| | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | OP  Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | Okay, we all know how much having this cancer sucks. It's been a torrential rain here (3 inches) and suddenly my wife who is sitting in the dining room has a bright light shone into her eyes. She looks up and there is a policeman standing in the rain outside our house shining a flashlight thru the bay window and gesticulating wildly for her to come to the door. She called me instead from downstairs where I was on the computer.
The officer insists that there was a call to 911 from our phone number and that we hung up and they were not able to contact us. He wanted to come in and was very surprised and suspicious when I said firmly: [quote]Not without a warrant.[/quote]
[quote]What are you hiding or protecting?[/quote] he asked. [quote]The Bill of Rights and our constitution which you swore to uphold[/quote] I replied.
Well, it's an emergency he said. I asked when the call was, he replied 2:30. That's 40 minutes ago, some emergency I noted. If it had been a crime, I'd be dead.
I sent him on his way and did a Google search. Turns out that it's extremely common for Verizon land lines to call 911 in the rain if there's a short in the line to your house because of squirrels or cable work on the pole.
Verizon of course insists the problem is not theirs, both on the web site after an automated network check and on the phone voice mail hell. In one week they would send out someone to see what's what.
So I double check and it turns out there is a medical priority for oral cancer patients. You need to say the magic words: "Agent" to the voice response unit and a real live person comes on, verifies you are a cancer patient and a repair man will be out tomorrow. Finally a bright side to having cancer.
Charm
65 yr Old Frack
Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+
2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG
2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery
25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Apaghia /G button
2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa
40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Passed away 4-29-13
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,264 Likes: 5 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,264 Likes: 5 | Wow - that is wild - wonder if it works here in Canada. Good call on the cop - not to say you want to make them angry - but it could be someone pretending to be a cop!!!
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: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Charm, I would have been suspicious if that happened to me too. You did the right thing. I bet your wife was freaked out, I would have about fallen off my chair!
I wasnt aware of the 911 Verizon issue. I know the squirrels really do a number on the phone lines, add rain to that and its a huge mess!!! I worked there for 12 years in the customer service/sales dept. Im happy to hear that they have improved and made things easier for cancer patients. When I was there there was a special group that handled people who had all types of disabilities. Some of the things they have available to help people with speech and hearing disabilities are amazing!
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,844 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,844 | I have two membership cards I use often...my Costco Card and my Cancer Card! Dude the way I look at it, if I'm going to look and sound like this...have had to go through what I've gone through, Imma play the HELL (sorry H***) outta that card! I got pulled over the other day for speeding in the town I had most of my treatments in. I was actually on my way to Starbucks and really didn't notice how fast I was going, nor cared really, and looked to see myself getting lit up by a city cop. When the cop came to the window and asked if I knew how fast I was going. I said "Yes officer, I was speeding. I'm a cancer patient and am late for an important appointment. I understand if you have to ticket me sir, but I really need to get there quickly. Here's my information, if you can just write me the ticket I'll be glad to pay it but I don't have much time to sit here." He said drive safe and good luck. Now...if he knew that important appointment was with a grande hazelnut latte, he may have given me the ticket (or not!). Now I would say I feel bad but I didn't lie. I've used the cancer card to talk a certain coffe company, who may or maynot have been mentioned above, out of some really cool aprons I wear when I spin pizzas Again...never lying, that's not me...but I have a way of pulling heart strings  I think it's the puppy dog face I use when I tell them my story. I find it funny and I'll probably be sent straight to hell (ooops h*ll) but the way I look at it is I've been there already and bought the souvenirs so I may as well get my moneys worth. Gotta laugh at it and have fun with it, if not it'll drive you nuts. Eric Loyal Cancer Card Member since 2008
Young Frack, SCC T4N2M0, Cisplatin,35+ rads,ND, RT Mandiblectomy w fibular free flap, facial paralysis, "He who has a "why" to live can bear with almost any "how"." -Nietzche "WARNING" PG-13 due to Sarcasm & WAY too much attitude, interact at your own risk.
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 493 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 493 | Love it, Eric! The library where I am Director had a levy on the ballot this past November, and I seriously thought about using the cancer card to help get it passed!
Female, nonsmoker, 70, diag. 5/09 after tongue biopsy: stage IV. Left hemi-gloss. and left selec. neck disec. 30 lymph nodes removed May 20. Over 7 weeks daily rads. with three chemo. PEG removed 12/4/09 Am eating mostly soft foods. Back to work 11/09 Retired 4/1/11. 7 clear scans! Port out 9/11. 2/13. It's back: base of tongue, very invasive
surgery involving lifestyle changes. 2/14: Now speaking w/Passey-Muir valve. Considering a swallow study. Grateful to be alive.
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 63 "OCF Down Under" Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | "OCF Down Under" Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 63 | Eric, as always, you crack me up!! Lol!!
Liza
SCC of the Buccal Mucosa (R cheek)- T1N0M0.10 hour Surgery on 27/9/10 involving resection with freeflap from radial forearm..clear margins. Neck dissection..negative nodes.Trachy, NGT, no rad or chemo needed at the time. Neck lump positive for SCC..again! MND 14/2/11. Waiting to have chemo and rads
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,409 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,409 Likes: 1 | Nice move, Eric. Gotta remember that.
d2
David 2
SCC of occult origin 1/09 (age 55)| Stage III TXN1M0 | HPV 16+, non-smoker, moderate drinker | Modified radical neck dissection 3/09 | 31 days IMRT finished 6/09 | Hit 15 years all clear in 6/24 | Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome kicked in a few years after treatment and has been progressing since | Prostate cancer diagnosis 10/18
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | Eric, I needed this one to cheer me up on this crazy white wet day. I have had the idea that if I get stopped I will try it but reading your post just convinced me. LOL I also have a card that says I have 2 stents in my body and need special care. HUMMMMMMMMMMMMM I wonder. LOL There is only one Eric and we all luv em.
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April.
--- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 571 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 571 | Love it! Membership does have it's privileges!
Ex-spouse MISDIAGNOSED with SCC-HN IVa 12/10. Tonsils out 1/11. 4 teeth out 2/11. TX Erbitux x2, IMRT x2 2/11. 2nd opinion-benign BCC-NOT CANCER 3/11. TX stopped 3/11. New doctors 4/11. ENT agrees with 2nd opinion 5/11. ENT scoped him-all clear 7/11. Ordered MRI anyway. MRI 8/22/11 Result-all clear.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2011 Posts: 20 Member | | Member
Joined: Mar 2011 Posts: 20 | Just keep looking forward to the days after treatments are over A beautiful day when we get to concern ourselves with the weightier things like how much Healthy Choice ice cream can I eat till it's no longer a healthy choice??? Keep spirits up with hugs and jokes. Prayer really helps. I wouldn't have made it without it. Chris
Stage 4 squamous cell tonsil cancer. Two lymph nodes involved surgically removed before source found to be tonsil. Implant radiation right on tonsil, regular mask radiation therapy for two months and a final Implant radiation. All clear confirmed by PET scans for 6 years.
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