Cancer--Are You Going To Make It?

[Wet Dream]

Chances are, 100% of the people in here know someone who has or did have cancer. Dan Fogelburg like him or not ,died at age 56 (postate), my Dad died at 59 (stomach), my grandmother at 58 (breast) and her mother of colon cancer. I don't care if you smoke or not, you do increase you chances of lung cancer, and some can smoke like a chimney and never get it, but with so many different types of cancer and getting it at such a relatively early age, do you think you'll make it to retirement? We all have it in our mindset that we work our ass off, be successful, save our money for the golden years and be able to enjoy it. For many, they never get to that point in their lives. I'm scared shitless about it, not for dying,but for leaving my family. Do you hink you'll make it to retirement, or maybe have a cure by the, maybe live for now and deal with retiement later? Whats your take? Sorry for such a bummer of a topic, but its a huge reality.

[new2cats]

This is close to home..Mom died 2 Valentine's days ago at 57 of lung cancer that metastisized (sp?) to brain tumors..diagnosis to death 6 f*cking weeks!!!
It opened my eyes....live for today, love with all your heart.....my new modo is "no regrets and no guilt"......I volunteer at a Senior Center 3 times a week and most are widows to cancer or heart disease....how many 80 year old couples you see holding hand at the park....usually one is gone.....make every single second of every single day special for you, your spouse, friends and family...death is real and hits you like that stomach flu you got last winter....one minute you feel great, the next you are crumbling!!!!!
Rock on...."yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is the present.....a gift from God...use it wisely".
My rant for tonight..thanks for the soapbox!!!:D

[bchbum]

My mom died from cancer when I was 10 (35 years ago ) . They didn't have much they could do back then . A close family friend is fighting breast cancer now , she is very close to my girls . If something happens to her my girls will more than likely never dance again , she's their dance teacher.

[SummerBreeze]

Wow!!:)
The two post above are one of the best post I have ever read on HOT BOAT and I thank you for them.
My dad is in the cancer mode and is trying to fight it off with treatments and it seems to be working at the moment. This could be his last Christmas.
There seems to be so much bull$hit out in this world that really doesen't matter.
I will be 49 years old in the morning and I have made a quest a few years ago to make a difference in this life. It might be a few kind words to someone that might need a kind heart to talk to.
Helping others is a big deal to me.
Thanks Hot Boat Peeps

[uvindex]

Overall, heart disease kills more people than cancer in the US (although cancer is #2 overall).
At least the ways to help avoid heart disease are pretty well known (control your weight and cholesterol; exercise; don't smoke).
Source: CDC National Center for Injury Prevention.

[Trailer Park Casanova]

It seem like now Prostate cancer is killing or anihilitating most the people I know.
Early detection is the key to beating all cancers.
Even cervical.

[Ryphraph]

A lot more people are living with cancer these days. The treatments, although not cures, are adding many years to the lives of victims.
I get so angry when I see qwaks selling juice cures and people refusing treatments from good oncologists.
Obviously, live life to the fullest
Ryph

[sawtooth]

Lost my Mom to it almost 20 years ago, inop. brain cancer. She was 48 and I was 23 at the time, later that year I said screw it quit my job and started my own business and have never looked back. I live more for the day than I do for the future but I am by no means foolish. Just make sure that you tell those that are close to you that you love them often and in the big scope of things don't get mad and fight over petty stuff, this stuff can hit like a light switch.....on one day and off/gone the next. It's on my mind sometimes because it is in the family, Moms Mom passed at 50 from the same thing but I don't let it get to me just tell myself every morning that when I hit the bed at night I won't have any regrets and know that my Mom would be proud of me.

[FOXMAN]

Not so much cancer in my family but alot of heart disease. My father had his first heart attack at 32. I'm 43 and show no signs of any problems so far.. I have a 2 year old now that has given me some incentive to take better care of my self. I dont want to grow old for me, But i really want to be there for my kids.

[whiteworks]

I lost my step sister at 1:05 am this morning to a fast moving metastasized cancer. Just a few short hours ago I sat and waited at the hospice for the mortuary to arrive and take her body away. I guess there was some closure for me at that time. it started with breast cancer 18 months ago, all was going well until last week. she was diagnosed with leptomeningeal disease (some real bad shit) less than 10 days ago. I basically shut down everything and have been with friends and family around the clock for the last week at Scripps down in san diego and then a hospice in Carlsbad. at one point a few days ago she had a bit of clarity and mumbled to me "it doesn't look good?" WTF are you supposed to say? I would have to say without a doubt this has been the single hardest thing our family has ever had to deal with. she was 39 and a real hellcat full of energy and passion. grandparents should not have to bury there grand kids, parents should not have to bury there kids. this week will be one that I will never forget and hope none of you will ever have to go through. one thing that has been quite amazing is the amount of family that we have had around the clock to see her through. Sad, Angry, Confused, Happy, Dazed, Lost, Empty, Full, Tired, Wired, Dizzy, Spent, Aware, Scared, and any thing else you can think of at the same time. hug your kids, call your parents say what you gotta say. GODSPEED Patricia Ann

[MBlaster]

I lost my step sister at 1:05 am this morning to a fast moving metastasized cancer. Just a few short hours ago I sat and waited at the hospice for the mortuary to arrive and take her body away. I guess there was some closure for me at that time. it started with breast cancer 18 months ago, all was going well until last week. she was diagnosed with leptomeningeal disease (some real bad shit) less than 10 days ago. I basically shut down everything and have been with friends and family around the clock for the last week at Scripps down in san diego and then a hospice in Carlsbad. at one point a few days ago she had a bit of clarity and mumbled to me "it doesn't look good?" WTF are you supposed to say? I would have to say without a doubt this has been the single hardest thing our family has ever had to deal with. she was 39 and a real hellcat full of energy and passion. grandparents should not have to bury there grand kids, parents should not have to bury there kids. this week will be one that I will never forget and hope none of you will ever have to go through. one thing that has been quite amazing is the amount of family that we have had around the clock to see her through. Sad, Angry, Confused, Happy, Dazed, Lost, Empty, Full, Tired, Wired, Dizzy, Spent, Aware, Scared, and any thing else you can think of at the same time. hug your kids, call your parents say what you gotta say. GODSPEED Patricia Ann
Jesus thats rough around the holidays.
Godspeed...Amen.

[92562]

I lost my step sister at 1:05 am this morning to a fast moving metastasized cancer.
Sorry to hear, you'll be pretty much numb this year. Next year will really suck, be prepared for it, it's OK. Last year I lost Dad on 10/6/06 from gall-bladder ca, Grandma 10/12/06 from a broken heart, Mom on 11/12/06 from ovarian ca, and my Aunt 3/15/07 from cervical CA. I was bedside for both Mom & Dad and watched the morticians leave. Same guys for both parents, they felt pretty bad. The wife lost both of her parents to ca as well, so it doesn't look good for us. I'm the patriarch at 38! Save $$ for your kids and enjoy life with them as often as you can.
Merry Christmas....I need to go wipe my eyes..
----Rob

[ULTRA26 # 1]

I'm living for the moment while still stocking up some for retirement. I've seen way to many folks go quick right after they retire. I am trying to enjoy every day to the fullest, I spend as much quality time with my Son as I can, with out interfering, and if if I spend a bit more now and have a little less at retirement, so be it. Maybe I will just have to work a coupe more years, which I don't see as a bad thing.
Like is great enjoy every momemnt you have.

[dirty old man]

Good friend back in LA (IE actually) had to quit boating due to melanoma (too much sun). But he's going to be fine

[Devilman]

My wife lost her mom to pancreatic cancer 2 years ago, right after Christmas, after battling it for 6 years. The last 2 years of her life were pretty rough. Two weeks after her passing, my father-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. They operated on him the day after him being admitted to the hospital to remove the tumor, but it had already spread to his liver by the time he was diagnosed. Chemo worked pretty well for him, he recieved the treatments once, sometimes twice a week for approx. 2 years and his everday life was still pretty good.
He passed away last Thursday, after a week and a half long stay in the hospital. The night before he died, just by coincidence, quite a bit of family & friends were up at the hospital to visit. I didn't go up there that night, thinking I would stay home, throw some stuff on the grill & have supper done for my wife when her & our daughter came home. I called his room once to kind of check in, see how things were going & it sounded like they were having a party up there. I hate like hell that I didn't go up to the hospital that particular night. I would have liked to have visited with him at least one more time, shake his hand & tell him I'd see him later or something. :( I'm glad that he was able to have at least one more good visit with his daughter, granddaughters, & great granddaughter though.
So after that long rambling part of the post, I'd have to say that although my wife & I try more these days to live our lives to the fullest extent that we can, we are still keeping an eye on the future. From putting $$$ away, to getting our funeral stuff taken care of ahead of time, to try & take some of the burden off the kids when our time comes. Making it a point to get out & do more this year, though.....

[Ms.Havasu]

What a thread.
I dunno what is the best approach. I have fought off cancer twice in my life. I had breast cancer when I was 25 with 2 small kids to live for. Very few women who have breast cancer that young seem to survive, it is much more aggressive for some reason. Then again on my 45th birthday I had a double mesectomy and another round of chemo. I'll celebrate my 50th on my next birthday, so you can beat it or at least delay. I don't think I'll have to worry about retirement.
On the other hand, I'm watching my dad who worked all his life as a teamster, spend his entire life savings caring for my step mother who has alsheimer at 84. So can you really save enought for retirement? I guess thats another poll. It seems no matter what, the doctors get everything in the end.
My little sweet doggie (gizmo) was diagnoised with Bladder cancer last wed and only has a couple of months(maybe) I just learned that 50% of all Dogs and cats over 10 have cancer. I've been feeling so bad about losing our little guy. I'm so sorry for all of your losses as well. So yes, I live for today. Love everyday I'm given and the people around me. It's seems to be harder on the ones left behind. I guess I should get together a will now that you bring it up.

[new2cats]

Lost my Mom to it almost 20 years ago, inop. brain cancer. She was 48 and I was 23 at the time, later that year I said screw it quit my job and started my own business and have never looked back. I live more for the day than I do for the future but I am by no means foolish. Just make sure that you tell those that are close to you that you love them often and in the big scope of things don't get mad and fight over petty stuff, this stuff can hit like a light switch.....on one day and off/gone the next. It's on my mind sometimes because it is in the family, Moms Mom passed at 50 from the same thing but I don't let it get to me just tell myself every morning that when I hit the bed at night I won't have any regrets and know that my Mom would be proud of me.
Nicely put!!!

[new2cats]

I lost my step sister at 1:05 am this morning to a fast moving metastasized cancer. Just a few short hours ago I sat and waited at the hospice for the mortuary to arrive and take her body away. I guess there was some closure for me at that time. it started with breast cancer 18 months ago, all was going well until last week. she was diagnosed with leptomeningeal disease (some real bad shit) less than 10 days ago. I basically shut down everything and have been with friends and family around the clock for the last week at Scripps down in san diego and then a hospice in Carlsbad. at one point a few days ago she had a bit of clarity and mumbled to me "it doesn't look good?" WTF are you supposed to say? I would have to say without a doubt this has been the single hardest thing our family has ever had to deal with. she was 39 and a real hellcat full of energy and passion. grandparents should not have to bury there grand kids, parents should not have to bury there kids. this week will be one that I will never forget and hope none of you will ever have to go through. one thing that has been quite amazing is the amount of family that we have had around the clock to see her through. Sad, Angry, Confused, Happy, Dazed, Lost, Empty, Full, Tired, Wired, Dizzy, Spent, Aware, Scared, and any thing else you can think of at the same time. hug your kids, call your parents say what you gotta say. GODSPEED Patricia Ann
Sorry to hear of your loss....:(
I sent flowers, thank yous and donations to the hospice that my 57 year old Mom died in..it makes you feel better!!!

[new2cats]

Sorry to hear, you'll be pretty much numb this year. Next year will really suck, be prepared for it, it's OK. Last year I lost Dad on 10/6/06 from gall-bladder ca, Grandma 10/12/06 from a broken heart, Mom on 11/12/06 from ovarian ca, and my Aunt 3/15/07 from cervical CA. I was bedside for both Mom & Dad and watched the morticians leave. Same guys for both parents, they felt pretty bad. The wife lost both of her parents to ca as well, so it doesn't look good for us. I'm the patriarch at 38! Save $$ for your kids and enjoy life with them as often as you can.
Merry Christmas....I need to go wipe my eyes..----Rob
Me too...right there with ya.....

[jdogginla]

Cancer is hitting home to more and more these days. I lost my mother to cancer less than 6 months ago. When she first discovered it and told me I thought it would be fine and she would beat it. I was unprepared for what was to come. All i had ever heard about this disease was all the success stories with Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow and others in the public eye. You never hear how devastating this disease is. It is quite sobering to read all the above posts in knowing that it has affected this many people on this board. I have found relief and comfort in cancer support groups along with the fact that I volunteer time and money to cancer foundations and fund raisers in hopes that a cure can be found. This is an ugly, ugly disease and seeing a young 51 yo strong healthy woman become so disabilitated by this disease in such a short amount of time is heart wrenching. I don't wish this disease upon anyone, its a disease that eats at the body and takes ones dignity away. I encourage those that have been affected by it to volunteer just one day a month to a cancer foundation or if you are of sound mind to join a cancer support group and share your story and help others that are battling this within their families.
Lastly...i will end my ramble with the below speech given by Jim Valvano. It is a long read but well worth it. If you would rather watch it I've attached a link to watch it.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jimvalvanoespyaward.htm
Thank you very much. Thank you.
That's -- That's the lowest I've ever seen Dick Vitale since the owner of the Detroit Pistons called him in and told him he should go into broadcasting.
I can't tell you what an honor it is to even be mentioned in the same breath with Arthur Ashe. This is something I certainly will treasure forever. But, as it was said on the tape, and I also don't have one of those things going with the cue cards, so I'm going to speak longer than anybody else has spoken tonight. That's the way it goes. Time is very precious to me. I don't know how much I have left, and I have some things that I would like to say. Hopefully, at the end, I'll have something that will be important to other people too.
But, I can't help it. Now, I'm fighting cancer, everybody knows that. People ask me all the time about how you go through your life and how's your day, and nothing is changed for me. As Dick said, I'm a very emotional, passionate man. I can't help it. That's being the son of Rocco and Angelina Valvano. It comes with the territory. We hug, we kiss, we love. And when people say to me how do you get through life or each day, it's the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.
And so, I can't help -- I rode on the plane up today with Mike Krzyzewski, my good friend and a wonderful coach. People don't realize he's ten times a better person than he is a coach, and we know he's a great coach. He's meant a lot to me in these last five or six months with my battle. But when I look at Mike, I think, we competed against each other as players. I coached against him for fifteen years, and I always have to think about what's important in life to me are these three things. Where you started; where you are; and where you're gonna be. Those are the three things that I try and do every day. And you know when I think about getting up and giving a speech, I can't help it -- I have to remember the first speech I ever gave.
I was coaching at Rutgers University, that was my first job -- oh, that's wonderful [reaction to applause] -- and I was the freshman coach. That's when freshmen played on freshman teams. And I was so fired up about my first job. I see Lou Holtz, Coach Holtz here. What was it like, the very first job you had, right? The very first time you stood in the locker room to give a pep talk. That's a special place, the locker room, for a coach to give a talk. So my idol as a coach was Vince Lombardi, and I read this book called Commitment To Excellence by Vince Lombardi. And in the book, Lombardi talked about the fist time he spoke before his Green Bay Packer team in the locker room -- they were perennial losers. And I'm reading this and Lombardi said he was thinking should it be a long talk? A short talk? But he wanted it to be emotional, so it would be brief.
And here's what he did. Normally you get in the locker room, I don't know, twenty-five minutes, a half hour before the team takes the field; you do your little X's and 0's, and then you give the great Knute Rockne talk. We all do. Speech number eight-four. You pull them right out, you get ready, get your squad ready. Well, this is the first one I ever gave. And I read this thing -- Lombardi, what he said was he didn't go in. He waited. His team was wondering: Where is he? Where is this great coach? He's not there. Ten minutes -- he's still not there. Three minutes before they could take the field Lombardi comes in, bangs the door open, and I think you all remember what great presence he had, alright, great presence. He walked in and he just walked back and forth, like this, just walked, staring at the players. And he said, "All eyes on me." And I'm reading this in this book. I'm getting this picture of Lombardi before his first game and he said "Gentlemen, we will be successful this year, if you can focus on three things, and three things only: Your family, your religion, and the Green Bay Packers." And he...like that...And they knocked the walls down and the rest was history. I said, that's beautiful. I'm going to do that. Your family, your religion, and Rutgers basketball.
That's it. I had it. Listen, I'm twenty-one years old. The kids I'm coaching are nineteen, alright? And I'm going to be the greatest coach in the world, the next Lombardi. And...I'm practicing outside of the locker room and the managers tell me "you got to go in." "Not yet, not yet"... family, religion, Rutgers Basketball. All eyes on me. I got it, I got it. Then finally he said, "three minutes," and I said "fine." True story. I go to knock the doors open just like Lombardi. Boom! They didn't open. I almost broke my arm. I was like...Now I was down, the players were looking. Help the coach out, help him out. And now I did like Lombardi, I walked back and forth, and I was going like that with my arm getting the feeling back in it. Finally I said, "Gentlemen, all eyes on me." These kids wanted to play, they're nineteen. "Let's go," I said. "Gentlemen, we'll be successful this year if you can focus on three things, and three things only: Your family, your religion, and the Green Bay Packers," I told them. I did that. I remember that. I remember...where I came from.
It's so important to know where you are. And I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you wanna be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it.
I talked about my family, my family's so important. People think I have courage. The courage in my family are my wife Pam, my three daughters, here, Nicole, Jamie, LeeAnn, my mom, who's right here too. And...that screen is flashing up there thirty seconds like I care about that screen right now, huh? I got tumors all over my body. I'm worried about some guy in the back going thirty seconds, huh? You got a lot, hey va fa napoli, buddy. You got a lot.
I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and [as] Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm" -- to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.
Now, I look at where I am now and I know what I wanna to do. What I would like to be able to do is to spend whatever time I have left and to give, and maybe some hope to others. Alright, Arthur Ashe Foundation is a wonderful thing, and AIDS, the amount of money pouring in for AIDS is not enough, but it is significant. But if I told you it's ten times the amount that goes in for cancer research. I'll also tell you that five hundred thousand people will die this year of cancer. And I'll also tell you that one in every four will be afflicted with this disease, and yet, somehow, we seem to have put it in a little bit of the background. I want to bring it back on the front table. We need your help. I need your help. We need money for research. It may not save my life. It may save my children's life. It may save someone you love. And it's very important.
And ESPN has been so kind to support me in this endeavor and allow me to announce tonight, that with ESPN's support, which means what? Their money and their dollars and they're helping me -- we are starting the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. And its motto is "Don't give up, don't ever give up." And that's what I'm going to try to do every minute that I have left. I will thank God for the day and the moment I have. And if you see me, smile and maybe give me a hug. That's important to me too. But try if you can to support, whether it's AIDS or the cancer foundation, so that someone else might survive, might prosper, and might actually be cured of this dreaded disease. I can't thank ESPN enough for allowing this to happen. And I'm going to work as hard as I can...for cancer research and hopefully, maybe, we'll have some cures and some breakthroughs. I'd like to think I'm going to fight my brains out to be back here again next year for the Arthur Ashe recipient. I want to give it next year!
I know, I gotta go, I gotta go, and I got one last thing and I said it before, and I'm gonna say it again: Cancer can take away all my physical ability. It cannot touch my mind; it cannot touch my heart; and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.
I thank you and God bless you all.

[Wet Dream]

These posts are amazing. Everyone that posted had cancer affect their lives in some way.
I'm a little surprised that there are 350+ views, and only 10% voted. More people took the time to type out their experience and share it. I wasn't expecting everyone to vote, some people don't want to even think about it. Only one person was optimistic and believes there will be a cure within 20 years, we can only hope.
And after looking at the choices more, the first and last almost go hand in hand. Its like saying "yes, I will make it to retirement, and if I don't, they get it."

[92562]

You know, I was finding this thread very therapeutic this time of year. Then all the "New Owner Drama" hit and now I need to worry more about my blood pressure! A little communication can go a long way. Why the rules weren't laid down first doesn't make sense and is just bad business. I don't mean to jack this thread but the admins need to see that as Rex put it, "we are a family, maybe a little dysfunctional..." We all give to the site and get a lot from it. I hate to see good things come to an end.
My .02
----Rob
(not banned yet)