Still around and kicking - Impactzone

impactzone
impactzone Member Posts: 555 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hello room, it has been a long time and I just had the CT scan done at Stanford and all was well. This makes it the 5 year mark since first dx with stage 4... 10 months of chemo, liver resection, 3 lung resections, pulmonary embolism, colon surgery and I just finished my 26 year teaching and 19th consecutive lague championship in boys volleyball coaching. When this first was dx, I was so devistated and down, I know the odds are long but still here after 5 years seeing my two kids go from 4th grade to my high school and my son now going into his senior year is just a blessing. Even harder seeing all the heros here who have passed. I wish I was stronger to be an advocate on here more often but while I'm working, I just have to stay focused on exercise, eating well, staying around positive things and being selfish sometimes. Thanks all... There is hope out there and lots of unfairness but I am still on the right side of the green....
Lots of love to all
Chip
Impactzone

Comments

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #2
    Great to 'see' you Chip!!!!
    I'm so glad you checked in!!!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #3
    Ahhh Chip
    That's so wonderful to hear. Love your news, ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY!!!
    Winter Marie
  • Kathleen808
    Kathleen808 Member Posts: 2,342 Member
    #4
    Chip - from ****
    Chip,
    It is so good to hear from you! Wonderful that all is well for you. Congrats on finishing another successful year of teaching and coaching. I hope your summer is wonderful. Like you we have a child who will be a senior next year. It is all a blessing. **** got a new board, he is writing the description below.

    Aloha,
    Kathleen

    Hi Chip,
    I'm so happy to hear that you are NED. I was in such a hurry to get my FAA license back after my NED scan that I chose not to go on maintenance chemo and the cancer spread to my lungs within 3 months. I respect your choices and attitude. I have got a quiver of boards (you never see one club in a golf bag). 12' Tandem, for our special needs daughter, I had a 10' all purpose long board that got snapped in two by the lip on a big day out in front of our house. I've got a fun 8'6" mini-tanker, 7'6" gun, a surftech 6'10", Bushman 6'8" and last but not least an HIC 6'3". Kathleen and I also enjoy "Standup" on a 10.0' C4 and a 10'6" board a friend designed. Learning to surf and paddle a standup has been a humbling experience. I've been such a "Kook." OK....now for the important item. After my 10'long board snapped, I was hanging around in our local surf shop, "Kimo's Surf Hut" in Kailua, when I came upon this true piece of art. I mentioned to Kimo that certainly this board was so beautiful that it was not meant to be ridden but he assured me that it was. The board is a 9'5" totally gloss black thruster set-up with a royal blue pinstripe around the top edge. The forward rails are 50/50 while the back third of the board is sharply raked with hard rails for performance. The board has a ton of rocker for steep drops on fast jacking waves. I new that this board and I had a future together but there was the question of price. After weeks of haggling with Kathleen..."I know hun, our anniversary is next week...let's buy a present for the both of us......umm I saw a beautiful black surfboard at KIMO's and when you're not using it, I'll use it. No Go...we finally came to an agreement. I either come up with the money in a reasonable period of time or sell the tandem board. I am highly motivated to scrape together the dough. The neighbors wanted to see the new ride and I told Kathleen that I am planning an unveiling for Friday evening. The plan was to download the theme from 2001 Space Odesy and play it as the sun went down shining a flash light on the board while friends and neighbors made admiring oooooh and aahhhhhh sounds at all the right times. Kathleen opined that this plan was a little spooky and that I might just want people to see it in the line-up. I thought this was sound advice. Chip, best of luck and hope to see you in the line-up if you ever make it out to Oahu.
    Aloha, ****
  • luvmum
    luvmum Member Posts: 457 Member
    #5
    Oh wow
    That's really a wonderful news! Thanks a lot for your sharing and keeping us to stay positive!
    Love Dora
  • impactzone
    impactzone Member Posts: 555 Member
    #6
    Kathleen808 said:

    Chip - from ****
    Chip,
    It is so good to hear from you! Wonderful that all is well for you. Congrats on finishing another successful year of teaching and coaching. I hope your summer is wonderful. Like you we have a child who will be a senior next year. It is all a blessing. **** got a new board, he is writing the description below.

    Aloha,
    Kathleen

    Hi Chip,
    I'm so happy to hear that you are NED. I was in such a hurry to get my FAA license back after my NED scan that I chose not to go on maintenance chemo and the cancer spread to my lungs within 3 months. I respect your choices and attitude. I have got a quiver of boards (you never see one club in a golf bag). 12' Tandem, for our special needs daughter, I had a 10' all purpose long board that got snapped in two by the lip on a big day out in front of our house. I've got a fun 8'6" mini-tanker, 7'6" gun, a surftech 6'10", Bushman 6'8" and last but not least an HIC 6'3". Kathleen and I also enjoy "Standup" on a 10.0' C4 and a 10'6" board a friend designed. Learning to surf and paddle a standup has been a humbling experience. I've been such a "Kook." OK....now for the important item. After my 10'long board snapped, I was hanging around in our local surf shop, "Kimo's Surf Hut" in Kailua, when I came upon this true piece of art. I mentioned to Kimo that certainly this board was so beautiful that it was not meant to be ridden but he assured me that it was. The board is a 9'5" totally gloss black thruster set-up with a royal blue pinstripe around the top edge. The forward rails are 50/50 while the back third of the board is sharply raked with hard rails for performance. The board has a ton of rocker for steep drops on fast jacking waves. I new that this board and I had a future together but there was the question of price. After weeks of haggling with Kathleen..."I know hun, our anniversary is next week...let's buy a present for the both of us......umm I saw a beautiful black surfboard at KIMO's and when you're not using it, I'll use it. No Go...we finally came to an agreement. I either come up with the money in a reasonable period of time or sell the tandem board. I am highly motivated to scrape together the dough. The neighbors wanted to see the new ride and I told Kathleen that I am planning an unveiling for Friday evening. The plan was to download the theme from 2001 Space Odesy and play it as the sun went down shining a flash light on the board while friends and neighbors made admiring oooooh and aahhhhhh sounds at all the right times. Kathleen opined that this plan was a little spooky and that I might just want people to see it in the line-up. I thought this was sound advice. Chip, best of luck and hope to see you in the line-up if you ever make it out to Oahu.
    Aloha, ****

    Believe it or not, I am
    Believe it or not, I am coming to Oahu on Sunday and will be there for a week. I will be staying at some condos at Turtle Bay. a parent has them and let my family use it for a week. As I was born in the territory of Hawaii, shows my age, it i a nice return. Sorry to hear abot the lungs. That is basically what happened to me but I was able to get surgery. And then more surgery...I believe you see Lenz at USC. I just don't know if maintanence chemo would make a differnence. It seems that the disease is so random. We think we have a choice but we do not. Board sounds great! It seems I blame my kookdom on neuropathy now trying to surf but really it is just my age and out of shapeness...I think. I know we plan on lots of Sandy Beach and or Makapu bodyboarding and my son just got certified to dive so some trips to Sharks cove will be nice.
  • johnnybegood
    johnnybegood Member Posts: 1,117 Member
    #7
    luvmum said:

    Oh wow
    That's really a wonderful news! Thanks a lot for your sharing and keeping us to stay positive!
    Love Dora

    hello chip
    so good to hear from you.i never talked to you much back in 2008 oer 2009 but i did read your post.in jan.2011 i have a recurrence to my liver and lung so i am stage 4 now.thanks for chiming in it really does give us hope to hear from the long term survivors of stage 4....Godbless....johnnybegood
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #8
    Awesome
    So glad you are doing well. Thanks for checking in.

    Kim
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #9
    Good to hear from you!
    Hi Chip,

    It's good to hear from you, and especially good to hear you are doing well!!
    That continues to give me hope when I hear of other stage IVers who have been doing this longer than I have (which will be 4 yrs since stage IV dx on Aug. 7th).
    Take care and keep plugging away- enjoy your Hawaiian vacation, too!
    Please don't stay away too long- please check in with us every now and then. We do worry and wonder about people when we don't hear from them for a long time.

    Lisa :)
  • dmdwins
    dmdwins Member Posts: 454 Member
    #10
    lisa42 said:

    Good to hear from you!
    Hi Chip,

    It's good to hear from you, and especially good to hear you are doing well!!
    That continues to give me hope when I hear of other stage IVers who have been doing this longer than I have (which will be 4 yrs since stage IV dx on Aug. 7th).
    Take care and keep plugging away- enjoy your Hawaiian vacation, too!
    Please don't stay away too long- please check in with us every now and then. We do worry and wonder about people when we don't hear from them for a long time.

    Lisa :)

    Was just thinkin of you
    Funny.....I was thinking back to all the folks who welcomed me and gave me hope when I first came. Sadly, a few are no longer here with us physically but always on my heart. I am so glad to hear that you are doing well, Chip. Im glad to hear that you are concentrating on living well and taking good care of yourself....its not selfish just part of surviving the best we can. BUT....as Lisa said please just check in every so often to let us know that you are doing great....we dont like to worry!

    Congrats!
    Dawn
  • scouty
    scouty Member Posts: 1,965 Member
    #11
    Nice play COACH!!!
    Thanks so much for checking in Chip and I am thrilled you are doing so well. I am also thrilled to hear you are focusing on the right things (diet, exercise, positive vibes, etc.), I think they all are very important for long term successes. May you have many, many, many more!

    Have a great week in Hawaii and as the others have asked, please continue to check it.

    Lisa P.
  • Kathleen808
    Kathleen808 Member Posts: 2,342 Member
    #12
    impactzone said:

    Believe it or not, I am
    Believe it or not, I am coming to Oahu on Sunday and will be there for a week. I will be staying at some condos at Turtle Bay. a parent has them and let my family use it for a week. As I was born in the territory of Hawaii, shows my age, it i a nice return. Sorry to hear abot the lungs. That is basically what happened to me but I was able to get surgery. And then more surgery...I believe you see Lenz at USC. I just don't know if maintanence chemo would make a differnence. It seems that the disease is so random. We think we have a choice but we do not. Board sounds great! It seems I blame my kookdom on neuropathy now trying to surf but really it is just my age and out of shapeness...I think. I know we plan on lots of Sandy Beach and or Makapu bodyboarding and my son just got certified to dive so some trips to Sharks cove will be nice.

    Oahu!
    Great Chip! I'm sending you a PM.

    Aloha,
    Kathleen
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #13
    Yay!
    Hi, Chip!

    It's always nice to hear from you, and it's especially nice to hear that you are still doing well. That's fabulous news!

    *Hugs*
    Gail
  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #14
    G'day Chip
    Glad that you are having some quality life I have always admired your courage,Ron.
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
    #15
    wonderful
    Wonderful to hear from you -- and thanks for posting this great news. Congratulations!! Sounds like you are doing GREAT.

    Love,
    Tara

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