[Important] North_Ranger's Wacky Tumor Thread

North_Ranger

Staff member
Well... fuck.

Got the results of my last CT scan back. The tumors in my lungs have grown, and there's a new one in my one good kidney. Gonna have to see the sarcoma specialist next week to discuss changes to my treatment. I kept hoping the best, but apparently the last two months when I didn't receive any treatment* managed to do a number on me.

Gotta say that kinda put a damper on my day. The good news is that I still don't suffer from any shortness of breath, and even my kidney values have been good. So this is not a "You have X months to live" scenario. Still shitty as hell, though.


*They couldn't give me the treatment when the surgical wound on my head was still healing because of danger of infection, and later they couldn't give me the treatment because of three weeks of bouncing temperature that demanded antibiotics.
 

Dave

Staff member
I ripped my shirt this morning on the way to work and have been bitching all day about my stupid shirt. I think I'll stop complaining about it now.

Stay strong, buddy. You know we all love ya and are pulling for you.
 
I ripped my shirt this morning on the way to work and have been bitching all day about my stupid shirt. I think I'll stop complaining about it now.

Stay strong, buddy. You know we all love ya and are pulling for you.

I'm wearing one of my favorite shirts today, and the sleeves have shrunk in the laundry so much I can't button up the manchetes anymore. Also, I can't keep it tucked in my pants anymore -it's simply too short. Which is problematic, as dress code requires the shirt tucked in at all times. oh well.


*edit* wait, this isn't the whine thread? Whoops. Dave, you misleading misleader, you.

Err, Northy, dude, stop with the silly growths, okay? ;)
 

Zappit

Staff member
You'll bounce back, NR. Once the treatment gets going again, you'll see an improvement.

Don't know if this helps, but I've seen some recent research on how the body can self-heal in addition to whatever else you're doing to fight it. It basically involves getting yourself to a state of very relaxed calm, which helps bring your various systems into balance, which puts the body in an ideal state to go through the healing process. Saw it on Dr. Oz. he had on a woman who did faced stage 4 cancer, but practiced self-healing with her other treatments, and she was cancer free now.

I have to admit, I believe it. My kidneys were majorly fucked up. There was even a point I was hours away from going on the transplant list. Part of my personality is, for lack of a better term, oblivious. Putting my condition out of my mind save for my treatment and relaxing to draw on a regular basis fit the mental and body state described by Dr. Oz. I'm in remission now, and have actually surprised my doctors with how good my numbers are now. One just told me I could go forever if that holds.

Point is, there's some real power there. Try to put your stress out of your mind. Do what you gotta do for your treatment, but don't let it preoccupy you. Find something truly calming and relaxing, that won't get you worked up in the slightest, and breathe slowly and calmly. You are literally giving your body more resources to fight your disease. That's pretty much the entire thing. Do not feel despair or even allow yourself to be disappointed. Just do what you gotta do. Look at it that way without considering those negatives. You can bounce back and kick the ever loving hell out of this thing.
 

North_Ranger

Staff member
Quick update.

My life is currently a major bitch. Last night I lost the feeling in my right hand fingers. Then my hand. The my arm. CT scans today showed I had suffered hemorrhaging my brain, effectively turning right hand from the instrument of my art into a limp, aching sack of noodles. It was not a tumor nor a full-on stroke, as I still retain mobility in my arm and the ability to move my fingers, limitred as both are at the moment. I'm seeing a neurosurgeon later today and a physical therapist hopefully soon to discuss options, and I still remain hopeful of regaining my arm.

Updates as they come and I'm able to write them with my left hand (hence the typos). I tried dictating this post to my dad, who prides himself on his English - and yet was stumped by the word "major".
 
Fuck, NR, I leave for a year and this happens?! I'm never leaving again :(

I will send you hugs and love everytime I think of you.
You're AWESOME, don't let your spirits fall.
 

North_Ranger

Staff member
Update.

Getting worse. Can not feel my hands, nor my legs. Fearful of all hell. Gonna get a new CT scan. Likely it has bled worse.

I'm scared.

Dictated to my mom on my iPad. My right hand is completely useless.
 
Ranger, you're giving me Guillain–Barré flashbacks and it's scaring me. Dude, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy much less a friend like you. I'm with stienman, praying for you buddy.
 
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If you read this, thank you, NR's mom. I'm sure you're very scared, I know that feeling too and I wish there was something we could do for you. You're an awesome mom for doing this. All my love.
 

Zappit

Staff member
We might not be in the room, NR, but there's a lot of people with you tonight. We're pulling for you.
 
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