Brain Tumor

[Saccopoo]

So, that shit is fun.

Started having some really cool and powerful deja-vu at work on Tuesday, then a strong ominous feeling set in and then started seeing small, flashing rainbow colored lights under the brim of my hat. Figured that it was either a premonition about an earthquake (like animals get) as Salt Lake City sits on a fault line, either that or I was hitting a major fatigue wall as I had been working long hours and had been hitting the gym pretty hard while not getting as much sleep as required in addition to cutting carbs from the diet. Anyway, I got a little freaked out, went to the bakery, grabbed a croissant and detoured it and everything kinda went back to normal.

Later on, started getting the deja-vu again (and it was super good shit - like I was seeing the future and shit - and it even had a soundtrack going along with it), and that's about all I can remember. Apparently I turned to the guy next to me, said something about tripping my balls off massively and told him I was going to puke, then my eyes rolled back into my head and I passed out and hit the floor like a sack of potatoes.

Came to with the EMT dude holding a ice pack to the back of my mellon on a huge goose egg. They were going to call an ambulance to take me to the ER and I told them it was nothing and I was fine. Fortunately the HR guy was standing there and convinced me to go to the ER. When I got there they did a CT scan to check for concussion probabilities.

Dude came back into the room with the radiologist and said "Um, bad news. There is a mass in the right side of your brain and we want to do an MRI for more detail."

"Well, shit."

So they did that and sure enough, there is a golf ball sized mass sitting there with a bunch of fluid around it. Nuerosurgeon (chief resident who looks like he's 17, comes in and says that they want to schedule surgery on Friday morning. Okies.

So, I'm sitting here in the Neurology wing of the University of Utah hospital (which is highly regarded) worrying about these guys going to the Utah/Michigan game tonight and coming back into surgery tomorrow hungover as shit.

Bonus is, I've had two really hot nurses in a row the past two nights. Tried to convince both to give me a leisure massage and body shampoo, but they didn't go for it though I had a girl from work come by last night to visit who wanted to give me a hummer.

Anyway, I'm feeling pretty fortunate that shit went down the way it did, because I most likely would have blown it off for ever until it became really bad. (Although, I am going to ask them if it's benign if they can just keep it in there because I was digging the deja-vu bordering on omnipotence.)

Also I hear that the chief neurosurgeon is totally old school and I think I saw him sharpening his hacksaw on a rusty pipe outside and telling the nurse that she should find his favorite spoon.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by BigMeatballDave

Good to hear, Sac.

I had Temodar last year. Only side effect I experienced was some Nausea.

Did they make you a plastic mesh mask to stabilize your head for radiation?

I still have mine.

Yep. Got the Death Mask of Doom made a week and a half ago.

Pretty wild. Felt like a warm barber shop towel going on and then it turned into the thing from Alien on John Hurt.

Had my trial sonar run last Friday in prep for the nuking this afternoon and the first song that comes on was GNR's cover of "Knocking on Heaven's Door." Nurse nearly broke an ankle running to change the channel. I couldn't stop laughing.

[Lonewolf Ed]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Yep. Got the Death Mask of Doom made a week and a half ago.

Pretty wild. Felt like a warm barber shop towel going on and then it turned into the thing from Alien on John Hurt.

Had my trial sonar run last Friday in prep for the nuking this afternoon and the first song that comes on was GNR's cover of "Knocking on Heaven's Door." Nurse nearly broke an ankle running to change the channel. I couldn't stop laughing.

Ha! I am glad you are still laughing. I was teasing some friends over what music I would use for an intro and at the end of my trip DVD, and I said I was thinking of In My Time of Dying by Zeppelin and Waiting For Darkness by Ozzy. One of the girls had the nerve to call me an ass.

[Hootie]

Sorry about the news, sacc. Stay positive, sir. Your positive attitude makes me think you'll beat the hell out of this!!

[Predarat]

Keep whipping ass, and that skateboard looks awesome! What kind of bearings do you use, hell I have not skated in so long they may not even use bearing anymore.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Hootie 2.0

Sorry about the news, sacc. Stay positive, sir. Your positive attitude makes me think you'll beat the hell out of this!!

You don't ever really beat Stage 4 Glioneuronal brain cancer. As the oncologist said "treatable, but not curable." They might delay the progression of the cancer cell growth, but I have no doubt that this is what is going to punch my ticket eventually. (Unless I kill myself on the new long board, and based on my riding skills, or lack thereof, that's a real possibility.)

And the real problem with brain cancer (and most organ cancers) is that they can't cut out the bad parts of a brain to make it go away completely.

That being said, I had no illusions about living forever. We all end up going somehow, someway. I've had friends killed in car crashes, one cousin died at 13 from cystic fibrosis and another cousin just keeled over two days after this past Christmas from a massive heart attack and he was in perfect health - up to that point. I've also had two grandparents live to 98 and 99 and my reamaining grandma is still kicking just fine at 93.

You just never know and just need to live life as well as you can, which I plan on continuing doing for as long as possible. Like I said, I don't feel any different so we'll just do what we can to keep that rolling, but I'm not going to flip out and start eating New Guinea tree bark in a false hope that it's going to miraculously save my life - because we all end up dead regardless.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Predarat

Keep whipping ass, and that skateboard looks awesome! What kind of bearings do you use, hell I have not skated in so long they may not even use bearing anymore.

I picked up some Bones Red bearings. While the ceramic bearings are all the rage, I wasn't going to spend more on bearing than I did for trucks and wheels combined.

The Reds are pretty damn fast on their own. In fact, I'm trying to figure out how to stop this son of a bitch since it goes from zero to a million in a hurry.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Just sucked down my first dose of Temador (chemo pills) five minutes ago and they'll start microwaving my head tomorrow.

I planned on being somewhat cautionary on the first day of this bullshit and have taken the day (tomorrow) off from work.

Otherwise, I really haven't felt any different from before the seizure a month-ish ago that led to this bullshit. My head gets a little "swimmy" if I lay down or bend over quickly, but that's about it and I think that's probably a result of the brain surgery itself. (They put off my radiation therapy start for a couple of weeks as the doctor wanted the melon to heal a bit more.)

Oh, and all the parts for my new long board got here this past week and I put it together this weekend. (Although I did spend the first half of the Chiefs/Vikings game taking off my trucks and putting them back on correctly as I had them backwards initially.)

And I had a "sure thing" date this past week (amazing how the official Sac's "Make A Wish Foundation" thing can work on chicks, and I'm definitely not passing on cancer pity sex, though the doctor told me not to impregnate anyone once chemo starts as I might spawn some three eyed flipper babies), but I drank two bottles of wine and apparently alcohol and the anti-seizure medicine doesn't play nice with each other and I passed out on her.

Go figure...it's been that kind of month.

Oh, and this is what I ended up with on my long board choice:

Gold Coast 44" Standard Red Pintail:



Tracker Trucks Fastracks 180mm:



Kryptonics Star Tracs 70 mm:



Took it for the trial run after the Chiefs #1 Pick In the 2016 NFL Draft Paxton Lynch Victory over the Vikings. Pretty cool, although it's completely different than the standard skateboard with kicktail. I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to manuever over bumps and stuff in front of me...

Hang tough man, you can do this!

Oh, and sweet ride! VERY sweet! Yeah, that takes me back a few years. I was always a Bennett Pro rider, but I think tracker won the battle...

Between skate and surf boards, I needed work to keep up..

[Skyy God]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

You don't ever really beat Stage 4 Glioneuronal brain cancer.

No you do not.

Keep your spirits up and fight the good fight.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

You don't ever really beat Stage 4 Glioneuronal brain cancer. As the oncologist said "treatable, but not curable." They might delay the progression of the cancer cell growth, but I have no doubt that this is what is going to punch my ticket eventually. (Unless I kill myself on the new long board, and based on my riding skills, or lack thereof, that's a real possibility.)

And the real problem with brain cancer (and most organ cancers) is that they can't cut out the bad parts of a brain to make it go away completely.

That being said, I had no illusions about living forever. We all end up going somehow, someway. I've had friends killed in car crashes, one cousin died at 13 from cystic fibrosis and another cousin just keeled over two days after this past Christmas from a massive heart attack and he was in perfect health - up to that point. I've also had two grandparents live to 98 and 99 and my reamaining grandma is still kicking just fine at 93.

You just never know and just need to live life as well as you can, which I plan on continuing doing for as long as possible. Like I said, I don't feel any different so we'll just do what we can to keep that rolling, but I'm not going to flip out and start eating New Guinea tree bark in a false hope that it's going to miraculously save my life - because we all end up dead regardless.

Great attitude, man. I seriously doubt I'd have the same tune. That's some powerful stuff. Either way, I'm cheering for you. Stay alive as long as possible because CP wouldn't be the same without you!

[New World Order]

Hang in there Sacc. Prayers sent man.

[Buehler445]

Glad you are in a good frame of mind. Also glad you knocked off some poon.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Yep. Got the Death Mask of Doom made a week and a half ago.

Pretty wild. Felt like a warm barber shop towel going on and then it turned into the thing from Alien on John Hurt.

Had my trial sonar run last Friday in prep for the nuking this afternoon and the first song that comes on was GNR's cover of "Knocking on Heaven's Door." Nurse nearly broke an ankle running to change the channel. I couldn't stop laughing.

I would have pissed myself.

Yeah, when they first put the mask on, I didn't want them to take it off.

The best part about the radiation is it doesn't take long. Like 15 min.

I have radiation coming, I just don't know when yet.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

You don't ever really beat Stage 4 Glioneuronal brain cancer. As the oncologist said "treatable, but not curable." They might delay the progression of the cancer cell growth, but I have no doubt that this is what is going to punch my ticket eventually. (Unless I kill myself on the new long board, and based on my riding skills, or lack thereof, that's a real possibility.)

And the real problem with brain cancer (and most organ cancers) is that they can't cut out the bad parts of a brain to make it go away completely.

Yeah, that ****ing sucks. My Glioblastoma is stage 4 and we're pretty much in the same boat. It's about quality of life and prolonging it.

The longest survival I've found with this is 15 years, and that is rare. I'd be thrilled with that. I'll be 45 friday. The fact that I'm in my 40s and not 60s or older helps a lot.

Do you know if there is a cause to Neuronal? There is no known cause to Blastoma.

Have they said anything about any clinical trials?

[Lonewolf Ed]

To both Sacc and Dave, I am glad to see you're not giving in and giving up. I've never been told since my initial prognosis of having 3 years left IF I was lucky that I am going to make it past that or that I will beat it. I don't really have much of a bucket list, but I encourage you both to do the things that you have yet to do and want to, because that is all part of living well and appreciating the good days we have as we fight cancer and endure horrid treatments.

I fully intend to go back to Denmark next year and make a side trip to Scotland, maybe staying at Loch Ness for 3 days and Edinburgh for 3 days before flying back to Aalborg. There are other places I want to visit before I go, including Ireland, Prague, Vienna, and England. I even have a theme name for my England trip: The Great Castle, Pub, and Countryside Tour. I'd start out in London, hit the pubs, see some of the sights, eat some fish and chips, kick over some "Sharia Law Here" signs, and head out to the Cotswolds and maybe make a day trip to Birmingham to see where some of my favorite musicians are from.

If I never get to go to some of the aforementioned places, I still have fun researching things to see and do there and making plans in my head for the trips. With us and our possibly shorter than expected life spans, it is about quality of life and hopefully checking out with no regrets. That doesn't mean we have to fall into debauchery or hedonism, but we owe it to ourselves to live as well as we can. I am grateful for each and every good day I have, even good parts of days when things are not going so well. I also hope to do some good for people while I am here. People tell me that I inspire them, and I never imagined myself in such a role, and I still don't fully understand it, but I am glad to know that I am able to affect others in such a positive way. I am far, far from perfect but I do know that I am a better man now than I was before the cancer, and with continued prayers and support, I aim to keep it that way until I do take that last breath, whenever that may be. And as I have mentioned before, when that time comes, if I still have my faith in God, then I will have won.

[Jerm]

Late to this but hang in there brother...thoughts and prayers headed your way, keep kicking ass.

Same to you Dave!