Bad News

I have read about, and applaud all of the members here that have quit smoking. It is a tough habit to break, but I encourage all that have quit, to keep up the good fight. I also beg all of you who still smoke, to stop as soon as humanly possible, if not for yourself, for the sake of your loved ones.

I started smoking in my early teens, and have smoked for about 45 years, and though I have quit many, many times, I never stayed quit. I ask each and every one of you not to wait, quit NOW!!!

Over the last year or so, I noticed that I was getting fatigued much easier, and would become short of breath or winded easily. Back in the summer, these symptoms got noticeably worse, and were accompanied by a hacking cough. About a month ago, I went to my primary care doctor, had several tests done, and then went to a couple of specialists for more tests. Well, 12 days ago, I received a diagnosis, and most of you can probably guess what is coming next. The pulmonary doctor told me that I have stage IV lung cancer. Yesterday, an oncologist agreed with the original diagnosis, and told me that if I do nothing, I'll be history in six months or so. The oncologist also told me that although I can't be cured with chemo treatments, I may be able to double that amount time.

I won't debate the pros and cons of standard cancer treatment plans, as I know that they have come a long ways in recent years, and have helped and or cured many people. I have also have seen the devastation that chemo and radiation treatments have done to the immune systems and attitudes of some. So, with that in mind, I have decided to go with one or more of the alternative cancer treatment plans, which unknown to me until recently. There are many, and many have been quite successful, even for people who went through the normal medical treatments and were sent home to die.

I didn't post this for sympathy, because I basically did this to myself by not quitting my nasty habit sooner. The reason that I posted, is in hope that at least one (or more) who read it, will see it as a wake-up call, and change their ways before it is too late.

I must confess, that this post is not entirely selfless, and I do have an ulterior motive. I have debated with myself whether or not to post this request, and hope I do not alienate any here who I have come to consider friends, even those who I haven't met, and those whose posts I may or may not have responded to.

I know that we are a mixed bag on this forum, and we have lots of folks with different flavors of beliefs and religions, along with those who don't believe in a superior being. Well, I for one am a strong believer in the power of prayer, healing and miracles, and I am asking all of you who do pray, to pray for me, and if you attend a house of worship, please put me on your prayer list.

I Hope that I haven't conveyed a feeling of doom with this post, because I don't feel that way at all. We all face obstacles in our lives, and I see this as another one to overcome. Although I know I have a lot of lifestyle changes to make, and a big battle before me, I believe in my heart that I can beat it.

For those of you who have read this far, I thank you, and apologize for being so long winded.

...I will.

Tom

Hang in there buddy, I'll be praying for you. Thanks for the post and keep us posted on your progress.

Ricky

Keep up the good fight Tom. I quit cold turkey last April and still want a smoke pretty bad every now and then but know I have to be strong and not light up. I never really thought about cancer, just that I was going to croak before I could enjoy my youngest grandsons; like taking them on trips in my old motor home after they are old enough to remember them. Being 70 years old and smoking for 51 of those I still might not make it, but that thought helps keep me going. Hang on to a dream, any dream, and stay busy on some project that you enjoy.

You will be in my thoughts.

I've been a little removed from chemotherapy regimens since leaving the Clinic, but can be of help if you wish.

Please feel free to PM me or e-mail me ( mowog1@aol.com ) with ANY questions that you may hav regarding your treatments.

I'll keep you in mine.

I will pray for you and put you on our Church's prayer list.

Tom, I'm a smoker and to weak to quit. I have resigned myself that my destiny is cancer,heart attack or stroke. I ask for no sympathy should the day come. I'm a believer in the Almighty and I've never read that we score any points for how long were here. I believe it matters not how long were here but what we do with the time given us. It's a tough sentence but do your best to enjoy what you have had and what you may have in the future. I'm pulling for you and will ask God for your blessing. I'm here if you need me .

LaVerne

Tom,
I will keep you in my prayers and can only tell you I faced a similar situation 26 years ago when
I was 52 and quit cold turkey. So far so good and I'm sure it added years to my life. I'm 78 now
and still kicking but not quite as high.It's not easy but if I could do it I'm sure you can.
Hang in there and keep us posted on your progress.

George Herschell

Tom,

Good vibes your way! I had a little battle with cancer a few years ago, not a fun thing.

LaVerne, what a crock of shed,...that fatalist crap is but a crutch that we all have used at one time or another.....my veins are bulging and I need a smoke right now to calm down from your poor mouth excuse, but I won't give in. Tom got the news, and he is scared and genuinely wants to help as I'm guessing he feels it is his duty or some such thing. I say bravo to him. Lie your a$$ off for the moment and say you'll quit,then who knows, maybe the Almighty you believe in just may intervene and save your sorry butt, If for no other reason then to let this forum enjoy your tremendous wit......I'll include you with Tom in my prayers....I'm workin on my multi tasking....I think I can do it. BTW...here is where I direct my prayers....Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl....now all our bases are covered.

btw dam few smoked more than I, 2+ packs of Basics kings nonfilters...since 1849.

Tom, I woke up this morning thinking about slowing down on my smoking, I dont know that I want to quit altogether but after reading your post I am now thinking of just quiting. You said alot between the lines and the mental part of dealing with what you are has to be of great weight, to you and those who love you. My religion is a complex thing, and I feel the after life is same as before birth..nothing...but as I have traveled the earth I have been amazed at lifes ways and have hopes that my bell will be rung toward a more positive outlook, but in the mean time, for what it is worth Ive ask that you be included in a prayer circle of a church I donate to. Thank you for your post. Ken

Tom, I'm very sorry to hear this. Thanks so much for posting it.

FWIW, I'm not a religious person but will pray anyway.

You'll be in my thoughts Tom.

Sorry to hear that, Tom. Hang tough and fight! You'll be in our prayers. Hits home, as I smoke a pack+ every day.

Tom, my hopes and prayers are there for you. The mind can be a strong weapon when you need it. Take care!!

Steve

Tom, I have a very strong belief in God and the power of prayer and the power of the human spirit and mind. I will pray for you and for your family and ask others to do the same. Twenty-five years ago I was diagnosed with a brain tumor after a struggle with terrible headaches and finally going nearly blind in one eye. The neurosurgeon painted a bleak picture. I believe that I am a survivor in part due to the prayer and support of others. I know that this action by friends, family and even people that I did not know helped me and my family through a very difficult time. I pray that you will conquer this.

Keep up the fight. A positive attitude is the strongest medicine.

Do not go gently....
You're in my thoughts and prayers...

Tom, Thanks for having the courage to make that post. I really hope you have some luck with the treatment courses you are looking at. Keep your mind and heart open as to what direction to head in. I have only tried a few smokes waaay back in HS but m job has a high cancer rate so I get a CAT scan every year or so for peace of mind. Good Luck Tom.You have lots of friends here. keep us in the loop. You will be in our hearts, minds, and prayers.

In my prayers.

Allright Wyatt I'm calling you out, you keep harping on everybody and now it's my turn to jump on you!!!!! There's no way you've been smokin 2 packs a day since 1849 ;-)

Or else I'm coming to live with you and study your ways.

Ricky

Plumberpilot, I plead guilty, I fudged a little......the two packs a day stuff didn't start until after the battle of San Juan Hill...

btw...did you know today was National Smoke Out Day...or something like that, I guess I shouldn't have pick on LaVerne....I'm sending him a carton of Pall Malls and a Breast Cancer self examination guide as a gesture of mock humility. I was going to send the smokes to Smirkinwill but he's in AA now and the meetings are non smoking.

jokes aside.....if I can quit..............ANYBODY can quit....I wish Tom had quit...and my mother........

This time it aint about me (hard to believe I know)

Talk to us Tom..... we're all here for ya.....Please!

Tom, you're in our prayers as well.

Tom, Sorry to hear this,but miracles do happen.
Keep up the fight and you are on our church prayer list!

Tom,

I've had a list of people that we say a prayer for every night that are in a similar situation.
Will add you to the list. Keep up the good fight and you'll beat this.

-bcw

http://www.MG2010.com

Keep the fight and keep the faith. You will be in our thoughts and in or prayers. And thanks a lot for your advice about avoiding smoking.

in my prayers. all the best

You're in my thoughts Tom..

I've had a sore throat for a week or 2 now and keep thinking about people I've met without voiceboxes from throat cancer and thinking I need to stop smoking, your post has just added fuel to the fire under my arse...

you'll be in my family's thoughts and prayer's

You will be in my good thoughts and prayers. Hang in there. I don't know what your decision is about the chemo but if I had to make the choice for myself and they said that it would only give me a year instead of six months, I'd take the six months and enjoy every minute instead of being wracked with chemo, but that's just me.



Wyatt, you are wrong, it was 1847. And when you're ready I'll take that boat please.

Wow!, What a great bunch of folks we have here. I want to thank you all so much for all the prayers and support.
Like a fellow I know always says, "Pray for me,...I need the prayer, and you need the practice." :) I guess that could apply to a lot of us.

As far as quitting smoking, you would think that a stage IV lung cancer diagnosis would make it easy, but It isn't any easier this time than is has been in the past. I've quit cold turkey and with patches several times in the past, and always picked them up after a few weeks or months. This time I QUIT FOR GOOD!!!

As you would expect, my bad news hit home really hard. at first, and I felt like I had been given a death sentence, but after two weeks of research, I am much more hopeful, and I'm ready for a fight that I WILL win.

Since the two specialists I saw gave me absolutely no hope for a cure, I have been reading a lot about alternative cancer cures. There is a lot of good info out there, but just like with traditional medicine, there are a lot of people who are just after your cash. I have also learned that most in the medical and pharmaceutical fields don't believe or even want to hear about alternative methods of curing disease. It seems as though there are many different successful ways to kill cancer cells, without killing the healthy cells and destroying the immune system. Some of these protocols have been around since the 20's or 30's or before, and have a an extremely high cure rate.

I always thought that if there really were natural ways to cure cancer, everyone would know about it. Turns out, that's not true. I have read about medical doctors trained and practicing in the US who have found ways to treat cancer and other diseases naturally, and some even received Nobel Prizes for their research and discoveries. Most of these medical pioneers were quickly shut down and forbidden to continue practicing medicine by the FDA and/or AMA. It looks like the big drug companies spend close to if not the most money of any organization, lobbying congress. Any time a procedure or treatment that doesn't put cash into the pockets of the big companies is discovered, it just seems to disappear.

Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate having trained physicians and safe pharmaceutical products available when I need them, and I'm sure that most in the medical fields sincerely want to help people. It just burns my buns to think of how far corporate America will go for a buck, and to control our lives.

As for the natural cures, it requires a lot of lifestyle and dietary changes, and I'll have to give up almost all the tasty foods that are not good for us, but we all love. It won't be easy, but with a good attitude and the prayers and support I have been getting,....I can beat this thing!!!

Again, thank you all for the kind and encouraging words. I hope to meet a lot more of you at LBC shows next year and into the future.

If any of you have an interest in reading about or studying alternative cancer treatments, I have some links that are very informative.

Tom , so sorry to hear Bad news. Just wanted to say my Dad smoked for 44 years and quit cold turkey , he can't stand the smell of cigarettes now. He will be 84 in January and he is as strong as a horse! There is hope so Quit! We still have to get to many car shows coming up. My family and I are praying for you,God does care about your well being.

I will caution you to take a VERY SKEPTICAL view on alternative cures. Look at the treatments and read all the studies you can. I would take the approach that all alternative treatments are bogus till proven otherwise. Then prove it true to yourself. But you have to be very serious about this and not just hopeful. You are literally betting your life on this. I read lots of studies and you can often see holes and flaws in the study design. I think and feel like you are going to beat this. I really do and keep us advised and up to date.

Carl, thanks for the heads up, and encouragement. I am somewhat skeptical about the alternative treatments, especially if they want tens of thousands of dollars for treatment, and are in locations that have few or no safeguards. Seeing that the mainstream medical practitioners are telling me that my only option is to subject myself to the chemo treatments, and even then no hope for a cure or recovery, I tend to agree with what Peter said a few posts earlier, and my only choice is finding a natural cure that works.

I do realize that cancer is nothing to fool around with, and I am definitely taking this challenge seriously. Here are a couple of sites, among many that have helped to give me a brighter outlook than I originally had when I first received the so called death sentence.

http://www.new-cancer-treatments.org/

http://www.cancertutor.com/index.html

Tom please know my prayers are with you and I plan on our cruising together on the Parkway for a long - long time :) :)

Thanks Naomi. I think if we could get Bill behind the wheel of my Midget, and let him cruise the Parkway for a few miles, he'd be as hooked on MGs as we are. :)

I'm pretty sure he could in,..... gettin' out might be another matter.:)

Sorry Tom! Hang in there. You never know what might happen. Have you considered trying to get in on some kind of experimental trial?

Bryan,
Maybe I need to go find a tinfoil hat, but I'm beginning to believe that cancer treatment is just a money grab, and the real goal is to keep as many on the expensive treatment drugs as long as possible.

Thanks for the suggestion, and I may be cynical, but I think an experimental trial would just be more destructive drugs, and I really don't want to be a guinea pig for the drug companies..

I don't mean to sound negative, because I'm really not. I think I can beat this thing, it's just that a lot of stuff that I have been reading about how much money (tax money and donations) has been spent for so many years, with such small improvements being made, really tics me off.

Rick,
Sorry, I don't mean to pick on you or your chosen career. No offense intended.

I know that pharmaceutical products have helped many people, including myself. It just seems to me, that with cancer and heart disease among others, it is the symptoms that are being treated, and not the cause. After all, how much profit would be lost by hospitals, clinics, doctors and the drug companies if a true cure for any of these serious health problems was discovered? I'm guessing it would be many billions or trillions of dollars each year, and we all know that the bottom line is what's most important in corporate America.

Tom, here is a beginning.....http://www.brainleadersandlearners.com/mita-approaches/expect/expect-brain-benefits-from-humor/

Thanks, Wyatt. I believe that laughter is a great medicine and I try to use several doses daily, and share with those around me.

Tom,
You'll be in my prayers.
I smoked my last one outside the hospital; just before going in for a stent to open a 90% blocked Aorta.
It was really tough quitting after so many years, but I do feel better now.
You can do it. Thanks for having the courage to share your story you never know who you might help.
Good luck.
PJ

Tom, my thoughts and prayers are with you.