Great cancer update, oh and we got a dog!

[goodwithagun]

My birthday is Tuesday. Last year I got cancer for it! This year, the eighth anniversary of my 29th birthday, is much better! After a long family vacation in paradise, we came home and I went to the surgical oncologist that performed my radical resection in March. This is the first time that we were able to talk about long term prognosis. His thoughts: I'll have no further problems with this issue! I had a PET/CT last week and there is no evidence of regrowth or metastis! God is good!

[goodwithagun]

This has been a long journey. I had a biopsy last June and I was told July 7th that a lymph node was removed testing for uterin sarcoma. My cousin is a pathologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, she is my guardian angel, and she is the only reason I recieved appropriate care. She questioned the report and I had to aggressively demand further testing from the gyn onc who wanted to do a hysterectomy and a year of chemo. He refused to send my slides out for further testing!

I fired that doc, one of two world class docs I've done that to, and found a great gyn onc at UPMC. He sent my slides to all of the places my cousin wanted him to. The final result from both Harvard and Foundation Medicine was epithelial sarcoma: Very strange since it came from my groin, right where the leg and body meet. The panty line, if you will. Additionally, their reports concluded that it was not a lymph node removed but the primary tumor!

I was referred to a surgical onc who wanted to open me up from abdomen to mid thigh and remove all reachable lymph nodes. He's the second world class doc I fired. I found a great doc at Allegheny General that performed a radical resection to clean up the margins. Incidentally, he had to take a couple of nodes. Pathology declared them clean.

So now I'm not in the "all clear," but things are quite promising. Promising is the word used in the cancer industry. I'll continue my modified Gerson for another six months. I just feel so good with that lifestyle. With the exception of family members who ensured proper care through this journey, I've come to disdain the entire cancer industry. I've learned so many disgusting things about it :(

The dog? We love big dogs and adopted a bullmastiff when we got married. He lived a long life and died when our oldest was six months old. The day I recieved the good news, a friend told us about a lady that needed to adopt out her two-year-old English mastiff. Our three kids are eight and under, with the oldest being on the high functioning end of the Autism spectrum. I had some doubts about getting this dog. When we visited him, my kids hung all over him and he has yet to show even a hint of aggression toward thier physical love for him. It's a great fit. Goliath has found his forever home, all 150 pounds of him!

God bless those of you who have prayed for me. It was powerful. Happy Sunday!

[Duchess47]

What a wonderful update. Thank you God.

[Bigg Red]

Wonderful news! Yes, God is good.

[Artcore]

This is great news! God Bless You and family. Oh, and congrats on the new dog!

[NorthstarMom]

So very happy for you!

[fieldmarshaldj]

Thanks for updating us with the good news ! Continued prayers for the “all clear.”

[bramps]

Here’s to faith. persistence, and big, loving doggies!
Very happy for you and your family.

[bgill]

Congrats to you and Goliath.

[fella]

Your cousin has been a great blessing for you. Far to many doctors today are advocates of ‘slash and burn’ techniques, many of which are out dated.

Congratulations on doing your homework and finding some great doctors.

[smokingfrog]

Glad to hear it.

[smokingfrog]

Happy Birthday

[PraiseTheLord]

So happy for you ! Good work ! [Very smart person!]

FWIW I recall hearing some time back that *hysterectomy* is done most of the time unnecessarily. Guess a cheap few bucks for Dr and Hospital. Without any real diagnosis, apparently!

[Robert DeLong]

Glad to hear such a promising report, along with the new family member (I must admit I would hate that food bill LOL - even though I have 5 littler dogs that probably eat as much). God is everything, and with him expect continued good news.

Thanks for the enlightening update. Remember that doctors are really only as good as their teaching has been. You should contact these doctors you fired and share your story, because believe it or not you are an ongoing integral part of their learning. The doctors that refuse to learn from their patients are indeed not the kind of doctors that are truly the cream of the profession, even if they are touted as such.

[left that other site]

Praise God!

[goodwithagun]

It’s marketed to the patient as no more icky periods, and it’s quite easy to get insurance to cover the procedure. There’s something about unnessissarily removing a hormone driven body system that makes me nervous. Our new dog was never neutered, something that is looked down upon in the pet community. We can’t even take him to dog parks! I took him to our vet for the first time and he said that there is emerging research about spaying and neutering. It turns out the cancers, hip issues, and kidney problems (kitties) that are now popping up in our fur babies could be linked to spaying and neutering, not to poor breeding practices. So what’s it doing to human females, even with hrt? Makes you wonder.

[goodnesswins]

Wonderful! God answers prayers...and sounds like you took control of your healthCARE!

[leaning conservative]

So happy for your diagnosis & New dog! How horrifying to hear about your doctor experiences, especially the one who would not send your slides out!!!!! That has to be illegal. So glad you had your cousin to guide you.

On the couch right now w/ our adopted since Tuesday two year old dog. She is filling the hole of our 16 year old we had to put to sleep last Sunday.

So very happy for you & a hug to Goliath. Stay well!!!!!!!!!!

[Celerity]

Great update !

[Dawgreg]

God is good indeed. Blessings to you and your family.....;)

[Lazamataz]

God is good!

All the time!