| Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 711 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | OP "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 711 | Something that weighs heavy on my mind lately. My father passed away from a heart attack (his 2nd) at age 65. I know he had a lot of things he wanted to do in his retirement but ran out of time too early. I'll be 65 in oct. and there are a lot of things I want to do. I have to stop saying "next year".
David R. 65 yr old male non-smoker, light drinker, stage 3 or 4, depending on which doc you ask, scc rt. tonsil, 2 nodes, 7 weeks radiation and chemo. No surgery. Teatment ended 3/20/08. PET scan 8/08 showed no cancer. And now, as of oct, 2010, caregiver to wife, Linda, with breast cancer. May, 2013, Linda diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. Enuf already.
| | | | Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 945 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 945 | That's kind of negative. How about thinking of it as starting to say ... this summer I will do something different and fabulous. Do you have anything in mind?
CG to husband - SCC Tonsil T1N2M0 HPV+ Never Smoker First symptoms 7/2010, DX 12/2010 TX 40 IRMT (1.8 gy) + 10 Cetuximab PET Scans 6/2011 + 3/2012 clear, 5 year physical exam clear; chest CT's clear of cancer. On thyroid pills. Life is good.
| | | | Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 25 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 25 | I'll be 64 in September and I'm a big believer in living for today and not waiting for some magic time later on. I retired early because longevity doesn't run in my family. Also because I was financially able to do so. Since then (9 years ago) I've had two major health issues including last year's bout with oral cancer. Don't wait Deejer. Go do those things you want to do. I have and I'm in "bonus time" now. No regrets.
Diagnosed in March 2011. Treatment ended May 28, 2011. Back of tongue cancer with one lymph node(stage 4). Feeding tube 5 - 2011, to 9 - 2011. Some saliva and taste. Eating most foods; meat, fish and dry foods not so well. Swallowing pretty normal otherwise. Doing well now. The future? Who knows.
| | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 | Deejer... Follow your dreams and take your wife along for the ride!
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
| | | | Joined: Feb 2011 Posts: 117 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Feb 2011 Posts: 117 | DEE: Ditto what Cheryl said.... just DO IT !!
DX 12/6/10 of T3 SCC Tongue. Surgery 1/3/11 was hemigloss & forearm free flap, midline mandibulectomy, Neck Disection-All nodes clear. Ended rads 5/11/11. Taste buds back to about 80%. PEG removed 4/5/12, experimenting eating real food again. If I can do this, so can you !! Stay Strong.
| | | | Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 | Time is SO precious. Don't waste even a minute of it! Especially those minutes spent worrying or putting off things. Make a bucket list of fun stuff you want to do and check each one off as you do them. In addition to a bucket list (fun stuff) and "TO-DO" list (practical things that need to get done), since I retired I also decided I was not going to do useless, stressful stuff like talking to machines, taking calls from telemarketers, or waiting in line for anything - unless I'm with someone I can have an interesting conversation with while waiting. Yesterday I had an appointment with my GYN (a very nice but busy person). As I sat on the table, with my legs in stirrups, and after reading all the cute sayings on the wall, ("breastfeed your baby - you can do it discreetly" - been there, done that) and not having anyone with me with whom I could have some interesting social interaction, I played Scrabble on my iPhone. David - you have a LOT of good years ahead of you and great opportunities! Enjoy! BTW - what's on Your Bucket List??
Anne-Marie CG to son, Paul (age 33, non-smoker) SCC Stage 2, Surgery 9/21/06, 1/6 tongue Rt.side removed, +48 lymph nodes neck. IMRTx28 completed 12/19/06. CT scan 7/8/10 Cancer-free! ("spot" on lung from scar tissue related to Pneumonia.)
| | | | Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 60 "OCF Down Under" Supporting Member (50+ posts) | "OCF Down Under" Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 60 | Don't forget to live in this moment, too. This has been the worst year of my life but strangely I've experienced time I can only describe as blissful. Sometimes it lasts a few moments, sometimes much longer. I guess I've had to learn that it can all change in the length of time it takes to read one piece of paper so now when I feel happy, I have a profound awareness of really FEELING happy.
One thing on my bucket list is I want to scuba dive again. C'mon Deejer 47, give us something off your list.
CG to husband Stage IV SCC left tonsil 11/11. Mets to 7 nodes on left, 2 on right, no distant mets. PEG, 7 weeks radiation and weekly Cisplatin ended Feb 10, 2012. PET 04/12 areas consistent with inflammation, complete response in nodes. Recurrence 09/13 pulmonary lymphatics. Died 22 Oct following an allergic reaction to Erbitux.
| | | | Joined: Feb 2012 Posts: 151 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Feb 2012 Posts: 151 | I retired early from running a daycare for over 20 years. I was just 50 but my motto was then "life is too short" to continue working that many hours, often 12 hour days. I have loved the freedom of not being gone to work all day and having time to do other things. (I do some marketing and sales on the side just to pay for trips and extras.) Little did I know what our last 7 months would be like!! It has been wonderful having the time to go to all of my husbands appointments and concentrate on him with research and diet. Would of been impossible if I was still working. Hopefully I'll have him retired in 5 years or maybe sooner so we can enjoy life at a slower rate.
Husband diagnosed Oct '11 Cancer of the vocal cord Nov '11 removed right vocal cord. Neck Dissection, cancer in one node, .2, very small & contained) Jan '12 Radiation and Cisplatin, 6 doses. June '12 & Dec '12 clear Pet scan. April '13 Celebrating 1 year cancer free since treatment ended.
| | | | Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 711 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | OP "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 711 | I didn't mean to sound negative. Just telling myself what you all said, get out and do it. This summer I'm thinking of 2 camping trips, 1 to Big Sur where I spent a lot of time in the free and wild time of the early 70's, The other to the Ishi Wilderness near Mt. Lassen. Then, in fall, have a trip to Puerto Vallarta planned. I did learn an important lesson from my father's passing, I'm taking good care of my heart and blood pressure, eating right and trying not to get stressed. I do plan on living well past 65 but there are no ghuarantees in life.
David R. 65 yr old male non-smoker, light drinker, stage 3 or 4, depending on which doc you ask, scc rt. tonsil, 2 nodes, 7 weeks radiation and chemo. No surgery. Teatment ended 3/20/08. PET scan 8/08 showed no cancer. And now, as of oct, 2010, caregiver to wife, Linda, with breast cancer. May, 2013, Linda diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. Enuf already.
| | | | Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 945 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 945 | That sounds fabulous, David - hope you have a wonderful time!
CG to husband - SCC Tonsil T1N2M0 HPV+ Never Smoker First symptoms 7/2010, DX 12/2010 TX 40 IRMT (1.8 gy) + 10 Cetuximab PET Scans 6/2011 + 3/2012 clear, 5 year physical exam clear; chest CT's clear of cancer. On thyroid pills. Life is good.
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