'off topic ' , but help hoped for

thanks guys

update …

dad is due on the gold coast in april to commence five weeks of radiation therapy

ten minutes per day

they will be living up there during this time , and are taking their car , so they can get around this time

nels , it was / is a skin cancer in the forehand , above the left eye .

it was cut out and dad says he now has an australia map shaped scar there , the size of a coke can

he still has his sense of humour [he said "it can’t be a brain tumour, as i don’t have enough of a brain " …i told him “no worries mate , she’ll be right …you’re an aussie then”]

please continue your thoughts and prayers for him , and mum …i really appreciate it !

cheers

ben

good luck!

Best of luck to the old guy. One day his Aussie head scar will be the topic of dinner conversation.

ha !

thanks ben

ironic because dad [and mum] have always really held onto their “britishness”

well,

update

for the many who asked , expressed their concerns and support [thanks heaps guys!]

dad has now had four ten minute treatments .

i spoke to him [on the phone …he is 3000b MILES away] yesterday , and he seemed in good spirits.

they are thankful the place they are staying is quiet and peaceful and they pretty much have it to themselves , apparently [surely a rarity , anywhere near the Gold Coast !]

I think they will be doing two lots of ten minute treatments a day some time in the coming week or two , so dad doesn’t have to stay there [on the goldy] quite as long .

again , thanks , people , for your ongoing prayers , support , well wishes , and feedback .

it’s what makes Swaylock’s such a GREAT community

cheers 

ben

glad to hear the good report Ben.

his good spirits are as good as

anything the docs can do for him

Hope everything is going well ben. Sounds like he is taking it with good sense of humour, which i think is important.

Best wishes mate

hey Chipper,

haven’t logged on for a while but I just saw this thread…

sorry to hear mate, hope all goes well for your dad and best wishes for you and your family.

thanks mark , thanks rob !

rob , how was your trip away , and how’s your wood board going , any surf there lately ?

cheers

ben

Hey chip, sorry mate, I feel like a right insensitive B****rd, I hadn’t read this thread or any others for some time so had no idea before sending you stupid PM. I’ll ask my missus for any info but her specialism is stroke really so not sure how much she’ll know.

Dude, positive vibes and prayers from over here for you, your dad and your mum.

Quote:

it was / is a skin cancer in the forehand , above the left eye .

it was cut out and dad says he now has an australia map shaped scar there , the size of a coke can

Ben,

There are three kinds of skin cancers if I remember my dermatologist right, with varying degrees of seriousness. After that there are various stages in each one, also indicating seriousness. Treatments of them are pretty well mapped out these days and I assume the Gold Coast would really be up on that. Three are some things that some medical people do or don’t do such as a thing called a sentinal lymph node biopsy, which may indicate if the problem has spread, but that is dependent on the type of skin cancer being operated on I think. There is also testing being done on a “vaccine” of sorts that is very promising but at least in the U.S. is not approved for general use, and the testing people like healthier younger people for it. As for radiation that can really be applied in pinpoint precision these days, greatly reducing the collateral damage…nothing like a couple of decades ago.

Scars? That just shows you live. It is amazing how well people can heal up at any age. Best wishes.

Nels

Hi chipfish, sorry to hear about your fathers illness. You might find this informative www.cancer.org.au/content.cfm?randid=960742

Good luck and all the best. Graham

Hey Ben

Hope all is progressing well for your Dad post surgery.

I’ve heard over the years that grapes are very helpful for people with cancer and alleviate some of the side affects of chemotherapy. I don’t have any details on the use of them but maybe others might know ? Quantities, Juicing , frequency etc ?

Wishing your Dad ,yourself and family positive thoughts.

Mooneemick

so he is going to do radiation and chemo? or is he just doing radiation?

a few weeks before my oldest son’s 19th birthday, he was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma, which is a cancer tumor inside the skull, usually in the brain. following surgery, he did radiation for 30 days. he didn’t do chemo. the differential for the choice of radiation vs chemo is usually, i was told by the neurosurgeon, that there was no sign of cancer cells in the spinal fluid, meaning that they are pretty sure that the cancer had not mestatized.

so if it is radiation only, then things are very hopefull. radiation and chemo is more serious and will be more difficult.

by the way, none of the medical people actually told me shit about the seriousness of a neuroblastoma, nor could i find any information about it in any literature when i tried to research it. this was about 1990. much information is available on the net now. 10% survivor rate.

oldest boy tolerated surgery and radiation well. the tumor was in the 4th or 5th ventricle and by the neurosurgeons report, “we got it all”. he was a big boy, 6’ and 230. after a year, given the side effects of the surgery, he weighed 130 or so. it’s been a decade and a half and he is still doing well, knock on wood, and his 4th child is on the way. he’s still big, around 285 now.

so, much of the success of the treatment depends on the strength of the person prior to the treatment.

my thoughts are with you and your family.

thank you , guys !

cheers

ben

hey chip, by “trip away” I assume you mean going to asia with my dad? well as it turns out he too fell pretty ill and we had to cancel last minute, still hoping to get $$ back from insurance.

he is slowly getting better now but has a pretty big medical history including open heart surgery so he is always going to be fragile, and he’s only 63!

mate I haven’t used the wood board since Noosa just after new years, it does however still take pride of place on the wall in my house!

went for my first surf in 2 months yesterday (dee why point), and again today with my girly (nth curly), I have missed it heaps! ran over a shallow rock at the point and snapped my single 10" fin clean off at the tab! so it’s off fin shopping for me!!!

keep us all informed about your dads progress mate, I hope it all goes to plan.

thanks for the update robbo sorry to hear about your dad.

well, i talked to mine on the phone yesterday ,

and he said they will be starting two tenm minute treatments a day very soon .

he sounded positive .

cheers

ben

june update …for the people who have been asking … [thanks , guys!]

well, dad just returned from a month’s checkup with the surgeon in brisbane.

everything seems good , so far , he said …

… so , everyone here ,

thanks very much again for your prayers , thoughts , concerns …

cheers crew !

ben

Ben thats great to hear …

On the brighter side of this My Mom who went through something similar(different location) went all natural with her diet

and started taking grape seed extract (basically the grape cure that Bill was talking about) she recovered and said she actually felt better then before she contracted cancer.

Something to thing about.

Wishing the best for you and your family.

-B~

thanks bassy

being the avid reader my dad is , he said he’d research the grape thing

[personally i hope he eats grapes soon]

cheers 

ben

Chip its good your pops is doing ok, great thread, very uplifting lots of good posts. . . I’m praying from you . . . you’ve always stoked out this forum out, and your dad should be proud you’re helping all of us here in forum land out.

Thanks bro.

I was bummed out when saw this post, but you were still being Chip . . . I know its just words, but keep stoking people out.