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I caught the cancer


Burt

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53 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

Just out of curiosity, why didn’t they start with a prostate MRI before the biopsy?

Don’t know … just followed Doctor’s orders like the good Sailor I am.  To be honest, my initial urologist was an elderly guy on the verge of retirement.  Set in his ways?

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On 5/25/2022 at 6:22 PM, Sbbruin said:

My head is still swimming.  Hasn’t quite been 24 hrs.  Yesterday at this time I was blissfully ignorant.

I completely understand and you have my sympathies. When I received the news in the doctor's office, everything just spun. It may be that way for awhile so be gentle with yourself. It's a lot to take in and the information starts rolling in fast and the specialists get to work. I had days prior to surgery and treatment where I would take the children to school in a simultaneous daze of emotion and numbness, like my brain didn't know what to do. It gets better in a way, so hang in there. The surgery recovery gave me something to focus on that was much more immediate and that helped sort things out a little.

On 5/25/2022 at 12:14 PM, Sbbruin said:

 I've been literally having an out of body experience the last 18 hours.  Like it's somebody else.  But it's me.  Not sure how to process it.  Of course all I can think about is my family.  Son is graduating HS in a week.  I don't want this to fuck him up, so may wait to tell the kids until afterwards.  And he's planning on spending his first year of college in London.  I don't want this to fuck it up.  And, well, they really need me around. 

Again, I am so sorry for the news.

With respect to children, I can only relate my own story because no one knows your family better than you. Our youngest was nine years old and had one surviving grandparent who was battling cancer, the others having already passed away too young from various types of that insidious disease. So learning that a parent had cancer was very scary. But we had always been big Mr. Roger's followers in our family and his advice about 'what is mentionable is manageable' was sound and it really helped. When we broke the news to the children, we told them the truth because in our family we knew they would fill in any blanks if we did not. It was still hard, and I know it made for days and several years of worry for my children, but they learned in a way I wish they had never had to at that age the value of love and life and what it means in comparison to all the other things that surround us. We hung on and held tight and went on the journey together. Each milestone was a memory. For them. For me. For all of us. No way to put a value on that.

God bless you and your family.

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Hang it there and you shall defeat cancer.

JC, I’m going to get checked out because I’ve been taking Omeprazole for years now. Haven’t had an endoscopy in 10 years. Had a gastro doc in NYC but since moving back, have only been seeing a PP. thanks for the reminder.

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On 5/27/2022 at 12:20 AM, NorthLoop said:

I just literally found out an hour ago that my mom has a brain tumor. That's all I know.. could be operable, maybe not. I dunno. Don't wanna hijack this thread but didn't wanna start a new one. 

Shit, sorry to hear that man.  Hopefully it’s benign and operable.  And hopefully she’s got a good neurologist.

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8 hours ago, NorthLoop said:

Good news is that her body scan showed no signs of cancer anywhere else. The tumor in her brain might not even be cancer. Surgery is tomorrow unless their OR gets inundated with other urgent trauma. 

Peace and love bud. hoping for the best possible result. 🤘❤️

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8 hours ago, NorthLoop said:

Good news is that her body scan showed no signs of cancer anywhere else. The tumor in her brain might not even be cancer. Surgery is tomorrow unless their OR gets inundated with other urgent trauma. 

Here’s hoping she just nips it in the bud. Positive vibes.  Lost my mom to cancer 7 years ago.  

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10 hours ago, NorthLoop said:

Good news is that her body scan showed no signs of cancer anywhere else. The tumor in her brain might not even be cancer. Surgery is tomorrow unless their OR gets inundated with other urgent trauma. 

I got put through the ringer in college because they found a benign tumor/cyst in my brain.  If it was malignant it was in a place that would be difficult to get to.  So we did a MRI every couple of months to see if it was growing.  A year later and it had not grown, so it was determined that it was probably something that had been there my whole life.  25 years later and I’m still here with a functional brain.  Opinions may vary on the last part of that statement.  Hope all goes well for your mom.

Edited by conVINCEd
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@Sbbruin man, I’m at a total loss of words other than to say I love you man. Your marina side sushi, blue water pics and cable knit sweater are in my psyche forever. I hope and pray for you and your family, when you make it through I want to sail with you to Catalina, boat gas will be on me! 

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On 5/29/2022 at 11:10 PM, NorthLoop said:

The surgery was last night and she didn't sleep well after. She slept most of today but when she was awake she was still confused and acting weird like before. Doc says this may just be because of swelling and pressure due to the surgery. I sure as fuck hope so. We'll see tomorrow if her cognition improves. 

I suspect your mom was given a large dose of steroids prior to the surgery.  If so, she will be tapered off of the steroids for the next several weeks.  Steroids will change a person's behavior, sleep patterns, etc.  The effects of the steroids will lessen throughout the taper.  I tapered off medical steroids once and was only sleeping a few hours a night, became uber OCD, and was extremely short tempered.  I was back to my normal surly self at the end of the taper.

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On 5/27/2022 at 11:29 PM, NorthLoop said:

Good news is that her body scan showed no signs of cancer anywhere else. The tumor in her brain might not even be cancer. Surgery is tomorrow unless their OR gets inundated with other urgent trauma. 

A woman who got a brain tumor removed in the 80s or 90s told me lots of people have tumors up there and never even know it because nothing happens.

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oh man, i just read this, Bruin...hoping you caught it early! to echo Nicole, you're one of my favorite posters...wishing you the best, man 🤘

 

 

also, sidenote...good lord reading everything else shared about GERD and other issues...male part of our very best friend couple (35+ years), he has just insane digestive issues. he's already had surgery for diverticulitis and has almost constant acid reflux, on an empty or full stomach, doesn't matter. he eats Tums like candy (to the point where he actually jacked up his blood somehow a couple years ago and had to lay off). they have to eat dinner at like 5pm and the head of their bed is elevated 6 inches so he can sleep!

we honestly all just roll our eyes and snicker at him now b/c it's so ubiquitous as to be annoying, and he's one of these that doesn't want to take prescription meds b/c of 'side effects' (which could not possibly be worse than the actual illness, whatever it is!), his quality of life (and hers tbh) is frequently impacted (he's 'sick' a lot), and he has refused surgery b/c of the risks. 

anyway...now i'm going to have to bring up this other stuff to her!! his has been going on so long he almost certainly has some secondary/tertiary issues now...he probably doesn't even realize cancer is one of the possibilities. yikes. 

 

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Well this sounds afuckingmazing!

A Cancer Trial's Unexpected Result: Remission in Every Patient

Gina Kolata
Mon, June 6, 2022, 7:06 AM
It was a small trial, just 18 rectal cancer patients, every one of whom took the same drug.

But the results were astonishing. The cancer vanished in every single patient, undetectable by physical exam; endoscopy; positron emission tomography, or PET scans; or MRI scans.

Dr. Luis A. Diaz Jr. of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, an author of a paper published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine describing the results, which were sponsored by drug company GlaxoSmithKline, said he knew of no other study in which a treatment completely obliterated a cancer in every patient.

“I believe this is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer,” Diaz said.

Dr. Alan P. Venook, a colorectal cancer specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved with the study, said he also thought this was a first.

A complete remission in every single patient is “unheard-of,” he said.

These rectal cancer patients had faced grueling treatments — chemotherapy, radiation and, most likely, life-altering surgery that could result in bowel, urinary and sexual dysfunction. Some would need colostomy bags.

They entered the study thinking that, when it was over, they would have to undergo those procedures because no one really expected their tumors to disappear.

But they got a surprise: No further treatment was necessary.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/cancer-trials-unexpected-result-remission-120646950.html

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  • 2 weeks later...
53 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

So some positive news, relatively.  Had both an endoscopic ultrasound and PET CT this past week.  Ultrasound showed a sizable tumor.  But PET CT showed very little spread.  And that’s the key.  Now there is a plan.  6 weeks of radiation 5 days/week and chemo 1x/week for the same period.  Then wait 8 weeks or so and if it worked to shrink it down, then open me up, cut out a section of my esophagus, and then hope that’s that.  So at least there’s a path to the other side.  

Don't make us use the wreath fund
(because you know it's already gone for Drunkensteins fake cancer)

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2 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

So some positive news, relatively.  Had both an endoscopic ultrasound and PET CT this past week.  Ultrasound showed a sizable tumor.  But PET CT showed very little spread.  And that’s the key.  Now there is a plan.  6 weeks of radiation 5 days/week and chemo 1x/week for the same period.  Then wait 8 weeks or so and if it worked to shrink it down, then open me up, cut out a section of my esophagus, and then hope that’s that.  So at least there’s a path to the other side.  

You've got this. Kick it's ass, brother. 

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On 6/20/2022 at 11:55 AM, Sbbruin said:

So some positive news, relatively.  Had both an endoscopic ultrasound and PET CT this past week.  Ultrasound showed a sizable tumor.  But PET CT showed very little spread.  And that’s the key.  Now there is a plan.  6 weeks of radiation 5 days/week and chemo 1x/week for the same period.  Then wait 8 weeks or so and if it worked to shrink it down, then open me up, cut out a section of my esophagus, and then hope that’s that.  So at least there’s a path to the other side.  

With my own health (left kidney ran away with a tall handsome tumor a few years back) I find it useful to think like a WW1 trench veteran-- not in the early and mid war, when they advanced in waves, but towards the end, when they had the tools to get results, had basically puzzled out modern tactics, but even when you win, it's kinda grotty. The surgeons are your tanks and planes, machine guns and mortars. You keep moving right behind the barrage pitching bags of grenades in various trenches you hop over, then it's green fields and a parade in Paris and Jazz Age and you bum around Europe til you find a Tramp Steamer to Montevideo, which is great fun until you try to tame Inez.

So, just put it all in their hands, show up wherever they tell you to go, then sit there and let them blast hell out of it. Hunt it down and kill it.

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On 6/20/2022 at 11:55 AM, Sbbruin said:

So some positive news, relatively.  Had both an endoscopic ultrasound and PET CT this past week.  Ultrasound showed a sizable tumor.  But PET CT showed very little spread.  And that’s the key.  Now there is a plan.  6 weeks of radiation 5 days/week and chemo 1x/week for the same period.  Then wait 8 weeks or so and if it worked to shrink it down, then open me up, cut out a section of my esophagus, and then hope that’s that.  So at least there’s a path to the other side.  

atta boy.   keep us posted.  

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11 hours ago, RDCanecutter said:

With my own health (left kidney ran away with a tall handsome tumor a few years back) I find it useful to think like a WW1 trench veteran-- not in the early and mid war, when they advanced in waves, but towards the end, when they had the tools to get results, had basically puzzled out modern tactics, but even when you win, it's kinda grotty. The surgeons are your tanks and planes, machine guns and mortars. You keep moving right behind the barrage pitching bags of grenades in various trenches you hop over, then it's green fields and a parade in Paris and Jazz Age and you bum around Europe til you find a Tramp Steamer to Montevideo, which is great fun until you try to tame Inez.

So, just put it all in their hands, show up wherever they tell you to go, then sit there and let them blast hell out of it. Hunt it down and kill it.

Inez is such a dirty little slut.

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Just read through this thread, so glad there is a happy path potentially Bruin and I hope you get to stay on that course!

The GERD and esophagus stuff is timely for me, because I've had horrible indigestion and reflux and nausea anytime I eat anything. Oh and diarrhea for 2 straight weeks. Been eating Tums and Rolaids like candy but the label says if you are taking the max amount of Tums and Rolaids for more than 2 weeks go see a doc.

I am seeing my doctor tomorrow so hopefully I see what's going on but I think it might be a side effect to a pill they have me on for something completely unrelated-- but I've been on that pill for 2.5 months and these side effects would have just begun 2 weeks ago.

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On 6/20/2022 at 11:55 AM, Sbbruin said:

So some positive news, relatively.  Had both an endoscopic ultrasound and PET CT this past week.  Ultrasound showed a sizable tumor.  But PET CT showed very little spread.  And that’s the key.  Now there is a plan.  6 weeks of radiation 5 days/week and chemo 1x/week for the same period.  Then wait 8 weeks or so and if it worked to shrink it down, then open me up, cut out a section of my esophagus, and then hope that’s that.  So at least there’s a path to the other side.  

Hey, they did some that to me five years ago and I'm still here, although I had butt cancer!  PM if you have any questions.  I might be able to answer them.

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4 minutes ago, Hanrahan said:

Hey, they did some that to me five years ago and I'm still here, although I had butt cancer!  PM if you have any questions.  I might be able to answer them.

Thanks, but I don't need any advice from some pederast.

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On 6/7/2022 at 4:55 AM, RPM said:

Well this sounds afuckingmazing!

A Cancer Trial's Unexpected Result: Remission in Every Patient

Gina Kolata
Mon, June 6, 2022, 7:06 AM
It was a small trial, just 18 rectal cancer patients, every one of whom took the same drug.

But the results were astonishing. The cancer vanished in every single patient, undetectable by physical exam; endoscopy; positron emission tomography, or PET scans; or MRI scans.

Dr. Luis A. Diaz Jr. of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, an author of a paper published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine describing the results, which were sponsored by drug company GlaxoSmithKline, said he knew of no other study in which a treatment completely obliterated a cancer in every patient.

“I believe this is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer,” Diaz said.

Dr. Alan P. Venook, a colorectal cancer specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved with the study, said he also thought this was a first.

A complete remission in every single patient is “unheard-of,” he said.

These rectal cancer patients had faced grueling treatments — chemotherapy, radiation and, most likely, life-altering surgery that could result in bowel, urinary and sexual dysfunction. Some would need colostomy bags.

They entered the study thinking that, when it was over, they would have to undergo those procedures because no one really expected their tumors to disappear.

But they got a surprise: No further treatment was necessary.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/cancer-trials-unexpected-result-remission-120646950.html

 

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