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Time to Fight


William

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3 hours ago, William said:

Oh my Gosh, I just now got the phone call regarding my biopsy. This is in regards too the tissue they took last Friday because it showed up as a potential "hot spot" during my PET scan.

Patty isn't awake yet so I can't tell her (wore out from the dig yesterday), but I can't contain my emotions!

Test Results came back Negative! Totally Benign! Inflamed Tissue!

My Friends....I Am Totally....

 

CANCER FREE!!!!!

Wahoo!  Amen Brother, a new outlook & a second chance.

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More news...Speech Therapy at Gundersen Hospital reached out to me Thursday too let me know that there will be some group meetings with fellow laryngectomy patients coming up in November and December. Dates aren't scheduled as of yet but I'm looking forward to it!

It was also discussed with me about taking on the role of being a Peer Counselor. This would require that I work personally,  one on one, with patients who are preparing for the surgery, have had the surgery (and are still in the critical care unit), or ones that close to going home.

It's a challenge that I readily accepted. If I can help anyone that's going to go through or has gone through what I did and still am, I'm their man. 

It's one hell of a journey filled with fear, doubts, anger, sadness; one huge rollercoaster of emotions. Situations will vary with each individual. And having been a caregiver since the 90's, and now a patient, that experience will be tested for sure. A caregiver IS the most challenging occupation out there. Anyone who would scoff at that only has too put on the scrubs and be prepared to eat crow.

On top of this, I'm potentially returning to my old job in the coming weeks...I meet with Human resources and management this coming Monday morning! I could end up being a busy boy! 👍😊

 

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Congratulations, William. Fantastic that you will get to help people.

And I couldn`t agree with you more about caregivers. I was my bedridden mother`s caregiver for 5 years while working full-time (museum) and teaching a class a week at night (university) and it very nearly did me in. And I was much younger then . . .

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2 hours ago, ann said:

Congratulations, William. Fantastic that you will get to help people.

And I couldn`t agree with you more about caregivers. I was my bedridden mother`s caregiver for 5 years while working full-time (museum) and teaching a class a week at night (university) and it very nearly did me in. And I was much younger then . . .

I was in a hard place also with my wife. She was diagnosed with COPD in 2010 and it slowly and steadily went downhill from there. I worked from 3:30pm until 2:00am and found myself assuming an ever growing responsibility with household duties, daily errands, etc; especially when the brain cancer diagnosis came in 2015.

At that point, I became full time caregiver and full time factory worker. I had too keep my 2nd shift job as a supervisor, so getting off at 2am and not going to sleep until 4-5am became a normal routine. About 3 hours of sleep a day on average. I did go through an agency and acquired hired help for when I was at work.

Did that until her passing in May of 2018. Guess my last 12 years was just God's way of "toughening me up" for what I am dealing with now? It's all good, because life finds a way. 😊

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 10/7/2022 at 8:08 PM, William said:

Overall, a great day, although a long one! After it was all said and done, I  am cancer free! 

Just one little tiny spot by my collarbone lit up during the scan. A few things it could be...irritated flesh from radiation....a "floating" surture...or possibly a few stray cancer cells that "flipped" too the front during my April surgery. 

Dr. Ringstrom poked me a few times in that area too numb me up and took a sample for the lab. He feels confident that it's one of the former possibilities, but has too be sure.

If it's the latter, under the knife too cut it out I guess. Will know next week! A pic of where the area of concern is(the little stitches)

20221007_200037.jpg

This damn spot where they took that sample back on the 7th of October, the past couple weeks it's been really sensitive and getting discolored. It started weeping blood Monday night.

Now I have to go in Friday at 2pm, Dr. Ringstrom wants too see it...

😐

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10 hours ago, William said:

This damn spot where they took that sample back on the 7th of October, the past couple weeks it's been really sensitive and getting discolored. It started weeping blood Monday night.

Now I have to go in Friday at 2pm, Dr. Ringstrom wants too see it...

😐

Prayers being said♥ So sorry you have to go through this! 

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Came early to do a little "reminiscing", visit my old hangout...my old room 6868 (same year I was born coincidentally 68')....the front of Gundersen Health System, taken from the 6th floor window of the little visiting area where I used to go to get away...the hills on the western side of the Mississippi River, the way home through there....and that chair, I would sit in too watch for Patty too come see me or watch her go when it was time too leave. 

I try too come up here every time I have an appointment. Call me nuts, most folks probably wouldn't want too see these floors but it makes me feel better about myself and reminds me about how far I have come...

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Late update! Turns out that the bloody biopsy site is ok...my doctor is sticking by his diagnosis of cancer free...

And guess what the culprit was...today the scab was really loose so I carefully removed it and guess what was clinging to it? A near half inch long suture!

Working it's way too the surface and causing problems lol!

Turns out that this surture must have also, IMO, been the reason my PET scan lit up in that spot!

All good! Don't see anyone until February. Yay!

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1 hour ago, William said:

Late update! Turns out that the bloody biopsy site is ok...my doctor is sticking by his diagnosis of cancer free...

And guess what the culprit was...today the scab was really loose so I carefully removed it and guess what was clinging to it? A near half inch long suture!

Working it's way too the surface and causing problems lol!

Turns out that this surture must have also, IMO, been the reason my PET scan lit up in that spot!

All good! Don't see anyone until February. Yay!

Awesome news!

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  • 1 year later...

Quick post here with a health update....still cancer free and going strong! A little slower but it's all ahead full steam (the best that I can anyway!) 🚂

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3 minutes ago, William said:

Quick post here with a health update....still cancer free and going strong! A little slower but it's all ahead full steam (the best that I can anyway!) 🚂

That’s awesome!!

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Not too mention that Gunderson Health System reached out to me this past week asking if would be a peer mentor for an individual that just had a total larenjectomy surgery 2 months ago. 

I gladly accepted and am waiting for some dates in June to be set up!

From what I understand, he wants to learn how to speak on his own without any artificial assistance. That's a tall order because I was told by my surgeons that it's quite rare to be as adept at esophageal speech as I am. Actually I am the only one they know of in the practice, in their experience, that can pull it off so well. "Burp talking" it's known as. Basically swallowing air and bringing it back up to vibrate off your muscles and tissues. Combined with the lips and tongue to form and sound the words.

Took many months to get good at at, I just hope this fella is patient. It's a scary world too be in. What could make it more difficult is that post-surgery he had complications that required additional surgeries. Got my work cut out for me! 

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