My Cancer Has Returned.

Thanks for your kind words twslisa. I am currently having quite some difficulty with treatment side effects, but I am managing to keep on going.

Peace be with you and may your remission continue.

Will pray for the side effects. I got through chemo with surprisingly few problems. By the end of it all I had some real fatigue, and had to ask for antidepressants to counteract the wild emotional swings that come with the hormonal side effects, but things gradually normalized. Don't be shy about telling your doc about problems. They can often mitigate. Also, give yourself permission to rest a lot. Sleep/rest is healing, not weakness.

I must ask, with sympathy, if there is any update to this thread.

Pete when I was going through chemo and radiation I saw numerous people with various types of cancer in Stage IV whip the snot of of it. The side effects suck and often seem to compound the feelings - physical and mental. Many days it was other patients and staff that gave me that glimmer and reinvigorated my attitude - and in particular when I saw people ring the bell...when you do that Pete (as I believe you will) ring that thing thing until you are tired of ringing it!!
As has been mentioned on here - you have people thinking of you and pulling for you. And I assume your facility is similar to mine - the nurses you see are all behind you and truly unique in the field of nursing. Some of the maost caring people I ahve ever seen. So your inner spirit - your family - you medical team - and this forum. You sir have a huge group that is in your corner...so keep standing tall and know as difficult as this is there is always hope. Others have done it and there is every reason to believe you can whip this as well.
My thoughts are with you and yours. And when you need that little bit of extra strength it will come from the most unexpected places.

Please one favor - as you can update this thread.

Scott

Pete - I lost a brother last month to Stage 4 less than four weeks after diagnosis and only 5 days after his first chemo treatment.

I can only wish you the best in your struggle, and offer (I'm sure) all of our appreciation for chronicling this for us.

Thanks, everyone, for all your support. You have no idea how much it means to me!

Dustin, I wish for you and your grandpa strength and courage. You will both need it. I will be 76 next month, so I am probably older than your grandpa!

I used to have a client who said "Getting old ain't for sissies!" I know what that means, and I suspect your grandpa does also.

I encourage you, whenever you visit with him, ask him to tell you the stories about when he was younger. After he tells you the stories, go and buy one of those hard backed journals and write them down. You will not regret it!

Also ask him to tell you about his ancestors: names and where they lived, who they married, who were their children, and what he knows of their history. Write that down, also.