All About Pocket Knives

Tonight I celebrated 6 years and 7 months survival from stage 4 colo-rectal cancer with several complications. I was surrounded by other survivors ranging from 1 week to 30 years with many different types and stages of cancer. If you don’t know, survival time starts with day 1 diagnosis. Life since diagnosis has not been a cake walk. Several minor surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, an 8 hour “major” surgery and more chemotherapy. CT scans, PET scans, a recurrence scare and a left lung wedge resection. A broken leg, first broken bone in 70 years, 2 TKA surgeries in 2024 and ongoing PT. Every day since October 2017 regardless of the trials and tribulations, has been a gift to be cherished! Sorry for the long personal post, but tonight dredged up some feelings I thought I had conquered. I’m not looking for sympathy, I just needed to vent, and in so doing maybe I can help someone else evade what I have been through. It seems most here are “gentlemen of a certain age”. I implore you to follow medical protocol concerning colonoscopies. I wouldn’t wish what I’ve been through on my worst enemy. Peace to all who assemble here.

Gods many blessings on you and your loved ones.

FRJ wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2024 3:33 am Gods many blessings on you and your loved ones.

Thank you, Among my many blessings, she heads the list.

Gtrclktr
You’re a heck of a man to bear all that. It’s a hard world but you are standing up to it.
Froe

Gtrclktr-351 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2024 3:20 amI implore you to follow medical protocol concerning colonoscopies

no truer words can ever be spoken - I’ve dodged more than a few gastrointestinal challenges including removing 18” of my sigmoid colon (part of the large intestine), but my colonoscopies have removed cells that if left alone would almost certainly become cancerous. I had a colonoscopy done on 6/3 and yesterday I got the news that 3 polyps were removed and all were Hyper-plastic which have no potential to become malignant, and are not worrisome. I have a follow-up in 7 years, I was hoping for 10-years but I’ll take 7 which will make me 74 and probably not my last colonoscopy. The prep is no fun but the procedure is fast and painless.

Get it done sooner rather than later but nobody here needs to be preached to about this, right

Gtrclktr-351 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2024 3:20 am I implore you to follow medical protocol concerning colonoscopies. I wouldn’t wish what I’ve been through on my worst enemy.

Praise the Lord for this report! You are absolutely correct and I hate having to get them but my doctor has had me on a schedule
of every 5 years. A couple of times they have found polyps and removed them.

bestgear wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2024 3:45 pmGet it done sooner rather than later but nobody here needs to be preached to about this, right

Yea, I guess I get a little “preachy” and sometimes am “preaching to the choir”.

Gtrclktr-351 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2024 5:43 pm

bestgear wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2024 3:45 pmGet it done sooner rather than later but nobody here needs to be preached to about this, right

Yea, I guess I get a little “preachy” and sometimes am “preaching to the choir”.

maybe not preaching to the choir ok raise you hand if you’ve been a prognosticator about getting a colonoscopy

Congratulations on toughing through this long.

While the at home preperation makes colonoscopies not my favorite medical prtocedure, advising members who are putting it off toget it done is prudent advise. They might nip it in the bud or puallup, so to speak. Men are supposedto get their first colonoscopy at age 45. If they check out clean and healthy and do not have a family history of colon cancer colonoscopies are repeated every 10 years.

I’ve had several colonoscopies. On a couple of occasions they found and removed polyps that could have morphed into cancer. I’d encourage everyone to diligently monitor your colon health.

I praise the Lord to hear your testimony!
Thank you for sharing words of advice.

Reverand wrote: ↑Sat Jun 08, 2024 3:24 am I praise the Lord to hear your testimony!
Thank you for sharing words of advice.

AMEN

I've always grumbled about the screenings, but they ARE important.

I'm sorry for the complications you have had to deal with, but I am glad that you are here to tell us about it...

Froe wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2024 1:15 pm Gtrclktr
You’re a heck of a man to bear all that. It’s a hard world but you are standing up to it.
Froe

Froe thank you for the kind words. Sorry this has taken so long and I don’t know how I missed your comment. I am doing the best I can to “stand up to it”. As the old saying goes, “Gettin’old ain’t for sissies”(but it beats the alternative).

glennbad wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 11:31 am I'm sorry for the complications you have had to deal with, but I am glad that you are here to tell us about it...

Thanks, Glenbad and I apologize for taking so long to reply. My complications were mostly my own fault. I had symptoms that I ignored, denied and then rationalized as minor problems. I wasn’t able to accept that I could have cancer, because that was the most common cause of death in my family. I almost drowned in the river of de-nial.

Gtrclktr-351 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 9:32 am

glennbad wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 11:31 am I'm sorry for the complications you have had to deal with, but I am glad that you are here to tell us about it...

Thanks, Glenbad and I apologize for taking so long to reply. My complications were mostly my own fault. I had symptoms that I ignored, denied and then rationalized as minor problems. I wasn’t able to accept that I could have cancer, because that was the most common cause of death in my family. I almost drowned in the river of de-nial.

Well, us men can be pretty stubborn about getting things checked out.

glennbad wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 7:18 pm Well, us men can be pretty stubborn about getting things checked out.

Amn to that.

Music, listening and trying to learn to play, has always been a big part of my life.
These lyrics were a big help to me when I needed it the most.
Maybe they can be a comfort to someone else going through "hard times"

Tell me, Lord
What did I ever do
That was worth lovin' you
For the kindness you've shown?

Try me, Lord
If you think there's a way
I can try to repay
All I've taken from you
Maybe, Lord
I can show someone else
What I've been through myself
On my way back to you...Why Me Lord-Kris Kristofferson

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures...Amazing Grace-John Newton

You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down...I Won't Back Down-Tom Petty