Glad It’s Over

December 31st - so glad 2018 is over.

Chemotherapy kicked my ass - so glad it’s over.

Had a liver biopsy today - so glad it’s over.

My cancer has come back - will be glad when it’s gone.

Not only has 2018 been filled with ups and downs, December has proven to be no different. With the apparent spread of my colon cancer to my liver, making it move to stage 4, a biopsy was scheduled for today, and boy, I'm glad its over.

I did some research and wrote about it last night in my post “Only 6 Hours Until Biopsy”.  That research helped, but didn’t come close to getting me through it.  It started with a sting, got much better along the way, but then my anxiety or something kicked in and I was done... whacked out.  I flipped and thought I was going to pass out.  Should have been expected, men are from Mars, and wimps.  Hot flashes, cold sweats, unable to remain still and breathe as the doctor needed me too so he was able to direct the tip of the needle to the edge of the lesion so he could trigger the collection of cells.  I was really uncomfortable and not wanting to go through it again.  I thought, and he planned on collecting 2 or 3 samples ... in actuality, he collected 7.

To be honest, I really knew little about a biopsy and how they were done.  I knew they were to collect cells that were suspect to determine whether you were dealing with a cancerous or benign situation.  In my case, I learned that the purpose was also to harvest enough tissue to determine its molecular makeup, to identify the proteins associated with my cancer with the hopes a targeted immunotherapy treatment will be available to save me.

To side track a bit, if you have ever watched “Wicked Tuna”, as each Blue Fin is brought to market, all I can think of now is that one of the two test they do to set the price is that they biopsy the meat to check its quality.  It’s not a biopsy, but essentially that’s what their doing.

Getting back on track ... I was quite sore at the end, felt like I was stabbed, then again, I was, many times, but the pain is gone now.  I’m a man, I can take much less pain than you women can.  The pain now is in the waiting game ... waiting for the initial results to confirm or not if in fact it is cancerous, then the 3-4 week wait to see if my cancer proteins are in line with available immunotherapy treatments.

Like chemotherapy, the biopsy and mental anguish are all part of the drill we patients must pass through.  I can do it and I hope you never have to.  My hats off to all those that have walked the walk before me.

Want to help beat this beast, I could us your support of me and y American Cancer Society's Relay For Life team.  If you could make a donation in my name, it will help all of mankind in the research and treatment of cancer among many other good things.  Even if your donation is $5.00, $20.00, $50.00 or more ...  it helps us all who are fighting the fight today and those that may have to fight it in the future.  Use the following like and you'll received a tax deductible donation receipt directly from the American Cancer Society (ACS), and my appreciation.

 My Relay For Life Donation page

Only 6 Hours Until Biopsy

In just about 6 hours from now I’ll be having a biopsy done on a growth on my liver.  There is a presumption that since my CEA (Carcinoembryonic Antigen) results shot up and out of the normal range, and a 1.4 cm mass on my liver was discovered in a follow up CT Scan following the CEA test.  My colon cancer appears to have reemerged on my liver and now is at stage 4.  That’s all really disheartening, but the fight will continue.

So the biopsy is to confirm whether the growth is cancerous or benign.  I’ll try to be positive, but, come on!  My history of cancer this past year, cancer was discovered in my lymph nodes after surgery last February, my CEA has been in the normal range until a few weeks ago ... all the pointers are pointing in one direction.  So, in my opinion, the most important reason for the biopsy is to collect tissue for testing and determination of the proteins specific to my cancer.  That is a huge step down of what’s really happening, that’s my uneducated layman’s description of what they are doing.  If its benign, I'll throw the party.

Depending on the proteins discovered and determining they are associated with my cancer, then, it can then be determined if there are possible targeted immunotherapy options to help me, to perhaps cure me.  God willing, there is.

I'm surely praying for positive results, meaning, it’s either benign or they can at least identify the protein(s) involved AND there are immunotherapy treatments available.  The horrible part is that it can take 3-4 weeks for that determination.  I see my new research, colorectal cancer specialist in Boston on Wednesday.

I want to know all the details of my disease, but dread the thought of hopeless news.

If you can help, even with a $5.00 gift to the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life, given in my name to my Team Director Dan, I’d be forever grateful, as will all others fighting this battle.  This money goes to the research and discovery of ways to eliminate cancer, please give what ever you can, every little bit helps emensely. You’ll receive a tax deductible donation receipt from the ACS.  You can make a tax deductible donation in support of me and my team by clicking here:  My Relay For Life Donation page

Am I concerned? You bet I am.  Am I fighting?  You bet.  Join me in the fight.  Thank You!

When Cancer Returns

My Chemo Treatment Celebrations

After battling all of 2018 with illness, stage 3C colon cancer diagnosis, major colon resection surgery, month after month and round after round of FOLFOX chemotherapy to finally have no sign of cancer within me, I’ve been looking forward to 2018 coming to a close.

The support from my family and friends was amazing.   

I led the Director Dan team at Relay For Life and raised money for continued cancer research. 

In October 2018 I was finally well enough to visit my mom in Florida ... I miss being physically closer, especially with her failing health, it was a bright spot in the recovery.

I was so looking forward to 2019, until about 2 weeks ago.  After cancer, the follow up test and observations are so critical ... just as critical as early screening and testing in the first place.  On December 13th, a blood test identified an increase in my tumor markers, up from the normal range, increasing 300% within about 5 weeks, to a point indicating much concern.  Sadly, my cancer is back and has spread.  A CT Scan was quite  revealing.  Yesterday I received official word from my oncologist, my cancer has been declared stage 4 and I now have a growth on my liver.  Not good at all.

We are fast tracking to do all that is necessary to identify my cancers protein and look at future treatments that could include radiation, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, or whatever else my team determines.  I’ll still be under the care of my local oncologist, however, I’ll now be seeing colorectal specialist and researchers in Boston who will take the lead on my future treatments.  God willing, we are going to kick butt (pun intended) yet again.

Although I'm personally devastated again with this news, the hardest part has been telling each of my kids, that was not easy for me, or them, and I hated it. Carol, my caregiver from day 1 of this ordeal, was with me and took it just as hard, Thoughts and thanks for all she has done for me this past year.  This story is not done, there will be more to come.  

Throughout this past year, my social media following and support of family, friends, my Scentsy family, former coworkers and more has been incredible.  I so much appreciate it and each one of you.  I ask for your continued support, encouragement, not only for me, but for my entire family, they are hurting too.  Lastly, I’m going to ask you now to also support my 2019 Relay For Life team’s fund raising efforts.  I need that research support now more than ever.  

You can make a tax deductible donation in support of me and my team by clicking here:  My Relay For Life Donation page

You’ll receive a receipt directly from the American Cancer Society for your tax deductible donation.  A huge thank you from me personally for helping.  Please feel free to select “Other Amount” and write in what works best for you, ANY amount helps.  Please share this post on your social media page and let’s get the word out.  If you live near an Applebee’s or other location that does fundraising, let’s chat how you could help in a much bigger way, without a lot of time on your part. 

The fight continues.

#HaveFaith  #HaveBelief

I Still Have Unanswered Questions

Adapted from a post found on Facebook...

It's almost 2019, I'm nearly as old as dirt itself, and I still have so many unanswered questions!!!! 

I haven’t found out who let the dogs out...
Where’s the beef...
How to get to Sesame Street...
Why Dora doesn’t just use Google Maps...
Why do all flavors of fruit loops taste exactly the same, or how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop...

Why eggs are packaged in a flimsy carton, but batteries are secured in plastic that’s tough as nails...

What does the fox say...
why “abbreviated” is such a long word, 
or why is there a D in ‘fridge’ but not in refrigerator...

Why lemon juice is made with artificial flavor, yet dish-washing liquid is made with real lemons...

Why they sterilize the needle for lethal injections...
and, why do you have to “put your two cents in” but it’s only a “penny for your thoughts”...
where’s that extra penny going to?

Why does The Alphabet Song and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star have the same tune...
Why did you just try to sing those two songs...

Just what exactly is Victoria’s secret?...
and where is Waldo?

Can you hear me now?...and do you really think I am this witty?.....I actually got this from a friend, who stole it from her brother’s girlfriend’s uncle’s cousins who lived next door to an old class mate’s mailman...

How and When I Quit Smoking

I was a smoker years ago ... smoked Marlboro.  I quit cold turkey on November 11, 1982 after trying to quit with hypnosis or by myself.  I remember watching the ACS commercial in TV of a guy looking older than my age (32 then) celebrating his 18th birthday.  He obviously wasn’t 18, but said it was 18 years ago since his last lung surgery following a lung cancer diagnosis. Said he could wait to be 21.

I believe smokers are addicted just like they are to other drugs.  Quitting is hard, harder than most can relate to.  I respect those that try to quit but can’t.  Quoting only comes when your self conscious says enough is enough.  Before that, you outer being may say quit, but your inner being is stronger and want let you.

I quit when my inner being said I was going to live to see my kids grow up... now so I can see my grandkids grow up.  They are so stinking cute!

This writing was prompted by a sign outside of a Cumberland Farms store advertising the “low cost of cigarettes”.  Ha!  $9.34 for a pack of Marlboro... that’s $93.40 a carton. At my peek that I remember was aboard my submarine on 6 hour watches, or duty.  I could easily do a 1-2 packs per day.  At least a carton per week ... that’s a drug habit in the making.  More than a mortgage payment back then.

The cheapest I can recall buying cigarettes for was $1.30 per CARTON!  Sea rationed cigarettes.  I was aboard the USS LaSalle, LPD-3, a target operating out of Norfolk, VA between schools before submarine assignment in the early 1970’s.  Submariners often said, you could be assigned to a submarine or a target. We went out to sea for only 1 day while I was stationed aboard.  When the announcement “Sea Stores” were opened, there was a rush I knew nothing about.  Sailors buying tax free sea rationed cigatettes by the case of 60 cartons.  I did t have much money with me, but I did buy what I could.  Can you imagine - $1.30 a carton?  I’m sure they are more than that now, but geesh!  We didn’t get that benefit aboard submarines.

In any case, I’m sorry those still afflicted with smoking are there, smoking does cause cancer.  Start believing in the reason to live, reach out for help, and save a LOT of money.

A Lesson For All, Why You Get Screened

I'm writing this piece about a friend, a friend I've known for years.  Unlike me, they are more private about their story, but with my encouragement, they agreed to let me tell the story using another name, to protect their privacy.  It's the story that is really important because I goes straight to my point of early screening yields early detection and if detected, an easier treatment and cure.  Don't wait for cancer screening until something doesn't feel right, do it following American Cancer Society and your doctors guidance.  Early is better.

My friend Sam, an assumed name of my male or female friend, was in good health, and had been throughout their life.  During an annual physical, around 60 years of age, their doctor recommended a colonoscopy.  Ya, ya was the response, I'm in good health, I'm not going through all that... maybe someday later.  Of course, Sam may or may not have passed all this information to their spouse, who just happened to be an oncology nurse!

Fast forward another year and another annual physical.  Same story.  Doctor says you need a colonoscopy.  Sam says ya, ya, I feel good, I just don't want to go through all that stuff.  I think it was partially embarrassment many of us feel when thinking of a colonoscopy and have a team of people blowing air in our butt and sticking a camera up where the sun don't shine.  Admit it, all of us, boys and girls, have those parts in common, and colonoscopy serves us all well in the early detection of colon cancer.  In February 2018, cancer.org stated the overall, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is: about 1 in 22 (4.49%) for men and 1 in 24 (4.15%) for women. This risk is slightly lower in women than in men. A number of other factors (described in Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors) can also affect your risk for developing colorectal cancer.  Same ending, I'll do it someday doc.

Third year annual physical and Sam stuck to the story of someday.  Doc asked if the spouse was in the waiting room.  No says Sam, you lie says the doc (who knows the spouse from them working together), heads out to get the spouse.  Sam tries to redirect them to another room, but is finally feeling trapped. OK, OK, Sam says, I'll do it, figuring that will get them off their back.  The colonoscopy gets scheduled and completed.  Sam says the doctor came in as he was waking up and started speaking in words most of us don't understand.  When Sam saw the look as the spouse turned white, Sam knew something bad was up, this is not good!

A large mass was found in the area around the cecum, where the appendix is or was, and near the connection of the large and small intestine.  There was a lot of concern and the need fr immediate surgery.  We now have similar scars running top to bottom of our gut, although I think mine looks better - said smiling.  Luckily for Sam, the tumor was contained and had not spread to the lymph glands.  Sam was nervous, as was I, and started putting things in order, just in case.  Luckily, no radiation, no chemo, just follow on checks.  It's been 2 years and things are looking good.

Who knows, colonoscopy sooner may have meant smaller tumor, easier surgery.  Early detection means easier recovery.  Get checked.  Love Sam and the nurse spouse, listen to the experts and get it done.

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Check out my Scentsy Web store at: http://DanGreeley.Scentsy.us

Want to join my amazing team of consultants?  http://bit.ly/JoinDan

Interesting in reading about my fight with cancer?

Read about it here: https://www.gofundme.com/dan-greeley039s-fight-against-cancer

Never, ever, forget how amazing you are and can be!

It's Been A While, Catch up Time

I've been reminded numerous times, where have you been, I haven't seen your post, what's going on?  Truthfully, I have not been in the writing mood since about infusion 4, I've been knocked on my butt partially and getting ready for Relay For Life.  While the chemo kicked my butt, Relay For Life was uplifting and a positive experience.  I actually stayed for the entire event, over 18 hours plus setup and take down, than God for the helpers!

Today marks my chemo half way plan, 6 down, 6 to go...  I've got this, I #HaveFaith and #HaveBelief.  I've kicked cancers ass and am just setting up my body to weed out any of those demon cells that may try to stay around ...  they are history.  Had quite the itchy palms during Oxaliplaitin infusion Wednesday, either that or I was coming into money as the old wives tale goes, and I didn't even get a lottery ticket to cover my bases.

Quaboag Valleys Relay For Life event in Belchertown was emotional, inspirational, and worth every minute.  Everyone, cancer survivor or not, should attend.  I am blown away at the number of people I know and have heard about that have been touched by cancer ... the numbers are mind boggling.  This is a disease that touche so many.  Some are lucky to have found it early enough to be treated and get into remission or elimination, others have been devastated and or lost their battle.  Join a team next year, I hope my Team Director Dan, and get involved.  It makes a difference...  help my with a fundraiser, by walking the walk with me or in any other way of support, it will be appreciated.  Near or far, you CAN help and join my team.

The Belchertown, Granby, Amherst Sentinel  provided great coverage, as well as Channel 22 News and Sy Becker.  The Sentinel had a great spread and covered my story as part of their story, I'm pretty humbled by that.  Although the story is not directly linkable, you can read it online at the link above, or I have clipped and attached here for you to read... you may have to enlarge the pictures and text.

Team building and fundraising for 2019 begins in mid August this year.  I have LOTS of irons in the fire and could use much help with each of the ideas I have going.  Please step forward and help me with at least one of them, we'll find the right fit, something you may be interested in, enjoy, and can really make a difference.  That, or come to me with your own idea, I'll turn no help away.  Just connect with me, please.

- - -  
Check out my Scentsy Web store at: http://DanGreeley.Scentsy.us

Want to join my amazing team of consultants?  http://bit.ly/JoinDan

Interesting in reading about my fight with cancer?

Read about it here: https://www.gofundme.com/dan-greeley039s-fight-against-cancer

Never, ever, forget how amazing you are and can be!