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Post by barabbas on Dec 21, 2015 17:52:14 GMT -6
That's really terrible, Thomas. I'm so sorry to hear that. I'll be praying for you.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2015 20:34:35 GMT -6
You will be in my prayers. We'll help you fight through this.
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Post by nocturnaliridescence on Dec 21, 2015 20:35:16 GMT -6
Groggy but awake. Procedure wasn't bad at all. I have rectal cancer. Next, we need to find out if it's spread, and if it hasn't, I need surgery. If it has spread, I need chemotherapy. I will fight this. Prayers please. Dang... Keeping you in my prayers, Tom.
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Post by Deepfriar on Dec 22, 2015 16:26:38 GMT -6
Praying for you bro. Do your homework and change your diet and lifestyle when and where necessary.
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Post by Deepfriar on Dec 22, 2015 16:30:09 GMT -6
Oh and maybe take a trip to Colorado for cannabis oil.
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Post by Deepfriar on Dec 22, 2015 16:33:20 GMT -6
Amazon has a cheap home water distiller for I think $179. It actually works well, takes about 4 hours to distill one gallon. Feel free to season a gallon with a teaspoon of Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt if you are worried about minerals. But seriously, get all of the "gunk" out of your diet you can. Organic carrot juice freshly juiced is a critical supplement.
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Post by Deepfriar on Dec 22, 2015 16:37:08 GMT -6
P.S. Sugar is potentially VERY BAD. Do your own research and decide.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Dec 22, 2015 19:48:15 GMT -6
Oh and maybe take a trip to Colorado for cannabis oil. Even better. I've got CBD oil (potent cannabis oil with the THC taken out) No euphoria, no failing drug tests, no addiction, completely legal and bought off the shelf - just vaping (not smoking) the healing part of the plant. Didn't have to make a trip to Colorado either. Its legal in all 50 states. It's helping considerably. I'd say the pain discomfort and urgency is halved and makes me as tired/loopy as taking an asprin. (The joke being, asprin doesn't make anyone tired or loopy)
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Dec 23, 2015 9:57:31 GMT -6
I've got a chest, abdomen and pelvic CT scan today. They're making me drink this dye and they'll put it in my veins too to see if the cancer has gone elsewhere besides my colon. Results will be known Monday. Regarding the sugar making cancer worse, I asked my wife and doctor about that. (since my wife is an RN, she's kind of my nurse. ) ...their answer was "Yeah, some people believe sugar will make cancer worse." No directions on changing my diet. Besides, Christmas is in a few days - no sugar for Christmas is like saying no presents for Christmas. [puke] At least for me... Surgery consultation Monday... but that could change. If its spread, I'll be meeting with an Oncologist. If not, I'll keep the consultation appointment. Man, I get about 5 phone calls a day from the hospital now. I can also tell that they're really trying to act fast...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2015 12:24:11 GMT -6
Brother I'll keep you in my prayers and in my family prayers too! Keep your faith up bro! We'll fight this with you!
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Dec 24, 2015 12:05:20 GMT -6
Thanks Edwin!
Got CT scan results. The short answer as to if the cancer has spread is "unsure" leaning toward "yes". There are enlarged lymph nodes in my lower abdomen area that are suspicious. The good news is, they're in the same area as the mass in my bowels so they would be able to biopsy and remove in the same surgery. Surgery consultation is monday. Oncology appointment Wednesday.
Please keep me in your prayers.
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Post by Kerrick on Dec 24, 2015 12:19:58 GMT -6
Oh wow I am praying for you Thomas.
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Post by nocturnaliridescence on Dec 24, 2015 15:56:53 GMT -6
The good news is, they're in the same area as the mass in my bowels so they would be able to biopsy and remove in the same surgery. Good to know it's not as bad as it could have been. It sounds more like this will just be a (really, really huge) inconvenience for you. Truly God is with us. We shouldn't worry - have compassion, but not worry - but we all do anyway out of instinct. Continuing to pray.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Dec 25, 2015 19:09:56 GMT -6
I'm actually not worried too much. When I told my parents that, they said they would worry enough for everyone. In my recovery of substance-abuse, I've went to extensive lengths to train myself on multiple aspects of my character. ...one of those is "Don't sweat the small stuff." With God in the equation, everything that happens to/for/with me, is small... If its his plan for me to come home, well I'll go hang out with my grandma that died a few months ago. I've already seen her once since then. (mentioned in the dream thread) ...but honestly, I don't think this will kill me - more or less be extreme inconvenient. (like you said NI) Lots of people have cancer and arrest it, and mine isn't spread throughout my ENTIRE body - and where mine is, from the looks of anything dangerous, I can all be taken out in one surgery. Besides, I still feel relatively ok. Sure BM's are painful and frequent, I'm tired a lot and have regular stomach aches (probably the iron for the anemea/being tired)... but I'm still doing my chores, still going to work (which work thinks I'm nuts because they gave me 2 weeks off and I said "no, I'm working Saturday, I want to. I need something to do."), I'm still lifting weights. I'm NOT doped up on meds or herb. (the herb I'm using is dope-free!) I'm going to try my darnedest to do some squats and biceps tonight with the weights I have at home. To me, how I best cope with this, is try to live like its not happening. ...not because of denial, but not let this distract me from living my life.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Dec 26, 2015 17:04:28 GMT -6
I got this as a Christmas present from my wife's aunt. She picked it up at some random shop and thought it looked like something I'd wear. She couldn't find online what the word on it meant, even after looking... so she just hoped it didn't say anything bad. I'd never heard of " akoretarevalic" before so while everyone was opening their next gift, I searched to see if I could find it. After 10 minutes, I found it. It's Latin for "in faith, protected". Everyone got chills and a little emotional. I don't think me getting this gift is just a coincidence...
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Dec 28, 2015 17:18:21 GMT -6
Had my surgery consultation today. The plan is 5 weeks of radiation and chemo... 6 weeks of recovery from that, and then surgery end March / early April. I'll need time off work to recover from that, then more chemo....
The doctor said I'll be fighting this for a year.
The idea is that radiation first will shrink the mass to save some of my insides and kill any other dangerous nodes. If they did the surgery now, I'd have to have a poop sack for the rest of my life.
Goal #1 - save my life Goal #2 - save my insides Goal #3 - have the least invasive surgery possible.
Please keep me in your prayers.
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Post by Kerrick on Dec 28, 2015 18:13:52 GMT -6
Whoa, I was hoping for a much simpler/quicker resolution. This is going to be a big battle. I'll definitely be continuing to pray for you.
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Post by nocturnaliridescence on Dec 28, 2015 20:36:05 GMT -6
Dang. Not even sure what to say, that really sucks. Keeping you in my prayers.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Jan 4, 2016 16:28:49 GMT -6
Busy week. Got setup (and tattooed) for daily radiation today. (Literal skin ink injections so I can be where I need to be in the machine each time) Tuesday morning is the PET scan. (A more intense CT scan) Wednesday is the fertility appointment to bank some swimmers (since there's a chance radiation/chemo will make me sterile) Thursday is (tentatively) when I'd start my chemo/radiation, but that depends on the doctor's from Wednesday's appointment if they need additional... uh... specimens. Please pray that radiation/chemo won't make me too sick and that the PET Scan results aren't frightening...
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Post by Deepfriar on Jan 5, 2016 5:54:31 GMT -6
Will do Thomas thanks for update.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Jan 6, 2016 17:57:15 GMT -6
The dye from the Pet scan didn't highlight the lymph nodes that were suspicious before. That means, it looks like the only cancer is the mass and the intestinal wall growths. Even though I never received official staging of the cancer, it would put it from a suspected stage 3 to a suspected stage 2. That's good news! I start my chemo and radiation tomorrow.
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Post by Deepfriar on Jan 7, 2016 5:54:20 GMT -6
Yes, that is definitely good news! Glad to hear it.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Jan 11, 2016 20:15:49 GMT -6
I don't know if it's been the chemo/radiation or I had another one of my "can't stay awake" spells, but I slept until 130pm to 5am yesterday. (Got up that early for work)
I got home from my radiation today at 130pm and slept until 550pm. My wife woke me up as she was leaving for work.
I hope I'm this tired because my treatment is working.... I can't remember ever being this fatigued.
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Post by Kerrick on Jan 12, 2016 11:01:18 GMT -6
I've heard that chemo does that to people; I think that's pretty normal. How long will you be doing the chemotherapy for?
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Jan 12, 2016 14:28:31 GMT -6
6 weeks total. 5 to go. ._.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Jan 18, 2016 9:05:23 GMT -6
There seems to be an ebb and flow with treatment. Yesterday I had some pain and fatigue. I slept through my lunch at work again, but still forced myself to go to the gym after. Today, I feel great. Pain is minimal, and I have lots of energy. Had some pretty awesome numbers in the gym too. Overall, I feel less and less pain and the waves of fatigue hit less and less often. I appreciate the prayers and I think everything is going to be ok.
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Post by drawnsword on Jan 22, 2016 15:14:43 GMT -6
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Jan 24, 2016 16:12:09 GMT -6
Not doing to good today. Called off work. Too tired. Have a sore throat. I'm cold. Got another side effect of the chemo... The doctor kept asking me if my hands are numb/tingling every visit. Now I know why. They're numb and have ached pretty bad all day.
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Post by nocturnaliridescence on Jan 25, 2016 0:28:03 GMT -6
Shoot. That sounds rough. I mean, this whole thing has, but on top of everything else. Man.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Jan 27, 2016 10:28:37 GMT -6
I got a site setup for donations to help with cancer expenses. Kaytlyn (my wife) is going to setup a Facebook page for this as well. We haven't gotten a lot of bills yet, but the ones we have gotten were pretty ridiculous. I wanted to be proactive rather than reactive since surgery will be in a few months... Any support whether prayers, donations or encouraging words will be vastly appreciated. Thank you, gofund.me/gvtnwt78
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