I have Cancer :/ -- still doing well

[avoiding injuries 1,220]

T’s & P’s!

[Cloaca du jour 2,064]

Thoughts and prayers!!  You will kick its azz

[Mungwater 588]

That sucks jerry, but you’ll kick its ass

 

[Brad GLuckman 518]

I look forward to your "I beat Cancer" thread, Jerry. You better post it when it happens because even though youre a random person on the Internet, I am surprised to find I really do care. Youre in my thoughts and Im rooting for you.

[Strike 3,932]

Fock.  Sorry to hear Jerry.  Best wishes for a full recovery.  Keep us posted and, if you end up in hospital for any period of time, remember to post the nurse's can sizes.

[MTSkiBum 1,591]

Best of luck.

[BirdGang 312]

Sorry to see this, hang in there man you will get through it. I’ve had terrible reflux for years and now past 40 and some of these symptoms sounding familiar need to be better about check ups. Glad to hear it sounds like you caught this in time!

[The PosterFormerlyKnownAs 61]

Serious healing energy and grace to your family.  

[Drizzay 643]

Fock cancer.  Kick it square in the nuts.

[Big Guy 1,400]

Well that sucks man.....I'll pray for a successful operation & recovery!

keep your chin up, stay strong

[Voltaire 4,550]

My best wishes, Jerry. Scary stuff to be sure.

[Mike Isles 583]

6 hours ago, Djgb13 said:

 and some rank’em pics

That gets you banned.

[jonmx 1,548]

Best wishes.  It sounds like there is s good chance and beating this so stay positive.  

[The Elevator Killer 497]

Sorry to hear that Skids. Good luck in the battle. You seem to have the right attitude. Go kick it's a$$.

[5-Points 2,715]

Damn, sorry to hear that. From your OP the outlook sounds fairly positive. Keep your chin up and kick this thing's ass.  

[edjr 5,538]

LOOK AT ME!!#$%@%!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 get betterl soon.

[wiffleball 4,629]

Wait, did you go down on Catherine Zeta-Jones too?

 

Damn man. I'm glad you're getting the very best care possible. Be thinking about you.

[Meglamaniac 380]

Terrible news to read, here's hoping for the best of outcomes, stay strong

[Old School 360]

Damn Skids. That’s pretty scary stuff. Sounds like you are addressing everything and will beat this in short order. Mayo does amazing work. 

[supermike80 1,280]

Good luck Kids.   Hope you come back stronger than ever

[Mookz 1,287]

Feel better soon Skids.  

 

[cmh6476 748]

sending you

[jerryskids 5,149]

12 hours ago, Patriotsfatboy1 said:

Wow, this is like a punch in the gut. I have never met you, but feel that you are a friend.  I am at a loss for words and that does not happen very often. Fock cancer and you will beat this.

Please PM if there is anything that I can do to help you through this.

Thanks man, and thanks to all of you.  I too consider many of you friends and would be sad to hear such news about you.  As such I'll plan to stick around for a few more decades to regale you all with my wit and charm. 

[Bert 1,087]

14 hours ago, jerryskids said:

Throat cancer; a large tumor blocking a lot of my airway.  A squamous cell carcinoma in my supraglottis, for those playing doctor at home.  Yes I've been throating hogs like @DonS.  In fact he and I have been PM'ing as I've started this journey a few weeks ago. 

TL;DR: It is operable, and I will have surgery in a week or two.  Post op treatment TBD.  Prognosis looks pretty good as of this weekend but there is a long way to go and several risks described below.

Symptoms started maybe 4 months ago in hindsight; a slight cough maybe once every day or two.  I was also training for Pat's Run and commented to my wife that I felt like I wasn't quite getting all of the oxygen I thought I should.  While I'm fit I'm not a runner so, what did I know? With Covid floating around and the symptoms just sorta hovering I figured I had it and was experiencing some of those longer term effects they mentioned.

In May or so I occasionally noticed that I'd choke a little occasionally when I was eating.  I figured I was getting old and just needed to chew my food better.  It never occurred to me that they were all related. 

Swallowing became increasingly difficult and I started coughing consistently whenever I swallowed anything, even water.  I became convinced that something was wrong with whatever isolates the food pipe (esophagus) from the air pipe (trachea).  I hoped… prayed… meditated?  that it was irritation from drinking too much.  Did I mention that I was drinking too much?  I was.  I also used to chew, a lot, but quit that 5+ years ago.  Anyway, I stopped drinking altogether around when I noticed some blood in my mucus (there wasn't much mucus so it probably had been there for a while and I didn't notice).  Finally called an ENT.

After some Covid test delays he saw me last Friday and was confident, based on my fitness, that it was just acid reflux.  He stuck a camera down my nose into the area and… oops, big ass tumor.  Covers more than 50% of the area.  Just above the vocal cords but isn't growing on them.  He thought I should look a lot worse, so I've got that going for me.

He is friends with an ENT at Mayo who is the teaching doctor in the state, maybe country, for a laser procedure that cuts it out from the inside.  He called him that evening and said "you need to see this guy ASAP."  Got a call Monday to go to Mayo for another Covid test (I'm quite Covid free it appears), saw the surgeon Tuesday, CAT scan Wed, PET Thurs, results on Mayo patient portal Fri including a summary from the PA.  Meeting rad/onc Tuesday.  Somebody mentioned recently how much better a place like Mayo is than other clinics.  All of this under one roof (well, two campuses and multiple buildings), and so far you can set an atomic clock by their keeping appointment schedule. 

Since I can breathe fine even while laying down, the surgeon wants to collect the above data and review with their cancer board this week.  Probably surgery next week is my guess.

The good news from the tests is that carcinoma is the best cancer you can get, and as hoped it hasn't spread to other parts of my body.  It did go to the lymph nodes on that side of my neck, but that is expected apparently.  Also no sign of other tumors brewing.  I was particularly skeered about it metastasizing, because it might have been growing there for years.

Post-surgery depends on if they can get it all, if they can save my vocal cords, and if they can avoid a permanent tracheostomy (breathing thru a hole in my throat).  As the doctor said, I should get back to normal, but I may have a new "normal".  I expect I'll be eating smoothies for a few weeks, and not allowed to talk much if at all in that period.

Anyway, I'm sure there is more but for now LOOKATMEEEEEEEEE!1!!!!11!!!

 

T & Ps  Good luck! Fock Cancer

[Frozenbeernuts 1,652]

Holy ##### Jerry. Best of luck man. I hope you have a full recovery with minimal noticeable effects after you have recovered. I'm especially hoping there isn't any need for a trach tube or vocal chord removal.

Does the doctor believe this was related to chewing? Or more so from drinking? Smoking? 

[NorthernVike 2,079]

Fock man, best of luck. 

[patweisers44 696]

Damn, this sucks.   Best of luck....and fock cancer!

[Cruzer 1,992]

So sorry - best of wishes, be strong. 

[JustinCharge 2,397]

thoughts and prayers.  We think we are indestructible but it can all be over tomorrow.

[edjr 5,538]

Is there anyone you ever wished got throat cancer?

Jim Leyland? Dennis Leadry? Andrew Dice Clay?  you know, people that flaunted smoking right in your face.

Why Jerry, what did he do?

[porkbutt 860]

best of luck!

[Thornton Melon 542]

  Sorry to hear, jerry. Best of luck to you, from a fellow nerd. 

[supermike80 1,280]

I remember you talking about how hot your wife is.   Um...Can we get her number?   

I mean 2 pages of T's and P's  it's time for a little geek club ribbing.

So can we????

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

1 minute ago, supermike80 said:

I remember you talking about how hot your wife is.   Um...Can we get her number?   

I mean 2 pages of T's and P's  it's time for a little geek club ribbing.

So can we????

I have it if you want. 

[supermike80 1,280]

Just now, Patriotsfatboy1 said:

I have it if you want. 

LOLOL

[jerryskids 5,149]

2 hours ago, Frozenbeernuts said:

Holy ##### Jerry. Best of luck man. I hope you have a full recovery with minimal noticeable effects after you have recovered. I'm especially hoping there isn't any need for a trach tube or vocal chord removal.

Does the doctor believe this was related to chewing? Or more so from drinking? Smoking? 

Trach tube/tracheostomy and loss of vocal cords are possibilities.  I suspect a temp tube minimum may be needed for the surgery and immediate recovery, but long term is possible as well.  For vocal cords, the surgeon saw an odd lump just below my cords on the other side, and said that if that was a tumor I'd likely lose the cords.  Ends up it isn't cancer, so that's good.  He says you can talk almost as well without the actual cords, whatever that means.  Regardless, I'm cautiously optimistic on both counts until I hear otherwise.

Tobacco is the most likely single culprit in typical cases.  I used to swallow quite a bit as well (didn't put much in but still swallowed at times).  Like I said that was 5+ years ago, but it wouldn't surprise me if this has been percolating since before I quit.  Alcohol is also a contributor and I've been drinking until the past few weeks.  

Anyone who chews knows it is hard as fock to quit.  My advice is to find a way that works for you; never quit quitting! 

[jerryskids 5,149]

37 minutes ago, supermike80 said:

I remember you talking about how hot your wife is.   Um...Can we get her number?   

I mean 2 pages of T's and P's  it's time for a little geek club ribbing.

So can we????

Sure, 1-800-JKS-WIFE

We've decided that "I'm going to get fruit to smush for your smoothie" is code for "I'm going to bang a Geek." 

[supermike80 1,280]

Just now, jerryskids said:

Sure, 1-800-JKS-WIFE

We've decided that "I'm going to get fruit to smush for your smoothie" is code for "I'm going to bang a Geek." 

Tell her to make it 1-900-JKS-WIFE so she can raise money for your treatment.  You could get that sex change you have always wanted at the same time.

[jerryskids 5,149]

2 minutes ago, supermike80 said:

Tell her to make it 1-900-JKS-WIFE so she can raise money for your treatment.  You could get that sex change you have always wanted at the same time.

Interesting... her voice is somewhat high-pitched, almost childlike.  GF might sell his mother's Miata to pay to talk dirty to her. 

[Strike 3,932]

8 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

Trach tube/tracheostomy and loss of vocal cords are possibilities.  I suspect a temp tube minimum may be needed for the surgery and immediate recovery, but long term is possible as well.  For vocal cords, the surgeon saw an odd lump just below my cords on the other side, and said that if that was a tumor I'd likely lose the cords.  Ends up it isn't cancer, so that's good.  He says you can talk almost as well without the actual cords, whatever that means.  Regardless, I'm cautiously optimistic on both counts until I hear otherwise.

Tobacco is the most likely single culprit in typical cases.  I used to swallow quite a bit as well (didn't put much in but still swallowed at times).  Like I said that was 5+ years ago, but it wouldn't surprise me if this has been percolating since before I quit.  Alcohol is also a contributor and I've been drinking until the past few weeks.  

Anyone who chews knows it is hard as fock to quit.  My advice is to find a way that works for you; never quit quitting! 

My Mom and Aunt both passed from lung cancer.  Both had been heavy smokers in their younger years but quit for at least 20 years before they got the cancer.  Cancer sucks.  Good luck man.  I'm rooting for you.