Cancer?

[Gothmog 24]

First of all..... you are not whinnig or being a wet blanket. You, bounce and saigateen are our eyes , ears and commentary on what is real. Keep up your spirits and fight like hell. Your post informs us and gives us the real day to day aspects of this desease, and what to expect. One of the biggest problems of getting someone to take charge is the fear that they may have an issue, and that fear prevents a lot of folks to go seek help. Don't be a 'tard, get checked.

 

 

 

HUZZAH!!

[G O B 3,516]

Good to hear from ya Cobra! Keep on kicking ass! Sorry for the departed, and praying for the recovering. I never got to finish the physical, the colonoscopy and the sonogram and biopsy of my prostate had to be postponed. I walked into something called 'septic arthritis' and spent the week before thanksgiving in the hospital on iv antibiotics and morphine. Out and back to work now, but they gave me warafin in the hospital, and that has to be completely out of my system before the other shit can be done.

 

It is still better to have lived hard and free than to have merely existed!

 

Heres hoping we can all get to by like my Grandfather was - 2 weeks older than dirt!

[Raoul_Duke 113]

First and foremost (no offense Shannon) I would like to offer my condolences to Dean and his family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow someone did dig this thread back up and ask how we were doing. Thank you sir. Well hell, you're welcome. I've been trying to not spend so much time on the computer so I haven't been around too much lately, but I have thought about you guys. Cancer's fucked up. I've known several people with it. Lost a couple to it. I was starting to feel like a wet blanket every time I posted again in it, so I stopped until I had some good news to share. Hell man, you need to get it off your mind (or at least help process it) and I'm sure writing about it helps. Like Gothmog said, you're not being a wet blanket by sharing your experience. If someone doesn't want to read it then they don't have to click on this thread and read it . . .

I saw Juggs' update in the status thing the other day about TJ and I started to post something then. Well you should have. It's just that there have been so many "pricks on a mission" lately around here . . . Maybe so, but I don't believe those "pricks on a mission" would come and shit on your cancer thread. That would be, IMO, inexcusably low-brow and dirty.

 

 

Well anyway...tomorrow's a new day and today guess what happened? I finished my Chemo treatments! YES!!! KICK-ASS!!!

It has been a really sickening PITA but is worth it because the tumor in my neck has shrunk WAY down!

It was as big as a tennis ball 6 weeks ago and now I can barely feel it under my skin. My last day of radiation treatments will be this Friday!!! I can soon get some much needed time to recuperate and try to gain my weight back, but in the right places this time. And again, "KICK-ASS!!! "

 

I'll post those tomorrow or the next day if you or anyone would be interested in what it looks like. Go for it. I'm curious. Hopefully I'll never have to see one in person.

 

 

...it sure would be nice to get my normal lifestyle back. I used to really enjoy things like food and beer....and all of the other great pleasures in life.... When it's all said and done it won't seem like it was that long.

 

I'm getting ready to do something right now that I like to do sometimes to "blow off some steam" about it. There's this very large oak tree (over two or three feet thick) standing down on the range, that's been doomed by lightning. I think I'm going to load a few mags of 12 slugs and some 7.62 x 39 and 51....maybe even some x54R....and go down to pay it a little visit...Well, how did it go? Any pictures of aforementioned tree?

 

It is still better to have lived hard and free than to have merely existed!

 

Heres hoping we can all get to by like my Grandfather was - 2 weeks older than dirt!

+1

[t165 30]

I have a 28 year old Niece (Kyla) who found out she had a 4 inch malignant tumor sitting on top of her heart about 10 months ago. To make matters worse she was also 2 months pregnant. This is her first pregnancy and she had been trying for over 7 years to have a child. The doctors wanted to abort the child and start treating her immediately. She refused to do anything or even take any medication for pain just in case it would harm the baby. At 7 months they took the baby boy and he is doing fine. Unfortuantely Kyla is not. The tumor growed to 10 inches long and has wrapped itself around her heart. Chemotherapy has only reduced the tumor about 10%. For some reason she was never administered radiation treatment. Her immune system is all screwed up. A dark spot has just now been identified on her left lung. Surgery is scheduled for December 17. It does not look good. The family was split on the advice she received when she first learned of the cancer. The doctors were honest with her that she would probably not live if she refused treatment after the cancer was first identified. I just cannot get over how brave and unselfish Kyla was to bring a life into this world knowing her own may end. I hope all turns out well for those so inflicted on this forum.

[t165 30]

Here is a picture of Kyla's baby. His name is Alex Daniel Paz. He is a very lucky boy to have a mother with proven uncommon valor. My wife has that "I want another baby" look in her eyes.

Edited December 10, 2009 by t165

[Azrial 1,091]

Wow this thread is full of good and bad news! My condolences to the family of the departed little girl and my congratulations to Shannon and Bounce on their fight for recovery.

 

All have my prayers!

[BronCobraJet 80]

Wow Bounce that fugger's huge. Mine feels about half that size, but like it's mostly inside. And mine does hurt. It didn't for the first 6 to 8 months though...now it's like it's run out of space and is invading my neck and head.

Something wild though....in the past couple of days it actually seems to have shrunk and doesn't hurt as much!

I wonder if that is happening because they cut it's nasty little fucking head off when they took my infected tonsils out??

 

That's great news Saigateen! The financial shock is pretty huge when you start getting those hospital bills. My first two were...over $700 just for the ultrasound and to read it....then the next one came for the biopsies, diagnosis, and CT scans. That one's about $6,000...for just ONE DAY

 

Since then I've been back a couple of times now...once to the dentist and to meet with 4 different doctors and their teams (swallowing therapist, radiologist, chemotherapist, and my main doctor), then the last time for tonsil surgery and overnight stay...can't wait to see what those bills are gonna come to...

 

 

Fortunately, according to what I've been told, people who are diagnosed with cancer and do not have any kind of health insurance, are qualified for help from Medicaid. I'm applying for that, as well as the UNC Cancer Hospital's "Charity Care Program". These bills are going to end up exceeding FAR more than my net worth or personal property value.

Don't mean to be an asshat, but what the hell is a Swallowing therapist?

[BronCobraJet 80]

I got more good news. I will be back early next month with no less than four days to have fun and help Shannon unwind/blow off steam/whatever.

 

 

Future is looking really bright. In the next few months I may be able to start working full time hours with Cobras Custom without the army getting in the way.

That is totally cool KrisFox. Everybody needs a trusted friend that they can count on.

[gunman1 1,753]

I received the below message in my e-mail today. It concerns the very young daughter of a cousin. Please pray for them.

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

Hallie had an MRI on Wednesday. The cancer is spreading fairly quickly in her brain and to her brain stem. While we cannot know God's timing, the doctors feel that Hallie will go home to be with the Lord sometime before Christmas.

 

Hallie is resting pretty comfortably and has many questions. Yesterday we talked for along time about heaven and how heaven is really our home, not earth. She understands that even though we have to say good-bye, it's only for a little while. She said "..so you mean it's kind of like we're all going on vacation to heaven but I'm just going to get there before everyone else?" We told her yes, that someday we'll all be together forever and our vacation will last forever. Then she asked if it was okay to change her name when she gets there or does she still have to be called Hallie. How come no one likes their name???

 

Most importantly Hallie understands that she gets to go to heaven because of the wonderful sacrifice Jesus Christ made so that all who believe in Him may have eternal life.

 

Hallie is very tired and does have times when she's scared. Please pray for God to comfort her as we wait for His will to be done. Please also be in prayer for Gus, I believe this is as much a struggle for him as it is for Hallie.

 

I know many of you have asked, but Hallie does not want a lot of visitors. She wants and needs her privacy as she finishes the race God has set out for her. You have all shown her an unbelievable love that has sustained her for many months and she is grateful for that.

 

May God's grace be with each of you.

 

In Christ's Love,

Virgil and Karen Barnes & Family

 

"Faith is the ability to feel so sure of God, that no matter how dark the day, there is no doubt as to it's outcome. For God's people there is a glorious future." - H. H. Halley

Sorry to report that Halley died last week. Halley was nine years young and spent all of her short life fighting this insidious disease. Halley and her parents never lost their faith, pray for them.

 

To those of you here.....please keep the faith and fight the good fight, we'll be here for you with love and hope and strength.

 

Regards,

Dean.

I received the below message in my e-mail, these are strong people.

 

Dear Friends,

 

Many of you have sent e-mails asking how we are doing. We are doing okay. There are good days and then not so good days. We know the year ahead of us will be difficult but also remember that the year behind us was not an easy one. Hallie could not stay with us any longer and God knew that.

 

Virgil and I know that many of you have been deeply touched by Hallie's life and death and are heartbroken. You have struggled along side us every step of the way. You have prayed for and encouraged us without stopping. We ask you to find hope in God's promises for strength, comfort and eternal life with our Savior. This earth is not our home, heaven is. We are here for a purpose, seek God's guidance and run your race.

 

Hallie is now whole again, her struggle is over. With God's grace and the love of family and good friends we will all be fine. We really, really miss her and always will, but we are comforted knowing she is now well and safe for eternity in His loving arms. She is now out of harm's way, no illness from this earth can ever touch her again.

 

 

I just came in from feeding the calves and the chickens. There is a storm coming. It's been raining on and off all morning but the sun has been able to peak through a few times. As I was putting the wheelbarrow back into the barn I happened to look out into the sky above the back hayfield just in time to see a rainbow. It occurred to me that Hallie now sees rainbows from the other side, I wonder what a rainbow looks like from heaven?

 

Thank you all for everything! May God's grace be with each of you always.

 

In Christ's Love,

Virgil, Karen and Gus

[Sly 233]

Thought's and prayer's to all of you.

 

Please forgive me, but I found this a minute ago, and did not know if I should put it here or not.

 

Be careful. Be wary.

 

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100251079&gt1=31036

[Fatboy148 4]

I believe this quote pretty much sums it up, "While the numbers may be scary, Berrington de Gonzalez said people should realize "that CT scans provide great medical benefits and that, in general, individual risks are small and should be outweighed by the benefits if the CT scan is clinically justified." You have to be able to justify the increased risk of the scans vs the unknown in your body. I know I have had sooooo many different treatments and scans, I used to glow! The deciding factor is really pretty simple when one has to weigh their options, it is knowing the outcome if you don't exercise those options!

 

Thought's and prayer's to all of you.

 

Please forgive me, but I found this a minute ago, and did not know if I should put it here or not.

 

Be careful. Be wary.

 

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100251079&gt1=31036

[DHunter 1]

Nice to hear your doing better Shannon.

 

Really hope that you and the others get through these ordeals.

[BronCobraJet 80]

Thought's and prayer's to all of you.

 

Please forgive me, but I found this a minute ago, and did not know if I should put it here or not.

 

Be careful. Be wary.

 

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100251079&gt1=31036

You have to also realize, that the Gov is trying to overcome healthcare. They will use any tatict they can to make it seem like every procedure is a waste and unneccesary. If you are a user of Microsoft, you will see on the IE home page, they are ALWAYS planting subtle hints about expecting less from healthcare, how you are fucking up the world with your gas guzzlers, and they always have quizzes to see how much you have learned from the top stories of the week. They are tracking everything. I bet this story is just 1 in a wave to get people scared of CAT scans and MRI's because it would be to expensive for our Communist Government headed by the non legal half breed Communist Islam president elect to pay for after giving all of his banking buddies all the 3 trillion dollars, to include in any form of "health care" reform..

[kencrawleysc 11]

Insist on an MRI instead of a CT Scan.

 

MRI: magnetic field polarizes water molecules in the tissue

Of course, in my opinion, the energy in an X-ray particle is way way too low to disrupt a gene in a DNA molecule. Gamma-rays are the ticket for doing that sort of damage. There really isn't a smoking gun, found aimed a causing cancer, just damn statistics. If you need the picture, get it taken!

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

Wow Bounce that fugger's huge. Mine feels about half that size, but like it's mostly inside. And mine does hurt. It didn't for the first 6 to 8 months though...now it's like it's run out of space and is invading my neck and head.

Something wild though....in the past couple of days it actually seems to have shrunk and doesn't hurt as much!

I wonder if that is happening because they cut it's nasty little fucking head off when they took my infected tonsils out??

 

That's great news Saigateen! The financial shock is pretty huge when you start getting those hospital bills. My first two were...over $700 just for the ultrasound and to read it....then the next one came for the biopsies, diagnosis, and CT scans. That one's about $6,000...for just ONE DAY

 

Since then I've been back a couple of times now...once to the dentist and to meet with 4 different doctors and their teams (swallowing therapist, radiologist, chemotherapist, and my main doctor), then the last time for tonsil surgery and overnight stay...can't wait to see what those bills are gonna come to...

 

 

Fortunately, according to what I've been told, people who are diagnosed with cancer and do not have any kind of health insurance, are qualified for help from Medicaid. I'm applying for that, as well as the UNC Cancer Hospital's "Charity Care Program". These bills are going to end up exceeding FAR more than my net worth or personal property value.

Don't mean to be an asshat, but what the hell is a Swallowing therapist?

 

Not being an asshat really, I asked the same question myself at the hospital. The deal is, with head and neck cancers in particular...when they go bombarding your neck and surrounding areas with all that radiation, it wreaks total havoc on the soft tissues inside your throat, mouth, around the tongue, all that. Everywhere there is usually mucous membrane, is going to be damaged, sometimes pretty severely like in my case, by the direct exposure to repeated radiation blasts. Not only that, it passes through the muscle tissues all around your face, in my case it was penetrating my main jaw muscles because the tumors were in my lymph nodes, right there beneath the jaw line. This destroys some of the muscle tissue every time they do it, and it happens in such tiny, quick doses, you don't feel it or even realize what is happening til much later.

The Speech and Swallowing Therapist's job is to stay on top of things while you go through your treatments, and give you information and exercises necessary to combat the effects. Nothing can be done about the radiation burns your soft tissues get, and after over a month since my 7 weeks of radiation treatments were done, my mouth and tongue are still extremely sore from the ulcer like burns on them, keeping me from being able to eat any solid foods. Hell it even hurts to eat pudding. Worse than that though, something they told me effects some people way more than others, and of course I ended up being one of "those people"....the scar tissue that settles in on your damaged jaw muscles, shrinks up and draws those muscles tighter than normal, so now that it's all said and done, I can only open my mouth less than half the amount I should be able to, and could before the treatments. It pisses me off too because I missed an important appointment or two with the therapist, because of the holidays, when they should have gotten me started on those exercises I'm having to play catch up on now....now that the shit is already set.The average person has about 40 mm of opening between the upper and lower front teeth. I now have 25mm. So now I'm having to do painful stretching, opening exercises every hour, on the hour, to try and regain the ability to eat a friggin hamburger!....or even yawn properly...that hurts like hell when it happens, which is alot when you lose as much sleep as I do now. All that effects speech as well when your mouth won't work like it's supposed to. I'm just now getting back to where I can even whistle.

One semi permanent side effect I'm stuck with now, for the rest of my life, is dry mouth. The salivary glands are pretty much destroyed now. Luckily there are several different glands so some do still work...but not enough. I will always have to keep a bottle of water handy, or chew gum or whatever, to keep my mouth from going all cotton ball on me. That happens every time I drift off to sleep unfortunately...making a restful sleep almost impossible. To make matters worse, another one of the side effects of the rads is, it makes you have "thick secretions". What would normally be regular ol spit, is more the consistency or syrup. This cause it's own little round of problems...like having to sleep sitting straight up in bed, for if I lay down to get comfortable, that thick spit starts building in my mouth and throat, eventually creeping slowly into and down my throat and airways, causing me to eventually wake up choking on gurgling syrupy gross smelling spit. Sounds really fun huh?

Ya wanna know why Cobra is in such a bad mood all the time now, and why he gets really pissed at a few assholes on this forum every time they start playing their little games with him??? Well there ya go...

When dealing with all that, you have to pay extra special attention to your dental hygiene, or your teeth will quickly decay and cause even more problems. Gee isn't cancer fun boys and girls!!

I've been told that some of the dry mouth symptoms will get better eventually, but some is unfortunately permanent.

 

 

Well, all that said....I came on here and woke up this sleeping, depressing giant again to give an update on my condition. These problems I am descibing now with my mouth...things related to the swallowing / speech therapy, is the bad news. The GOOD NEWS is, I just went in for my final round of visits with all the doctors and therapists, (damn!...lol...I just realized that's spelled the same way as theRAPISTS...)

and had a CT scan done of my neck area where the tumors were. I was still worried, even though I can barely feel anything now where just 6 months ago there was a three inch round tumor stretching the skin of my neck....that they might find a little bit of cancer still there and have to have surgery done again...that would really suck right now on top of all the other shit I am going through. Anyway, the scans came back NEGATIVE!!! They said there is still something there, I can feel that, but it's most likely just scar tissue, and not worth the unwanted risk or trauma that surgery to remove it would cause. So YAY! for now we just keep an eye on it, and go back for regular checkups for m few years to stay on top of it. I'm not out of the woods yet by any means, but the news could have been much worse. The tumors could have spread or kept growing. Instead they shrunk down to nothing. Six months ago my peroted artery and my jugular vein, alog with another main artery I can't recall right now, were completely engulfed by these tumors, and removal by surgery wasn't even an option. So even though the damned side effects are completely awful, and my weight is stuck at 133 lbs til I can finally start eating real food again and get some real calorie intake happening, it looks like the odds are I'm going to make it! I have fought this beotch tooth and nail and apparently won!...at least for now...

 

The Oncologist said that it can't really be considered "cured" at this time....but he was very pleased with what he saw and how I have responded to the chemo and radiation treatments. Coming from someone I found out is "world renowned" in his field, I have to take that and run with it like the wind. He did finally tell me also, for the first time I can remember, just what stage my cancer was at when I first showed up there. He said it was a Stage Four Squamous Cell Carcinoma. I'm not sure how many stages they go but that sounds pretty high to me.

GREAT JOB DOC! To anyone that is diagnosed with any form of cancer and needs treatments at a hospital, I highly recommend UNC Cancer Hospital. They have an excellent program there with all new equipment and a great team of doctors, nurses, and specialists. They way they all worked together and made me feel like I was special to them, it really helped me keep my spirits up and helped me to continue trudging forward through the process. I also owe a huge thanks to my sweetheart Sandi....or Racegal20 as she is known here. She put a lot of effort into helping me get through all this. There were many days I didn't feel like even getting out of bed to go to the hospital for treatment. Her determination and strength kept me going on those days. I think we were both tested, and passed with flying colors! There are many very thoughtful and caring people here on the forum, who kept me and my sweetie in their prayers and thoughts Thank you guys and gals!!

 

And last but not least, I have to pat myself on the back and say GREAT JOB SHANNON!!! Way to whoop up on some cancer ass! Now to just get through this tough recovery stage!! A lot of hard work left to do still.

[Bounce12 407]

Congrats, Shannon. As in, WAY CONGRATS!

 

It's a long hard slog, that's for sure.

[BronCobraJet 80]

Thank you for taking the time to explain it to me Cobra, I really had no idea how intense and involved your situation was, with all the little "extras" (soft tissue damage, scar tissue, saliva glands, etc.) you have to put up with on top of with everything else. I can't even begin to possibly imagine what you are going through.

[G O B 3,516]

Glad to hear some encouraging news Cobra - hang in there and keep fighting!

[Bounce12 407]

Chemo sucked so bad that I thought radiation would be a walk in the park, but as Cobra explains, it sucks.

 

AND, my radiation isn't even in my throat, it's in my leg, so for me it's much easier than it is/was for Cobra. I can at least eat and breathe and sleep. My life is EASY compared to his.

 

The big concern I have is my genetalia. The radiation comes in from two angles and one of those angles just happens to slice through my dick and balls. So, I have to wrap an ACE bandage around the whole package and pull it all out of the way as much as I can. They (the nurses) say I'm all clear, but DAMN it's too close for my comfort! lol

 

As Cobra explained, the radiation kills a shit load of soft tissues and after two days it has already started wiping me out. I came home today and went down for a power-nap. Whew! It's gonna be a long seven weeks, but hey, it beats the alternative.

[454496 71]

Man you sure kicked its ass!

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

Yeah Bounce...do your best to keep the jewels clear of the path of radiation. I'm sure they aimed it carefully though. It gets everything between the source of the beams, and the target area. For instance...they told me I wouldn't lose my hair like most cancer patients do.....well one day I took the braid out of my ponytail and most of it came out in one big handful. Turns out it ended up drawing a neat line around the back of my scalp from about the top of one ear straight around to the other, with every bit of hair falling out from there down...just like someone shaved it in a neat line. Even my beard and mustache around the front...history. I haven't shaved in several months now and it ain't even trying to grow back at all.

[Bounce12 407]

one day I took the braid out of my ponytail and most of it came out in one big handful.

 

 

I'm already having nightmares of my dick doing the same thing! lol

 

So far, so good, though. Everything still appears to be attached and functioning at 100% efficiency. lol

[jrance@iacwds.com 716]

Congrats on your great news Shannon! Health issues suck, especially yours but you seem to be adapting and overcoming quite well. Bounce, have you considered lining your ace bandage with lead? I know they make film bags for airport x-ray machines that are quite pliable. Keep the faith guys and you remain in our prayers.

 

1911

[6500rpm 670]

Great to see the latest posts and very happy to see Shannon's treatments and will to survive has put you back in the game, now it's up to Bounce to carry on with the tradition. Just remember bud, aint no hill for a climber. Keep pushing along every day until your well. You were proclaimed Bounce for a reason, no need to change things now, be strong.

 

Mark

[Fatboy148 4]

Thanks for sharing guys! Your current status is always a tough question to ask, but be assured, you are in our thoughts.

 

All the best to you guys.

Edited January 31, 2010 by Fatboy

[unclejake 428]

I received the below message in my e-mail today. It concerns the very young daughter of a cousin. Please pray for them.

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

Hallie had an MRI on Wednesday. The cancer is spreading fairly quickly in her brain and to her brain stem. While we cannot know God's timing, the doctors feel that Hallie will go home to be with the Lord sometime before Christmas.

 

Hallie is resting pretty comfortably and has many questions. Yesterday we talked for along time about heaven and how heaven is really our home, not earth. She understands that even though we have to say good-bye, it's only for a little while. She said "..so you mean it's kind of like we're all going on vacation to heaven but I'm just going to get there before everyone else?" We told her yes, that someday we'll all be together forever and our vacation will last forever. Then she asked if it was okay to change her name when she gets there or does she still have to be called Hallie. How come no one likes their name???

 

Most importantly Hallie understands that she gets to go to heaven because of the wonderful sacrifice Jesus Christ made so that all who believe in Him may have eternal life.

 

Hallie is very tired and does have times when she's scared. Please pray for God to comfort her as we wait for His will to be done. Please also be in prayer for Gus, I believe this is as much a struggle for him as it is for Hallie.

 

I know many of you have asked, but Hallie does not want a lot of visitors. She wants and needs her privacy as she finishes the race God has set out for her. You have all shown her an unbelievable love that has sustained her for many months and she is grateful for that.

 

May God's grace be with each of you.

 

In Christ's Love,

Virgil and Karen Barnes & Family

 

"Faith is the ability to feel so sure of God, that no matter how dark the day, there is no doubt as to it's outcome. For God's people there is a glorious future." - H. H. Halley

Sorry to report that Halley died last week. Halley was nine years young and spent all of her short life fighting this insidious disease. Halley and her parents never lost their faith, pray for them.

 

To those of you here.....please keep the faith and fight the good fight, we'll be here for you with love and hope and strength.

 

Regards,

Dean.

I received the below message in my e-mail, these are strong people.

 

Dear Friends,

 

Many of you have sent e-mails asking how we are doing. We are doing okay. There are good days and then not so good days. We know the year ahead of us will be difficult but also remember that the year behind us was not an easy one. Hallie could not stay with us any longer and God knew that.

 

Virgil and I know that many of you have been deeply touched by Hallie's life and death and are heartbroken. You have struggled along side us every step of the way. You have prayed for and encouraged us without stopping. We ask you to find hope in God's promises for strength, comfort and eternal life with our Savior. This earth is not our home, heaven is. We are here for a purpose, seek God's guidance and run your race.

 

Hallie is now whole again, her struggle is over. With God's grace and the love of family and good friends we will all be fine. We really, really miss her and always will, but we are comforted knowing she is now well and safe for eternity in His loving arms. She is now out of harm's way, no illness from this earth can ever touch her again.

 

 

I just came in from feeding the calves and the chickens. There is a storm coming. It's been raining on and off all morning but the sun has been able to peak through a few times. As I was putting the wheelbarrow back into the barn I happened to look out into the sky above the back hayfield just in time to see a rainbow. It occurred to me that Hallie now sees rainbows from the other side, I wonder what a rainbow looks like from heaven?

 

Thank you all for everything! May God's grace be with each of you always.

 

In Christ's Love,

Virgil, Karen and Gus

As I wipe the tears away enough to where I can see the monitor, I am thinking about all the friends and family that I have lost because of cancer and all of the ones that are fighting it and have won the battle. Shannon, Bounce, and Saigateen, plus all others that are here fighting it...never forget that the rest of us are here interceding on your behalf with the Great Physician! I am sorry that things in my own life have kept me off of the forum for awhile, but y'all are always in my daily prayers, for you aren't just fellow forum members, but extended family members as well.

If there is anything that a broke, out of work old man can do for any of y'all just let me know!

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

Unclejake thanks a ton bro, all you other guys too. All those kind thoughts and prayers have meant and still mean a lot. AA re-cvrd man I'm really sorry about your little neice. My condolences to your family.

 

Fatboy I know I told you I'd keep you updated on how things were going man. I'm sorry it took me so long to even get here with an update for you and everyone but things have been on very shaky ground here at home for the past few weeks with my recovery efforts and stubborn symptoms (and other things), and unfortunately, even with Racegal and me on and off. This whole thing has just proved to be way much more than either of us were prepared for. She was the only one I had to help me at home and it's a lot of work keeping up with all the crap you have to do...especially with all the feeding tube shit to stay alive without starving completely. I can't thank her enough... Plus she used to help me with shipping and record keeping for Cobra's Customs work til she blew up and hit the wall last week. Now she's staying with her parents where she has gone for the past three weekends straight now to "recharge"...so I'm snowed in and stuck doing everything by myself, and having to do it in pain to boot....oh well. I didn't come this far to give up and quit now. All I know is, the fucking stress with all that, along with the stress I've been through because of a handful of complete idiots on this forum lately, is more than one man should have to put up with. At least the work has been good and the people I've dealt with have been great to do business with. Thank you.

[Twinsen 86]

Shannon, if you want you can borrow a stick from me. Y'now, to use to scrape the cancer off the sole of your boots.

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

Back Under The Knife...

 

Well it never ends...my doctor called this morning and said he wants me to get back in there soon for a neck dissection. He said even though he already told me he didn't think it was necessary... after meeting with the whole team and them all discussing my case, they decided it would be best if they went in there and see for themselves if there were any little bits of cancer left in there to cut out. Oh great...somebody just shoot me.

[Bayoupiper 738]

We're here bro!

Prayin' away.