BWCA Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article: "Brain cancer won't stop me from outdoor adventures." Boundary Waters Listening Point - General Discussion
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      Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article: "Brain cancer won't stop me from outdoor adventures."     
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Jackfish
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12/13/2018 03:16PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
There have been several people on the board, myself included, who have gone through some tremendous health scares - cancer, heart attacks, and other afflictions. Some of these have been recent. In my case, it was five years ago.

At the forefront of my mind, and based on the posts from others that I've read, they all wanted to know, "Will I still be able to do my outdoor adventures?" This was a great concern to me. I just couldn't envision not doing canoe trips or backpacking trips. Fortunately, I've been able to do those things, as well as hunt and do other outdoor activities. I've been very blessed.

This article was in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today, written by a very active woman who loves the outdoors just as much as most of us do. I hope you enjoy it.

For those of us in excellent health, be thankful. For those who aren't, or are somewhere in between, you'll know exactly what this article is about. May all of us continue to do our outdoor adventures for as long as we can.
 
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DrBobDerrig
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12/13/2018 04:05PM  
I began round 8 of chemo for pancreatic cancer today . It's been a slug.... hope to be on the other side of this thing in time for Canoecopia.

dr bob
 
Arkansas Man
Moderator
  
12/13/2018 04:05PM  
Great read Pete! It's amazing what people with determination, strong will and faith can do when they choose. Glad you are still doing well, too!

Bruce
 
12/13/2018 04:51PM  
Cancer - nothin to it. I’ve had two different kinds now. Just keep going. That’s all. Best of luck to all my bros. I’m with you all the way.
 
Jackfish
Moderator
  
12/13/2018 05:16PM  
scat: "Cancer - nothin to it. "

I don't think I'd put it that way because there are so many different cancers and so many different treatments and affects on the body. It's certainly a disruption to everyday living. Key word = living.
 
12/13/2018 07:37PM  
scat: "Cancer - nothin to it. "


I'm happy for you, scat. But this comment is a bit on the insensitive side, isn't it? Perhaps I found it so because a very dear friend of mine has been fighting with every fiber of her being now for more than 18 months against an inoperable liver tumor. . . and now she is hoping against hope to see another Christmas with her family.

Cancer's a bitch. No one wants it, and most people don't take it lightly. To be one of the fortunate ones who has beaten it is, indeed, a rich gift. A blessing.
 
missmolly
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12/13/2018 09:43PM  
Wow, that was beautiful, Pete. As a caregiver, I can't reach the wilderness anymore, so I'm grateful for small favors, like walking beneath the trees to my mailbox and smelling those pine needles that the essay's author also loves.
 
andym
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12/13/2018 11:22PM  
I think each cancer survivor uses an attitude that gets them through the day and as far into life as possible. What seems insensitive to some of us may be exactly what someone else needs to get through the day.

FYI, I just passed my 15 year mark since diagnosis including 3 times through chemo, 5 other treatments (including 2 new drug clinical trials), a bone marrow transplant from a generous, wonderful unrelated donor, and am currently working through complications of the transplant. I'm now writing the obituary for a colleague who died of complications from their bone marrow transplant and so I also know how lucky I am to still be here.

While the attitudes that work for us may differ, at least we share the love of wilderness and know how that desire has helped us through so much. My first trip after diagnosis, I broke down as we were about to leave our favorite site. I remember standing there, in the rain, crying with my wife hugging me and promising that we would be back. So glad she was right. And she was right, in no small part, because she used every ounce of her wisdom and strength to give me the best chance possible.
 
12/14/2018 01:30AM  
I’ve had parkinsons since age 40. Nineteen years ago. I’d trade for cancer in a minute.
 
12/14/2018 08:29AM  
Scat, I can see how your words are a bit harsh, but like andym says, we all handle things differently.

Personally, I’m in a minor battle. This little surgery is taking it’s toll a little. Yesterday and this morning have been tough. I may have pushed a little further than I should have, but idleness isn’t what I’ll die from.

My b-i-l had the same prostate surgery yesterday that I had. The morning after was the worst for me. He’s like piece of cake. I’m thinking, wait until you are stood up to walk. That was my 'what have I done' moment.

Good for her... I hope she can beat whatever... a gal in our family was “sentenced” to hospice. They tried some injection and she is now cancer free... for now. In remission anyway. We all need to accept where we’re at. Not always fun... but our attitude and our determination usually can at least give us the best of days until there is no more.
 
missmolly
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12/14/2018 08:31AM  
andym: "I think each cancer survivor uses an attitude that gets them through the day and as far into life as possible. What seems insensitive to some of us may be exactly what someone else needs to get through the day.


FYI, I just passed my 15 year mark since diagnosis including 3 times through chemo, 5 other treatments (including 2 new drug clinical trials), a bone marrow transplant from a generous, wonderful unrelated donor, and am currently working through complications of the transplant. I'm now writing the obituary for a colleague who died of complications from their bone marrow transplant and so I also know how lucky I am to still be here.


While the attitudes that work for us may differ, at least we share the love of wilderness and know how that desire has helped us through so much. My first trip after dx, I broke down as we were about to leave our favorite site. I remember standing there, in the rain, crying with my wife hugging me and promising that we would be back. So glad she was right. And she was right, in no small part, because she used every once of her wisdom and strength to give me the best chance possible."


I read this three times and gleaned something new each time.
 
Driftless
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12/14/2018 08:53AM  
Inspiring article! Thanks for posting!
 
andym
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12/15/2018 03:28AM  
Thank you, Miss Molly.

It is an amazing article. She has an impressive combination of drive and understanding of ways in which she is doing better than others while also facing the impacts this will have on how she can live her life.

And for Parkinson’s versus cancer, I understand your feeling. While I’ve faced some very tough times I also have had times when I’m basically back to normal. I know that other diseases rob more of everyday life ona constant basis. Each disease has its unique challenges. And as my oncologist once said about the comparison between two different forms of lymphoma, we don’t get to choose. We just have to cope with what life deals us and respect that others are facing different challenges.
 
12/16/2018 05:20PM  
Thanks for an inspiring link, Jackfish. If only each of us could stay so positive in the face of adversity...
 
ozarkpaddler
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12/17/2018 08:47PM  
THANKS for the link Jackfish! You have helped me through this trying year and now you give us a link from one of the most optimistic people I've seen (or read about). Heheheh, I remember when I was fighting the big "C" my girlfriend gave me a "Ziggy" card that showed a bunch of folks strolling around in front of a house with the sign "Home for the terminally optimistic," we both got a good laugh out of it because I had complete faith that I would make it while my Oncologist and nurses were much less so. Well, that girlfriend is now an old friend and my NEXT girlfriend became my wife of 34 years so I guess I had a darn good reason to be optimistic, huh (LOL)?

Scat, I love you and your attitude, buddy; I hope I one day get to share a beer with you! I know what you mean and those of us who've dealt with the puking, the weakness, the near death experience, we have the right to say any damn thing we want about the disease! Unfortunately for me, the radiation and chemo side effects have been a worse "Bitch" than the cancer. But, as my Oncologist told me years ago, "Terry, you never were supposed to LIVE long enough to deal with the side effects!" Heheheh, every day on this earth is to be "Treasured," and I'm fortunate to know that when I draw that last breath I'll begin the second act, which will be even better!
 
Abbey
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12/17/2018 11:22PM  
Chelsey Lewis: “I wasn’t angry, anxious or afraid of dying. But I was afraid of not living.”

These aren’t one-for-one quotes, but I couldn’t help but think about one of my favorite quotes from the reason behind my username:
“One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am - a reluctant enthusiast....a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.”
-Edward Abbey

Ed can’t say that many words without a bit of political, but I don’t like to cherry-pick a quote. Outliving is not just time, and most (hopefully all) on this forum have the right idea about getting out there to enjoy it as best we can.
 
Jackfish
Moderator
  
12/18/2018 10:01AM  
ozarkpaddler: "THANKS for the link Jackfish! You have helped me through this trying year and now you give us a link from one of the most optimistic people I've seen (or read about). "

Terry, glad I was able to help in some small way. Glad you're doing better now. Keep on keepin' on, my friend. :)
 
12/20/2018 08:12AM  
Best of luck to you ozarkpaddler. That sounds rough. I just had skin cancer surgery on my face. Oh man, that was not cool. I have a 2” scar on my cute little baby face cheek now. Hey, chicks dig scars, or so I’ve been told. And I have to do it again. This time I don’t have to be awake to do it. It makes me cringe to think about it. That was brutal.
Yesterday, as I walked out of the clinic after having my port flushed, a remnant from the first cancer I had, and this may sound weird, I had a certain sense of pride, I almost felt lucky that I went through all that and beat cancer. I got kind of emotional for a minute once I got in my car. It was a lot.
Oh well, life goes on. A lot of things have changed since I got the bug. And I’m sure it’s only going to get better. One thing I learned is, there is a big difference between being alive and living. I have seen my share. I plan on living till I die.
I wish the best for all my cancer bros and sisses. Just keep going. Keep smiling. Keep living.
Cheers, scat
 
ozarkpaddler
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12/20/2018 08:03PM  
scat: "Best of luck to you ozarkpaddler. That sounds rough. I just had skin cancer surgery on my face. Oh man, that was not cool. I have a 2” scar on my cute little baby face cheek now. Hey, chicks dig scars, or so I’ve been told. And I have to do it again. This time I don’t have to be awake to do it. It makes me cringe to think about it. That was brutal.
Yesterday, as I walked out of the clinic after having my port flushed, a remnant from the first cancer I had, and this may sound weird, I had a certain sense of pride, I almost felt lucky that I went through all that and beat cancer. I got kind of emotional for a minute once I got in my car. It was a lot.
Oh well, life goes on. A lot of things have changed since I got the bug. And I’m sure it’s only going to get better. One thing I learned is, there is a big difference between being alive and living. I have seen my share. I plan on living till I die.
I wish the best for all my cancer bros and sisses. Just keep going. Keep smiling. Keep living.
Cheers, scat
"


Heheheh, your exuberance is so uplifting when I read your posts, I can "Feel" them! I know what you mean by "I had a certain sense of pride, I almost felt lucky that I went through all that and beat cancer. " I have felt that same, giddiness and pride myself many a time. Every time I see a sunset or a nice vista. Heck, even savoring a cup of coffee and reading the board here. We feel like we we beat the "Grim reaper," and it changes how you view life.

And Jackfish, I really can't thank you enough about sharing your experiences. It eased a lot of worries.

Merry Christmas to you all!
 
12/21/2018 09:41AM  
Hey man, beat cancer and you are an instant rock star. Beat it twice, what does that mean? I guess you could say the novelty wears off. Fight cancer, die of cancer, it is horrible.

I have met four guys in the last year and a half who have told me they are giving up. No more treatment, just die. Melanoma seems like a bitch. I mean, what do you say to a guy who is looking at you in the eye saying he would rather die than deal with the whole mess anymore? You just have to give him a hug and feel sorry for him.

I hate when people say sorry to me after hearing my story. Just say that sucks. I’m proud that I beat cancer. Don’t be sorry for me. I’m a lucky one.

As always. Cheers, scat
 
yellowcanoe
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12/21/2018 09:50AM  
And yet for some of us who have had cancer, we note that our care team does not say, "you beat cancer". They do say, "we don't find any right now".

So it goes from victory to being appreciative of being able to be on this world for today.

No, things will never be the same as they were with three prosthetics and the side effects (permanent) of chemo but I will still be able to be outside and in a paddlecraft.

Life progresses and we really can't replicate what we did thirty years ago.

Cancer got me serious about a new hobby, photography, so it does have its gifts.
 
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