Life Event

[Wicked]

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This is flat out awesome!! Thank you for sharing your story and congrats on you win.

 

[Tom.]

Had my last chemo session yesterday. PSA test showed my score dropped again to a low of .51 which was down from .84 and a world away from where I started at 1,690. My beloved wife cried when she heard the numbers.

Normally the day after chemo is a pretty good day and most of Friday too because of the steroids. I suspect I’ll drop out tomorrow night when it all wears off. Other than the usual discomfort of receiving chemo the day passed without incident.

I said my goodbyes to the nurses and all the staff who put up with me since February. They took great care of me but I’m on my own now. The oncologist said I tolerated the treatment very well and exceeded their expectations undergoing hormone treatment. He wants me to get a blood test every 6 weeks and continue to flush the port a cath until after the imagery in August.

He gave me some rules like exercise regularly to increase heart rate, eat nutrient dense protein foods like fish, poultry, fresh vegetables and fruit. High fiber, low carbs and avoid red meats and animal protein. My wife will make sure I stay on track.

I have to see him regularly for the next 5 years. I’ll be on hormone pills for the rest of my life and will continue to take Eligard injections and Xgeva for bone treatment indefinitely. They believe the chemo did its job but no one is using words like remission or anything. I don’t blame them. It’s a waiting game now.

It isn’t over, we all know that. They don’t cure cancer. They talk about containment, controlling spread, dormancy and other terms, always with an emphasis on prolonging life, increasing quality of living and giving patients more time.

In the beginning I used to ask myself the question, What is going to happen if I die? The question has evolved into, What will I do today, knowing one day I will die? The answers have come over time. I’m going to live, love, laugh, share, explore, be with family, friends, go places, buy what I want, stress less, enjoy the little things in life.

Above all be thankful I get another minute, hour or day. Not a single day has passed I haven’t prayed. Not for me, but for others who need prayers. I pray for my wife. May she be blessed, free of illness, strong, at peace, safe and never alone. I’ve prayed for every person I came to know who are engaged in their own battle. I’m a better person today and I’ve reconciled with others. Most importantly I’m at peace knowing when I’m judged by my creator I am ok with the decisions I’ve made and the remorse I’ve expressed when I was not at my best.

In early May my wife and I made a road trip to be with friends attending a rally. No one knew we were coming. I walked in and everyone’s jaw dropped. The outpouring of emotion was overwhelming. One of the crew made special shirts and everyone was going to wear them on the first day to show their support. My wife and I wore ours and I took the leaders spot and had the best week I’ve had since January. The last day was heartfelt as one by one people said their goodbyes. Upon getting back I was spent. Physically the trip took everything I had but one of my best friends said to me You are a 1 percenter! You’ve done what no one else who’s gone through what you have, could or should do.

I don’t think I’m special. I don’t walk on water and I’ve been extremely blessed by good fortune. I do believe I had help. For this reason I dedicate this post to every person who read what I had to say. For those that prayed, offered thoughts both on and off this forum. For those that shared some words of encouragement, shared their own story or perhaps took the time to silently ask that I get through this. Thank you!

I’ve told my wife I love her more than I have in years. I wanted to recover but as much as I didn’t want to be sick I wanted to show her I could do it. I may be tested again in the future. Only time will tell. I said on my first day of chemo I wasn’t going down without a fight. Cancer will have to go through me. I’m not giving up! Failure was never on the table.

 

[Spc369]

Had my last chemo session yesterday. PSA test showed my score dropped again to a low of .51 which was down from .84 and a world away from where I started at 1,690. My beloved wife cried when she heard the numbers.

Normally the day after chemo is a pretty good day and most of Friday too because of the steroids. I suspect I’ll drop out tomorrow night when it all wears off. Other than the usual discomfort of receiving chemo the day passed without incident.

I said my goodbyes to the nurses and all the staff who put up with me since February. They took great care of me but I’m on my own now. The oncologist said I tolerated the treatment very well and exceeded their expectations undergoing hormone treatment. He wants me to get a blood test every 6 weeks and continue to flush the port a cath until after the imagery in August.

He gave me some rules like exercise regularly to increase heart rate, eat nutrient dense protein foods like fish, poultry, fresh vegetables and fruit. High fiber, low carbs and avoid red meats and animal protein. My wife will make sure I stay on track.

I have to see him regularly for the next 5 years. I’ll be on hormone pills for the rest of my life and will continue to take Eligard injections and Xgeva for bone treatment indefinitely. They believe the chemo did its job but no one is using words like remission or anything. I don’t blame them. It’s a waiting game now.

It isn’t over, we all know that. They don’t cure cancer. They talk about containment, controlling spread, dormancy and other terms, always with an emphasis on prolonging life, increasing quality of living and giving patients more time.

In the beginning I used to ask myself the question, What is going to happen if I die? The question has evolved into, What will I do today, knowing one day I will die? The answers have come over time. I’m going to live, love, laugh, share, explore, be with family, friends, go places, buy what I want, stress less, enjoy the little things in life.

Above all be thankful I get another minute, hour or day. Not a single day has passed I haven’t prayed. Not for me, but for others who need prayers. I pray for my wife. May she be blessed, free of illness, strong, at peace, safe and never alone. I’ve prayed for every person I came to know who are engaged in their own battle. I’m a better person today and I’ve reconciled with others. Most importantly I’m at peace knowing when I’m judged by my creator I am ok with the decisions I’ve made and the remorse I’ve expressed when I was not at my best.

In early May my wife and I made a road trip to be with friends attending a rally. No one knew we were coming. I walked in and everyone’s jaw dropped. The outpouring of emotion was overwhelming. One of the crew made special shirts and everyone was going to wear them on the first day to show their support. My wife and I wore ours and I took the leaders spot and had the best week I’ve had since January. The last day was heartfelt as one by one people said their goodbyes. Upon getting back I was spent. Physically the trip took everything I had but one of my best friends said to me You are a 1 percenter! You’ve done what no one else who’s gone through what you have, could or should do.

I don’t think I’m special. I don’t walk on water and I’ve been extremely blessed by good fortune. I do believe I had help. For this reason I dedicate this post to every person who read what I had to say. For those that prayed, offered thoughts both on and off this forum. For those that shared some words of encouragement, shared their own story or perhaps took the time to silently ask that I get through this. Thank you!

I’ve told my wife I love her more than I have in years. I wanted to recover but as much as I didn’t want to be sick I wanted to show her I could do it. I may be tested again in the future. Only time will tell. I said on my first day of chemo I wasn’t going down without a fight. Cancer will have to go through me. I’m not giving up! Failure was never on the table.

Such a positive post a million miles away from your first!

 

[Steven Goldberg]

G-D bless

 

[TheDukeOfIce]

This is epic news brother, congratulations and celebrations are in order.

Wow, super stoked to read this and hear of this positive turn for you and your family. This is great news!

Thank you for sharing your journey with us all. It has been unique to get this insight and perspective, and it has helped me with my fathers battle with lung cancer.

Keep on getting stronger and back to your old self. Let me know when you want to make some F’cancer celebratory Dillons happen

 

[Lopaka KaMars]

I’m relieved to hear that the worst may be over. Very inspirational to follow you on your fight. Get strong and go live life bro.

 

[Fakir]

Awesome news.
Time to catch up on the East coast.

 

[GRFMotorsports]

This is by far the best news I have heard all week! I am so happy for you and your family!

Cancer Sucks!

 

[karasugenji]

Great to read that you feel better. Very inspiring for all of us and yes even if we love Oakley there is nothing more important than health of our beloved and ourselves. Oakley will place right after

 

[Medusa50]

It’s been 3 weeks since the last chemotherapy infusion. Glad I don’t have to go back for that. Since then I’ve continued to regain strength and my mobility has gotten better. I find I tire more easily than before and it’s not uncommon to feel drained around one in the afternoon. A number of days I lie down only to wake up several hours later. It’s strange since I was always active in my opinion.

I continue to take the oral medication which the doctors say I will receive for the rest of my life. We were able to coordinate the bone treatment injection and Lupron at the same time which cuts down on the number of hospital visits. I’m due for a port flush later this month so I’ll ask about when they want to schedule the CT scans and imagery of my bone structure.

A few things that have happened since May 17th. My wife and I sat outside and had something to eat on Memorial Day. I opened the windows to the patio, turned on the jukebox and we enjoyed time together. It reminded me of all the bbqs we have had over the years. Those always made me happy. We had lots of friends and family over all the time. They are all gone now. It was just the two of us. I began tearing up and my wife asked what was wrong? I told her I was happy and I just wanted to be with her. I don’t need lots of people. I just need the one person I have with me now.

My wife went to work the other day. I went through all the little outdoor decorations she has. Little ceramic mushrooms, frogs and some concrete sculptures. I put them all around the patio to make things look nice for her. I wanted her to see it. I wanted her to smile. Some things were still in boxes. I remember she asked for them around Christmas time. I always felt like she was trying to pick something for me to get her because deep down she wanted nothing.

I try to do a better job picking up after myself and and I want to contribute more. There are days when she has worked and I’m home, I’ll take the new car and drive to her job so she can just drive home in it. She doesn’t want to have anything happen to it at work so she usually takes my truck.

I‘m trying to give her the best life I can. I want her to have everything and I want her life to be as perfect as it can be. She has told me she loves me so much and I’ve said I love her and all I want is to be with her Forever!

I wasted a lot of time over the years. I focused on things that didn’t really matter. I’m not throwing away whatever time we have remaining. I’ve received the greatest gift! I understand when people say that their illness was the best thing that ever happened to them.

She is my EVERYTHING.