Sundance Says HOWDY from TX

HOWDY! I'm new to the site and just joined on the 9th of June. Several of you have welcomed me in, but just wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself. This is a great site, and the Semi-Colon group seems to be really happenin' people. I'm touched by your stories and amazed at your courage and determination to beat this Thing. I'm not sure how I even found the site, which is odd, because I am ususlly meticulous to detail. But, somehow there it was and when I clicked in and read some of the posts, I just knew that I had to join and try and contribute.

I just hit my 5-year mark battling my Cancer and unfortunately the majority of that time, I have spent alone with my thoughts, my dreams, my hopes, my fears, my heart and my fortitude. It has been a lonely road at times during that stretch. My friends and co-workers just do not have the depth and understanding to be able to talk about this in a way that you need sometimes. My family wishes the best, but is in the same boat. My wife understands all too well, but she has been on the night shift these past 5 years and so the nights are mine alone and I've been able to mostly get through it on my own. I never knew about a site like this before or I might have turned to it sooner. I've never been one to burden people with my problems, but having a forum like this where we're all in it together, has been an unexpected blessing for me. I'm so glad that I have someone to turn to that I can help share my experiences and treatments with to help or sooth a fear that someone else has going on.

I recently switched doctors, as my original oncologist the past 5 years, just was not giving me the direction and a good game plan anymore and I began to have doubts about what was right and what was not. The cancer center has begun to dry up: parking lots are empty, blood labs are empty, Infusion is mostly empty, and the doctor's offices are practically empty. A year ago when I was in chemo, it was standing room only wherever you had to go. Once they began demanding the Co-pays up front, I told them to update their resumes because they were going to be out of business in 6 months....looks like I was right and something is going on there, so I'm making the jump at the right time it appears.

We're currently waiting on the new oncologist to review 5 years of data for my case, and to come back with some data and information that hopefully is more than just speculation. And hopefully, there is a good game plan that we can start to believe in once again. This is a teaching hospital, UT Southwester Medical Center, where groups of oncologists from radiation, surgerey, general, and others meet in a round table discussion and go over the cases, to gather different opinions and points of views. So, it certainly sounds promising. We're just hanging in there and waiting to see what they come up with when they call us.

I've got 2 spots on the pleura of my lung and a big nodule poking out of my ribs right now that are of great concern, so we're at a critical juncture. I started with colorectal cancer, metastasized to the liver, and now spots on the pleura...so we'll see.

I updated my Profile page this weekend. Also, added material to my Expressions page, with pictures of Sundance. and a couple of stories that I wrote a couple of years ago, when all of this first started. PERSONAL REFLECTIONS is a look back one year later at what my thoughts, feelings and emotions were from going through the first big surgery, the bowel resection. THE PROMISE is the 2nd half of that story, that shows what I did with my 2nd Chance at Life and what I did not allow Cancer to do to me. Many people have read these and I've received nice feedback on them, so I wanted to post them and share them with the group. Hopefully, you will enjoy them. I started the blog post as well from here going forward. So, if you are interested, there is alot of information in all of those pages.

So far, I have been trying to help others on the board with my experiences, treatments and results. But who knows, maybe I'll be asking for your help with my latest development. Or maybe I'll need some support. It's nice to know that you are all there now and it has certainly helped me to be able to try and help each of you.

Sundance was our beautiful golden retriever. He was a great comfort during my Cancer and so in his memory, I have taken his name to honor his help and dedication to us and now I use that to now help anybody that needs help, with the same loving spirit that he used to help us with. And so, the legacy of Sundance lives on in Cyberspace and on the board.

Warmest wishes from the Heart of Texas and I look forward to talking with everybody as the time goes on. Hopefully, we'll find out something soon and I can post that.

-Craig