Dan's results/stress

[Guest guest]

Thank you to everyone who sent prayers and good wishes, and also to all of

you who wrote in sharing in what was basically good news. Both Dan and I

appreciate it so very much.

But we're both still very stressed. It's been almost 4 years now since he

completed treatments for the bladder cancer. It was a very aggressive type

cancer, and his Dr. told us that he'd been worried that either the treatments

wouldn't work, or that the cancer would come back.

Then this year, in 3 successive months they found a lump on his thyroid - it

was benign. The next month it was 2 more lumps on his thyroid - benign, but of

some concern, so they biopsied it for comparison against future lumps. He gets

that tested every 6 months, and also has his bladded checked every 6 months.

Then this month it was the colonoscopy and pre-cancerous lumps.

Three months in a row bothered both of us. What was even worse was that it

was in different places in the body. I know Dan is concerned about making it to

the 5 year survival rate without having it show up somewhere else.

He's going to be 64 next month. Everyone else in his family died from

cancer by age 64, with the only exception being his Dad, who died from a heart

attack associated with congestive heart failure.

I honestly don't think Dan is going to die in the next year. But I'm also

worried about where it might show up next. We both believe strongly in early

detection.

Every time I talk with his Dr., I ask the same question: How do we know it

hasn't started growing somewhere else in his body? His Dr. is very

condescending - quoting statistics, telling me they need some reason to do tests

and they have no reasons to do any other tests. Well, if we had waited for a

reason for the bladder and colon, he might not be here today.

Dan and I had a long talk about it, and we agreed we want a full body CT

scan. We're well aware that it shows up other things, such as broken bones and

arthritis. I've had a full body CT scan, and lit up like a Christmas tree. But

we were able to tell exactly what each spot was - we marked off all the broken

bones I've ever had, all the areas where my arthritis is bad, and so on, and

were able to account for every place. We figure Dan can do the same.

Neither one of us is able to relax until we know every place possible has

been checked out.

We aren't being pessimistic or negative. We're trying to be assertive and

pro-active about early detection. But until we can get his Dr. to understand

our point of view, and have further testing done, we won't be comfortable.

We'd both appreciate it if you would keep Dan in your prayers.

Thanks for listening.

Love n hugs,

Dix