| | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | OP  Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Yesterday I spent my entire day "teaching" high schoolers about life, my life and potentially theirs. This was my 12th year doing this and I look forward to it each year. Because I give out samples of my wife's Flan and I assume because I have been doing it for so many years they put me in the schools auditorium and bring in tons of students for each of the 4 periods. Makes a L O N G day and having to give the same hour talk 4 times in a row gets a tad confusing. During my last speach I had to ask one of my assigned helpers, Katelyn, if I had already covered a particular point. Anyway for the previous 2 years I ended my talk on my cancer experience and of course plug the HPV vaccination. I was surprised this year when before my first speach a teacher from last year came up to me and asked me if I was going to talk about HPV again. I cautiously said yes and was relieved when she thanked me and told me that her students talked about HPV for days after last years talk. I was surprised this am when I read our newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times, that a writer must have sat in for one of my talks and out of our entire county and all our schools (elementary, middle and high) and all the volunteers he choose to lead off his article with me. Times Staff Writer Curtis Kruegar At the Great American Teach-In on Thursday, students learned about making flan, becoming a certified public accountant and surviving cancer. And all that came from just one speaker. David Hastings, a CPA who with his wife owns Gulfport's Habana Cafe, showed students at Boca Ciega High School how to caramelize sugar for flan, and explained how he works out food costs at the restaurant. Then he turned to his personal story about surviving oral cancer. Doctors traced his condition to the human papillomavirus, said Hastings, who urged the youths to fight the disease by getting vaccinated against HPV. The virus, long known to cause cervical cancer, is increasingly connected with other cancers as well. "I thought that it was very moving," senior Nora Parketny said of Hastings' cancer survival story. Across Pinellas County on Thursday, guest speakers from all walks of life did their best to open students' eyes to jobs and hobbies they might want to pursue � and much more. My wife is a littled miffed that he didn't comment on her Flan.....
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.
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2012 Posts: 7 "OCF across the pond" Member | | "OCF across the pond" Member
Joined: Nov 2012 Posts: 7 | That sounds most impressive David. Educating these students about HPV will undoubtedly SAVE LIVES - which is some achievement! I only wish the awareness of HPV and it's link to oral cancer would be raised more in the U.K. The major cancer hospital where my partner is being treated for tonsil cancer didn't even test for HPV. It was only after a lot of insistence, reminding and chasing up that we got the histology of "strongly positive for HPV 16". PS I am sure the flan was delicious! Kitty
Partner (never smoker, light drinker age 56)
lymph node noticed 7/20/12
DX SSC tonsil 8/8/12, T2 N2a M0 HPV 16 +,
tonsillectomy 8/15/12
neck dissection 9/25/12
IMRT (30) started 11/2/12 First Cisplatin 11/5/12, Second 11/20/12. Finished 12/13/12.
Follow ups - all clear
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,409 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,409 | Bravo, David. Unquestionably you're saving lives down the line. I wish I had some of that flan though!
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: 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 |
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: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 | That is so AWESOME, David!
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: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,301 "OCF Down Under" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | "OCF Down Under" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,301 | Well done David and I am sure your wifes flan was wonderful too  Gabriele
History Leukoplakia bx 8/2006 SCC floor mouth T3N0M0- Verrucous Carcinoma.
14 hour 0p SCC-Right ND/excision/marginal mandibulectomy 9/2006, 4 teeth removed, flap from wrist, trach-ng 6 days- no chemo/rad.
6 ops and debulking (flap/tongue join) + bx's 2006-2012.
bx Jan 2012 Hyperkeratosis-Epithelial Dysplasia
24cm GIST tumour removed 8/2013. Indefinite Oral Chemo.
1/31/16 passed away peacefully surrounded by family
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