The beginning of the end

[Vraciu]

Well that’s disappointing as all get out.  Damn. 

Keep fighting.  Tomorrow could be the day they find the cure.  In the meantime, enjoy yourself.   You’re still here, by gosh. 

[Skuzzy]

Any reputable hospital, today, does not have just one doctor reviewing a cancer patients case.  It is done by committee.  The goal to have as many eyes on it as possible to see if anyone has any suggested paths for dealing with it.

My Wife went through it a couple of years ago.  The committee was impressive and kept in the background so she only had to deal with one doctor.  His task was to offer up all the solutions and talk about pros and cons of each.

The communications between doctors today is rather impressive and it certainly paid off for my Wife.  She is clear today due to one of the research centers just going into clinical trails and qualifying her without us having to do a thing.  It was the committee approach.  It worked for her.

Whatever happens colmbo, I hope it takes the best path possible for the given condition.

[DaddyAce]

Very sorry to read about this Columbo.  I have thoroughly enjoyed your posts over the years.  Best wishes in working through this.....and am pulling for you to be actively back on these boards before too long!

[Zoney]

Columbo is my friend 

[Charon]

My mother was literally about 4 months from death from a very aggressive and rare skin cancer. Surgeries every few weeks (7 in total for this bout) radiation to the point where she couldn't have anymore, metastasized to the liver. Was able to get in an immunotherapy trial in Seattle Washington literally at the last minute about 3 years ago. Traveled out from Illinois every 3 weeks for infusions. Literally knocking on wood as I type this and superstitiously hesitate to post but she is cancer free today. She's written up in a medical journal. They paid for the treatments but she had to pay for the travel. So don't give up hope and keep pushing the doctors. Miracles do... sometimes... happen.

[JimmyC]

<<S>> to you sir
If I may...

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Winston Churchill


Never surrender!

[Tumor]

Good buddy of mine is a 6yr survivor of Pancreatic Cancer.  You're going to help him raise that survival rate.  That's how I see it.

[colmbo]

Good buddy of mine is a 6yr survivor of Pancreatic Cancer.  You're going to help him raise that survival rate.  That's how I see it.

Your friend has certainly defied the odds, lets hope he continues to do so.

My pancreatic mass is a metastasis, my teams is a bit flummoxed because they don't see this happen usually.  Now on the good side at least it is not a new, primary cancer...they all kind of shuddered and said "that would be bad". 

Radiation started yesterday and will continue until mid July, the hope is the radiation will reduce the tumor in the pancreas and relieve symptoms that it is causing.  Time will tell.

This weekend I noticed my wife giving me "the nurse eye" and she finally turned the lights up and said "You're yellow!"  I'm jaundiced quite probably due to the bile duct blockage/restriction which is backing up the liver.  We're looking to find a doc that can place a stint in the bile duct to allow it to function normally.  Yippee!  Another procedure!

While talking to my doc yesterday I realized my wife now considers me old.  Always before she would comment on my "complexion" or "color" but yesterday she described by yellow coloring as a "patina"...kind of like Mike Wolf on American Pickers talking about junk he has found  in a barn.

[Oldman731]

I realized my wife now considers me old.

Be glad your youth lasted so long.  My spouse has told people, for decades, that I had my mid-life crisis when I was four.

- oldman

[Vraciu]

  Youz guyz.

[Mister Fork]

Be glad your youth lasted so long.  My spouse has told people, for decades, that I had my mid-life crisis when I was four.

- oldman

Blew coffee right out my nose on that one...     and all over my computer screen and keyboard....

 

[EskimoJoe]

Hey Colmbo. I've always enjoyed reading your posts, often from the shadows. Your first hand experience and historical insight always meant a great deal and I was glad to have read what I have of your posts.

I'll be back in Palmer area mid-July. If there's a road to wherever you are, I'll be happy to drive it and help you and yours with whatever I can. I'm only a PM away.

Hang tight, and stick it to your doctors by outliving their expectations.

[TriplACE]

Sorry to hear this.  Peace and Strength to you Columbo.  Be in that 20%.

im with that keep it mind over matter which seems you really have already been there

[colmbo]

Well I think we're going to try a run for the border.  I've got another week to go on the radiation of the pancreas.  It appears the rad treatment on the lymph nodes in the shoulder area did not work, node there appears to still be growing.  I'll get a CT done in about two weeks to see what the pancreas area looks like.  If there isn't anything that will take me out in a couple of weeks we'll hitch the trailer to the truck and do one of our favorite things....driving from Alaska to the lower 48.

I had a "pain pump" installed that is under the skin on my left flank.  A catheter dribbles a tiny dose of morphine to the spine to control the pain from the pancreas area.  When I had the first meeting the pain doc was asking how much pain med I was using, when I said tylenol daily and if needed a Norco (mild opiate).  He asked how many Norco in a week -- "one or two maybe".  He was giddy to have a patient that was still on low doses of pain meds, he was able to set the pump at a minuscule dose and even the "bolus" dose is tiny. The bolus can be used up to 8 times in 24 hours if needed for break through pain and I did have the bolus dose increased.  The cool thing about this type of pain pump is that it goes direct to the problem area, it is not systemic so you don't "get high" or have risk of addiction.   A down side is if I want to wear a two pistol gun fighter rig I'll have to work out belt positioning around the pump -- pump is about the size of a hockey pump. 

The CA is still the end of the road for me but Bobbi and I are much more positive now that we have a plan.  Now as long as the CA doesn't rewrite the script...

[Ramesis]

Hitech you really need to lighten up and allow posters 1 post per year in which a prohibited expletive is allowed.

&%@#!!! 

I found out last week that I have pancreatic cancer.  For those that aren't aware there is no cure.  One year survival is only 20%.  It appears mine has spread to the liver as well so I'm not expecting to make it a year.  I knew the neck cancer had me limited to probably a few more years at best but this new development has really cut into my social and gaming schedule!!

I started "this" in '92 or '93 playing Air Warrior on Genie @ $6/hour (heroin addicts think they have an expensive habit) then it was Mac Air Warrior on AOL until that folded up.  Once I upgraded the computer it was Warbirds for many years until it deteriorated and I moved to Aces High. It has been an awesome time filled with awesome people. <S>

I won't be online much, if at all.  I'll be busy trying to move my wife closer to family if this *&^$#$@ (okay Dale, maybe we'll need to use two expletives) disease gives me enough time.

Big picture, quit worrying about being hoed, runners, blah blah blah.  It's a game, just have fun.  Enjoy life, you never know when it will be cut short.

Dale "Columbo" Falk

So I'm guessing u should be allowed amurder as well?