 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | If anyone wants to put their troubles in perspective just visit the children's cancer ward. I did 2 years ago and I still have images and thoughts that haunt me. Oscar, Don't beat yourself up over HOW or especially WHY you got OC. Do get tested and if HPV is present don't think you had something to do with it because continuing research is showing that HPV may be just as easy to come in contact with as a common cold. Well maybe not that easy but certainly a lot easier than first thought. They are finding many many different ways one can be "infected" and they still believe that it can lay dormant for decades before acting up and they have yet to find out how it goes of stays dormant; what triggers it's period of activity and especially why or when that period of activity may lead to cancer.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
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