I thought I would update everyone as to my status.  MRI & CAT scans revealed what initially was thought to be a lymphoma, with a 95% success rate of treatment.  However, the puzzle to the docs was that though it looked like a lymphoma it did not act like one.  A biopsy was done on Monday and the preliminary results came in last night:  it apparently looks less like a lymphoma and more like a lung cancer.  I never smoked a cigarette in my life!!!  It is inoperable, so my future is in the hands of God, chemotherapy, and radiation.  Now, preliminary reports are not always correct, so this may be something else altogether, and I have only symptoms of a raspy hoarse voice (caused by an enlarged lymph node pressing the left vocal cord) and difficulty swallowing food & liquids (I can still eat and drink, only more slowly; same lymph node causing trouble for the esophagus).  I feel as strong as ever.  When the doctor told me the news last night, I smiled at him (he must think I am insane) and said, "Watch Me Win, Doc; Watch Me Win!"  And I mean every word of it.  I made a few friends here along the way, and I thought you may want to know.

I am very sorry to hear about your diagnosis.

I hope for your speedy recovery!  God bless!!!

Sloane

never give up or give in!!!!  God bless and good luck !!!

good luck bro...FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!

Thank you.  I KNOW that I cannot be defeated unless I stop fighting.  And I will NEVER stop fighting.

You know how I feel. Be aggressive. You can beat it. Wishing you the best.

The "experts" got this one wrong, too.

Right now I have an escort friend that is battling cancer... she has let me know that she is well... and doing well enough to participate in fund raising for the cancer societies!  may you go that route... the attached is a video i happened to run across about a guy who was told his life was hopeless..... 30 years ago... today?  he swims in the Alcatrez swim!!!

Although I am involved in the biomed business... I am throughly convinced that you can beat the big "C" with the bigger brain!  You see, there are studies that promote the concept that a positive attitude alters the immune function... and that helps battle the cancer...

my advice?  see lots of ladies... think the best and hope to be buggin us all for a donation to your cancer cause next year!  

Best man.

Yes.....never give up. Cancer treatment is so advanced these days and only getting better.


Jay...."good luck bro"  Are you an Opie and Anthony fan?

which day will be the best day of your life.


Be strong.

If you keep the "I WILL Make It" frame of mind, you can only increase your chances of beating it.

I am a 21 year survivor, and recently ran my first and second marathon (thats 26.2 miles!).

You can do it!  Chemo is a big test of your will, it was the most trying time of my life, but it saved my life.

I am not sure how they will treat you, if it is The C, but if you do end up starting chemo, ask a lot of questions about how to keep up your nutrition up.  I lost about 20 lbs. and had little energy.

Best of luck, and LIVESTRONG!

If it is what the preliminary report indicates, and I keep reminding myself that the final pathology report has yet to be seen and stranger things have happened (I know someone that had it happen - the prelim was different than the final in a positive way), the doctor mentioned chemo and radiation.  I know Hell - I had a severe asthma attack 12 years ago that for all intents and purposes should have ended it that night.  My pH was 6.8 - normal is 7.4 - and the doc thought I was dead.  20 minutes later, when his phone rang and he expected that it was the hospital calling to tell him I had expired, the answer was, "he's rallying."  I got more left to fight - Watch Me Win!

We are pulling for you and wish you the best. Hang in there, and seek out the most advanced treatment/oncologists you can possibly get. Get at least 3 opinions from board certified thought leaders in Oncology. Accept no less.

I would not necessarily call it a misdiagnosis as much as it was more like an early one.  I mean, when the doctor said "lymphoma", all he had to go on was films from the MRI & CAT, the lump above the left collarbone, and the voice being raspy, the raspy voice is confirmed by a throat specialist as being caused the enlarged node above the left collarbone.  All the signs of a lymphoma, and I have no other signs or symptoms to date.  No fatigue, no severe coughing, no shortness of breath, no loss of weight or appetite (even with the throat/swallowing issues I still eat like always, albeit more slowly).  I was 155 pounds two months ago and I'm still 155 pounds.  The riddle for the docs from the beginning was that it looked like a lymphoma but did not act like one, that it appeared more like a lung thing but I was never a smoker.  It was when the now-infamous prelim report came in last night that the tenor of the conversation changed from lymphona to lung.  I will get as much information from as many experts as it takes to win.  The catchphrase has become "WATCH ME WIN!"

I am hoping and praying that your diagnosis is favorable...

Even though you don't smoke, there are other causes of lung cancer -- a big one is Radon gas, which occurs naturally and seeps into basements.  We put a Radon reduction system into my home when we bought it, after the home inspector's test showed it was fairly high.  But smoking is the #1 cause -- be it directly or indirectly (secondhand smoke)...

&

Dont listen 2 the Docs. Many here know that I am bald. I wont make this a long thread about me but I was told 15 years ago that I wouldnt live to see 30.

Yet here I am



Keep on fightin...keep  up your faith...

Sorry to hear about the bad news.  However, you seem to have a great attitude about your situation.  I wish you the best, and hope that you overcome the disease.

My father was diagnosed with multiple myloma (MM) (blood and bone marrow cancer). Those with this in its third stage have about 3 months to live. We all prayed and spent as much time with him as we could.
We wanted to send him to Arkansas. There is the top center that specializes in MM. But his insurance didn't cover it. We all chipped in and did what we needed to do for him.
We found out a short while later that he did NOT have MM, but only had an abnormal "M" protein in his blood

We are all happy my father has a second chance. He is a very good man. My best friend.

I only hope and I will pray you get through this. Miracles can and do happen. And I wish only the very best for you.

George.

I sincerely wish you the best.

I plan to start a foundation to help increase awareness.  There is much information out there but generally directed toward preventing certain things - smoking, drinking, being overweight, etc., and things that are known or at least believed to increase the chances of cancer.  I want to let as many people know as possible that even a healthy lifestyle which avoids all these things can still get this.  I plan to call it...what else?  The Watch Me Win Foundation.  I will contact someone the beginning of next week to see what needs to be done and do it.

Watch Me Win!

Please PM me if you are interested in alternative healing methods that work for cancer. I know a lot of people that have overcome cancer via alternative healing. Now they help others.

You have great determination and attitude! This is soooo important when overcoming obstacles in life.

I wish you the very best and heal quickly!

XO Ellyse Taylor

Thanks, Ellyse.  ANd thank you all for your support.  I cannot PM as I gave up my VIP status.  I KNOW that I cannot be defeated as long as I keep fighting, and I will NEVER quit fighting.  I simply have too much yet to accomplish in this life to allow something like this to stop me.  I am considering starting a foundation and a website to help provide information to others.  I never felt I was a candidate, though I guess I always knew it could be possible.  I mean, there's a whole lot of warnings against certain types of behavior:  smoking, excessive drinking, being overweight, high blood pressure, and such.  I have none of these, and yet here I am faced with this devil.  I will contact someone about how to get it started.  I plan to call it the Watch Me Win Foundation.

carlton- you are in my thoughts and prayers. im so sorry you are going through this. i wish we had the chance to meet when you were in my area/fl
keep up that attitude! you can pull thru this
xoxo
allisa

I don't have a VIP membership, so those who may have PM'ed me since this has arisen, well, I can't read it.  Don't know if the moderators will allow it, but my e-mail address is:

[email protected]

Hope they allow it.

Thank you.