Jason, I'm so glad you've had such a good result! Chemo and radiation are both double-edged swords because they can cause damage to healthy cells that can lead to cancer later. It's sometimes the tradeoff for "cure" now. But you had neither with your definitely real cancer. That, at least, is one worry you won't have.
I lost two brothers to cancer, so I always especially love to hear about the victories. Marc died at 33 from composite lymphoma (rare, and the doctors didn't know how to treat it). Matt died a week after his 57th birthday from bladder cancer.
I think it's worth pointing out that the "almost" factor affects many of us. I'm almost certain that Matt and Marc's cancers don't mean that I'm at increased risk. Most of my family dies from heart disease (big comfort there 😉). But they were also both smokers and it turned out Matt's house was full of asbestos. So, I'm almost sure my risk is normal. I think I'll go get a big ass Coke Zero from the fridge. Oh, wait, it's 9 a.m. maybe I'll do that with my lunch.
It's interesting to me how our human brains process risk. It's much easier to "feel" risk when people close to you have negative experiences, even if your statistical risk in not affected by that. I'm so grateful I didn't need chemo or radiation. Seeing my parents deal with that was brutal. My dad ended up with scar tissue all over his right hand because a chemo IV infiltrated and burned the inside of hand and ruined some blood vessels.
I hope you enjoyed your Coke Zero! As always, thanks for reading and engaging with my stuff!
I’m so happy to hear your positive results, Jason! Thank you for spilling your heart out onto these pages and allowing readers to connect with your work. I’m happy our paths have crossed!
Spilling my guts is one of the few marketable skills I have! I'm also grateful that our paths have crossed. The internet really can be a force for good
Jason, I'm so glad you've had such a good result! Chemo and radiation are both double-edged swords because they can cause damage to healthy cells that can lead to cancer later. It's sometimes the tradeoff for "cure" now. But you had neither with your definitely real cancer. That, at least, is one worry you won't have.
I lost two brothers to cancer, so I always especially love to hear about the victories. Marc died at 33 from composite lymphoma (rare, and the doctors didn't know how to treat it). Matt died a week after his 57th birthday from bladder cancer.
I think it's worth pointing out that the "almost" factor affects many of us. I'm almost certain that Matt and Marc's cancers don't mean that I'm at increased risk. Most of my family dies from heart disease (big comfort there 😉). But they were also both smokers and it turned out Matt's house was full of asbestos. So, I'm almost sure my risk is normal. I think I'll go get a big ass Coke Zero from the fridge. Oh, wait, it's 9 a.m. maybe I'll do that with my lunch.
It's interesting to me how our human brains process risk. It's much easier to "feel" risk when people close to you have negative experiences, even if your statistical risk in not affected by that. I'm so grateful I didn't need chemo or radiation. Seeing my parents deal with that was brutal. My dad ended up with scar tissue all over his right hand because a chemo IV infiltrated and burned the inside of hand and ruined some blood vessels.
I hope you enjoyed your Coke Zero! As always, thanks for reading and engaging with my stuff!
Glad you got such good news, Jason. You are a talented writer.
Thanks for reading!
I’m so happy to hear your positive results, Jason! Thank you for spilling your heart out onto these pages and allowing readers to connect with your work. I’m happy our paths have crossed!
Spilling my guts is one of the few marketable skills I have! I'm also grateful that our paths have crossed. The internet really can be a force for good