I am enjoying these stories very much!! Hilarious. I'm off to check out these pictures you are all talking about:)

Ivy IS quite a cutie, though I don't know what she sees in an old hippie like you, lol. I didn't lose all my hair, just around the sides and back so as that grew back in it pushed the rest of my hair outwards so I was looking like a cross between Einstein and Dr. Who, as played by Tom Baker (the best Who of all). Got some great reactions to that. Also, before treatment started I got a key chain that has a tiger's head that when you push the button the mouth opens and a little key light comes on with a little roar. I was telling everyone that that's how I was going to look pretty soon. My mother was pretty shocked by my light attitude but, what are ya gonna do? Laugh, that,s what.

Ok, everything that I can seem to find is located in the blogs section.

http://oralcancersupport.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=88763&page=all

It's is my hope that these stories provide a bit of humor, inspiration and don't offend or frighten.

I am more than willing to withdraw any material deemed inappropriate.

Please enjoy, and share.

UncleVern

Hi Uncle Vern, Not only are you great, I think you are a neighbor.:) Where did you get treatment? I was at Virginia Mason in Seattle. Do you live on the east or west side of the mt? I'm just north of Seattle.

By the way...........what did they say that tingling was? I get that, also. It spooked me at first but now I'm pretty used to it. Carol

Hey Carol,

I am over on the east side of the state, Moses Lake, out in the desert, sage brush, lava flows and such.

The did my treatment here and in Wenatchee, with the option of Virginia Mason if something difficult happened. Frankly, I was forced to work to keep my medical Insurance, only learning that if I was too sick to work I would lose it after I started treatment. I shudder to think that I would have declined treatment without the Insurance. Seattle was just too far to travel, 400 mile round trip.

I used to make a regular commute to Bellevue and the "Toy Hauler" story was in Lynnwood. So I am over that way on occassion, currently hoping to make a run to Whidbey Island to get a car left in a family members horse barn years ago.

Hey! Most of my best camps sites are half way between us!

They guess I had was swelling at the upper spinal column, scar tissue maybe. It was a little startling since my whole body would go totally numb.

What ever it was, it slowly went away and I haven't experienced that in forever. It's curious that you still have it, hmmm scar tissue?
Did you regain some weight?

Nice to meet you!

YUV

small world..........Vern and I know some of the same people:)

Oh mine turned into drama. After a couple of months of antibiotics and begging for tests, I finally got a CT scan and some blood tests. Apparently the results made me the �Property� of a different doctor than my GP, who had ordered the tests. It turns out that the ENT was on vacation for a few weeks and the decision was made to wait for his return before addressing the issue, including giving me the news.

My GP broke protocol and gave me a call from home late Friday night; he was really upset about the bad news and the handling. Since this really was no surprise to me, he was taking the news way worse than I was. We had a long conversation that night and I learned very quickly that he really wasn�t up to speed on the TX. He didn�t feel it was right to let me wonder for another month and took a great deal of professional heat for telling me the way he did. I still owe him a big favor.

Those extra weeks gave me a ton of time to do more general research, be a little better informed, prepare my wife and have some of my very best ornery ready. I refused to let them "puncture" (needle biopsy) that massive node and spread C cells, telling them that if they �wanted to play with it, they could take it out first� As a result I already had the worst of the surgery over with before learning the cell type.

I suppose that the medical people will have the same reactions and defenses that anyone would. Cold and distant, avoidance, compassionate and helpful, as much as they see this stuff, getting too deeply involved would be damaging. As difficult an idea as it is, perhaps we need to work at helping them cope with watching this happen to us, just like we have to with our families and friends.

Being informed, opinionated, ornery and fun,
UncleVern


Oh I think that phone call was the hardest thing the guy ever did and the kindest thing anyone ever did for me. Really I think waiting another month would have been much worse and created a rushed chaotic situation.
As it was the time was well used to get my affairs in order as well as students, staff and family prepared. Having that time meant the difference between being jobless, homeless and a burden on the community and saving my home career and life�s work.
There is a special place in heaven for those who are valiant enough to put themselves at risk to do what is right like he did, he is my hero and my champion!

UncleVern