to do. :)
 
Ok, ok fellers....tell you what, I'll just call my dance a 'ho down'....:D
 
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