Lounge Cancer Survivors - Please Check In!

[KitchenWitch]

Twenty year survivor of Hodgkins Lymphoma Stage II A. Treated solely with radiation and surgery.

:woohoo:

[driver8]

1. I don't know if I would count as a survivor...

I was diagnosed last March with a choroidal melanoma in my left eye. I underwent proton radiation in December. At my checkup in April, tumor is dead and shrinking.

The tumor was caught early -- my doctor said I should never have to be treated for it again.

[KitchenWitch]

2. That counts!

:hug:

I am glad you had such a great outcome.

[doc03]

12. Driver8, Good to hear from you again, remember

I PMed you about your tumor. Good to hear everything came out OK. I would say we qualify as survivors, be sure you have a MRI and liver function test every 6 months or year at the most. If you do a little research on the choroidal melanoma you will find you still have some risk for metastasising to the liver. I am doing fine myself too, it will be two years for me in October.

[driver8]

20. I do remember you. I appreciate all the advice that you gave me and your

concern.

I see the doctor again in September. Keep your fingers crossed.

[petronius]

3. I had small, in situ melanoma excised a few years ago

Pretty minor as far as cancer goes, but it scared the heck out of me. I gained a huge amount of respect for people who face serious cancers with good humor and courage...

[KitchenWitch]

5. Melanoma is scary stuff!

My maternal grandmother passed away from it about four years before I was born.

[ulysses]

4. hey

Hodgkins IV-B (my oncodoc fudged it a little so he could release the hounds) - 1980-81. :hi:

[KitchenWitch]

6. MOPP?

or ABVD?

[ulysses]

7. A-COPP

[KitchenWitch]

9. That is some strong stuff!

:hi:

Glad you made it!

[ulysses]

11. it's why I'm still here.

Thanks, KW - and the same to you!

[FuzzySlippers]

8. I don't know if I qualify.

I've never had lounge cancer. :+

[KitchenWitch]

10. Smartass!

yes, you of all people, qualify!

:hug:

[ulysses]

13. if anyone's interested

I'm on IRC oncochat - let me know.

[KitchenWitch]

14. Cool!

Did not know there was a chat channel. (do I have mIRC on this machine or the other one?)

[ulysses]

15. it's a longstanding channel.

Undernet. Not many folks on right now.

[Roon]

16. My ex-lover had non-hodgkin's lymphoma,hiv related

First they did the biopsy on the lump in his armpit, then they staged him taking bone samples out of his back and pelvis..then the chemo...then his appendix reacted to the chemo and burst. More surgery. Stopped the chemo and he's been in remission ever since. Thank god. I would guess it's been about 9 years now. I sat with him for every minute of his chemo treatments. I would get him a happy meal so he could have a toy to play with while he dripped. He was a child at heart. But that is my experience with cancer.

[KitchenWitch]

17. You are a very special person. Thank you for being with him during treatments!

You are a true friend.

I am glad he is still with us. And I am glad you are too!

How is the pneumonia?

[Roon]

18. I did a follow up with my PA today!

The ID doctor at the hospital wanted me to do a broncoscope before I was discharged, but I just went through 6 days of hell and didn't feel like having a camera crammed down my lungs. So I said I would do one later, and I went in today thinking that we were going to schedule one. But my PA said it probably wasn't necessary and I just had bad luck getting Pneumonia twice in a row like that.I have been feeling pretty good the last week or so, but I am on some pretty strong anti-biotics so it probably knocked the infection out.

My PA doesn't think my immune system shouldn't be as bad as the hospital said it was because I was sick, that is going to give me some bad numbers. He drew blood today and is confident that my Tcells will be back up because I am healthy again and infection free. I will find out in a week exactly how bad off, or better off, I am. I'll let you know how the blood comes back.

How is your Pneumonia?

[KitchenWitch]

24. All better thank the gods!

I have finally got my stamina (such as it is) back.

My cancer treatments 20 years ago compromised my immune system (not as much as HIV/AIDS), and sometimes I go from one communicable disease to the next without much break in between. I just have to take better care of myself.

:hug:

[Roon]

39. I hear that

I guess I will be on anti-biotics forever now. I forget the word they use for it,prophylactics I guess is what it's called. That's fine with me, I pop so many pills every day, another one isn't going to make much difference.

[Kat45]

19. I don't really think of myself as one, but I guess I'd be counted in stats

Last year there was microscopic cancer in abnormal endometrial cells. I had a total hysterectomy to remove everything--no more cancer. I was extremely fortunate that those microscopic cells were among those removed in a previous D&C (biopsy) because they were the only cancerous cells. I have to have follow-up exams every 3-4 months. Unfortunately, the first follow-up showed abnormal cells (which could become cancer). My second follow-up is tomorrow.

[KitchenWitch]

26. It counts in my book - you had to have major surgery!

:hug:

I hope you have a clean exam!

[dropkickpa]

21. Cervical cancer

Stage 1a1 (just edging on 1a2), but scary as shit to hear "You have cancer" all the same. Minor surgery (LEEP) seems to have taken care of it (4 years out). Mine was extremely aggressive and fast growing, went from nada to invasive in a year (when cervical cance is/was usually slow growing, taking years, even decades, to progress).

[KitchenWitch]

27. I am glad your surgery was successful!

I was with my best girlfriend when she had both her culposcopy and her LEEP. She was pretty frightened.

[xchrom]

22. two separate bouts of skin cancer.

chemo -- the whole nine yards.

when my boy sport was eleven -- he had cancer -- i made him go to the vet and get treatments too -- me and him at the same time.

he made it 4 more years -- and me i'm still here.

[KitchenWitch]

28. What type of skin cancer?

[xchrom]

35. squamish -- with signs of melanoma.

they had to cut it out -- and then do the icky stuff.

it's amazing how deep they cut for skin cancer.

i don't know what i was thinking -- but in my mind skin isn't very deep -- but they go down pretty far.

[KitchenWitch]

36. Scary!

I knew someone that had a melanoma the size of a pin head. They cut a 10" x 10" section of skin off and did a lot of skin grafting from another area to cover.

:scared:

Glad you are doing well (and that it had not gone completely melanoma on you).

[mwdem]

23. BC last year...

did chemo after mast. Six months ago I had the complete hysterectomy because of uterine cancer, clear nodes, no further treatment. I can't heip but wonder what next year will bring!

[KitchenWitch]

29. I understand that fear completely

Last summer I had to have 3 different mammograms before they cleared me. It was pretty scary (I am at high risk of breast cancer because my breasts were in the field of radiation when I was treated for the Hodgkins).

[triguy46]

25. 2 years post renal cell carcinoma. Any others going it with one kidney?

[KitchenWitch]

30. I saw your post in seemunkee's thread!

Congratulations!

I am so glad you were able to offer seemunkee some support!

:)

[triguy46]

31. My pleasure. Was teaching him the secret handshake and password

Of the One Kidney Club.

[KitchenWitch]

33. We of the "No Spleen Club" have a secret handshake as well!

:hi:

[trackfan]

32. 25 year Hodgkins survivor

I had chemo only. I remember the date of my last chemo: June 16, 1982

[KitchenWitch]

34. Congratulations - My last radiation treatment was July 7, 1987!

:hug:

[seemunkee]

37. 2 days and I'm still here

[KitchenWitch]

38. Yes you are!

I saw your thread about the surgeon. I am glad you are not having to wait too long!

:hug: