Bad month

Buckwirth

First it was the husband of a friend I had made on the Head and Neck board who died suddenly from metastasis to his lungs and spine. He was fine one day, then went to the ER with breathing problems and passed within a couple of days (this was a great guy, truly one of the good ones)

Then a supplier partner who was diagnosed with heart cancer about the same time I was dx'd with mCRC died unexpectedly from liver failure. (another interesting and fun guy, young and leaving behind a family) (another co-worker was dx'd with brain cancer at the same time, so far, and I hope forever, he is doing well)

Around the same time, Stayingcalm on the Lung Cancer forum died, only a day or so after her last very positive post. I loved reading her contributions and will miss her terribly.

Today I learned that a friend and former neighbor we thought had beaten GIST (Gastrointestinal stromal tumor) has had a major recurrence. The silver lining here is that Gleevec has raised the survival rate from <5% to ~75%, it is maintenance not cure, but better news than it would have been five years ago.

RIP Don, Daan and Deb. Tom, my thoughts are with you.

Blake

lisa42

sorry
Hi Blake,

Sorry to hear about your friends and aquaintences. Death from cancer surely is a very hard pill to swallow. Of course, it makes those of us with stage IV think about our own circumstances and think when will it be my turn. At least that's what it makes me think of. Then, after being sad for a few days, I usually just turn it around and tell myself that's why I have to fight all the harder. I know it doesn't make it any easier, but pushing on is what we must do for our own sakes.

Take care, Blake-
Lisa

marqimark

Ouch
That reminds me of my workplace

Colon cancer (me), stomach cancer, female cancer*, breast cancer and one other that I don't know the type.
Five cases, two men and three women, in one year.

* Out for the third round of Chemo and Rad.

Cancer sucks!!

Mark

laurettas

So sorry, Blake
to hear about your losses. I know how you feel. We have lost so many friends and family members to cancer. Right now friends of ours have a five year old girl who has battled cancer for a year and a half, many of her treatments have been very painful. She just returned from treatment at a major cancer center and her cancer is back in her bone marrow. I hate this dam stuff, I hate the suffering it causes and pray for a cure that doesn't destroy the person in the process of helping them.

We have had a very contrasting couple of weeks ourselves. My husband's step-dad was having a few problems, went to the doctor in the morning and passed away the same evening. Then a few days later our daughter gave birth to her fifth child. So we were preparing to travel to a funeral at the same time we were rejoicing over this new life. One thing that made it easier was knowing that the step-father was ready to go, that he felt he had lived a full life and was ready to move on. Sad for the family to lose him but he himself I am happy for. He died with almost no suffering.

pete43lost_at_sea

its sad
makes me keep up the fight. at least the ones you will really miss were appreciated.
better to leave this place appreciated and missed then not.
hugs,
pete