Testicular Cancer

[bingo999]

As some of you now know i was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer last July 2010. i just want the chance to explain to you all what has happened over the last 17 months in my life including the ups and downs.
so i will go back as far as January 2010 I started a new job within the Royal Navy working in the catering office ordering food stores for a period of up to 90 days then distributing them into the ships Galley daily accounting for all food stuffs whilst managing a team of 4 people who dont want to work for you.
February 2010: finally sorted out my team and they are working well the guys in the galley are being difficult and deliberately making life hard for me im now putting on over 115 hours a week of solid work.
March 2010: we start preperations for Operational sea training now on month 3 where i have not managed a weekend off, the ships company go on leave i stay on to get the store rooms ready for april's training, all fridges and freezers fail we have to completely de store all chilled and frozen foods from the ship into containers on the dockside im now working up to 130 hours PW.
April: we get the Fridges and Freezers working just in time to start sea training which started off badly with me being told off for things my juniors should be doing as second nature by now but they are getting tired from working 60 hours a week.
may: we complete sea training by this point i have been having dizzy spells and have collapsed twice in work the pressure is still on and im still putting 130 hours a week
June: now we are preparing to deploy i have just got into a relationship with a great guy but struggling to see him with work commitments, i notice my left testicle doubles in size and seek medical advice told it is a STI and given anti biotics, this causes problems within my home life as we both are accusing the other of not being safe.
July: the testicle is still swollen i see another doctor and am told the same and given more anti biotics after a week there was still no change, i went to the GU clinic and was immediately referred to have an Ultrasound, the Ship is 2 weeks away from deploying now and the store ship (that i am in charge of is in a weeks time) i have the Ultrasound scan and it confirmed my worst fear. i did have testicular cancer

immediately my world was turned upside down within 3 weeks i had an operation to remove the testicle (the right one which i thought was ok)
after the biopsy and a CT scan it transpired i have a Stage 3 seminoma (this is an advanced cancer that has spread all the way to my neck in the Lymph nodes)
Once i recovered from the operation i started Chemo this was 4 sessions of 5 nights in hospital hooked up to a drip 24 hours a day my hair fell out and my relationship broke down during this.
come december i had recovered from the chemo and my hair was growing back aroung xmas i started to have pains in my abdomen
January 2011 i see my GP who referrs me back to my consultant where a blood test confirms the cancer is back and is spreading extremely quickly. i get told that they are going to treat me with radiotherapy and if it fails i will die. (i go out and buy a 5.0 V8 Mercedes S Class) 2 weeks later the hospital change their tune and i start more chemo the end of february 2011

i completed the chemo in may and was having 2 weekly blood tests and a PET scan is booked before the pet scan date the tumor markers rise again August.

october i have Retropenial Lymph Node Dissection operation to remove the offending lymph node where the cancer remains. This was not a complete sucess by now the mercedes has gone as i was expecting to return to work i lost £3k on the merc.

and now im recovering from the above operation I find out on monday what the plan is for radiotherapy and its now that i think why not have another powerful car and fell in love with the legnums aggressive looks. so here we are Plan D? i think lol.

Personally i have done my best to remain positive and it can be hard at times. i would not wish this on anyone.
feel free to comment as you feel necessary and gents please check your testicles this cancer can be a killer and is common in men between the age of 15-30 however men in their 40's and 50's can still get this cancer.

[WOODY72]

Man, that is some trauma to go through. Full marks for staying positive (and choosing a Leggie) mate and all the best for the future.

[Nick Mann]

Good on you for staying positive. In my limited interaction with people who have a serious ailment of any kind, including cancer, positive thought and a belief in enjoying life has certainly helped, in most cases significantly. I hope the Legnum is a good choice - most people think so, but it is always personal taste!

[ex-derv]

I suppose the reason not many people have replied to this yet is that it takes some time to think of something to say that doesn't sound a bit empty and meaningless in the face of what you're going through.............I'm not sure I'm going to manage it. Hopefully you have good friends and family, and are finding things to keep you smiling in life - like the car.

[adamvortex]

Paul stay strong firstly! i kind of know what you are going through, my best friend had TC so i seen what he went through & how much his health changed.
he had a lump for around 5 years,kept going back to the doc's during that 5 years and he was always told it's a cist & not to worry, but then one day he was in pain with it went back to the doc's demanded to see a specialist. he went to the specialist & as soon as he looked at my friend he got straight onto the blower to the hospital, then that was it the next thing my friend knew he was in hospital having an op which then lead into all the other treatments, all tho he didnt have radiotherapy.
At one point when i went to see him in hospital i thought my god how ill he looked & i even thought i was going to lose my best friend, my brother from another mother. i was worried, as time slowly went on treatment started attack the cancer & he did start to look better in health.
2 years have just passed with him having the all clear, until the other week after having a blood test he got a call from the doc's (his new doctor) his blood levels are very high which means not good, (im not too sure about all the blood level info).
since then i have had a phone call from him with good news, his doctor asked him if he smoked weed, which he does & that was put down to the blood results.

keep your chin up paul as best as you can, with strength this can be beaten!

and enjoy your leggie to the max

[foxdie]

Sorry to hear this Paul, I know you told me in the chat room about the cancer but I didn't twig it as bring this destructive to your way of life. Between the lot of us, I think that the Legnum will be the least of your worries, we'll do what we can to help keep it on the road so it'll help bring some happiness to your life

I'll try and be on chat next week so you've got someone to talk to.

PS. Did I read that right? +1 for another gay VR4 owner

[jonnmit]

Good on you, mate, for bringing it to people's attention. Any cancer is a killer, but for men, TC is a type we rarely check for, so good on you.

As regards the struggle you have had, because of your sexuality, and the prejudice that exists still, especially in the forces, you deserve every good wish I can send and the other members will too. Keep fighting and don't give up. I lost my dad last year when a very late, unforgivable mis-diagnosis meant it was all far too late for him. Nobody wants to see anybody go like that. It's good that the hospital is fighting it with you so, chin up and big hug. I am not gay and live very happily with my (female) partner but you need and deserve every good wish I can send.

Hope the car will put a smile on your face. You can see what the forum members are like and they will help and support you. Feeling good is a major player in defeating cancer.

All the best,

Jon

[VR457]

I collected a lot of info on cancer survival rates, chemotherapy and diet and lifestyle therapy as adjunctive to medical treatment. I still believe that had my mother not gone through chemo she would still be alive. Within six months of a lung cancer diagnosis she was dead.

If you remain convinced that the methods chosen for your treatment is based on sound, verifiable knowledge with no other alternative then by all means, carry on. Keep your motivation and your general health up and who knows. However, all the evidence i have seen has suggested that chemo plus nutritional therapy can improve 5 year survival rates quite considerably than just chemo on it's own. Unfortunately, there is a lot of bitterness, politics and agendas confusing people who just want to get better. The reason i referred you to look into the Amazon reviews is to look at diverse stories of different experiences and to use it as a starting point for your own solutions.

If you have a partner who is helping you through this then that is something. Definitely someone in charge is required to help you through the ups and downs you are and will be facing. It's a lot of work to keep on top of and good luck. The car is a good reason to keep going! If you really need then pm me your address and i can burn all the info i have on disc and send it to you. It's a suggestion only.

[VR457]

Looks like survival rates from TC is not bad at all -


Ten year cancer survival rates.jpg

[apeman69]

Given the amount of publicity that TC has been getting over the last couple of years I've got to question what the feck your doctors have been playing at with their mis-diagnoses: sat on their fat @rses, driving their fancy cars to their huge houses and dining on posh nosh that's all funded by the drug companies that produce the antibiotics which the docs are all too eager to shove down your gizzard.
My brother thought he had TC some 20 years ago and he wasn't fobbed off. If it was now I'd advise him to be very insistant on getting specialist advice and steering clear of a General Practitioner.
My mother died in 1971 from stomach cancer (when I was 2 years old) so any illness within the family has always set alarm bells ringing concerning the hereditary scare factor.
I believe the integrity of the medical profession has suffered through the greed and nonchalance of today's breed of GP. I'm in no way racist or to any degree patriotic (I have been called a 'Bleeding-heart liberal' in the past though, if I had to put a label on my views/outlook then it would probably be closest to Utilitarianism.
With this in mind I'd much rather consult a non-British doctor nowadays.
Maybe a bit obscure at first glance but I reckon Mulder & Scully were right: "Trust no-one" especially where your health is concerned.
Take Patrick McGoohan's mantra to heart: "I am not a number. I am a free man." Don't be a statistic and accept what you're told, question everything.
All the best wishes for your future dude. You seem to have a positive attitude and a healthy outlook on life and that's in your favour.
BTW being a boss can be a PITA. There must be an invisible clause in every subordinate's job description that reads "P!ss off your superior at every available opportunity".

Sent from my Huge Brain using MyThumb (TM)

[bingo999]

Sorry to hear this Paul, I know you told me in the chat room about the cancer but I didn't twig it as bring this destructive to your way of life. Between the lot of us, I think that the Legnum will be the least of your worries, we'll do what we can to help keep it on the road so it'll help bring some happiness to your life

I'll try and be on chat next week so you've got someone to talk to.

PS. Did I read that right? +1 for another gay VR4 owner

Yep its great fun when i join a new ship cos im not a queen and the first thing i get told is there is a new chef joining soon who's gay, my response of "yea its me" usually gets a few shocked faces LOL

I collected a lot of info on cancer survival rates, chemotherapy and diet and lifestyle therapy as adjunctive to medical treatment. I still believe that had my mother not gone through chemo she would still be alive. Within six months of a lung cancer diagnosis she was dead.

If you remain convinced that the methods chosen for your treatment is based on sound, verifiable knowledge with no other alternative then by all means, carry on. Keep your motivation and your general health up and who knows. However, all the evidence i have seen has suggested that chemo plus nutritional therapy can improve 5 year survival rates quite considerably than just chemo on it's own. Unfortunately, there is a lot of bitterness, politics and agendas confusing people who just want to get better. The reason i referred you to look into the Amazon reviews is to look at diverse stories of different experiences and to use it as a starting point for your own solutions.

If you have a partner who is helping you through this then that is something. Definitely someone in charge is required to help you through the ups and downs you are and will be facing. It's a lot of work to keep on top of and good luck. The car is a good reason to keep going! If you really need then pm me your address and i can burn all the info i have on disc and send it to you. It's a suggestion only.

Thanks for the info please try not to worry i do eat well am currently trying to loose the weight the chemo treatment put on (3 stone) i can also understand your hesitation on the chemo side of things, its a very nasty harsh treatment but it can work and does work, in most cases of my type of TC by now i would be clear of any cancer

Looks like survival rates from TC is not bad at all -


Ten year cancer survival rates.jpg

No they have shot up considerbly since the introduction in the 70's of a drug called Cisplatin, when caught early the 5yr survival rate is fantastic when caught as late as mine the survival rate does start to lower, and the more treatment i have the lower that survival rate drops as the treatment can cause leukaemia in latter years.

Thanks for all the words of support. and Please dont worry about what to say etc Im still normal, (well for me im normal ) and im looking forward to getting the car and enjoying it with all the shows i can get too next year!

[ex-derv]

Thanks for all the words of support. and Please dont worry about what to say etc Im still normal, (well for me im normal ) and im looking forward to getting the car and enjoying it with all the shows i can get too next year!

so if you're a chef, does that mean if you bring your VR4 to a rolling road day that you'll be doing the bbq?

[bingo999]

so if you're a chef, does that mean if you bring your VR4 to a rolling road day that you'll be doing the bbq?

Maybe...

[ex-derv]

Maybe...

they're a really good way to get to know people as you inevitably stand around for hours and if you're the food man then I'd imagine you'll find yourself a lot of friends!

My Dad was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago and it never ceases to amaze me how people can find such practical strength in these kind of circumstances. Good on you mate - look forward to meeting you.

[SteveH]

Wow thats a tough time you've been having. I think a lot of guys including myself do have a fear of getting TC, but do very little checking or a half hearted fumble. For me i think its the "it wont happen to me" attitude which is obviously very silly. Reading your story has changed my thoughts on the subject and has made me think its time to grow up and start checking myself properly. I havent had contact with anyone who has or had cancer so i couldn't possible comment on how you feel or what to do, but i can say that buying a VR4 is i think an excellent choice as its a car you can work on without fear of breaking it (to much), theres lots of bits you can bolt on and the performance is awesome in my opinion. The sound of the engine under load is very evocative, i think anyway and the car just does everything right. I guess VR4s require their owners to be involved with the car which i find a great distraction from life :-)

Good luck and i hope everything works out for you.

[bingo999]

they're a really good way to get to know people as you inevitably stand around for hours and if you're the food man then I'd imagine you'll find yourself a lot of friends!

My Dad was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago and it never ceases to amaze me how people can find such practical strength in these kind of circumstances. Good on you mate - look forward to meeting you.

So very true, i need to buy a BBQ at some point soon and may drag it to any shows i go to with u guys, as the corsa-d's are a bit too big now to cook for on a normal BBQ im just not a fan of BBQ'd anything lol i always find the BBQ especially charcoal ones more hassle than they are worth. Sorry to hear about ur dad im sure he's strong enough to fight it and having a supportive network of family and friends really does help.

Wow thats a tough time you've been having. I think a lot of guys including myself do have a fear of getting TC, but do very little checking or a half hearted fumble. For me i think its the "it wont happen to me" attitude which is obviously very silly. Reading your story has changed my thoughts on the subject and has made me think its time to grow up and start checking myself properly. I havent had contact with anyone who has or had cancer so i couldn't possible comment on how you feel or what to do, but i can say that buying a VR4 is i think an excellent choice as its a car you can work on without fear of breaking it (to much), theres lots of bits you can bolt on and the performance is awesome in my opinion. The sound of the engine under load is very evocative, i think anyway and the car just does everything right. I guess VR4s require their owners to be involved with the car which i find a great distraction from life :-)

Good luck and i hope everything works out for you.

Cheers Steve, im hoping the car forms a bit of a distraction and im looking forward to working on her myself or with a mate to get things done wont be modifying her aside from the dump valve lol and just a general tidy up of the bodywork

[SteveH]

Cheers Steve, im hoping the car forms a bit of a distraction and im looking forward to working on her myself or with a mate to get things done wont be modifying her aside from the dump valve lol and just a general tidy up of the bodywork

i used to say that, now i have a list of things to do as long as my arm lol.

[alan]

Cheers Steve, im hoping the car forms a bit of a distraction and im looking forward to working on her myself or with a mate to get things done wont be modifying her aside from the dump valve lol and just a general tidy up of the bodywork
Oh how many have said that,i know i did, keeping it standard i said, well that didnt last long, i must get round to fitting that ebc soon,and see about the ecu being flashed,oh and i just bought a srs ecu,cheaper than mitsi resetting it anyway,oh and the new air filter,and a bigger intercooler,you want to watch this lot they egg you on and before you know it !!!!
keep the chin up .

[bingo999]

Cheers Steve, im hoping the car forms a bit of a distraction and im looking forward to working on her myself or with a mate to get things done wont be modifying her aside from the dump valve lol and just a general tidy up of the bodywork
Oh how many have said that,i know i did, keeping it standard i said, well that didnt last long, i must get round to fitting that ebc soon,and see about the ecu being flashed,oh and i just bought a srs ecu,cheaper than mitsi resetting it anyway,oh and the new air filter,you want to watch this lot they egg you on and before you know it !!!!
keep the chin up .

... sounds like im destined to be broke for a while then LMAO! the mate that will be working on the car with me will be a bad influence lol, he has already threatened to buy me a front mounted intercooler lol tho im concerned he might be serious!..

[alan]

naw,most people have bits tucked away,even i have started hoarding in case anyone needs something.no point in throwing good bits away after all,the advice is top class from the guys and they are very supportive,so anything you decide to do shouldnt break the bank.I would start making a list now cos sooner or later yr going to start with the,what if i do this? or what if i changed that?
as for the intercooler lol ....... it begins