Dave,
I will only say that cancer treatment has progressed exponentially in my lifetime.
In the seventies a high school friend died of breast cancer. The ability to treat it effectively was simply not available. She passed within a year or two of being diagnosed. Ten years ago another close woman friend was diagnosed and today she is still with us and going strong. Just one example of how treatment has improved. She went through chemo, surgery, and radiation yet she came back to work as soon as she was able and the only thing I heard her complain about was that the chemo made her tired ad wanting sleep.
I, like all others here, wish nothing but the best possible outcome for Ed. My sister beat the desease for more than ten years and I hope Ed is still with us for a long time to impart his knowledge and wisdom of railroading on us while treasuring time with his family and friends. IMO, the latter are far more important than his contacts here.
Ed,
I still recall you posting a photo of your grand daughter and asking if we would buy a used locomotive from her. That was a precious moment.
As Spock would say; "Live long and prosper". The medical community has many tools and have made strides in treatement they didn't have twenty years ago.
Hang tough mister and fight it every inch of the way.
Norm
Aw man this sucks, I'm just catching up on this.
Ed, hang in there and keep up the fight.
Have fun with your trains
Ed, does your doctor know about this study?
Beyond childhood directives from the doctor, it has been definitively proven that eating fruits daily reduces the risk of developing blood and lymph cancers - including Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia.
It has also been shown to cut the risk of contracting a variety of malignancies including lung, bladder, gastric and esophageal cancer; and eating tree nuts (not peanuts) minimizes the danger of recurrence and death from colorectal cancer. A study on tree nuts found that eating almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, macadamia, pecans can reduce the risk of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, and cut the danger of the recurrence of colon cancer by 46% and death from it by 53% compared with patients who did not consume nuts.
A study conducted at Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine found that the balance of seven genes in glioblastoma model systems may predict a significant prolongation of patients' lives.
Glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, is known to be particularly violent. Some 97% of patients die within 14 months of diagnosis, and many die within a few months. An experimental group has long existed within the population itself - Professor Lital Keinan Boker, deputy director of the Health Ministry's Center for Disease Control, reported on findings from the National Cancer Registry that while "the Israeli Arab population has lower incidence rates than the Jewish population for most cancers, the rates in the Arab sector are increasing over time, thus narrowing the gap with the Jewish population." With high smoking and obesity rates, the consumption of a more Western, urban diet, and reduced fertility, Arab Israelis are putting themselves at higher risk for cancer.
edblysard….MRI in a month to see whats what.
Ed, I hope you hear what I heard after a head MRI a few years ago: "There was nothing there."
The missus interpreted it differenly from my take, but then she's been saying that for years in one way or another.
Thanks for the report and all hopes the pills will work. Worked for me.
23 17 46 11
Ed as one Houstonion ( well I grew up there ) to another, hang in there.
I have been off the forums for a bit and I am just seeing this today.
I happened across and old thread where we were discussing the old Hardy street engine facility.
keep in touch.
Ed, I deeply appreciate your keeping your (support team) informed.
edblysard Well, Right now I have radiation treatments that leave me a little nauseas and with a headache, but steroids seems to cut that back some. Waiting to see if chemo is once again on the menu!
Ed
Your attitude is positive, you've got your family, you're in one of the best, if not the best (I'm assuming MD Anderson) treatment centres in the US and you've got us, warts and all, beside you!
Charlie
Chilliwack, BC
DeggestyBalt, I hope you have not had the effects of radiation that does not quit after it has done what it was wanted to do. With me, it has continued doing what it has wanted to do after it stopped the cancer from spreading. I was declared cancer-free about seven years after the treatment stopped (and my wife would have rejoiced to hear that if she had still been living), but I have other difficulties as a result of the radiation's continuing activity. I give thanks that I am still able to travel in civilized comfort (I am starting another trip early in the morning).
The two or three weeks after the end of the radiation treatments were a little dicey - Imodium was my friend, however, once things settled down everything has been fine. Started out, after the end of both radiation and chemo, with monthly follow-ups, then quarterly, then semi-annual and then annual. After 15 years nothing.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I'm grateful that, in the cases of both me and my daughter, the radiation has done what it's supposed to do, and not destroyed much more than that. My own radiation was in the "nether regions", and had the immediate side effect of lactose intolerance, plus a loosening of bladder functions that persists (I'm going through physical therapy for that, and the therapy has me making good progress). In Linda's case the radiation was to her brain, where her cancer had spread. She was doing fine until the last week or so of the radiation, when she lost her hair fairly quickly (it won't grow back). Fortunately, the feared cognitive impairment did not take place, and she competed on Jeopardy! roughly a month after her radiation was completed (if she lost any brain function it couldn't be proved by her performance on the show).Linda continues to have problems with chemo (she can't think tonight because the effects are bugging her). She recently started on steroids because the medications she's getting to build bone marrow make her bones ache. She also takes opium-based drugs to ease her pain. She's able to function (barrely), and retains her sense of humor and gets around with the aid of a cane. Considering that, statistically, she should have been dead several times over by this time, her day-to-day existence is pretty good, and she's making the most of whatever time she has left.The only advice I can give you, Ed, is to make sure that your doctors have backup plans in place for the inevitable time when your chemo stops doing its job. Linda went months without any treatment when that happened, and that's when the cancer spread to her brain. Her markers are improving again as of now, but she's far above where she was at this point last year when the chemo started giving out.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Murphy SidingThose steroids will show up in your system for years and will probably keep you out of the Olympics.
Don't you just hate it when that happens?
Hang in there Ed.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
Balt, I hope you have not had the effects of radiation that does not quit after it has done what it was wanted to do. With me, it has continued doing what it has wanted to do after it stopped the cancer from spreading. I was declared cancer-free about seven years after the treatment stopped (and my wife would have rejoiced to hear that if she had still been living), but I have other difficulties as a result of the radiation's continuing activity. I give thanks that I am still able to travel in civilized comfort (I am starting another trip early in the morning).
Johnny
Murphy Sidinghose steroids will show up in your system for years and will probably keep you out of the Olympics.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
edblysardWell, Right now I have radiation treatments that leave me a little nauseas and with a headache, but steroids seems to cut that back some. Waiting to see if chemo is once again on the menu!
Having been through Radiation with my Colon Cancer 21 years ago - its effects are cumulative. It feels like a walk in the park when you start - at the end of the six weeks of treatment I felt like I could actuall feel the beam burning me. Fortunately the target area wasn't my head.
May the treatments do what they are supposed to do!
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Mookie, any news about Ed's condition?
We do hope to hear soon of improvement in your condition. All of are hoping and many are "doing all that they can."
Norm48327I am sure we can keep this thread on track. It was meant to wish Ed well and regardless of religious thinking we all want the very best for him.
Well said. And as someone used as a sign-off on a radio show, "Keep on keeping on" ED.
David,
I think you have addressed the situation with both professionalism and an open mind. I'm certain no one meant to offend but both religious and cultural differences came to the forefront. Bound to happen in any conversation.
I ame sure we can keep this thread on track. It was meant to wish Ed well and regardless of religious thinking we all want the very best for him.
With respect,
"I promise ... that from now on when someone asks me a question such as "Do you believe.." which started the whole mess, I will simply reply: Your question is not relevant to the topic and can be addressed to me privately at [e-mail removed] where I will give you a complete answer."
Or alternatively, do what previous mods have advised. Just say "this is becoming a violation of the Kalmbach TOS" and to have them send a PM via the site instead to continue the 'conversation'. That's the same procedure to follow when one poster gets upset about a perceived personal or ad hominem comment -- a bit like 'taking it outside' but more civilized. It also serves to keep private, personal e-mail addresses off the Web.
Of course, you'd have to have the PM conversation function 'enabled' in your Profile/Settings, but I think if you want privacy from e-mailings it's still better to have PMs through the site, where it is relatively easy to ignore any you don't care to answer, than to an outside 'address of record'.
If I might make a suggestion: this specific angle of discussion doesn't belong in an Ed Blysard thread, and in fact really belongs on the other 'Trains.com' Web site, the one that deals with Kalmbach internet sites and their details. Perhaps a mod can cut the relevant material out of this thread and post it in a new one 'over there', and this one can get back to its full higher purpose.
David, I promise you that from now on when someone asks me a question such as
"Do you believe.." which started the whole mess, I will simply reply:
Yout question is not relevant to the topic and can be addressed to me privately at daveklepper@yahoo.com where I will give you a complete answer.
This will my standard answer, if the it is an attack.
I hope this meets your requirements. Meanwhile, at age 85 I do need the edit button.
There are people who must have the last word in every discussion, and "not taking the bait" gives them that privilege. I don't believe that our eforts to be helpful to Ed have in any way violated any ban. Just as discussion of a particular senator's or congressman's or President's statement or actions on long-distance passenger service does not violate the ban on discussion of politics. I think that many of the readers might find relevant to this discussion and even to helping Ed my article:
I've been away from the forums for a while and this is not what I wanted see. I will add my prayers for you to the others already offered.
Yeah...don't take the bait guys and stay away from it.
And of course everyone took the bait.
daveklepper But if it annoys you, I will steer clear of that topic in the future.
I believe the prevailing logic would center upon ~was it possible for you express your sympathy and concern without resorting to prohibited (religious) subject matter?~ I believe the prohibition is in effect because different people have strong feelings in different ways on the matter.
Discussion of prayer is in fact discussion of religion, there's really no way you can contort the matter to deny that. Had you meticulously observed the prohibition against such discussion on this board, we wouldn't be having this discussion.
Let me assure you that in no way am I angry with you over any of this. I just happen to feel when something is prohibited for all, then exceptions need not be carved out by some simply because they subjectively believe they are "fighting the good fight" .
Thank you for that explation.
While the word 'praying' may be offensive to some I see it simply as a wish for the best possible outcome from the possibly dire circumstances Ed is faced with. It depends on personal viewpoints and whether one agrees or not should not be taken as espousing any particular faith or lack thereof. We have become far to sensitive to the posted word and the beliefs of others. We all want the best for Ed. Let's us just leave it at that and disregard posts that criticize those of us who want to offer our blessings in the best way we can.
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