Cancer Sucks<\/p>\n
You’ve probably heard this before \u2013 cancer sucks.<\/p>\n
My wonderful wife was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006.\u00a0 At the time we were living in Pender County, 2 hours down I-40 from two of the foremost oncology centers in the country, if not the world.\u00a0 So up to Durham we went. (A bit of a challenge since we met at Carolina!)<\/p>\n
She got the full Monty \u2013 surgery, chemo, radiation.\u00a0 By 2008 she was in full remission, no cancer detected.\u00a0 And that lasted for 16 years.<\/p>\n
Last spring, in response to a radio add on the same station that I first heard RWG, we decided to go to Raleigh for a heart and lung scan.\u00a0 A \u201cCouples Special\u201d. I was in sales and marketing most of my life (my degree is in journalism, specializing in advertising so I knew what to expect.)\u00a0 The special was a loss leader to get people through the door to pitch a more comprehensive scan.\u00a0 Which is exactly what I wanted.\u00a0 We aren’t spring chickens anymore \u2013 I’ve even been accused of being an \u201cold fowl\u201d. (Or was it \u201cfoul\u201d? Actually \u2013 a buzzard.)<\/p>\n
By now my wonderful wife has intermittent A-Fib, with an implanted cardiac monitor, type 2 diabetes and a serious sugar compulsion.\u00a0 Just ripe for a fatty liver.\u00a0 So, yes they will do a body scan.\u00a0 Doctor not required.\u00a0 There is no trace chemical, this is not a diagnostic scan, it’s preliminary so no insurance, either.<\/p>\n
The results were quite eye-opening.\u00a0 She had significant calcium in her heart. But otherwise her heart was fine.\u00a0 Her liver \u2013 clear!\u00a0 YAY.\u00a0 But… there is a tumor on her right kidney.\u00a0 NOT good.\u00a0 Off to Duke again.\u00a0 She goes every 6 months for monitoring.\u00a0 We know the way.\u00a0 Now everything is covered by insurance so full diagnostic scan with trace locates the tumor, biopsy confirms it.\u00a0 Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma. The good news is that this form is the slowest, least aggressive form of kidney cancer.\u00a0 She presented with no other symptoms. She could just wait and see.\u00a0 After all, she does have a spare.\u00a0 Sure.\u00a0 Right.<\/p>\n
She got on the surgical schedule and even got moved up.\u00a0 People sometimes don’t pass the anesthesia screen so an opening became available.<\/p>\n
On election day, 2024, we got two miracles.\u00a0 Her tumor was removed, no other signs of cancer was found, it shouldn’t bother her for the rest of her life.<\/p>\n
And Donald J. Trump was elected 47th<\/sup> President of the US!<\/p>\n The first scan wasn’t cheap but not horribly expensive.\u00a0 Have you priced a replacement kidney lately? Not cheap \u2013 priceless.<\/p>\n My scan showed nothing really significant.\u00a0 It did provide some explanations for some mysterious orthopedic anomalies I’ve had, but nothing serious.<\/p>\n My cancer showed up from a blood screen, confirmed by pet scan and verified by biopsy.\u00a0 I’m too old for surgery; my 24 month term of chemo started in October.\u00a0 Radiation probably starts later this month for 6 weeks. My prognosis is that they can keep me \u201crelatively\u201d comfortable and not unduly burdened by cancer long enough for something else to kill me.<\/p>\n So, like Meat Loaf said, \u201cTwo Out Of Three Ain’t Bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Cancer still sucks.<\/p>\n Ciao,<\/p>\n The Snark.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cancer Sucks You’ve probably heard this before \u2013 cancer sucks. My wonderful wife was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006.\u00a0 At the time we were living in Pender County, 2 hours down I-40 from two of the foremost oncology … Continue reading