Help "Doc" fight lymphoma

[DOC 243]

The nurse that liked me the most, and whose dark sense of humor I appreciated the most .... told me the last time I saw her (maybe THE last time I would ... all going well) that she wanted me to consider becoming a cancer comic. I've spoken to a toastmaster guy I know and he agrees. Might be a career move eh ... I certainly have more material than I could ever wish for.

Edited August 22 by DOC

[DOC 243]

PS: food is great isn't it ? I should be a beach ball in no time now.

[Mosizlak 1,053]

Good to hear, Doc.   

 

[DOC 243]

Things are going well, if as slow as a lizard crawling across a glacier. I'm very slowly getting my strength back but I'm only at about age 5 years old so far. Maybe 8 if I was being generous. With the endurance of a 95 year old. Food has settled and taste is coming back to something within render range of being normal. Swallowing is still weird and I have to drink gallons of water to clear throat blockages. After some specialist testing it would appear the nerve damage to my hearing is expected to be permanent, oh well. I am enjoying being down to 180 pounds, that's about what I was in my avatar picture 30 years ago ... if only 90% of the weight lost wasn't muscle. Hormone production has resumed so if I can find the strength, watch out girls !

Biggest issue right now is no income. I am strong enough to get out of the house  and walk around (and being driven by a desire to not become homeless in about 2 months) so I'm seeking employment now. It seems a bit dire out there for a 60 year old cancer survivor as far as I can tell so far.

Financially this year of cancer crap has wiped me out completely. I doubt I'll ever pay back the hospital 100%. This chemo/radiation/MRI/CT Scan/surgery [censored] is expensive. Six months of it was brutal, both physically and as I said ... financially.

Just touching base with you all and saying thanks to those who helped me out when this was just starting. I couldn't have made it without that help. I am humbled beyond words (me without words ? WTF ?) and you taught me a valuable lesson about accepting help. Something I was never able to do before, let alone be ok with. I feel as if this has helped me become a better person, and I thank you. I wish I had learned this a long time ago.

So wish me luck at finding decent employment. My search so far, although only having just begun ... is making me cautiously concerned. I salute you one and all of WWIIOL.   

Edited September 18 by DOC

[poker 84]

Best of luck mate. You’re an inspiration.

[Kilemall 2,380]

5 hours ago, DOC said:

Things are going well, if as slow as a lizard crawling across a glacier. I'm very slowly getting my strength back but I'm only at about age 5 years old so far. Maybe 8 if I was being generous. With the endurance of a 95 year old. Food has settled and taste is coming back to something within render range of being normal. Swallowing is still weird and I have to drink gallons of water to clear throat blockages. After some specialist testing it would appear the nerve damage to my hearing is expected to be permanent, oh well. I am enjoying being down to 180 pounds, that's about what I was in my avatar picture 30 years ago ... if only 90% of the weight lost wasn't muscle. Hormone production has resumed so if I can find the strength, watch out girls !

Biggest issue right now is no income. I am strong enough to get out of the house  and walk around (and being driven by a desire to not become homeless in about 2 months) so I'm seeking employment now. It seems a bit dire out there for a 60 year old cancer survivor as far as I can tell so far.

Financially this year of cancer crap has wiped me out completely. I doubt I'll ever pay back the hospital 100%. This chemo/radiation/MRI/CT Scan/surgery [censored] is expensive. Six months of it was brutal, both physically and as I said ... financially.

Just touching base with you all and saying thanks to those who helped me out when this was just starting. I couldn't have made it without that help. I am humbled beyond words (me without words ? WTF ?) and you taught me a valuable lesson about accepting help. Something I was never able to do before, let alone be ok with. I feel as if this has helped me become a better person, and I thank you. I wish I had learned this a long time ago.

So wish me luck at finding decent employment. My search so far, although only having just begun ... is making me cautiously concerned. I salute you one and all of WWIIOL.   

Try the hospital you went to.  There is a series of stories they are posting about older people's second careers in healthcare at my healthcare org.

 

Can you please drop in on my thread on the cancer topic in OT?  I was hoping you would comment.

[DOC 243]

Done.

 

[CanArt 8]

Just had to renew sub to reply...

Good to hear youre still alive and feeling better.

Edited September 29 by CanArt

[DOC 243]

Slightly bad news gang. At today's follow-up it was revealed my earlier "all clear" was premature, ie: I still have cancer. Somewhat devastated I have to admit. I just about lost it when they told me at the clinic earlier. Just wanted to share the "don't ever take your health and stuff for granted like I did message" ... the consequences can be crippling and not just to your health. Your total well being can be affected in profound ways. I was trucking along nicely looking for work etc.. (there's no denying that cancer is a really good way to go bankrupt and there's nothing to be gained by homelessness except a more responsive social welfare response) and while recovery was slow, I was ahead of the curve by all reports and looking to get my life back on track.

Then, out of nowhere .. BANG. A garbage truck runs a red light and you're back behind the 8 ball. I know I'll bounce back but not today. I have a couple of extra months of medical "wait and see" and then a more complicated recovery ahead of me. It's not going to be much of a lead up to the festive season for me so if you're in a good place this Christmas, thank your lucky stars, the universe, whatever and take care of yourselves and your families the best way you know how. In a flash your ordinary peaceful existence can be gone and you'll be in the fight of your life. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy and I don't even know what that is.

I hate passing out bad news, especially about myself but I owe this community so much I feel bad not telling you exactly what is up. I'll be ok they haven't killed me yet, but today the rug was well and truly pulled out from under me. Godspeed and god bless and whatever else I can say to wish you well.

[bmw 337]

F'in A.....that is bad news........hopefully the second round kicks it.  Good luck and keep the spirits up.

Edited October 8 by bmw

[Elfin 183]

Hang in there DOC. Let us know what you need. 

 

"When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love..." Marcus Aurelius 

 

 

[tater 231]

That sucks, sorry for your news.

A friend of a friend is taking something called artemisinin as an adjuvant treatment to his regular cancer care (I recall my friend said the guy has lung cancer), and he has been taking it for several years now. It's nominally an anti-malarial, but is being tested for efficacy vs cancer. It's also available from herbal places, so it's not hard to get.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5872176/

Perhaps worth talking about with oncologist.

 

[kazee 154]

3 hours ago, DOC said:

but I owe this community so much

No Doc, its the community that owes YOU. To think of how much enjoyment each and everyone of us has had throughout the years do to you and your building and bringing this game and community together is an achievement any man should be proud of.

I can't think of too many more important things in life a man can do than to build something that stands the test of time and brings joy to others. That is what life is all about, creating and building for others to enjoy and did you ever succeed. The laughs, the community, the great battles, the map, the complaining the CRS, the "soon" etc etc. Too many things to list but its all owed to you from us.

Stay safe, stay strong, and be proud and full of joy knowing what you have done for so many other people around the world 

God bless and best wishes to you always  

[blggles 74]

God bless ya Doc, you a character. Wouldn't let ya date my daughter, but you're all right. Terribly sorry about the news. Godspeed.

[rote7 114]

Damn, this is not the kind of news I wanted to hear from you. I can only remotely imagine how you felt when you got the diagnosis.

It is easy for me to say but: Hang in there and kick some more [censored]!!! How much did you have to pay for the first round?

[fiambre 226]

Stay strong DOC. You won the first round so do it again in the second one!

 

[sorella 2,000]

God blessed you once DOC and will do so again.  

[MikeAZ 1,216]

I am sorry to hear your news. I curse cancer in Jesus name. Die cancer die!

[CycloneX 0]

Hey Doc, long time since I was here last but best wishes. I seem to remember a movie I made and posted in OT years ago where you were kicking [censored] in a bar fight. Well, keep up the fight.

[Paddyo 17]

Wishing you all the best, Doc. Keep fighting. 
 

[GrAnit 321]

I am really sorry to hear this, Doc. Hang in there.  We are all pulling for you and hoping for the best.

[jwilly 1,578]

Keep on plugging, Doc. 

I'm retired, but if I had a job to get done I'd hire you.

[DOC 243]

Appreciate that Jwilly, I really do. I like to think of myself as someone who can git 'er dun but it's difficult to impress that upon people who are merely assessing you by the numbers they think they see in front of them. It's a by rote CYA world we live in.

 

[CycloneX 0]

On 10/15/2019 at 1:43 PM, DOC said:

Appreciate that Jwilly, I really do. I like to think of myself as someone who can git 'er dun but it's difficult to impress that upon people who are merely assessing you by the numbers they think they see in front of them. It's a by rote CYA world we live in.

 

I can tell you this, I was in a car accident and was in a coma and the doctors gave up on me and told my family if they wanted to see me alive they needed to come to the hospital now. So, they all did, and because I was wearing a cross they brought in a priest and he gave me last rites. The doctors told my family that there was nothing more they could do for me. All I remember from that is that in my dream/coma state I was fighting people who were attacking me and after about a week I woke up to the surprise of all. I understand your affliction is different, but there is no explanation  to why I survived. So, there is always hope Doc and we just don't know what miracles may happen.  If it was up to those doctors I would be in the ground. Somehow I fought back, no idea how, but I did. True story and the irony is I owe the hospital about 30K for giving up on me and expecting me to die.

[Mosizlak 1,053]

Doc isn't out of the woods yet. 

Send some more cash, people. He wrote the game that has given us so much enjoyment. Give a little back.