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jerryskids

I have Cancer :/ -- still doing well

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Sorry to hear about the less than stellar updates buddy.  Sending well wishes your way, time to kick this thing in the arse.

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1 hour ago, EternalShinyAndChrome said:

Sorry to hear about this, jerry.  

You'll beat this.  I know it. 

Besides, we need your help in the fight against the idiocy that @wiffleball and @Mike Honcho and @dogcows litters this forum with.

Feelers hurt? :(

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I’m at a loss for words...  So I’ll just send lots of well wishes your way. 

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Fock! Sorry 'skids. We were all hoping the worst was behind you. You've still got a great attitude. Glad to hear you're taking control of the situation. That's focking awesome! :cheers:

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On 4/2/2021 at 2:20 PM, posty said:

You go!!!!  Most of us here are rooting for you to kick its ass...

Most? Who the fock isn't?  :mad:

 

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12 hours ago, 5-Points said:

Most? Who the fock isn't?  :mad:

 

Unfortunately, I would guess that there has to be some loser here that doesn't like jerry that much and hopes that he doesn't kick cancer's ass...

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Sounds like your staying positive and knowledgeable!!  You will beat this!!!

 

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Thanks again all.  I’ve got a consultation with a pulmonologist on Monday to discuss going into my lung for a biopsy.  I’m not sure why I need to meet first; just do it, eh?  Anyway, hopefully we can do the procedure soon and it is successful so we can get moving on treatments.

On the plus-ish side, I’ve been thinking back to the discussion with the PA and it was interesting that she specifically mentioned immunotherapy but not chemo.  Based on other experiences I’ve found that there are people at Mayo who seem to have thought/presumed that I already had chemo, but I haven’t.  So it is possible she is in that group, and perhaps thought that chemo didn’t work so they might try immunotherapy.  I find it hard to believe that they would do that and NOT chemo, but I’m only an amateur oncologist at this point.  :thumbsup: 

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Praying for you and for my buddy going through the same.  You were first and he was asking a lot of questions about your diagnosis and treatment etc.

 

He got his from the pusschewing HPV's I think.

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4 hours ago, mmmmm...beer said:

Praying for you and for my buddy going through the same.  You were first and he was asking a lot of questions about your diagnosis and treatment etc.

 

He got his from the pusschewing HPV's I think.

Feel free to send any of his questions regarding poosay eating cancer (and treatment) my way.  👍

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10 hours ago, jerryskids said:

Thanks again all.  I’ve got a consultation with a pulmonologist on Monday to discuss going into my lung for a biopsy.  I’m not sure why I need to meet first; just do it, eh?  Anyway, hopefully we can do the procedure soon and it is successful so we can get moving on treatments.

On the plus-ish side, I’ve been thinking back to the discussion with the PA and it was interesting that she specifically mentioned immunotherapy but not chemo.  Based on other experiences I’ve found that there are people at Mayo who seem to have thought/presumed that I already had chemo, but I haven’t.  So it is possible she is in that group, and perhaps thought that chemo didn’t work so they might try immunotherapy.  I find it hard to believe that they would do that and NOT chemo, but I’m only an amateur oncologist at this point.  :thumbsup: 

I have no idea what you are going through, I don't pretend to, and only wish jerryskids the best.  

With that said, my wife's best friend was diagnosed with late (I think 3) stage colon cancer that metastasized to her liver and lungs.  This was six years ago.  She was over tonight hanging out with us and looked better than ever, you would never know.  Don't get me wrong, she's had multiple surgeries, chemo, all the things.  However she is doing great, the cancer is "at bay" if you will, but modern medicine is amazing.  Even if this spread to other organs you caught it way early and that is treatable.  

I see no reason you cannot battle this and win.  You're a smart dude with a great support system.  Give it hell Jerry.  

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1 minute ago, KSB2424 said:

I have no idea what you are going through, I don't pretend to, and only wish jerryskids the best.  

With that said, my wife's best friend was diagnosed with late (I think 3) stage colon cancer that metastasized to her liver and lungs.  This was six years ago.  She was over tonight hanging out with us and looked better than ever, you would never know.  Don't get me wrong, she's had multiple surgeries, chemo, all the things.  However she is doing great, the cancer is "at bay" if you will, but modern medicine is amazing.  Even if this spread to other organs you caught it way early and that is treatable.  

I see no reason you cannot battle this and win.  You're a smart dude with a great support system.  Give it hell Jerry.  

Uplifting story.  There is hope.

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13 hours ago, posty said:

Unfortunately, I would guess that there has to be some loser here that doesn't like jerry that much and hopes that he doesn't kick cancer's ass...

Even at this place I doubt it. Seriously!!

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14 hours ago, posty said:

Unfortunately, I would guess that there has to be some loser here that doesn't like jerry that much and hopes that he doesn't kick cancer's ass...

I just wanted to mention, so folks don't get the wrong idea, I am a fan of JK, and I would hope this person is not me. I would like JK to outlive me.....well, I would like JK to have a good long life with his family.

And never, never, confuse me with somebody that has feelings. I'll kill you.

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Damn Jerry, I wish the hits would stop coming so you can just heal. Im hoping you will get passed this latest lump quickly and relatively pain free.

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14 hours ago, Mike Isles said:

Even at this place I doubt it. Seriously!!

I would hope that I am totally wrong and no one wishes that, but this is the Geek Club and there has been some interesting clientele here...

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On 4/9/2021 at 7:34 PM, KSB2424 said:

I have no idea what you are going through, I don't pretend to, and only wish jerryskids the best.  

With that said, my wife's best friend was diagnosed with late (I think 3) stage colon cancer that metastasized to her liver and lungs.  This was six years ago.  She was over tonight hanging out with us and looked better than ever, you would never know.  Don't get me wrong, she's had multiple surgeries, chemo, all the things.  However she is doing great, the cancer is "at bay" if you will, but modern medicine is amazing.  Even if this spread to other organs you caught it way early and that is treatable.  

I see no reason you cannot battle this and win.  You're a smart dude with a great support system.  Give it hell Jerry.  

So she does butt stuff?

 

Asking for a frined. 

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On 4/9/2021 at 8:42 AM, jerryskids said:

Thanks again all.  I’ve got a consultation with a pulmonologist on Monday to discuss going into my lung for a biopsy.  I’m not sure why I need to meet first; just do it, eh?  Anyway, hopefully we can do the procedure soon and it is successful so we can get moving on treatments.

On the plus-ish side, I’ve been thinking back to the discussion with the PA and it was interesting that she specifically mentioned immunotherapy but not chemo.  Based on other experiences I’ve found that there are people at Mayo who seem to have thought/presumed that I already had chemo, but I haven’t.  So it is possible she is in that group, and perhaps thought that chemo didn’t work so they might try immunotherapy.  I find it hard to believe that they would do that and NOT chemo, but I’m only an amateur oncologist at this point.  :thumbsup: 

I've talked to some of the resident critics around here. And they don't like the Mayo clinic. They're far more in favor of the aioli clinic.

 

Okay, it was beir meister.

 

And damn it, you got to get better man. We're all pulling for you.

 

I'm sure there's a few freaks who are actually tugging for you.  But the rest of us....

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Had a good day today.  First I saw an ENT PA who stabbed my ears and drained out a bunch of fluid that was causing me to be largely deaf.  It’s very weird to actually hear again, if you haven’t for a while.  Next came a visit to an ENT doc who determined that my stoma is large enough for the pulmonologist to stick a tube down and perform the biopsy.  Then a video call with pulmonology where they told me I needed the above ENT assessment, and I told them I had it today, check my files, and they were like oh... I guess you are one step ahead of us!  So the next step is to schedule the biopsy, hopefully soon.

Back to the ENT doc, he pointed out that nodules can form for reasons other than cancer and show up on PET scans, including infections.  And my wife learned from some research today, in a bit of thread symbiosis... they can also form from an immune reaction to the COVID vaccine, which I had 4 days prior to the PET scan.

https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(21)00464-5/fulltex

That would be a hoot!

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12 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

Had a good day today.  First I saw an ENT PA who stabbed my ears and drained out a bunch of fluid that was causing me to be largely deaf.  It’s very weird to actually hear again, if you haven’t for a while.  Next came a visit to an ENT doc who determined that my stoma is large enough for the pulmonologist to stick a tube down and perform the biopsy.  Then a video call with pulmonology where they told me I needed the above ENT assessment, and I told them I had it today, check my files, and they were like oh... I guess you are one step ahead of us!  So the next step is to schedule the biopsy, hopefully soon.

Back to the ENT doc, he pointed out that nodules can form for reasons other than cancer and show up on PET scans, including infections.  And my wife learned from some research today, in a bit of thread symbiosis... they can also form from an immune reaction to the COVID vaccine, which I had 4 days prior to the PET scan.

https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(21)00464-5/fulltex

That would be a hoot!

Good luck and thanks for the update.  Hopefully it will turn out to be something else. 

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1 hour ago, jerryskids said:

Had a good day today.  First I saw an ENT PA who stabbed my ears and drained out a bunch of fluid that was causing me to be largely deaf.  It’s very weird to actually hear again, if you haven’t for a while.  Next came a visit to an ENT doc who determined that my stoma is large enough for the pulmonologist to stick a tube down and perform the biopsy.  Then a video call with pulmonology where they told me I needed the above ENT assessment, and I told them I had it today, check my files, and they were like oh... I guess you are one step ahead of us!  So the next step is to schedule the biopsy, hopefully soon.

Back to the ENT doc, he pointed out that nodules can form for reasons other than cancer and show up on PET scans, including infections.  And my wife learned from some research today, in a bit of thread symbiosis... they can also form from an immune reaction to the COVID vaccine, which I had 4 days prior to the PET scan.

https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(21)00464-5/fulltex

That would be a hoot!

Definitely encouraging news!  :thumbsup:

BTW, your mom's stoma is large enough for me to fit my fist in. 👊

:banana:

 

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I imagine there are times where it feels like you signed up for the hundred-yard dash and then realized that you lined up for the mile long race. 

 

Think about all the progress you've made so far man. Think about how well your family's been holding up too. Got to be hard on them just as it's hard on you.

 

You guys should start thinking about a family trip. Maybe once in a lifetime kind of thing. Or maybe just a cabin near a lake somewhere. When all this cancer and covid and all the other b******* fades away. It would be a good distraction. Just thinking about the trip just planning it brainstorming  - even if it never actually materializes, but I'd hope it does.

 

Wishing you all the best Jerry.

 

Kick ass Falco!

 

 

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9 hours ago, jerryskids said:

Had a good day today.  First I saw an ENT PA who stabbed my ears and drained out a bunch of fluid that was causing me to be largely deaf.  It’s very weird to actually hear again, if you haven’t for a while.  Next came a visit to an ENT doc who determined that my stoma is large enough for the pulmonologist to stick a tube down and perform the biopsy.  Then a video call with pulmonology where they told me I needed the above ENT assessment, and I told them I had it today, check my files, and they were like oh... I guess you are one step ahead of us!  So the next step is to schedule the biopsy, hopefully soon.

Back to the ENT doc, he pointed out that nodules can form for reasons other than cancer and show up on PET scans, including infections.  And my wife learned from some research today, in a bit of thread symbiosis... they can also form from an immune reaction to the COVID vaccine, which I had 4 days prior to the PET scan.

https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(21)00464-5/fulltex

That would be a hoot!

Hoping the nodule is a nothingburger!

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9 hours ago, wiffleball said:

I imagine there are times where it feels like you signed up for the hundred-yard dash and then realized that you lined up for the mile long race. 

 

Think about all the progress you've made so far man. Think about how well your family's been holding up too. Got to be hard on them just as it's hard on you.

 

You guys should start thinking about a family trip. Maybe once in a lifetime kind of thing. Or maybe just a cabin near a lake somewhere. When all this cancer and covid and all the other b******* fades away. It would be a good distraction. Just thinking about the trip just planning it brainstorming  - even if it never actually materializes, but I'd hope it does.

 

Wishing you all the best Jerry.

 

Kick ass Falco!

 

 

Thanks.  Yeah, my wife is taking this much harder than I am at this point, and I’m kinda freaking out.  She googles things and then says to me... you probably shouldn’t google things.  @DonSwill tell you that it is much harder thinking about his wife going through this than when he did, and I imagine that is true.  

Interesting thought about the trip — we are planning to head to Michigan in mid May for my FIL’s memorial.  Not much of a vacation it would seem, but we haven’t seen my wife’s family since Covid times started, and we usually head up there in the summer anyway.  But with my new situation and Michigan being a Covid nest these days, there is talk of delaying the memorial.  So we are talking about getting a cabin somewhere like you said, since our kids already have that time available.  If it works with my treatment schedule of course.  :thumbsup: 

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10 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

Thanks.  Yeah, my wife is taking this much harder than I am at this point, and I’m kinda freaking out.  She googles things and then says to me... you probably shouldn’t google things.  

This is one thing that I must say that neither of you should EVER do...  When I was having my V-Tach incidents a couple of years ago, the cardiologists and electrophysicist really really REALLY stressed to us to avoid the temptation to Google things...  They said the internet is great, but it just isn't worth the potential headaches with all the misinformation out there...

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Had the bronchoscopy today for the biopsy.  TL;DR:  a bit of a cluster Fock and no results, going back Wednesday for a robotic procedure.

Long version:  Showed up at 8 for the procedure (actually earlier for blood work), quickly went back to my prep room, put on the gown, and sat there until 9:30 at which point the doc came in.  The precarious location of my main nodule requires a special pulmonologist, and this guy was just a regular one.  There are two such docs at Mayo, and one is assigned to the ICU, so this guy speculated that they thought (hoped) they could whisk him away for the procedure, but his availability was in question.  We decided to wait an hour and see if he freed up, vs. just reschedule for next week, since I was there and all.

30 minutes later normal doc came in and said good news, the other specialist is available to come in and do it at 1PM.  So I watched daytime ESPN for a few hours, where I realized that they have more women than men on their daytime shows.  Must be how they hit their SJW numbers, during a weekday when I and 6 other people watch it.

Somewhere in all this the nurse came in to put in my IV.  She tried twice and failed; they brought in another nurse who was successful.  A little later a nurse came in for a blood draw; but wait, I already had blood drawn this morning!  Yeah, sorry sir, we forgot to do one of the tests, we need to poke you again.  All told I was poked with 5 needles today.

Finally 1PM arrives and... nothing, doc didn’t show up until about 2.  Things moved quickly once in action and I was in the procedure room getting my happy juice.  I woke up to find out from the specialist that the nodule was too close to my aorta so he didn’t want to just poke around Willy nilly.  Seems prudent, and that must be why he gets paid the big bucks.  So we need to schedule a robotic procedure next Wednesday.

Me:  Isn’t that what all of the delay was about?

Him:  No, that was just for me.  We need to do some prep work for the robot.

So... I get another 5 days of not confirming the cancer is back. :dunno: 

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Wait...so a robotic procedure will be safer than a manual one? Sounds like they want to blame the robot manufacturer if something goes wrong. Hope everything goes well.

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The more I learn about the medical field, the more I realize how much we don't actually know.  I always thought we were so advanced...

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1 hour ago, jerryskids said:

 Things moved quickly once in action 

I was really hoping this was gonna be about a sponge bath.  :(

 

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11 hours ago, Thornton Melon said:

Wait...so a robotic procedure will be safer than a manual one? Sounds like they want to blame the robot manufacturer if something goes wrong. Hope everything goes well.

My impression is that they somehow use my CT scan results to map out exactly where the device goes for the sample.  What I don’t understand is how it accounts for movement, say, lung movement while I’m breathing.  :unsure:  

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4 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

My impression is that they somehow use my CT scan results to map out exactly where the device goes for the sample.  What I don’t understand is how it accounts for movement, say, lung movement while I’m breathing.  :unsure:  

How long can you hold your breath?

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10 hours ago, 5-Points said:

I was really hoping this was gonna be about a sponge bath.  :(

 

There were several women involved throughout the day, none remarkable.  The anesthesiologist was not bad; what we in the tech field call “engineering cute.”  Wouldn’t turn a head in a crowded room but when the pickings are slim, not bad at all.  She was also a toucher; had her hand on my arm or chest when she was talking to me.

Actually the best looking woman was one who came in and talked to me briefly; I think she was a doc by the way she spoke but she never said.  She wasn’t one of the ones in the story above.  But, my wife’s boss’s husband has been going to Mayo for some pulmonary issues, and the boss told my wife that they had a female doc who wasn’t good and we should avoid.  So as this woman was talking to me, all I could think was “you aren’t going to operate on me, are you?!”  :lol: 

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Just now, Strike said:

How long can you hold your breath?

Zero, unless I push in that button that sticks in my stoma to manually block the air.  In fact if I hadn’t told that story, during the CT scan the machine asked me to hold my breath on several occasions.  Umm... I can’t.  All I can try to do is “not breathe.”  Which is harder than you would think, to maintain for a few seconds anyway.  :dunno: 

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10 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

There were several women involved throughout the day, none remarkable.  The anesthesiologist was not bad; what we in the tech field call “engineering cute.”  Wouldn’t turn a head in a crowded room but when the pickings are slim, not bad at all.  She was also a toucher; had her hand on my arm or chest when she was talking to me.

Next time you need to request an Asian nurse so that you can at least get a happy ending.

"Dear Penthouse Forum, I went in for a medical procedure and you won't believe what happened!'

 

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Pushed too hard today.  Next Saturday is Pat’s Run which I’ve mentioned in another thread — 4.2 miles for Pat Tillman’s charity foundation (he wore 42 in college; last year a friend of mine said something like “why couldn’t he have been number 14?  :cry: “ :lol: 

Anyway, in my small amount of training I hadn’t run the full 4.2, and since I maybe have one more longer run in me before next weekend, I thought I’d do it today.  And I did.  Walked a little of the way, but ended up with a 10:20 mile pace.  Last year I did about a 9:00 pace, I’m kinda hoping for 10 but was mostly hoping I could run the whole way.

Only... when I got back my body said “dood, did you forget that that you were under anesthesia yesterday?”  Why yes, body, I did.  So since then I’ve felt dizzy and nauseous.  I took a nap and feel somewhat better, but not 100%.  We were planning to go to a nice steak place tonight (today is the 31st anniversary of our first date) but now I’m thinking of maybe eating in instead.

Lesson learned:  don’t exercise.  :dunno: 

Oh, and my robot procedure is officially scheduled for Wednesday.  They called today, which I wasn’t expecting, but it is good to have that confirmed.  :cheers: 

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2 hours ago, jerryskids said:

Oh, and my robot procedure is officially scheduled for Wednesday.  They called today, which I wasn’t expecting, but it is good to have that confirmed.  :cheers: 

Best wishes.  Let's just hope they aren't using the robot from "Lost in Space" to do the job.  If you hear "Danger Will Robinson" while under anesthesia get worried.

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10 hours ago, jerryskids said:

There were several women involved throughout the day, none remarkable.  The anesthesiologist was not bad; what we in the tech field call “engineering cute.”  Wouldn’t turn a head in a crowded room but when the pickings are slim, not bad at all.  She was also a toucher; had her hand on my arm or chest when she was talking to me.

Actually the best looking woman was one who came in and talked to me briefly; I think she was a doc by the way she spoke but she never said.  She wasn’t one of the ones in the story above.  But, my wife’s boss’s husband has been going to Mayo for some pulmonary issues, and the boss told my wife that they had a female doc who wasn’t good and we should avoid.  So as this woman was talking to me, all I could think was “you aren’t going to operate on me, are you?!”  :lol: 

This is what affirmative action gets you. "I don't want that black affirmative action looking doctor operating on my brain." "That's Ben Carson, he has the highest success rate on the planet, you ought to be overjoyed if he takes your case."

Hopefully the woman doctor they're talking about is down the hall with someone else and you got the good one in the office next door.

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