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[roosnam1980]

My dad had colon cancer stage 3 . It was pretty big and he found out because he start having fever time to time . They cut a good portion of the colon and that was it .

He was 65 I believe , now he is 85.

His mother had stomach cancer and didn't survive . His sister also.

Saying that in pretty sure I will get it
Right now I feel not getting it is lucky . But the survive rate is way higher than before .

that is amazing , i believe adapting to a new lifestyle is one of the reasons why some patients do beat cancer

 

[Uberman77]

South Africa may be alot of things but what we do have is some of the worlds best doctors/surgeons and I am lucky for that.

I have never heard this before. Why is this? Is there a lot of government support? Do they also study in South Africa, or do they train abroad and then come back to practice?

 

[John Marston]

John so happy to read you are doing well

Briefly, 12 years ago I was diagnosed with cancer of unknown primary which if you care to google, on avg gives a v short life expectancy, not that easy to hear at the time..

The site that triggered the diagnosis was surgically removed, I was then monitored for 6 years and nothing since; a positive is one appreciates things that bit more going forward

Net/net I had it easier than John.

Best wishes to everyone/anyone else affected.

Thank you for sharing

My original diagnosis in 2018 was a tumor on my colon with metastasis on my liver.

Colon got removed and chemo took care of my liver.

In 2022 I was opened up and surgically removed 2 metastasis (I mean cancer stains, sorry for the spelling) .
My abdomen looks like a tic tac toe drawing

I was also supervised with scans every 6 months when I got 4 stains in my right lung that spread in 2024.

I know it's gonna get me eventually as it spreads to my spine or brain but I don't think about it.

When it does I'm gonna fight like a motherfucker with a smile because that's just who I am.

Here's a tattoo I got 2 weeks before my 1st chemo in 2018:

It's a kind reminder and I look at it once in a while.

 

[StueyDuck]

I have never heard this before. Why is this? Is there a lot of government support? Do they also study in South Africa, or do they train abroad and then come back to practice?

most study here and end up moving overseas.

if you look at like Stats in the UK for example South African doctors are usually the ones with the least filed incidents

 

[Trunx81]

15 years ago, I had a short but intense relationship with a girl who had breast cancer. She told me about it after our first date. We were madly in love, but she let me go because I had told her that I wanted kids before she opened up about her illness.

I googled her out of a hunch, and she apparently died in February this year.

 

[StabbyStabStabStabStab]

My father had it confirmed that his returned last week. This time it's the final journey though - no stopovers/going back. Up to 6 months without chemo, average of 12 with chemo so he's chosen the latter, a palliative chemo course (which generally does work apparently, just not always). Fucking terrible business. I really have to salute anyone living with cancer in seeing what they endure with chemo etc. and that fighting spirt to survive.

 

[Signalis]

I have never heard this before. Why is this? Is there a lot of government support? Do they also study in South Africa, or do they train abroad and then come back to practice?

No government support. But local Universities are still internationally credited and studying for a doctor is still on the world class standard. South Africa also has a lot of specialist doctors as well.

Funny thing is in South Africa, black South Africans will rather travel far to see a white doctor, than a doctor of their own race. Also, the 1st successful heart transplant was also done in South Africa.

 

[ClanOfNone]

obligatory, Fuck Cancer.

I am officially Discharged as a patient from Hodgkin's Lymphoma, meaning 5 years in remission and they stop checking.

went through some heavy chemo for about a year and a half but got a 0% PET/CT scan early, but they keep going the course to just make sure they kill everything,

I was on the BEACOPP regiment which was very hectic. But because i was young enough i was able handle it.

South Africa may be alot of things but what we do have is some of the worlds best doctors/surgeons and I am lucky for that.

Can't recommend it, not a lot of fun, I also had the pleasure of going through it during covid so was completely alone all the time, masked up, just a horrible time.

The worst part will forever be waiting for the PET/CT scan results... that was always the part that affected me most, even chemo itself i didn't suffer too badly, lost a bit of hair, had some sores in my mouth but overall i got through it.

but waiting in the Oncologists waiting room, waiting to hear results. that's what get you mentally.

Non-Hodgkins lymphoma took my old man right before his 60th birthday. Though he was originally diagnosed when I was in middle school, and the prognosis was not good. They told him he'd probably live long enough to see me graduate high school. He underwent heavy duty chemo and achieved remission. When it came back years later it tore through him quick. It was actually a form of leukemia that killed him, probably caused by the chemo that saved him from the lymphoma.
Still, he lived way longer than originally thought and was able to see/spend time with 5/6 grandkids, so I was grateful for that.

I finally quit smoking after 30 years about 45 days ago, it only took a collapsed lung to finally convince me. Doc wants yearly chest scans to keep an eye on it, but if something shows up it's my own damn fault. Bought and paid for, crazy thing is I still miss my smokes. When I finally quit drinking I didn't miss alcohol at all.

Cancer affects EVERYBODY, you've either fought it yourself or you have loved ones that have. Great strides have been made, I'm hoping AI can push us over the hill to eliminate the majority of it.

God bless yall.

 

[Nocty]

Glad to hear you are doing well, OP.

I have lost half my family to this shit disease. I fear that one day the inevitable will catch up to me, too. It seems genetics plays a big role.

My wife is half Italian / half Japanese, so she has a wombo combo of amazing genetics, both sides of her grandparents are still fucking alive in their late 90's and grandfather is 104 years old. It's actually quite insane to be honest. I have a lot of respect for researchers, and have done a lot of reading myself over the years in fear of my own demise.

From what I can tell, and what my wife's family habbits tell me, is that Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a mediteranian / japanese seafood rich diet goes a long way to fighting off all disease including cancer. I claned up my diet and consume a LOT of olive oil now in the hopes that I can delay and heal as much as possible. That stuff is clearly some miracle elixir, as when we visited her nonna and poppa in Italy last year (they both in their 90s', living a simple life and comsuming like 10 table spoons of olive oil with every damn meal

I think it's like that gold stuff from the tv show The Burrows , keeping all the olds alive in the italian mountain villages. I swear we passed a guy that looked to be around 150 years old still riding his damn bicycle up a 90 degree angle hill.

 

[ElFenomeno]

This hits hard.
My mom had colon surgery this year for a tumor removal. Then went with chemo for 3 months which she just finished 1 week ago.
Whats not talked enough I believe are the mental issues. Now she is left with confusion, depression, rage, thoughts of suicide, moments when she is yelling, out of control, hating us, her family.
I pray for her everyday that she will be well.

 

[Duellist]

Cancer sucks. Had a partial nephrectomy On my kidney a year and a half ago to remove a cancerous growth. They caught it early enough and will be going back in 3 months to see if I'm clean. They found it a month after being diagnosed with ms. What a year that was. All within 3 months.

 

[simpatico]

Father got a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis about a month ago. On Easter he was at my house telling me about his new E-bike adventures. Couple weeks later he can't walk across the room without being short of breath. Crazy how fast it can move. You guys have my prayers.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I worked with a client out of state about a year ago. In the past I had helped him move, recover from a building fire, and enjoyed working at his firm. A very nice, family loving man. The last time I worked with him I set him up to work remotely because he had a health issue. That's the way he put it. Out of the blue I see his obituary yesterday. He passed away in June due to cancer. Very sad.

A girl I had a huge crush on back in high school recovered from breast cancer. It was one of those summer romances you see in movies. She's a fighter. When I saw her face I knew what it was. I told her that, for whatever it was worth, she defined what a summer romance was in my life.

 

[John Marston]

Whats not talked enough I believe are the mental issues.

Bingo.

I'll regain the weight I lost eventually.
It's just physical.

But the mental game is where it's at.

I believe people are the same in health and illness.

If you're a dick in your everyday life you'll be a dick when you're ill.

But I've always been a cheerful positive dude and it carried over dealing with this.
I allow myself a few seconds of self pity once in a while when I just scream into a cushion

It's like I've been plucked and thrown on a deserted island.

I go for walks but after 20-30 minutes my tank is empty.

I keep myself busy with games, books and streaming.
I got work insurance so I'm like a glorified welfare King

But after more than 40 treatments being irradiated feels more normal than normal used to be.

I can't wait to get back to work but push it out of my mind.
I need my routine, to be useful, to have a purpose.

Anyway sorry I'm rambling on.

Thank you all for sharing your stories, they made me sad and also smile.

 

[Mistake]

My best friend since childhood got leukemia. Thankfully it was the least aggressive kind, but he still took two rounds of chemo. He's doing better and in remission, but now he smokes like a chimney. At least if he goes out this time it's his fault

 

[j0hnnix]

Damn John. Keep up the good fight. Remember Asha's white teeth watch over you.

Cancer is horrible and I feel like I hear about it every day. My grandmother passed away due to pancreatic cancer , it was a harsh experience and one I would never wish on my worst enemy.

Fuck cancer.

 

[Vaquilla]

I'm a cancer survivor; developed a rare nerve sheath tumor in 2019, didn't have any risk factors or anything, it just happened out of sheer bad luck.

As of this April, I am 6 years cancer free.

They had to remove a section of the main nerve in my right leg so I have no sensation in my right foot now, but it's a small price to pay for survival.

 

[deriks]

I may eventually succumb to this bastard but cancer doesn't have the human Spirit we all have

I belive you can win this fight, man

My mom has in the uterus. Was very weird at first because some lumps appeared out of nowhere on her legs, and after a ton of checkups, doctors confirmed that was cancer. Treatment started by early past year with the very strong chemo, and now she is on phase two and very much doing fine

Basically a year of difference from each picture

 

[Brigandier]

Even today I noticed cancer remains an uncomfortable and somewhat taboo subject.

Let's tear those walls down and just talk about it.

I'll keep my story short.
I'm currently on my 2nd chemotherapy run in 6 years and I'm officially out of danger.
I never expected it to last over 20 months though. Just gotta be patient and let it ride.

This space is for sharing anything related to cancer.
Your own journey or the loved ones you watched perish or overcome.

I may eventually succumb to this bastard but cancer doesn't have the human Spirit we all have

Much love to you and your family mate it sounds like you have been through a tough journey but proved to be strong

I lost my Grandad to bladder cancer he was in remission for many years but it came back, My Nan passed to lung cancer which she beat but it came back too, My other nan to pancreatic cancer, My mum had thyroid cancer which she beat, A family friend has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer aswell she's going through treatment right now and we're all hoping the current treatment she's on for the next 3 months shrinks it to a size where she can at the least be with us for a while or even shrinks it completely.

Cancer sucks man.

 

[John Marston]

Remember Asha's white teeth watch over you.

 

[John Marston]

I want Dacvak 's wisdom in here but won't force him.

I poked him a couple of times and he has made a difference in my life.

 

[Dacvak]

Oh man, just catching up on GAF. (Broke my dang arm, so I haven't been around as much)

Thanks for the ping John Marston . You've been fighting the good fight, and you're a god damn warrior.

Let me tell everyone the secret to beating cancer.

Okay, I'll back up a sec and give a little context. I was diagnosed with leukemia (AML) back in 2012. In fact, I even made a post about it on GAF back then (which you can find if you really want to).

After just a couple weeks in the hospital, it clearly sucked, and I realized I had tough battle ahead of me. I went through horrible treatment and intense chemo. I can't even begin to describe all of the small sub-issues that come along with the process. (For example, one time I didn't poop for a month and a half. That was a rough time.)

It felt endless and hopeless at times.

(Actually, I was planning on saving this reveal for the end of the post, but I'll give it to you now. Even after the 12 months of treatment it took to heal me initially, my cancer came back and I relapsed 2 years later. So I had to do ALL of this again. Straight up New Game+ and it was a bitch.)

I went through so many months of intense chemo, two bone marrow transplants, hundreds of needles and meds, endless amounts of incredible opiates, years of addiction withdrawal and recovery, and the most painful procedures I've ever had in my entire life. No other way to say it. It sucked.

Cancer of any kind is a greedy, all-consuming demon, and there's no negotiating or reasoning with it. During my second bout after my relapse, my doctor told me there was only around a 20% chance of survival, at best. That number still haunts me to this day, yet I was able to beat the odds.

So here's my personal secret for survival, and I hope it's helpful for anyone who might ever be unlucky enough to have to battle this fucker. It might sound obvious and cheesy, but it was positivity and activity. As in, keeping as physically active as you reasonably can, and maintaining a positive outlook on things.

Obviously, you'll also need to have modern medicine on your side, but that still only gets you so far. I had a friend in the same ward as me. Same age, too. He didn't really push himself to get out and walk the halls everyday, and he didn't have the support structure I did to keep him as positive. He didn't make it. (I think about him a lot. I hope me giving him a DS with and R4 made his final months a bit more bearable. I only knew you for a bit, but I miss you Mike.)

But I truly believe what saved and ultimately healed me was being both positive, which I could only do with the help of my family and friends, and being as active as possible. Even on days where I had absolutely no energy, I forced myself to do laps with a walker around the leukemia ward. My friends visited me often, and if they weren't around, I hopped online to talk with virtual friends. (Sometimes GAF!)

So, yeah, I don't have any super secret advice for anyone. I'll just tell you what I think saved me. And that was always trying to joke around and be positive about things, and having people around me (whether physical or virtual) to keep me going. That was the difference between me beating the 5 to 1 odds or not.

Anyway, that's why I know you'll be fine, John Marston . You're literally the most positive and best person on this whole damn site. Thanks for making this thread. People usually don't talk about the process of actually battling cancer enough, so I know how helpful this can be.

And if anyone else here is in the battle and wants to chat about anything, feel free to hit me up via DM anytime.

 

[John Marston]

Oh man, just catching up on GAF. (Broke my dang arm, so I haven't been around as much)

Thanks for the ping John Marston . You've been fighting the good fight, and you're a god damn warrior.

Let me tell everyone the secret to beating cancer.

Okay, I'll back up a sec and give a little context. I was diagnosed with leukemia (AML) back in 2012. In fact, I even made a post about it on GAF back then (which you can find if you really want to).

After just a couple weeks in the hospital, it clearly sucked, and I realized I had tough battle ahead of me. I went through horrible treatment and intense chemo. I can't even begin to describe all of the small sub-issues that come along with the process. (For example, one time I didn't poop for a month and a half. That was a rough time.)

It felt endless and hopeless at times.

(Actually, I was planning on saving this reveal for the end of the post, but I'll give it to you now. Even after the 12 months of treatment it took to heal me initially, my cancer came back and I relapsed 2 years later. So I had to do ALL of this again. Straight up New Game+ and it was a bitch.)

I went through so many months of intense chemo, two bone marrow transplants, hundreds of needles and meds, endless amounts of incredible opiates, years of addiction withdrawal and recovery, and the most painful procedures I've ever had in my entire life. No other way to say it. It sucked.

Cancer of any kind is a greedy, all-consuming demon, and there's no negotiating or reasoning with it. During my second bout after my relapse, my doctor told me there was only around a 20% chance of survival, at best. That number still haunts me to this day, yet I was able to beat the odds.

So here's my personal secret for survival, and I hope it's helpful for anyone who might ever be unlucky enough to have to battle this fucker. It might sound obvious and cheesy, but it was positivity and activity. As in, keeping as physically active as you reasonably can, and maintaining a positive outlook on things.

Obviously, you'll also need to have modern medicine on your side, but that still only gets you so far. I had a friend in the same ward as me. Same age, too. He didn't really push himself to get out and walk the halls everyday, and he didn't have the support structure I did to keep him as positive. He didn't make it. (I think about him a lot. I hope me giving him a DS with and R4 made his final months a bit more bearable. I only knew you for a bit, but I miss you Mike.)

But I truly believe what saved and ultimately healed me was being both positive, which I could only do with the help of my family and friends, and being as active as possible. Even on days where I had absolutely no energy, I forced myself to do laps with a walker around the leukemia ward. My friends visited me often, and if they weren't around, I hopped online to talk with virtual friends. (Sometimes GAF!)

So, yeah, I don't have any super secret advice for anyone. I'll just tell you what I think saved me. And that was always trying to joke around and be positive about things, and having people around me (whether physical or virtual) to keep me going. That was the difference between me beating the 5 to 1 odds or not.

Anyway, that's why I know you'll be fine, John Marston . You're literally the most positive and best person on this whole damn site. Thanks for making this thread. People usually don't talk about the process of actually battling cancer enough, so I know how helpful this can be.

And if anyone else here is in the battle and wants to chat about anything, feel free to hit me up via DM anytime.

I took about 3 or 4 pauses reading your post.
You are a treasure and most appreciated.

 

[John Marston]

Creating this thread has also given me some sort of catharsis and healing somewhat.

I just wanna bitch about the chemo side effects.

My 2018 chemo was a breeze.
I was sensitive to cold and had some numbness in my hands & feet but that's all really.
I went back to work 2 weeks after my last treatment.

But this chemo starting in 2024 was another ball game.

I got severe burns like a sunstroke on my neck and thighs.
Crust on my eyelids causing me blurry vision.
I would wash it away but it would come back hours later.

I got dizzy spells if I stood up more than 30 seconds.
I fell in my apartment more than a dozen times and broke my $1000 Oakley glasses.
I remember crawling on the floor to reach my bed for the night.

I pissed in a Gatorade bottle in my living room because I couldn't make it to the bathroom without falling.

That's what chemo does.
It's humiliation and pain.
All the time.

My balls were also sweaty and itchy all the time
Scratching them would do nothing.

I hope one day chemo only targets the cancer cells but I won't see this in my lifetime.

Thankfully my oncologist saw me and adjusted my treatment.
He said "I don't wanna see you in a wheelchair".

But I didn't complain because those were the side effects you know?
I got the mentality of my uncles who fought in wars and didn't complain about things.
Shut up and don't be a pussy.

But I'm doing much better since the adjustment.

Shit that was a long post.
But it felt good to let it out.

 

[roosnam1980]

Creating this thread has also given me some sort of catharsis and healing somewhat.

I just wanna bitch about the chemo side effects.

My 2018 chemo was a breeze.
I was sensitive to cold and had some numbness in my hands & feet but that's all really.
I went back to work 2 weeks after my last treatment.

But this chemo starting in 2024 was another ball game.

I got severe burns like a sunstroke on my neck and thighs.
Crust on my eyelids causing me blurry vision.
I would wash it away but it would come back hours later.

I got dizzy spells if I stood up more than 30 seconds.
I fell in my apartment more than a dozen times and broke my $1000 Oakley glasses.
I remember crawling on the floor to reach my bed for the night.

I pissed in a Gatorade bottle in my living room because I couldn't make it to the bathroom without falling.

That's what chemo does.
It's humiliation and pain.
All the time.

My balls were also sweaty and itchy all the time
Scratching them would do nothing.

I hope one day chemo only targets the cancer cells but I won't see this in my lifetime.

Thankfully my oncologist saw me and adjusted my treatment.
He said "I don't wanna see you in a wheelchair".

But I didn't complain because those were the side effects you know?
I got the mentality of my uncles who fought in wars and didn't complain about things.
Shut up and don't be a pussy.

But I'm doing much better since the adjustment.

Shit that was a long post.
But it felt good to let it out.

always let it out from time to time.................

 

[John Marston]

After reading my latest post I feel bad.

Like a complaining bitch.

I'm sorry for my long ass post I'll leave room for your experiences

 

[poodaddy]

We lost a family friend to the cancer that's caused by asbestos recently, forgot the name of it. Her kids are my daughter's best friends, and essentially are some of mine these days by extension. It took their mom so quick too....I remember telling her she would beat this thing and that she had nothing to worry about, two months later she was gone and I felt like an ass for giving her hope.

I feel bad bringing it up as if she's comparable to your loved ones and family, but she was family to me dammit. I lost my beloved car Agent Mauer to cancer two years ago now, and I think of her every single day. I miss her badly.

Cancer is something we must overcome, somehow. We have to. It has taken far too much from us.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Even today I noticed cancer remains an uncomfortable and somewhat taboo subject.

Let's tear those walls down and just talk about it.

I'll keep my story short.
I'm currently on my 2nd chemotherapy run in 6 years and I'm officially out of danger.
I never expected it to last over 20 months though. Just gotta be patient and let it ride.

This space is for sharing anything related to cancer.
Your own journey or the loved ones you watched perish or overcome.

I may eventually succumb to this bastard but cancer doesn't have the human Spirit we all have

Great to hear you're out the danger zone old boy!

Stay Strong! As hard as it is!

My uncle (By marriage) has Leukemia and has been having dialysis for so long now and has practically zero kidney function, he was rushed to hospital last Saturday as he had a litre of fluid in his lungs and that had to be drained. It's driving him crazy all this business.

A bloke I worked with found out his four year old had it and she was rushed to great Ormond street, it took years for it to go into remission and every year it broke him when he had to take her back up there for screening.

I've never known anyone in my immediate family to have it but none of the males on my side of the family have lived past 62. We've all got shitty hearts for some reason.

 

[John Marston]

Cancer in kids is just cruel and mean.

My only reasoning is that God thinks they're strong enough to deal with it.

No 7 year old should deal with bone cancer it's bullshit.

 

[Deus Mortis]

Fuck cancer(don't think I can say this enough times). Mom got diagnosed with two different types within a year several years ago, luckily they caught both early and they have not returned. My friends parents have not been so lucky. By age 18, 5 friends had already lost their dad to some type of cancer and since then(in my 30's now) another 2 have lost their dads to cancer.

 

[freefornow]

John Marston thank you for your openness in raising this topic. Your strength is clear to all.
Discussing cancer should not be taboo.

Lost my father to Melanoma 27 years ago.
Lost mother-in-law to Ovarian cancer 15 years ago.
Brother-in-law to Brain cancer 10 years ago.

My wife had breast cancer at 31yo. Stage III-B. 40mm tumor in left breast. Spread to 5 lymph nodes in left arm. Surgery the day after detection. Lump removed and lymph nodes removed.
Cycles of chemo and radio. It was not a good journey for her! Never complained, but you could see the impact both physically and psychologically.
3 years later at routine follow up, specialist recommended testing for BRCA 1 gene due to high rate of cancer deaths in her side of family. Unfortunately, returned as positive (her mother and brother also had gene).
Recommended double mastectomy and full hysterectomy. She had no hesitation despite psychological and physical impact.
That was 26 years ago. Annual blood tests/bone scans. All remain clear.
She takes nothing for granted (nor do I).
Cancer will always be a part of her life, but she has not let it be her life.

 

[John Marston]

John Marston thank you for your openness in raising this topic. Your strength is clear to all.

Cancer will always be a part of her life, but she has not let it be her life.

Your strength comment made me cry for 10 minutes.

Out of gratitude.
I'm not a hero or a warrior.
Just a dude who enjoys life and is fighting for it

And yes cancer is part of my life but it's important not to let it define us.

But it's a struggle sometimes.

 

[DeafTourette]

Even today I noticed cancer remains an uncomfortable and somewhat taboo subject.

Let's tear those walls down and just talk about it.

I'll keep my story short.
I'm currently on my 2nd chemotherapy run in 6 years and I'm officially out of danger.
I never expected it to last over 20 months though. Just gotta be patient and let it ride.

This space is for sharing anything related to cancer.
Your own journey or the loved ones you watched perish or overcome.

I may eventually succumb to this bastard but cancer doesn't have the human Spirit we all have

I'm genuinely happy you're doing better and in remission!

I have an aunt who survived breast cancer and a close friend who did too... My paw paw died of prostate cancer over 30 years ago at 92. I often wonder how long he would have lived had the doctors found it sooner. And I'm blessed my friend and aunt both survived

You're a blessing to this board, John Marston

 

[John Marston]

I need to take a break from my own thread.

I created a monster

My empathy for you all is eating me alive.

 

[dave_d]

I have an aunt who survived breast cancer and a close friend who did too... My paw paw died of prostate cancer over 30 years ago at 92. I often wonder how long he would have lived had the doctors found it sooner. And I'm blessed my friend and aunt both survived

So the thing with prostate cancer is that us guys pretty much all get it if we live long enough. The thing is trying to figure out which ones are actually deadly and which ones aren't. (The doctor joke is the probability you have prostate cancer is either 0 because you're a woman or your age if you're a man.)

 

[MagusMajul]

Thank you for creating this thread.

I have had thyroid cancer three times: the first in 2019, the second in 2021 (followed by radioactive iodine treatment about two months after surgery), and the third in 2025. Earlier this year, I had a nuclear medicine scan that showed no evidence of remaining cancer. I am very grateful and hopeful that this chapter is finally behind me.

If my experience can be helpful to anyone else, please feel free to ask me any questions.

how did you know you had cancer?

 

[Deus Mortis]

I need to take a break from my own thread.

I created a monster

My empathy for you all is eating me alive.

I think it is great you created this thread. This is probably the one subject that bridges all divides be it religion, politics, gender, etc. I think it is cathartic in a sense being able to talk about this stuff be it your own struggles or struggles/pain you have seen with family and friends. Even though this is just a gaming forum I think it is helpful knowing that you're not alone.

 

[Chaplain]

how did you know you had cancer?

Good question.

I likely would not have known I had thyroid cancer until much later if a series of unexpected events had not occurred.

It began when an urgent care physician thought I had a urinary tract infection and prescribed Ciprofloxacin. After taking it for several days, I experienced sudden mood and behavioral changes. On Sunday, the pharmacist advised me to stop taking the medication. The next morning, Monday morning, I woke up with Bell's palsy.

I waited until Tuesday to go to the Emergency Department. The physician there prescribed prednisone for the Bell's palsy and mentioned that the neurologist had seen Bell's palsy occur in some people after taking Cipro.

After returning home, I continued my seminary studies, but I soon began hearing voices and felt as though I was losing the ability to walk because my legs became so weak (all side effects from Prednisone). I returned to the Emergency Department, where I was admitted to the hospital for a comprehensive evaluation. They performed multiple tests, including imaging studies such as an ultrasound, MRI, and CT scan.

One of those tests revealed a thyroid nodule. A subsequent biopsy confirmed that it was thyroid cancer.

Looking back, what initially seemed like a cascade of unrelated medical problems ultimately led to the discovery of my cancer. I'm grateful it was found when it was, even though the path to that diagnosis was anything but ordinary.

 

[John Marston]

This thread will die soon and I'm not ok with that.
But I accept it.

Threads about Sidney Sweeney and Sony removing physical games go on forever.

But we all come in here for entertainment and complain about superficial silly things.
It's all good

 

[DeafTourette]

This thread will die soon and I'm not ok with that.
But I accept it.

Threads about Sidney Sweeney and Sony removing physical games go on forever.

But we all come in here for entertainment and complain about superficial silly things.
It's all good

I think some people don't know what to say... Like they can't verbalize their thoughts and feelings. I have trouble with it too, sometimes. Especially when the subject is a serious one.

 

[John Marston]

I think some people don't know what to say... Like they can't verbalize their thoughts and feelings. I have trouble with it too, sometimes. Especially when the subject is a serious one.

I remember visiting work during my 2018 chemo.

A couple of close colleagues hugged me and approached me without a problem.

But the rest just looked at me like a zoo animal.
Yes I had lost a lot of weight but I was still me you know?
I also walked with a cane because I got dizzy sometimes.

But I don't blame them.

I've now been out since October 2024 and have no plans to visit work again.

I text my Lead once in a while to tell him I'm not dead and doing ok

Shit I miss my work so much but try to keep it out of my mind.
I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

 

[uncreativename]

John Marston I didn't want to derail the thread for the people talking about their own experiences with cancer , but I've got a bit more to say about my memories.

Unfortunately I didn't really get to properly say goodbye to my Nonno. The last time I saw him he was so confused from pain and pain medication that he didn't really recognise me. Same with my grandpa on the other side when he died, although he didn't die of cancer. My last memory of Nonno was him taking me aside to the backyard and asking me to take care of the sort of gazebo type thing he'd built there. Which I did for a bit, as long as I was able, but I don't live near there anymore, and I'm not really on good terms with my uncle who lives there, and so the backyard and the big vegetable garden are just all overgrown from lack of care now...

Speaking of the garden, another of my uncles has a theory about what caused the cancer which is sort of darkly funny. So like most Italian immigrants my Nonno had a big vegetable garden, and he got very upset when a neighbour planted a tree in their yard because it was casting shade over his garden. So he started secretly poisoning the tree, while not taking any precautions to protect himself while handling the poison because that's how those old guys rolled, like how one time they chopped down a big tree on one of his friend's property with no safety precautions whatsoever as well lol.

 

[John Marston]

Fuck cancer.

In the ass.
Without a courtesy spit.
With a flaked baseball bat.

 

[John Marston]

Legendary heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio did not share widely documented final spoken words with the public before passing away from stomach cancer on May 16, 2010. However, in one of his last public appearances, he dedicated his fight against cancer to helping others, and on his final solo album, his parting lyrical message was: "I am stronger than before. I am more. I am ready to go on. I am".