Garry.. you have an amazing perspective!
Be strong my friend.
All the best going forward for you and your family.
Graham
Be strong my friend.
All the best going forward for you and your family.
Graham
My neighbour just soiled the street..............
- Thread starter VelocityYellowRules!
- Start date
Y
YFCvii
Garry,
I have to admit ...
that you just might very likely be giving-back to a few people here,
a more satisfied feeling with their own lives
... when one empathizes with your thoughts
while you hammer-out what truly matters.
Keep those thoughts going strong ... as it is inspiring and really does matter.
I have to admit ...
that you just might very likely be giving-back to a few people here,
a more satisfied feeling with their own lives
... when one empathizes with your thoughts
while you hammer-out what truly matters.
Keep those thoughts going strong ... as it is inspiring and really does matter.
Last edited by a moderator:
12cents
Power User
Gary your attitude is an inspiration. My mother has beaten cancer twice and she has the same attitude as yourself. It is people like you and my mother that show us regular people how life should truly be faced. Along with my mother, you are always in our prayers and I look forward to much more education about farming.
Hi
Have not been on the site for a while and just finished reading this thread, WOW!!!!!! Great attitude Gary best of wishes to you through this, Your Attitude Inspires !!!! Even more than your car does !!! And I Love Horsepower I Hope you have a great New Year !!!! And sincerely Best Wishes ..... looks like you have made some great friends on the Corvette Forum with tons of support for you .....nice !!!
Hope you all have a Great New Year !!!!, Best Wishes
Hope things are going well Gary
Have not been on the site for a while and just finished reading this thread, WOW!!!!!! Great attitude Gary best of wishes to you through this, Your Attitude Inspires !!!! Even more than your car does !!! And I Love Horsepower I Hope you have a great New Year !!!! And sincerely Best Wishes ..... looks like you have made some great friends on the Corvette Forum with tons of support for you .....nice !!!
Hope you all have a Great New Year !!!!, Best Wishes
Hope things are going well Gary
- Thread starter
- #106
Good morning!
And a belated Happy New Year to one and all.
What strange weather here, a week of -35 and colder, a week of -5 and now heading back to -25 tomorrow, falling snow and windy right now.
So some news to share.
The information that my torso is cancer free as I told you all previously is actually not 100% accurate. Something that I was always aware of but not always in the forefront of my mind and they never bother to tell you at the time is this little bit of information. As kick-as* and wonderful at CT scans may be, and PET scans are considered to be even better, they actually sort of suck. Well perhaps in my opinion anyway. The truth of the statement is that the PET/CT scan has indeed not found any tumors in your torso. Which of course is good news. What they often forget to follow up with is the additional statement that "PET/CT scans are not capable of detecting tumors until they are 1 cm in size! How is that for a kicker!! So my torse could be just chock full of sub 1 cm tumors but we don't know. Now I mean the fact that there are not any larger than 1 cm is certainly good news, don't get me wrong, but as a patient with cancer you can't come away thinking that it hasn't spread elsewhere, just that the tumors are not large enough to be picked up by the contrast fluid you've taken. So it is hard to be 100% happy with this information but them again at least as of the last scan, any tumors were small ones if at all.
OK, so what else is going on.
Well, two things for me to consider. There are, oddly, two teams that are sort of working on my case. One in Edmonton at the Cross Clinic and one in Calgary at the Tom Baker Clinic. Here are their stories.
Wednesday there is a group meeting between the two teams about my case.
1)Tom Baker wants me to consider something that is the ultimate cool sounding treatment. It is called "Isolated Limb Infusion" or ILI. Brace yourself for this. They cut off the blood supply going to my left arm. I'm not sure what they do but they must then hook it up to a machine that keeps my blood warm and oxygenated etc. Then they give my arm a chemo that they would ordinarily not be able to give me as it would kill me. After some period of time they they reconnect my arm's blood flow to my body! Doesn't that sound wild?! They claim they've had some good success with this. They can't do this for another two weeks I believe.
2)The Cross wants me to come down for treatment on Wednesday. They are proposing that we'll try the Interluken 2 (Il2) direct tumor injections which they claim is the protocol that is replacing the ILI treatment.
Either way I continue with the PEMBRO immunotherapy injections I've been having in Grande Prairie.
I'm not sure if they can do both ILI and Il2 at the same time either.
They also want me to come 30 minutes early on Wednesday for a photo shoot, they want to document exactly what my arm looks like before we try these other one or two treatments. I'm in favour of this as it will give us some before and after images to refer to.
Now some time between the 3rd and 4th PEMBRO treatment, like when my thyroid got fried, I ended up with what I thought was a rash on my left forearm. This has progressed to about 30 - 40 red marks of various sizes and shapes. Some of these I'm sure must be tumors but hopefully not all! I'll leave that to the melanoma specialist that will be doing the Il2 injections on Wednesday. I should bring a Sharpie marker with me to identify all the ones he has elected to do and those which he feels are not tumors. I hope for few new ones.
The lymphedema in my left arm has gotten worse, that is the arm swelled about 6 years ago for some reason, due to a compromised lymphatic system. Normally it is bigger but when I do things like drive for a while it gets worse but usually goes back down. Not as of the trip I took on the 20th and right now my hand looks like a mitt! It isn't painful for anything but I wish it would go down. Not sure what this signifies if anything.
Overall I'm in a good place I think, like mentally and emotionally. I mean I was sort of at peace with the amputation proceeding and I hope that the "hope" that these one or two treatments are giving my is not misplaced. I worry about postponing things and the possibility that the cancer does spread if it hasn't already. But I have to give the "experts" due credit that they know their jobs and that this is a risk that is worth my consideration with the goal of saving my arm.
I do some silly things from time to time. I try dressing myself with my right arm, putting on a watch one handed (haven't mastered this yet) and driving with only my right arm. A pain to signal and I've discovered that I prefer to drive with my left arm when I drive with only one hand on the steering wheel. I think this comes from my manual transmission experience where I keep my right hand for shifting and generally off the steering wheel. I've also got about 10 to 12 pairs of spare running shoes and I'm not sure how to tie the laces since I like my laces tighter than most people.
But minor details to be solved with being alive still as the outcome.
I'm positive enough still that I ordered my fertilizer for the 2018 seeding season last week.
And I'm still having fun while this goes on. I reached the point where I had three leaking taps in the house and that is sort of the point at which it is work it for me to shut the water off and drain the lines to change the washers. I had to go to three different places to get them all but also made my son help me so he learns about how to do this so he doesn't have to pay a plumber. And ditto I got a non-functioning snowblower and while I thought the problem was with the float needle and seal I found that on Alibaba I could order a brand new carburetor for $22 and that came on Thursday so I had Aidan again help me with that so he could see how that is done and again not have to take the machine to a shop. I tell my son that the easiest $$ to make is the $$ you don't have to spend. Primed the carb, hit the start switch and away it went! A bit of a surge at idle and mid range but it sounds fine at full throttle. Even changed the engine oil as it was easy to do and it appeared that a lot of gas had been running into the crankcase and who wants a blown engine after this - something I'll have to monitor??
So there you have it, my life update!
I'll let you know how things go when I get back home from the Il2 treatment. I'm not sure if there will be any good news but hopefully there are no surprises either.
Cheers,
Garry
And a belated Happy New Year to one and all.
What strange weather here, a week of -35 and colder, a week of -5 and now heading back to -25 tomorrow, falling snow and windy right now.
So some news to share.
The information that my torso is cancer free as I told you all previously is actually not 100% accurate. Something that I was always aware of but not always in the forefront of my mind and they never bother to tell you at the time is this little bit of information. As kick-as* and wonderful at CT scans may be, and PET scans are considered to be even better, they actually sort of suck. Well perhaps in my opinion anyway. The truth of the statement is that the PET/CT scan has indeed not found any tumors in your torso. Which of course is good news. What they often forget to follow up with is the additional statement that "PET/CT scans are not capable of detecting tumors until they are 1 cm in size! How is that for a kicker!! So my torse could be just chock full of sub 1 cm tumors but we don't know. Now I mean the fact that there are not any larger than 1 cm is certainly good news, don't get me wrong, but as a patient with cancer you can't come away thinking that it hasn't spread elsewhere, just that the tumors are not large enough to be picked up by the contrast fluid you've taken. So it is hard to be 100% happy with this information but them again at least as of the last scan, any tumors were small ones if at all.
OK, so what else is going on.
Well, two things for me to consider. There are, oddly, two teams that are sort of working on my case. One in Edmonton at the Cross Clinic and one in Calgary at the Tom Baker Clinic. Here are their stories.
Wednesday there is a group meeting between the two teams about my case.
1)Tom Baker wants me to consider something that is the ultimate cool sounding treatment. It is called "Isolated Limb Infusion" or ILI. Brace yourself for this. They cut off the blood supply going to my left arm. I'm not sure what they do but they must then hook it up to a machine that keeps my blood warm and oxygenated etc. Then they give my arm a chemo that they would ordinarily not be able to give me as it would kill me. After some period of time they they reconnect my arm's blood flow to my body! Doesn't that sound wild?! They claim they've had some good success with this. They can't do this for another two weeks I believe.
2)The Cross wants me to come down for treatment on Wednesday. They are proposing that we'll try the Interluken 2 (Il2) direct tumor injections which they claim is the protocol that is replacing the ILI treatment.
Either way I continue with the PEMBRO immunotherapy injections I've been having in Grande Prairie.
I'm not sure if they can do both ILI and Il2 at the same time either.
They also want me to come 30 minutes early on Wednesday for a photo shoot, they want to document exactly what my arm looks like before we try these other one or two treatments. I'm in favour of this as it will give us some before and after images to refer to.
Now some time between the 3rd and 4th PEMBRO treatment, like when my thyroid got fried, I ended up with what I thought was a rash on my left forearm. This has progressed to about 30 - 40 red marks of various sizes and shapes. Some of these I'm sure must be tumors but hopefully not all! I'll leave that to the melanoma specialist that will be doing the Il2 injections on Wednesday. I should bring a Sharpie marker with me to identify all the ones he has elected to do and those which he feels are not tumors. I hope for few new ones.
The lymphedema in my left arm has gotten worse, that is the arm swelled about 6 years ago for some reason, due to a compromised lymphatic system. Normally it is bigger but when I do things like drive for a while it gets worse but usually goes back down. Not as of the trip I took on the 20th and right now my hand looks like a mitt! It isn't painful for anything but I wish it would go down. Not sure what this signifies if anything.
Overall I'm in a good place I think, like mentally and emotionally. I mean I was sort of at peace with the amputation proceeding and I hope that the "hope" that these one or two treatments are giving my is not misplaced. I worry about postponing things and the possibility that the cancer does spread if it hasn't already. But I have to give the "experts" due credit that they know their jobs and that this is a risk that is worth my consideration with the goal of saving my arm.
I do some silly things from time to time. I try dressing myself with my right arm, putting on a watch one handed (haven't mastered this yet) and driving with only my right arm. A pain to signal and I've discovered that I prefer to drive with my left arm when I drive with only one hand on the steering wheel. I think this comes from my manual transmission experience where I keep my right hand for shifting and generally off the steering wheel. I've also got about 10 to 12 pairs of spare running shoes and I'm not sure how to tie the laces since I like my laces tighter than most people.
But minor details to be solved with being alive still as the outcome.
I'm positive enough still that I ordered my fertilizer for the 2018 seeding season last week.
And I'm still having fun while this goes on. I reached the point where I had three leaking taps in the house and that is sort of the point at which it is work it for me to shut the water off and drain the lines to change the washers. I had to go to three different places to get them all but also made my son help me so he learns about how to do this so he doesn't have to pay a plumber. And ditto I got a non-functioning snowblower and while I thought the problem was with the float needle and seal I found that on Alibaba I could order a brand new carburetor for $22 and that came on Thursday so I had Aidan again help me with that so he could see how that is done and again not have to take the machine to a shop. I tell my son that the easiest $$ to make is the $$ you don't have to spend. Primed the carb, hit the start switch and away it went! A bit of a surge at idle and mid range but it sounds fine at full throttle. Even changed the engine oil as it was easy to do and it appeared that a lot of gas had been running into the crankcase and who wants a blown engine after this - something I'll have to monitor??
So there you have it, my life update!
I'll let you know how things go when I get back home from the Il2 treatment. I'm not sure if there will be any good news but hopefully there are no surprises either.
Cheers,
Garry
Really good to hear from you Garry! The two treatments sound most interesting!!! Especially the one where they basically detach your arm's blood supply from your body for a while than reattach it. Sounds like science fiction!
That is surprising news to hear about the PET CAT scans and their ability to identify tumors of only a certain size. How would one get a proper scan to really check everything out then?
As always, your attitude is awesome. Thanks for the update.
That is surprising news to hear about the PET CAT scans and their ability to identify tumors of only a certain size. How would one get a proper scan to really check everything out then?
As always, your attitude is awesome. Thanks for the update.
- Thread starter
- #108
It is funny Riley as I thought that a PET scan was really cutting edge stuff compared to a CT scan. The reason I had both to further the story is that a CT scan, I'm told, can't find tumors in your arm, only your torso. So I needed the PET scan to see clearly what might be going on in my arm. Weird eh?
But yes, to learn that as expensive as a PET scanner is, for cancer tumors the resolution is only good enough to light up a tumor if it is at least 1 cm in size. Anything smaller and apparently we don't have the equipment for that. Not a problem really if it is skin cancer and the tumor lies at the surface and you can feel or see it but if you're looking for something below the skin you're hooped until it gets large enough.................
But yes, to learn that as expensive as a PET scanner is, for cancer tumors the resolution is only good enough to light up a tumor if it is at least 1 cm in size. Anything smaller and apparently we don't have the equipment for that. Not a problem really if it is skin cancer and the tumor lies at the surface and you can feel or see it but if you're looking for something below the skin you're hooped until it gets large enough.................
Black 03 Z06
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As always Garry my thoughts are with you. I admire your outlook on life.
Keep us up to date when you can.
Keep us up to date when you can.
Positive thoughts all around Garry.
R
RockyPM
Thinking and praying for you Garry.
ddgermann
Power User
Interesting that you have now been given more options Garry. Also very good to hear you are being cared for by all 3 centres. That’s one positive for our health care system. You can get the best treatments and Drs looking into your case without your credit card.
As always I wish you the very best. Your attitude is an inspiration to me. Even with the cost of fertilizer these days.
Derek
As always I wish you the very best. Your attitude is an inspiration to me. Even with the cost of fertilizer these days.
Derek
- Thread starter
- #113
Good morning,
Well, an honest -40 excluding any windchill in Fairview this morning. I'm not sure if we saw that last winter but I am so pumped to get out and to experience that.
Makes me glad that we didn't stay an extra day in Edmonton as I'm not sure I'd want to be travelling on the road this morning.
I'll try to flesh this out later, but in a nutshell here goes.
I was met by Nurse S, a super person and sort of my contact for all things left arm. So they took a bunch of photos of my oh so photogenic arm. Then off to the Kaye Clinic. Everyone showed up for this event it seems, not just the two doctors on my case but three others as well due to its unique nature apparently.
The consensus of the team, my two doctors at the Kaye Clinic as well as some of the doctors at the Tom Baker in Calgary is as follows:
1)amputation is not something that we should be thinking about right now. Apparently it makes no difference in the outcome for the patient. In essence, either you die or get cured. However, having said that they also recognize that my situation is not the normal one they deal with in melanoma cases. Having previously had cancer, lymphedema, this rule may not apply to me.
2)the flush of possible "new" tumors may not be that, we're biopsying one of them which I think clearly is but the rest of the others are thought to be simply points of inflammation, but for sure due to the PEMPRO immunotherapy treatment they have been giving me.
3)The ILI, isolated limb infusion, is not a treatment they want to consider at the moment. Oddly one of the interns had never even heard of it.
4)They decided instead to go with the direct tumor injected (Il2) Interluken 2 as the best option at the moment. So two needles worth to start, wrapped up my arm and off I went.
So what do I make of all of this? I'm sort of pretty upbeat actually. We're going to continue with three more PEMBRO treatments (every three weeks) as well as more Il2 treatments (every two weeks). The thought process is that the IL2 and the PEMBRO have a synergistic relationship and with luck maybe the Il2 will get the PEMBRO to do its thing.
One set back maybe, the PET scan did show the presence of three more tumors around my elbow but they must be deep as we can't seem to feel them.
The drive home was tough, -29 the whole way, some drifting snow and my arm/body was sore. The side effect of the Il2 is fle like symptoms, fever, aches and pains etc. But this morning I'm feeling a lot better and like I said ready to experience the -40 - yippie!!
I never know if I mentioned that I am also a Value Village whore, I love to do the 8 stores in Edmonton - an all day affair actually - and to be honest with you, outside of my undies and socks everything and I mean everything else I wear has come from there. Shoes, pants, anything fleece, jackets, activewear tops and so on. I can't remember the last time I bought new clothes. Sadly like with so many things in my life it has become and obsession and I have 100's of items some of which I have yet to even wear. Washed and put on hangers........... Mom, my gf and son are the same way and dad came on this trip and bought 3 winter coats and some winter boots and was astounded at the prices and quality. Nice to do it on a Tuesday too as I get to use mom's 30% senior discount for Tuesdays!! Even books, dishes, toys and some jewelry too over time. I found a Corvette fleece a few years ago but this trip I picked up a really nice Corvette jacket, even a 2XL to fit around my gut! Just have to bring everything inside and fire up my laundry.....................there was even a 1/24 scale metal C5 at one store, yellow and if you can imagine it I didn't take it.............
Cheers,
Garry
Well, an honest -40 excluding any windchill in Fairview this morning. I'm not sure if we saw that last winter but I am so pumped to get out and to experience that.
Makes me glad that we didn't stay an extra day in Edmonton as I'm not sure I'd want to be travelling on the road this morning.
I'll try to flesh this out later, but in a nutshell here goes.
I was met by Nurse S, a super person and sort of my contact for all things left arm. So they took a bunch of photos of my oh so photogenic arm. Then off to the Kaye Clinic. Everyone showed up for this event it seems, not just the two doctors on my case but three others as well due to its unique nature apparently.
The consensus of the team, my two doctors at the Kaye Clinic as well as some of the doctors at the Tom Baker in Calgary is as follows:
1)amputation is not something that we should be thinking about right now. Apparently it makes no difference in the outcome for the patient. In essence, either you die or get cured. However, having said that they also recognize that my situation is not the normal one they deal with in melanoma cases. Having previously had cancer, lymphedema, this rule may not apply to me.
2)the flush of possible "new" tumors may not be that, we're biopsying one of them which I think clearly is but the rest of the others are thought to be simply points of inflammation, but for sure due to the PEMPRO immunotherapy treatment they have been giving me.
3)The ILI, isolated limb infusion, is not a treatment they want to consider at the moment. Oddly one of the interns had never even heard of it.
4)They decided instead to go with the direct tumor injected (Il2) Interluken 2 as the best option at the moment. So two needles worth to start, wrapped up my arm and off I went.
So what do I make of all of this? I'm sort of pretty upbeat actually. We're going to continue with three more PEMBRO treatments (every three weeks) as well as more Il2 treatments (every two weeks). The thought process is that the IL2 and the PEMBRO have a synergistic relationship and with luck maybe the Il2 will get the PEMBRO to do its thing.
One set back maybe, the PET scan did show the presence of three more tumors around my elbow but they must be deep as we can't seem to feel them.
The drive home was tough, -29 the whole way, some drifting snow and my arm/body was sore. The side effect of the Il2 is fle like symptoms, fever, aches and pains etc. But this morning I'm feeling a lot better and like I said ready to experience the -40 - yippie!!
I never know if I mentioned that I am also a Value Village whore, I love to do the 8 stores in Edmonton - an all day affair actually - and to be honest with you, outside of my undies and socks everything and I mean everything else I wear has come from there. Shoes, pants, anything fleece, jackets, activewear tops and so on. I can't remember the last time I bought new clothes. Sadly like with so many things in my life it has become and obsession and I have 100's of items some of which I have yet to even wear. Washed and put on hangers........... Mom, my gf and son are the same way and dad came on this trip and bought 3 winter coats and some winter boots and was astounded at the prices and quality. Nice to do it on a Tuesday too as I get to use mom's 30% senior discount for Tuesdays!! Even books, dishes, toys and some jewelry too over time. I found a Corvette fleece a few years ago but this trip I picked up a really nice Corvette jacket, even a 2XL to fit around my gut! Just have to bring everything inside and fire up my laundry.....................there was even a 1/24 scale metal C5 at one store, yellow and if you can imagine it I didn't take it.............
Cheers,
Garry
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Garry, interesting about the "Team" concept of managing your health situation. Having gone threw something similar lately it gave me confidence that someone was taking my concerns seriously, discussing the situation with all my doctors. The world of medicine seems to be changing and changing with the patient in mind. Which reminds of this old joke that still puts a smile on my face.
A sweet old lady telephoned St. Joseph’s Hospital. She timidly asked, “Is it possible to speak to someone who can tell me how a patient is doing?”
The operator said, “I can, what’s the name and room number?”
The old lady in her weak voice said, “Norma Findlay, Room 302.”
The operator replied, “Let me place you on hold while I check with her nurse.”
After a few minutes the operator returned to the phone and said, “Oh, I have good news, her nurse just told me that Norma is doing very well. Her blood pressure is fine; her blood work just came back as normal and her physician, Dr. Cohen, has scheduled her to be discharged on Tuesday.”
The old lady said, “Thank you. That’s wonderful! I was so worried! God bless you!”
The operator replied, “You’re more than welcome. Is Norma your daughter?”
The grandmother said, “No, I’m Norma Findlay in 302. No one tells me sh*t.”
Have a great day Garry.
Murray
A sweet old lady telephoned St. Joseph’s Hospital. She timidly asked, “Is it possible to speak to someone who can tell me how a patient is doing?”
The operator said, “I can, what’s the name and room number?”
The old lady in her weak voice said, “Norma Findlay, Room 302.”
The operator replied, “Let me place you on hold while I check with her nurse.”
After a few minutes the operator returned to the phone and said, “Oh, I have good news, her nurse just told me that Norma is doing very well. Her blood pressure is fine; her blood work just came back as normal and her physician, Dr. Cohen, has scheduled her to be discharged on Tuesday.”
The old lady said, “Thank you. That’s wonderful! I was so worried! God bless you!”
The operator replied, “You’re more than welcome. Is Norma your daughter?”
The grandmother said, “No, I’m Norma Findlay in 302. No one tells me sh*t.”
Have a great day Garry.
Murray
Hahahaha. Too funny Murray. That's actually a smart way to get information.
Garry! I can't believe you didn't pick up the yellow C5!
Glad to hear there is a team looking after you. I am also glad to hear they have a plan in place and are getting it carried forward instead of just thinking about what to do.
I haven't been to V V in a long time. There are definitely good deals to be had there. I have a friend who goes weekly and is always dressed well.
Do they actually sell underwear at V V? I've never seen any there that I can recall. Undies and socks is a great line to draw for used items. Well, that and toilet paper.
I'm looking forward to hearing the good news with the PEMBRO and Il2 teaming up to kick some tumor ass....... that is if tumors had asses, but they'll still get kicked!
Garry! I can't believe you didn't pick up the yellow C5!
Glad to hear there is a team looking after you. I am also glad to hear they have a plan in place and are getting it carried forward instead of just thinking about what to do.
I haven't been to V V in a long time. There are definitely good deals to be had there. I have a friend who goes weekly and is always dressed well.
Do they actually sell underwear at V V? I've never seen any there that I can recall. Undies and socks is a great line to draw for used items. Well, that and toilet paper.
I'm looking forward to hearing the good news with the PEMBRO and Il2 teaming up to kick some tumor ass....... that is if tumors had asses, but they'll still get kicked!
- Thread starter
- #116
Actually my gf sometimes thinks that they are not always telling me as much as they know about things. I just can't see myself second guessing the people who are suppose to have the skills in this field. I have to have faith and trust in having a group of cancer physicians who have different specializations are going to be well positioned to bring a variety of points of view on what to do and thus will come up with the best action plan for me. They ought to know just a bit more about this sort of thing than me. But having said that sometimes you do have to tease some information out of them. Maybe they want to always be hopeful and optimistic about things.
Hunting at VV can be a lot of fun. The oddest things pop up, for example, given my interest in tanks, I once came across a copy from a series called Armour in Profile that just stunned me to see on the shelves, for like $3. Cost you $80 at a used book store or on eBay, for example.
Actually womens undergarments I've seen on the racks, mens socks too but I'm not sure I can say I've seen men's underwear. And on occasion you end up with an article of clothing that might have a seam that needs to be fixed etc., this is where I am happy to have a gf who sews, quilts, does cross stitch, crochets etc. My own handy dandy seamstress!! And she is also very good natured about it. But I mean really why shell out $100 plus for a nice MEC fleece jacket when I can score it at VV for $7.50?
My problem being a sucker for deals is as I've said the 100's of items of clothing that I've acquired and that if I stopped buying today and lived to reach 100 I'd never wear them all out. Thankfully my son is just about ready to wear my L's which I can't wear any more at this moment. Little bugger was stealing my shoes too but now is a 1/2 size larger than me!
I can't wait to try on the Corvette jacket actually...................it is in the washer as we speak.
I think that I left the yellow C5 as believe it or not I have a collection of 1/24 and 1/10 or 1/12 scale cars and I already have said car! Not that I wouldn't mind another one but they wanted $20 for this one and even with 30% off I wouldn't bite. If it had been a C6 maybe..................
Don't worry, I do visualize cancer cells dying. I hope that they are somehow capable of feeling pain and when they get attacked by my re-educated t-cells they experience brutal pain indeed.
But I'll be happy if at least some of the 30 -40 marks on my arm indeed turn out to be simply inflammations for some reason caused by the PEMBRO rather than being actual tumors as I had been thinking these past few weeks. One and any small baby steps at a time on this journey I'll take.
Hunting at VV can be a lot of fun. The oddest things pop up, for example, given my interest in tanks, I once came across a copy from a series called Armour in Profile that just stunned me to see on the shelves, for like $3. Cost you $80 at a used book store or on eBay, for example.
Actually womens undergarments I've seen on the racks, mens socks too but I'm not sure I can say I've seen men's underwear. And on occasion you end up with an article of clothing that might have a seam that needs to be fixed etc., this is where I am happy to have a gf who sews, quilts, does cross stitch, crochets etc. My own handy dandy seamstress!! And she is also very good natured about it. But I mean really why shell out $100 plus for a nice MEC fleece jacket when I can score it at VV for $7.50?
My problem being a sucker for deals is as I've said the 100's of items of clothing that I've acquired and that if I stopped buying today and lived to reach 100 I'd never wear them all out. Thankfully my son is just about ready to wear my L's which I can't wear any more at this moment. Little bugger was stealing my shoes too but now is a 1/2 size larger than me!
I can't wait to try on the Corvette jacket actually...................it is in the washer as we speak.
I think that I left the yellow C5 as believe it or not I have a collection of 1/24 and 1/10 or 1/12 scale cars and I already have said car! Not that I wouldn't mind another one but they wanted $20 for this one and even with 30% off I wouldn't bite. If it had been a C6 maybe..................
Don't worry, I do visualize cancer cells dying. I hope that they are somehow capable of feeling pain and when they get attacked by my re-educated t-cells they experience brutal pain indeed.
But I'll be happy if at least some of the 30 -40 marks on my arm indeed turn out to be simply inflammations for some reason caused by the PEMBRO rather than being actual tumors as I had been thinking these past few weeks. One and any small baby steps at a time on this journey I'll take.
I'm taking this as all good news Garry. That spot on the horizon where we see marked improvements across the board (or in this case....arm...), is drawing closer. Now get out there in that nice fresh -40 air.... Just don't lick your lips... You'll look funny with your tongue frozen to the side of your mouth..... 
I too am taking this as gooder news..it is nice to know that a TEAM has a plan..
Good luck... and good wishes always sent your way pal.
VV can be an adventure.
Graham
Good luck... and good wishes always sent your way pal.
VV can be an adventure.
Graham
ddgermann
Power User
Glad to hear something positive in the news Garry.
If attitude alone could fix you up you would be well on your way already. On the other hand your determination and press towards the positive may very well be playing a roll in this too. I expect your doctors are as impressed with you as we are.
Good place to score a Corvette Jacket. I would have never guessed they had high fashion items there. Good for you Man.
All my best.
Derek
If attitude alone could fix you up you would be well on your way already. On the other hand your determination and press towards the positive may very well be playing a roll in this too. I expect your doctors are as impressed with you as we are.
Good place to score a Corvette Jacket. I would have never guessed they had high fashion items there. Good for you Man.
All my best.
Derek
- Thread starter
- #120
I think that the doctors are sort of having some fun with this too as my history is different from other melanoma patients. So they are curious how I will respond to the standard treatment. I know that this will involve a great deal of patience, unlike normal chemo the immunotherapy is not fast acting and that is somedays a hard thing. I wake up in the morning and when I go to the bathroom sort of give my arm a good looking over and asking myself "is this one bigger, smaller, no change" all the time.
Even before the cancer came back the 2nd time I like to think that I viewed every morning that I woke up as pure profit. Whatever else may come, I am alive yet another day and how lucky I am that it happens.
VV's have the oddest items. One of the managers told me that once they had a watch, in a box, donated, probably some kids just emptying out their parents house so they could put it up for sale. The watch was valued at $26,000 (that's right) and the kids obviously had no idea what it was. The owner never even wore it it seems. It might be similar to garage sale'ing and other such activities. You have to do it on an ongoing basis as you just never know what you'll find as the inventory changes so often.
Here's what $5.00 gets you at VV. Excuse the portly model but at least he works for cheap! I wouldn't have paid full price unless it was say yellow and black - in which case I might have paid whatever they wanted but I'm well pleased with adding it to my wardrobe. I'm considering having it monogramed it at the moment too. I'm looking forward to sporting this outdoors when the weather warms up.
This morning it is -39 right now, apparently due to rise to -18 this afternoon........I also found at VV, for the first time, a nice blue MEC poofy parka (missing the hood sadly) and some teal MEC heavy outdoor pants. Normally I'd go with my snowmobile suit when it is this cold but as long as I can find suitable headwear I want to try these two items out. My gf is complaining about my old tattered Sierra Designs parka which I'll agree is getting threadbare but still keeps me toasty warm. I love it so much that when I accidentally melted one sleeve on the exhaust of my snowblower years ago I mailed it to the factory and paid to have it redone. They were super nice about it too.
Cheers,
Garry
Even before the cancer came back the 2nd time I like to think that I viewed every morning that I woke up as pure profit. Whatever else may come, I am alive yet another day and how lucky I am that it happens.
VV's have the oddest items. One of the managers told me that once they had a watch, in a box, donated, probably some kids just emptying out their parents house so they could put it up for sale. The watch was valued at $26,000 (that's right) and the kids obviously had no idea what it was. The owner never even wore it it seems. It might be similar to garage sale'ing and other such activities. You have to do it on an ongoing basis as you just never know what you'll find as the inventory changes so often.
Here's what $5.00 gets you at VV. Excuse the portly model but at least he works for cheap! I wouldn't have paid full price unless it was say yellow and black - in which case I might have paid whatever they wanted but I'm well pleased with adding it to my wardrobe. I'm considering having it monogramed it at the moment too. I'm looking forward to sporting this outdoors when the weather warms up.
This morning it is -39 right now, apparently due to rise to -18 this afternoon........I also found at VV, for the first time, a nice blue MEC poofy parka (missing the hood sadly) and some teal MEC heavy outdoor pants. Normally I'd go with my snowmobile suit when it is this cold but as long as I can find suitable headwear I want to try these two items out. My gf is complaining about my old tattered Sierra Designs parka which I'll agree is getting threadbare but still keeps me toasty warm. I love it so much that when I accidentally melted one sleeve on the exhaust of my snowblower years ago I mailed it to the factory and paid to have it redone. They were super nice about it too.
Cheers,
Garry
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