another good check-up

Normally, I wouldn't even post this, but with the predominance of
trash on asc lately, one relevant post improves S/N.

I had my regular (3 mo) onc visit recently, and all is well. No scan,
so no big deal, but it's still nice to be told I'm doing well. Also,
my onc is one of the only people aside from my wife who says I look
"great". I would say my beauty is on the inside, but my surgeon (and
even more my GE) assured me this just isn't so. Now I just need to
find the time to bike more regularly, and lose some 20 lb of fat, gain
a few of muscle. I want to be ready for the MS ride in June---if I'm
feeling up to it, I'll upgrade the 75 miles each way to 100, and get
in two century rides in one weekend. That will surely confirm the
sentiment on the mug Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers gave me: something
like "Cancer: I confronted; I conquered; on with life."
Last Sunday, I biked 42* miles. It felt great, though my feet and
legs hurt a little at the end. Oddly, I was very nauseous the next
day. It may have been more chemo after-effects, maybe a blood-sugar
thing, or maybe a bug I picked up, but it was gone after a few hours.
If chemo has had any lasting effect on me other than upping my
survival chances 30%, and some residual PN, I don't know what it is.
As many have written, chemo is vile poison with very unpleasant side-
effects, but if you're in the middle of it let me assure you that for
some of us at least, the unpleasantness is temporary.
Also, my treasured sports car of over 10 years was destroyed a few
weeks ago when someone ran a red light. Nobody was hurt, and I
reassured the apologizing driver that it was OK, just an accident. I
wonder if my brush with cancer helped my attitude---if I would have
been angry and confrontational had this happened before the cancer.
Anyway, I've now replaced it with an even nicer sports car, which I
plan to drive for the next 20 or 30 years, barring some accident that
leads me to upgrade again. Fifty years from now, I expect to see my
cancer experience as being nominally longer and more unpleasant than
my recent wreck. Distance provides perspective.

* my favorite number, a DNA (H2G2) thing, for those who are into that
sort of thing.

I intended this to be a short post. Didn't work out that way. If it
makes some laugh, or inspires some, then I'm glad I kept writing.
Keep fighting the good fight, and taking the side-shows for what
they're worth.

---
CSM

Hi CSM,

Glad to hear your good news, and congrats on your bicycling achievements !

One way to help reduce the influx of trash on ASC is to stop feeding the
trolls. Every response they get "gets them off," unfortunately.

best, Uncle Sally

csm7532@hotmail.com fell face-first on the keyboard. This was the result:
news:24c68875-0d19-4bbe-b41d-795bf7cfd7ee@y21g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:

> Normally, I wouldn't even post this, but with the predominance of
> trash on asc lately, one relevant post improves S/N.
>
> I had my regular (3 mo) onc visit recently, and all is well. No scan,
> so no big deal, but it's still nice to be told I'm doing well. Also,
> my onc is one of the only people aside from my wife who says I look
> "great". I would say my beauty is on the inside, but my surgeon (and
> even more my GE) assured me this just isn't so. Now I just need to
> find the time to bike more regularly, and lose some 20 lb of fat, gain
> a few of muscle. I want to be ready for the MS ride in June---if I'm
> feeling up to it, I'll upgrade the 75 miles each way to 100, and get
> in two century rides in one weekend. That will surely confirm the
> sentiment on the mug Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers gave me: something
> like "Cancer: I confronted; I conquered; on with life."
> Last Sunday, I biked 42* miles. It felt great, though my feet and
> legs hurt a little at the end. Oddly, I was very nauseous the next
> day. It may have been more chemo after-effects, maybe a blood-sugar
> thing, or maybe a bug I picked up, but it was gone after a few hours.
> If chemo has had any lasting effect on me other than upping my
> survival chances 30%, and some residual PN, I don't know what it is.
> As many have written, chemo is vile poison with very unpleasant side-
> effects, but if you're in the middle of it let me assure you that for
> some of us at least, the unpleasantness is temporary.
> Also, my treasured sports car of over 10 years was destroyed a few
> weeks ago when someone ran a red light. Nobody was hurt, and I
> reassured the apologizing driver that it was OK, just an accident. I
> wonder if my brush with cancer helped my attitude---if I would have
> been angry and confrontational had this happened before the cancer.
> Anyway, I've now replaced it with an even nicer sports car, which I
> plan to drive for the next 20 or 30 years, barring some accident that
> leads me to upgrade again. Fifty years from now, I expect to see my
> cancer experience as being nominally longer and more unpleasant than
> my recent wreck. Distance provides perspective.
>
> * my favorite number, a DNA (H2G2) thing, for those who are into that
> sort of thing.
>
> I intended this to be a short post. Didn't work out that way. If it
> makes some laugh, or inspires some, then I'm glad I kept writing.
> Keep fighting the good fight, and taking the side-shows for what
> they're worth.

The sports car story alone was worth it

Funnily enough: Though my cancer doesn't seem to be as serious as so many
others in here and I haven't had anyone tell me I'm going to die any time
soon, it *has* started a fundamental shift in thinking, which your car
crash story made me start thinking about.

Some things that used to get me really riled up - Well, they still miff
me, but I tend to let them pass without commenting. Certain people in my
life that used to really, really tick me off; Now, well, they'll either
become better people or they won't - I try to just let it slide, now. Da
big C certainly is a mental catalyst for a lot of things, that's for
sure.
--
Marc Bissonnette
Looking for a new ISP? http://www.canadianisp.com
Largest ISP comparison site across Canada.

On May 19, 10:32 am, "Uncle Sally" <therealUncleSa...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi CSM,
>
> Glad to hear your good news, and congrats on your bicycling achievements !
>
> One way to help reduce the influx of trash on ASC is to stop feeding the
> trolls. Every response they get "gets them off," unfortunately.
>
> best, Uncle Sally

I agree, and generally *try* to ignore trolls. Unfortunately, the
urge to respond all too often takes over. I see others (here and
elsewhere) who I consider sensible, responding to and thereby feeding
trolls too. Some of the trolls here are dangerous if not countered to
some extent, anyway. For instance, if nobody says anything about it,
newbies may think we all agree that tested treatments are bad, and
snake oil good. A quick look at recent posting on asc shows trolls in
several positions on the "most active". A lie repeated enough becomes
accepted.

I'll be sure to post when I finish my first century ride since dx. My
last was in '05, so I need 3 to catch up!

---
CSM

On May 19, 11:20 am, Marc Bissonnette <dragnet\_@_/internalysis.com>
wrote:
> csm7...@hotmail.com fell face-first on the keyboard. This was the result:news:24c68875-0d19-4bbe-b41d-795bf7cfd7ee@y21g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:
>
>
>
> > Normally, I wouldn't even post this, but with the predominance of
> > trash on asc lately, one relevant post improves S/N.
>
> > I had my regular (3 mo) onc visit recently, and all is well. No scan,
> > so no big deal, but it's still nice to be told I'm doing well. Also,
> > my onc is one of the only people aside from my wife who says I look
> > "great". I would say my beauty is on the inside, but my surgeon (and
> > even more my GE) assured me this just isn't so. Now I just need to
> > find the time to bike more regularly, and lose some 20 lb of fat, gain
> > a few of muscle. I want to be ready for the MS ride in June---if I'm
> > feeling up to it, I'll upgrade the 75 miles each way to 100, and get
> > in two century rides in one weekend. That will surely confirm the
> > sentiment on the mug Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers gave me: something
> > like "Cancer: I confronted; I conquered; on with life."
> > Last Sunday, I biked 42* miles. It felt great, though my feet and
> > legs hurt a little at the end. Oddly, I was very nauseous the next
> > day. It may have been more chemo after-effects, maybe a blood-sugar
> > thing, or maybe a bug I picked up, but it was gone after a few hours.
> > If chemo has had any lasting effect on me other than upping my
> > survival chances 30%, and some residual PN, I don't know what it is.
> > As many have written, chemo is vile poison with very unpleasant side-
> > effects, but if you're in the middle of it let me assure you that for
> > some of us at least, the unpleasantness is temporary.
> > Also, my treasured sports car of over 10 years was destroyed a few
> > weeks ago when someone ran a red light. Nobody was hurt, and I
> > reassured the apologizing driver that it was OK, just an accident. I
> > wonder if my brush with cancer helped my attitude---if I would have
> > been angry and confrontational had this happened before the cancer.
> > Anyway, I've now replaced it with an even nicer sports car, which I
> > plan to drive for the next 20 or 30 years, barring some accident that
> > leads me to upgrade again. Fifty years from now, I expect to see my
> > cancer experience as being nominally longer and more unpleasant than
> > my recent wreck. Distance provides perspective.
>
> > * my favorite number, a DNA (H2G2) thing, for those who are into that
> > sort of thing.
>
> > I intended this to be a short post. Didn't work out that way. If it
> > makes some laugh, or inspires some, then I'm glad I kept writing.
> > Keep fighting the good fight, and taking the side-shows for what
> > they're worth.
>
> The sports car story alone was worth it
>
> Funnily enough: Though my cancer doesn't seem to be as serious as so many
> others in here and I haven't had anyone tell me I'm going to die any time
> soon, it *has* started a fundamental shift in thinking, which your car
> crash story made me start thinking about.
>
> Some things that used to get me really riled up - Well, they still miff
> me, but I tend to let them pass without commenting. Certain people in my
> life that used to really, really tick me off; Now, well, they'll either
> become better people or they won't - I try to just let it slide, now. Da
> big C certainly is a mental catalyst for a lot of things, that's for
> sure.
> --
> Marc Bissonnette
> Looking for a new ISP?http://www.canadianisp.com
> Largest ISP comparison site across Canada.

I'm not sure how much has really changed. Years ago, I was driving my
wife's car when it was hit by a careless driver in a parking lot. I
used a few choice words with the driver, and was generally quite type-
a about it, but I think (hope) that was largely because my wife was
there with me, and upset about her car. I don't have any other
similar incidents to compare to, so maybe I've changed a lot, maybe
not.
My last car's badge had a "propeller" symbol; my current one includes
a horse. Maybe my next upgrade will have a different horse, though
that would require a "back-up" car for when the primary is in the
shop. Perhaps a lady would be better...all moot if I can just avoid
being hit for the rest of my life.
If cancer is a mental catalyst, chemo is the reverse. It interferes
with a lot of normal thinking, and destabilizes emotional control. I
wonder how many people on chemo have made big (financial/familial/
etc.) decisions they later came to greatly regret.

---
CSM
"front" seats? What other kind are there?