Blind Sided

Gout? Colchicine and black cherry juice. Drink the juice daily, 6 ounces or so, twice. Take the drug when the pain starts, don't wait for it to get bad. I have to do it that way, because I am allergic to allopurinol, the "wonder drug" that lowers uric acid levels and reduces gout.

Beware the high fat, high calorie meals of the holiday season. Nothing will trigger it like that.

Cancer? What can be said about that, other than it can be killed and you should do just that. Picture it in your mind withering and dying, disappearing. Then go to the experts and follow their advice. Share it all with your wife, everything. You'll both be glad you did. Collect yourself, do the battle, and emerge alive and well when it's all said and done.

Eat, rest, stay as active as you can, and be healthy.

Cap wrote:I was struck with stage 4 melanoma in 2001. We took the aggressive rout and I'm still here to talk bout it.(

Wow Cap, That is simply amazing. I wish you had told me this about 6 weeks ago. From the size of my melanoma and from what I read online the outlook was grim for a life expectancy of even 5 years. Things improved some for me when I quit reading all of the losing the battle stories that are on the net.
I was wanting to talk to someone that had been there. Glad you have gotten along so well since.
As you well know it is a very scary time heading down that path alone. All kinds of thoughts filling your head every minute of every day.

I need to get to one of the meet & greets so I can meet some of you and have a person to person conversation. I have so many of you to thank and doing it from a computer just loses some meaning. I know that when I was typing some of my replies in this thread I had tears streaming down my face. so you guys didn't see the full impact of your prayers and well wishes. And Cap I would love to hear your cancer survival story.

LeonMSPT wrote:Beware the high fat, high calorie meals of the holiday season. Nothing will trigger it like that.

My gout is in my ankle and seems to be triggered by stress and fatigue on said ankle. I have been eating really healthy since July when I first got cancer. I actually think those pressure hose that they make you wear during surgery made my gout flare up. It is just strange, I went to bed at 12:30 am and my ankle was fine. I woke up at 6:45 am and I couldn't walk.

I need to get to one of the meet & greets so I can meet some of you and have a person to person conversation.

February 7th in Pottsville!

Wood'nCoal wrote:

I need to get to one of the meet & greets so I can meet some of you and have a person to person conversation.

February 7th in Pottsville!

I will have to look but I think I have some sort of doc appt. that day. I think it is for my eye cancer checkup. The one I missed because I was having surgery on my back that day. Totally forgot about it. It sucks to be going to a doctor it seems every week for me.

Just wait 'till you get old. Some "seniors" schedule they entire lives around doctor's appointments.

I know that when I was typing some of my replies in this thread I had tears streaming down my face.

Reading about your ordeal had the same effect on me at times. And then seeing the pic of little Gambler, Jr. holding that fish.....................

And understanding and feeling the turmoil that you must have been going through........Yep, it had me swallowing really hard. I have 2 5 y.o. grandsons and a 9 y.o. granddaughter who need a whole bunch of teaching before I go. I'm right there with you and your son. There's a lot to do before it is time to go.

As I said before, Glad to hear the good news........ Now get out and get fishing !!!!!!!

Rick

Well it is time once again for another cancer screening.
My tests have all come back neg. except for that spot on the lung thing that still has me concerned.
I am going to the docs tomorrow to have my skin cancer checked. It is always a trying time because you know they are looking for cancer and you hope they find nothing. The year seems to have flown by. It was about this time last year that I noticed something different about my vision but waited until June to go to the doctor. It won't be long until I am making another trip to Philly (first week in June).
If there is one thing positive that my cancer has done for me it has made me spend much more time with my family. I have been fishing both Sat. and Sun. every weekend with my son since last Oct. We fished from the boat into Dec. and then we did not fish for 4 weeks until mid Jan. when we started ice fishing. and we ice fished through the last week of Feb. and were out on the boat again the following weekend.

gambler wrote:Well it is time once again for another cancer screening.
My tests have all come back neg. except for that spot on the lung thing that still has me concerned.
I am going to the docs tomorrow to have my skin cancer checked. It is always a trying time because you know they are looking for cancer and you hope they find nothing. The year seems to have flown by. It was about this time last year that I noticed something different about my vision but waited until June to go to the doctor. It won't be long until I am making another trip to Philly (first week in June).
If there is one thing positive that my cancer has done for me it has made me spend much more time with my family. I have been fishing both Sat. and Sun. every weekend with my son since last Oct. We fished from the boat into Dec. and then we did not fish for 4 weeks until mid Jan. when we started ice fishing. and we ice fished through the last week of Feb. and were out on the boat again the following weekend.

Good luck. I will add you and your family to my prayers.

Hang in there Rick! Nothing tougher than what you are courageously facing! (I have a gut feeling that the spot on the lung will be negative too!)
Keep us posted when you have the time. Lots of coal brothers with you...& thanks for bringing me back into realizing what's important in this world & what's just BS...Thanks!

gambler wrote: From the size of my melanoma and from what I read online the outlook was grim for a life expectancy of even 5 years. .

If it's encouragement you're looking for my brother had a brain tumor that was very aggressive, so much so they gave him a very short time. As the doctor described it the type he had spread out like fingers or a web. He's actually quite lucky because he was on an amusement park ride and he had a seizure, without that ride he may not have had a seizure until much later. He's still here about 5 years now, quite healthy and cancer free.

He went to Fox Chase, excellent place. Lots of trips down the turnpike.

gambler wrote: If there is one thing positive that my cancer has done for me it has made me spend much more time with my family. I have been fishing both Sat. and Sun. every weekend with my son since last Oct.

No matter what happens, you are focussed on what is truly important. You have quite a son there, and my hopes and prayers are that you two have many, many more years together.

Hey Rick, Hang in there and keep yourself on positive thoughts of life and family. just to share some family experience,my dad was diagnosed with cancer in 1987-88 and is still surviving,just turned 70 in Feb. hang in there and keep family and friends informed. Praying for positive results for you . You have fishing to do with your son !!

Sorry to hear the news but you did wake up today and thats a good thing. Tomorrow will take care of itself. I will keep you in my prayers every day. Faith does heal and the Lord will heal his own. Don't let this control your life live it day by day as you ought to do as the rest of us do. Looking forward to hearing all the good news in your future.

Bill S.