Fuck Cancer

[jono]

I've found the (free) movie Surviving Terminal Cancer to be really helpful. Sucks that so much of it is instantly familiar, but it's a strong collection of perspectives.

www.survivingterminalcancer.com

Keep fighting.

[Dantheman]

Ruby had another round of scans, tumors are still stable

[Art Shirk]

Ruby had another round of scans, tumors are still stable

so awesome

[muted]

Ruby had another round of scans, tumors are still stable

Good to hear.

Jono, what's new?

[reckless toboggan]

Fuck cancer.

[Meadow Skipper]

Ruby had another round of scans, tumors are still stable

Good news!

[GetAmped]

Today is the 5th anniversary of my last radiation treatment. My endoscopy last week revealed no sign of any recurrence and the PET scan confirmed the same. 5 is the magic number and I have officially kicked cancer's ass (with lots of help from family, friends and medical providers). So, keep fighting! Fuck cancer!

[sb]

My brother recently completed his treatment s for prostate cancer. He still feels crappy but getting better and his last check shows remission.

Fook cancer in the azz.

[jono]

Good to hear.

Jono, what's new?

I'm just seeing that, guess I was in the surgery recovery phase when you posted. Since then all news so far is good, last week in particular: I did a sprint/MTB triathlon that I've done for a few years and improved on my last couple times despite slower transitions with no practice or training aside from the bike. Feeding tube was still in my gut until about 3 weeks prior, so just going was a win. (I'm slow anyway, but I think my 2015 performance was one of the first signs of disease.)

Followed that up with my first post-treatment scan and so far no signs of recurrence or metastases. Got a lot of those to go, I hope!

Today is the 5th anniversary of my last radiation treatment. My endoscopy last week revealed no sign of any recurrence and the PET scan confirmed the same. 5 is the magic number and I have officially kicked cancer's ass (with lots of help from family, friends and medical providers). So, keep fighting! Fuck cancer!

That's awesome! This thread needs more win, thanks for posting that.

[Mazderati]

Good to see some positive updates.

[Millsie]

Today is the 5th anniversary of my last radiation treatment. My endoscopy last week revealed no sign of any recurrence and the PET scan confirmed the same. 5 is the magic number and I have officially kicked cancer's ass (with lots of help from family, friends and medical providers). So, keep fighting! Fuck cancer!

Don't let your guard down yet. My wife was cancer free for 8 years and hers still came back. In a different form and in more places. Not trying to scare you. Just want you to be ever vigilant.

[Meadow Skipper]

Today is the 5th anniversary of my last radiation treatment. My endoscopy last week revealed no sign of any recurrence and the PET scan confirmed the same. 5 is the magic number and I have officially kicked cancer's ass (with lots of help from family, friends and medical providers). So, keep fighting! Fuck cancer!

Awesome. Fuck cancer.

[huckbucket]

Ruby had another round of scans, tumors are still stable

I missed this in June. So awesome! Go Ruby!

[GetAmped]

Don't let your guard down yet. My wife was cancer free for 8 years and hers still came back. In a different form and in more places. Not trying to scare you. Just want you to be ever vigilant.

The likelihood that the same malignancy will return is quite low; something else is going to kill me. But I am at a higher risk of other cancers due to the amount of radiation I've received. I'm supposed to be particularly careful about keeping my neck covered in the sun. Oncologist pointed out that I don't want to survive a carcinoma and get a melanoma.

I'll still go back for an annual endoscopy for a while. Fact is, long term survival rates for head and neck cancers is not good, so there's not a lot of data on what I can expect. But I'll roll with being the best recovery they've seen and celebrate that.

[The Reverend Floater]

First and foremost, respect to the folks fighting the good fight, no matter what the prognosis.

Second, we lost a good one a few weeks ago. Brain cancer took him at 45, married just over a year to my wife's best friend and the father of their six month old daughter. Any Seattle mags working in the outdoor industry probably knew of him or heard about it.

Last time I saw him was in July and he told me he was supposed to get killed doing something stupid, either by a bear or by a shark, drink in his hand--not by cancer. He was a consummate gentleman, passionate angler, self made unorthodox success story, and the kind of guy who wouldn't let me go fishing by myself....on the day of his own wedding.

Rest easy, Mike, and fuck cancer.

[sb]

RIP Mike

[Millsie]

The likelihood that the same malignancy will return is quite low; something else is going to kill me. But I am at a higher risk of other cancers due to the amount of radiation I've received. I'm supposed to be particularly careful about keeping my neck covered in the sun. Oncologist pointed out that I don't want to survive a carcinoma and get a melanoma.

I'll still go back for an annual endoscopy for a while. Fact is, long term survival rates for head and neck cancers is not good, so there's not a lot of data on what I can expect. But I'll roll with being the best recovery they've seen and celebrate that.

Great attitude! I'll roll with you. One day at a time!

[Dantheman]

I missed this in June. So awesome! Go Ruby!

No scans since then, but outwardly she's still completely asymptomatic

The likelihood that the same malignancy will return is quite low; something else is going to kill me. But I am at a higher risk of other cancers due to the amount of radiation I've received. I'm supposed to be particularly careful about keeping my neck covered in the sun. Oncologist pointed out that I don't want to survive a carcinoma and get a melanoma.

I'll still go back for an annual endoscopy for a while. Fact is, long term survival rates for head and neck cancers is not good, so there's not a lot of data on what I can expect. But I'll roll with being the best recovery they've seen and celebrate that.

Wow, congrats man. Better live your second life to the fullest.

First and foremost, respect to the folks fighting the good fight, no matter what the prognosis.

Second, we lost a good one a few weeks ago. Brain cancer took him at 45, married just over a year to my wife's best friend and the father of their six month old daughter. Any Seattle mags working in the outdoor industry probably knew of him or heard about it.

Last time I saw him was in July and he told me he was supposed to get killed doing something stupid, either by a bear or by a shark, drink in his hand--not by cancer. He was a consummate gentleman, passionate angler, self made unorthodox success story, and the kind of guy who wouldn't let me go fishing by myself....on the day of his own wedding.

Rest easy, Mike, and fuck cancer.

Damn

[Sicks]

Checking in. Going through this for the first time in my life ever. Everyone I've lost it has been a surprise; from heart attacks, car crashes, to avalanches. Dad was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in January. It was in his throat and bones. 78yrs old and did 6 rounds of chemo followed by radiation. At 6'4 he's shrunk quite a bit. Been 2 months since the last treatment and he is up to 105lbs. Docs tried to talk to him about hospice last Friday as the cancer is now in his liver. He was having none of it. This morning you would have thought he was down to a few days but he's perked up since returning from another doc visit. They gave him a round of obdiva (sp?) and he was in a room with a woman who was on her death bed until this drug. Mom and dad are all full of hope since hearing this woman is back to work and maintaining. Without hope you got nothing right?

Fuck cancer and this fucking ride.

[Meadow Skipper]

...Without hope you got nothing right?

Fuck cancer and this fucking ride.

Right, and right.

Wishing you and yours the best.

[Dantheman]

Some of Ruby's tumors have been growing for the past 4-5 months. The largest one has grown the most, going from about 25 mm in diameter at her June scan to about 60 mm in diameter, and a couple others have also grown but less so. She's still outwardly asymptomatic, and the rest of her ~40 <10 mm tumors are still stable and no new tumors have appeared which is good news. Her doctors are still pretty concerned though and they've enrolled her in a trial of another experimental drug (entrectinib) which she starts taking today. The new drug is likely to cause side effects, so we're hoping they aren't too bad.

They've also been seeing another team of doctors at St. Jude who have been re-examining some of the biopsy samples and genetic data. While it still looks "mostly" like melanoma, it's missing some trademark melanoma mutations and shares some mutations common to infantile fibrosarcoma. Frankencancer.

ETA: Poor girl has had a lot of hospital time lately for the lead up to this new drug. Full body PET CT scan, full body MRI, port access, labs, ECG, eye test, urine sample, physical exam, and more. So hard for a 4 y.o.

[flyandski365]

Some of Ruby's tumors have been growing for the past 4-5 months. The largest one has grown the most, going from about 25 mm in diameter at her June scan to about 60 mm in diameter, and a couple others have also grown but less so. She's still outwardly asymptomatic, and the rest of her ~40 <10 mm tumors are still stable and no new tumors have appeared which is good news. Her doctors are still pretty concerned though and they've enrolled her in a trial of another experimental drug (entrectinib) which she starts taking today. The new drug is likely to cause side effects, so we're hoping they aren't too bad.

They've also been seeing another team of doctors at St. Jude who have been re-examining some of the biopsy samples and genetic data. While it still looks "mostly" like melanoma, it's missing some trademark melanoma mutations and shares some mutations common to infantile fibrosarcoma. Frankencancer.

Sorry to hear that Dan, we're all pulling for her.

Looking back through this thread... I think I'll give my folks a call, just to say hi.

[Danno]

Fuck cancer. Pulling for Ruby.

Some friends have a 4 year old with leukemia. That shit just ain't right.

[SkiBall]

Should have to fight so early in life. My brother had it at a very young age, but 40 years later he is alive and well. Hoping for like results for Ruby. As said, it just doesn't seem right.

[Dantheman]

Thanks everyone. I hate to do this, but as you might imagine her medical costs in the last year and a half have been substantial. If anyone is in the giving mood, they have a GoFundMe you can donate to: https://www.gofundme.com/rallyruby