Re: hanging in there

[Guest guest]

Randy, I loved your email and the way you think about

life. You are so positive and I know it is not easy

especially in your situation. You truly are an

inspiration and I am praying for you each and every

single day that it hurry up and get better for you.

Unfortunately, I can't control things in life like

that so I must continue to pray and be patient. I

don't know what else to say to you except continue to

be encouraged and that truly you are a blessing to me.

Thanks for reminding me that I should continue to be

thankful for those little things in life that we so

often take for granted.

Pam Marsh

--- Robynn VanPatten wrote:

> Hey Randy....

>

> Hang in there buddy...the sun will be shining on you

> again, soon.

>

> We love you,

> Robynn

>

> --- jackpoint_94401

> wrote:

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Hi folks -

>

> Really glad to hear how well Maridiana and Sassy and

> are

> doing...Ramona, the way you bounced back and took

> charge and had the

> Lasik is really inspirational. I have always had dry

> eyes and so was

> afraid of Lasik, and I'm sure that my radiation

> treatments have

> dried out my eyes as much as the rest of my mucous

> membranes, but

> now I am determined that once I recover, Lasik will

> be

> in my future

> plans...Francisco, you are an inspiration and a

> delight as always,

> and you need to remember that you are a hottie now,

> because there's

> no doubt in my mind that you are an incorrigible

> flirt, so be ready

> to get results!!! I wish you a speedy

> recovery

> - take some

> consolation in the fact that several years ago, you

> wouldn't even

> have tried to stop the wagons - at least you had the

> choice now to

> learn the painful lesson, and blees you for that...

>

> my friend - I had a heart attack in October

> 2002, and many

> difficulties with congestive heart failure. Yes, I

> had

> diabetes (no

> longer) and a fatty liver (much less so now), but it

> seems to me

> that you are looking for too many reasons to be

> fearful. Dr. Umbach

> was very tough on me and ended up insisting on more

> weight loss

> before surgery because it was the best way for my

> heart to be safe -

> and it's safe to say that heart issues like mine are

> much higher

> risk factors than fatty liver, etc. The Kaiser

> doctors

> will REQUIRE

> you to reduce your risk factors before surgery, and

> they are more

> than familiar with the whole range of obesity

> comorbidities and

> risks. The WLS goal is to remove these

> comorbidities,

> not to remove

> a specific amount of weight. Go to your support

> group

> meetings, read

> your notebook, and note the statistics on the

> unbelievably high

> percentages of cures for Type II Diabetes,

> hypertension, obstructive

> sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, and so on,

> that

> come with

> WLS. I have lost most of my hair from my cancer

> treatment; it seems

> remarkably unimportant to me (although I know as

> certainly as any

> WLS patient that it will grow back), but in your

> context I can tell

> you with great certainty that the worst possible

> scenario for you

> with hair loss is not only a fraction of what I have

> experienced,

> but is also going to be far more temporary. Look -

> if

> you already

> have male pattern baldness, there is about a 20%

> chance that you

> will end up one stage further down the line than you

> were before

> surgery. SO WHAT?????? One of five chance, and

> you're

> going to look

> so much better anyway, how can you waste any

> emotional

> energy

> worrying about stuff like that? I think you are like

> me - a patient

> who is sometimes too smart for his own good and who

> ends up worrying

> about things that aren't really worrisome - but you

> need to take

> your intelligence and focus on the positives, and

> give

> yourself

> positive reinforcement for the achievements and

> milestones you pass.

> Prepping yourself for the lifestyle changes and the

> pre-op weight

> loss is NOT a small thing, and you are not taking an

> easy way out.

> You are making a positive lifetime commitment.

> Again,

> to offer my

> personal perspective - I KNOW that the radiation and

> chemotherapy,

> as horrific as the side effects are, are working

> quite

> well to

> battle the cancer. When I consider that once I have

> surgery, once I

> begin to recover (to the extent that I will) from

> the

> side effects,

> that I will be a relatively stronger and healthier

> cancer patient

> because I am a healthier, lighter, and stronger

> post-bariatric

> patient who will be able to exercise and continue to

> lose weight, I

> am very lucky that I had the WLS. I had all of four

> days between WLS

> and my cancer diagnosis to contemplate a healthier

> future - but I

> can tell you that the last two of those days were

> pretty much pain-

> free and optimistic and uplifting. When it gets back

> to the point

> that it's not me and cancer and treatment side

> effects, but me and a

> long-term post-WLS life, I know that's going to be

> great. And I

> think it will be great for you, too, , hang

> in

> there!

>

> Coughing up the thick mucus continues to be the most

> difficult part

> of my daily life dealing with radiation and chemo.

> My

> skin has also

> been burned very badly, and looks like there will be

> some permanent

> scarring and corrugating of the skin of my neck and

> throat. Still

> cannot eat or drink, and I'm on a feeding pump 18

> hours a day. Just

> six more days of radiation and chemo if the original

> schedule holds,

> then two to three months of recovery, followed by

> surgery. Cross

> your fingers for me!

>

> Randy

>

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