I have Cancer :/ -- still doing well

[5-Points 2,732]

Great to hear Jerry! Cancer focked with the wrong mutherfocker! 

 

[remote controller 133]

12 hours ago, jerryskids said:

I just had my latest scans, and good news:  the new nodule is unchanged.  Well, the radiology report said maybe a smidge bigger, but at that size it barely registers on the scan so the Onc is going with "no change."  While nothing is guaranteed, IMO this significantly improves the odds that it is NOT cancer.  Recall that I have that other nodule, a little bigger actually, that shows up as unchanged for the past year and a half.  

I'll still be a little nervous at my next scan in December, because it is always nerve wracking, but I'll be a little less nervous than this time around.  Hopefully it stays another consistently unchanged nodule.

Looks like you are stuck with me a little while longer.   

This is great news!

[Gladiators 1,904]

12 hours ago, jerryskids said:

I just had my latest scans, and good news:  the new nodule is unchanged.  Well, the radiology report said maybe a smidge bigger, but at that size it barely registers on the scan so the Onc is going with "no change."  While nothing is guaranteed, IMO this significantly improves the odds that it is NOT cancer.  Recall that I have that other nodule, a little bigger actually, that shows up as unchanged for the past year and a half.  

I'll still be a little nervous at my next scan in December, because it is always nerve wracking, but I'll be a little less nervous than this time around.  Hopefully it stays another consistently unchanged nodule.

Looks like you are stuck with me a little while longer.   

Excellent news!  

[Old School 360]

  

[OldMaid 1,838]

5 minutes ago, Old School said:

  

x2

[wiffleball 4,645]

4 hours ago, jerryskids said:

I love that entire franchise.   

The two broadcasters at the competitions are particularly hilarious.   

Yeah, they're the best part. Reminds me a little bit of best in show.

I hope you get a chance to celebrate with your family. They probably need the win too! 

 

Congratulations. 

 

"It's not a toomah"

 

[jerryskids 5,207]

1 minute ago, wiffleball said:

Yeah, they're the best part. Reminds me a little bit of best in show.

I hope you get a chance to celebrate with your family. They probably need the win too! 

 

Congratulations. 

 

"It's not a toomah"

 

We started watching Community as our mindless show during my nightly lymph massage; I think you mentioned you haven't seen it so I highly recommend it.  The male broadcaster from Pitch Perfect played a zen professor in an early episode or two.   

Thanks and we do plan to celebrate with our kids, hopefully this weekend although we don't have plans in place yet.

[Thornton Melon 544]

Hope it keeps staying good news, jerry.

[Fireballer 2,383]

Great news skids.  Hope it continues

[avoiding injuries 1,220]

Awesome 

[Voltaire 4,562]

21 hours ago, Pimpadeaux said:

I always cringe when I see this thread bumped, because there is a solid chance of bad news 

And it was heartbreaking to see you're going to live a little longer.

#alsonotreally

Great news! 

Exactly.

Let's call this point "good enough" and at this point, no news is safer than news. It's a long couple of seconds waiting for the page to load whenever I re-enter this thread.

[Old School 360]

So. When is the trip to Nashville?

[wiffleball 4,645]

5 hours ago, Voltaire said:

Exactly.

Let's call this point "good enough" and at this point, no news is safer than news. It's a long couple of seconds waiting for the page to load whenever I re-enter this thread.

AOL?

 

Or, since you're in China; owl?

 

 

[jerryskids 5,207]

11 hours ago, Voltaire said:

Exactly.

Let's call this point "good enough" and at this point, no news is safer than news. It's a long couple of seconds waiting for the page to load whenever I re-enter this thread.

It's a tough line to walk, determining how much to update.  That's why I led off the text with the good news spoiler, to minimize the anticipation.  You guys and my wife were the only ones who knew about the nodule; not even my kids.  Well, until a few days prior when I was talking to my youngest daughter and she flat out asked how the previous scan went.  I figure that until we know something definitive, there is no reason to get people worried.  Except my semi-anonymous interweb buddies here.   

It's funny to see how different people handle adversity and/or seek attention on social media.  Anyone who posts on Facebook had friends who are like "I stubbed my toe, please start a prayer circle for me$#@!"  But... I do have family and friends there who deserve an update, so I should figure out something to say.  

 

[jerryskids 5,207]

6 hours ago, Old School said:

So. When is the trip to Nashville?

Great question.  We've got a lot going on with our remodel between now and the end of the year.  My brother is pretty busy as well.  Probably in the spring, before it gets too miserable there.  Although I think my MIL is coming out here in March.  Maybe February?

[Old School 360]

37 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

Great question.  We've got a lot going on with our remodel between now and the end of the year.  My brother is pretty busy as well.  Probably in the spring, before it gets too miserable there.  Although I think my MIL is coming out here in March.  Maybe February?

Whenever you get around to visiting, we’ll share an adult beverage or two.

February is colder than a well diggers ass around here. 

[jerryskids 5,207]

57 minutes ago, Old School said:

Whenever you get around to visiting, we’ll share an adult beverage or two.

February is colder than a well diggers ass around here. 

Sounds good.    Appreciate the weather advice, I'll coordinate with my bro.

[Bier Meister 1,514]

On 9/13/2022 at 8:37 PM, jerryskids said:

I just had my latest scans, and good news:  the new nodule is unchanged.  Well, the radiology report said maybe a smidge bigger, but at that size it barely registers on the scan so the Onc is going with "no change."  While nothing is guaranteed, IMO this significantly improves the odds that it is NOT cancer.  Recall that I have that other nodule, a little bigger actually, that shows up as unchanged for the past year and a half.  

I'll still be a little nervous at my next scan in December, because it is always nerve wracking, but I'll be a little less nervous than this time around.  Hopefully it stays another consistently unchanged nodule.

Looks like you are stuck with me a little while longer.   

   

[Mike Honcho 4,039]

On 9/13/2022 at 11:37 PM, jerryskids said:

I just had my latest scans, and good news:  the new nodule is unchanged.  Well, the radiology report said maybe a smidge bigger, but at that size it barely registers on the scan so the Onc is going with "no change."  While nothing is guaranteed, IMO this significantly improves the odds that it is NOT cancer.  Recall that I have that other nodule, a little bigger actually, that shows up as unchanged for the past year and a half.  

I'll still be a little nervous at my next scan in December, because it is always nerve wracking, but I'll be a little less nervous than this time around.  Hopefully it stays another consistently unchanged nodule.

Looks like you are stuck with me a little while longer.   

[DonS 3,067]

I'm currently waiting to meet with my chemo oncologist for my annual checkup.  Just got to wait another hour for my CT results to be ready.

Luckily there is a bar less than a block away. 

JFC do I get a bad case of PTSD whenever I have to come back here.  Drinking a beer and listening to my daily radiation playlist helps calm me down at least.

 

 

[jerryskids 5,207]

5 minutes ago, DonS said:

I'm currently waiting to meet with my chemo oncologist for my annual checkup.  Just got to wait another hour for my CT results to be ready.

Luckily there is a bar less than a block away. 

JFC do I get a bad case of PTSD whenever I have to come back here.  Drinking a beer and listening to my daily radiation playlist helps calm me down at least.

 

 

Good luck brutha!   

I'm sure I mentioned it, but the radiation techs loved me because I had a standing order for "90s alternative rock," which was hella more popular than the typical Johnny Mathis requests. 

[DonS 3,067]

1 minute ago, jerryskids said:

Good luck brutha!   

I'm sure I mentioned it, but the radiation techs loved me because I had a standing order for "90s alternative rock," which was hella more popular than the typical Johnny Mathis requests. 

The one older female radiation tech mentioned how she wasn't very familiar with Iron Maiden and was surprised that she actually liked the songs I had on my list. 

As the days and weeks stretched on I started putting on songs that I wanted to expose the techs to. I threw in some TOOL, NIN, and even pulled out some old Genesis (Lamb Lies Down On Broadway).   

Good times... also not really. 

[jerryskids 5,207]

1 hour ago, DonS said:

The one older female radiation tech mentioned how she wasn't very familiar with Iron Maiden and was surprised that she actually liked the songs I had on my list. 

As the days and weeks stretched on I started putting on songs that I wanted to expose the techs to. I threw in some TOOL, NIN, and even pulled out some old Genesis (Lamb Lies Down On Broadway).   

Good times... also not really. 

We didn't have the option of creating our own playlists, so I went with the Spotify or whatever service they used.  Lots of Tool, Rage, Alice, NIN... stuff to calm you down why you are strapped down by the face in a big tube.   

[DonS 3,067]

 Four years clear b1tches!!!

[wiffleball 4,645]

17 hours ago, DonS said:

 Four years clear b1tches!!!

Dude, that's great! 

 

Were you able to keep your cervix?

 

[DonS 3,067]

5 minutes ago, wiffleball said:

Dude, that's great! 

 

Were you able to keep your cervix?

 

Nah, that got pulverized into dust from all the BBC I've taken over the years. 

[wiffleball 4,645]

6 minutes ago, DonS said:

Nah, that got pulverized into dust from all the BBC I've taken over the years. 

Damn man. I've been watching Doctor Who on the BBC for a long time! I bet my ovaries are toast! 

[jerryskids 5,207]

22 hours ago, DonS said:

 Four years clear b1tches!!!

Woo HOO!!! 

[jerryskids 5,207]

On a sad note, my best friend as a young kid had colon cancer -- his surgery was the same exact day as mine, a little over two years ago.  All indications were that they got it all, but I just learned 5 minutes ago that it is back, metastasized to his liver. 

There are no words to describe how stressful these scans are.   

[DonS 3,067]

17 hours ago, jerryskids said:

On a sad note, my best friend as a young kid had colon cancer -- his surgery was the same exact day as mine, a little over two years ago.  All indications were that they got it all, but I just learned 5 minutes ago that it is back, metastasized to his liver. 

There are no words to describe how stressful these scans are.   

FUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK. 

[Voltaire 4,562]

On 10/19/2022 at 7:42 AM, DonS said:

 Four years clear b1tches!!!

Glad to hear. Hopefully Jerry can post those same words at some point.

[jerryskids 5,207]

50 minutes ago, Voltaire said:

Glad to hear. Hopefully Jerry can post those same words at some point.

Unfortunately because of my metastasis, I'll never be considered cancer free, at least with current treatments.  It's a lifetime of trying to keep the beast at bay.

People do talk about survival length, although I'm not sure exactly when to start the clock on that.  I've heard one option is from diagnosis, which for me was two years ago this past August.  Another might be when the metastasis was found, which is about 1.5 years.  Either way, before immunotherapy I'd probably be dead by now, statistically speaking.  Yet here I am, still harassing Leftists on the interwebs.    

Next scan is 12/6.  Day before my wife's birfday, and holidays approaching.  I'll be nervous, as usual.  

[IGotWorms 3,315]

19 hours ago, jerryskids said:

On a sad note, my best friend as a young kid had colon cancer -- his surgery was the same exact day as mine, a little over two years ago.  All indications were that they got it all, but I just learned 5 minutes ago that it is back, metastasized to his liver. 

There are no words to describe how stressful these scans are.   

Damn dude, sorry to hear about your friend  

[DonS 3,067]

55 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

Next scan is 12/6.  Day before my wife's birfday, and holidays approaching.  I'll be nervous, as usual.  

We'll all have our fingers crossed for an early Festivus Miracle!!!!

[jerryskids 5,207]

Update!  Had the scans yesterday:  looked good; no changes to the two nodules hanging around, no new ones.  I mentioned elsewhere that I was concerned about something in my blood work:  that was calcium, which could be a sign of lung or bone cancer, but it was back in range.  I did have a weird blowout of my eosinophil reading which I mentioned here before:

Reading that reminded me that the high reading my be a sign of the efficacy of the immunotherapy, bonus!

For some reason that set of tests was slow in returning so we didn't review them during my onc visit.  But the same thing happened last year (around December, quite odd) and it fixed itself, other than linking to some gastric discomfort (which I have again).

Anyway, I'm not worried and can enjoy the holidays in peace.  Thank you all for the warm wishes.   

[WhiteWonder 2,172]

2 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

Update!  Had the scans yesterday:  looked good; no changes to the two nodules hanging around, no new ones.  I mentioned elsewhere that I was concerned about something in my blood work:  that was calcium, which could be a sign of lung or bone cancer, but it was back in range.  I did have a weird blowout of my eosinophil reading which I mentioned here before:

Reading that reminded me that the high reading my be a sign of the efficacy of the immunotherapy, bonus!

For some reason that set of tests was slow in returning so we didn't review them during my onc visit.  But the same thing happened last year (around December, quite odd) and it fixed itself, other than linking to some gastric discomfort (which I have again).

Anyway, I'm not worried and can enjoy the holidays in peace.  Thank you all for the warm wishes.   

good to hear, my man. Keep it up. 

[DonS 3,067]

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,592]

good update bro!

[avoiding injuries 1,220]

Awesome news. Enjoy the holiday season with less stress. 

[Voltaire 4,562]

24 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

Update! 

Seeing this bumped ties my stomach in knots. That exclamation point gave the thread away in the first millisecond after the page loaded.