Cancer AGAIN. I am getting tired of this

[DFW]

One of my best friends in the Netherlands started having digestive tract problems about six months ago. he went to several local doctors, who performed perfunctory examinations and told him, "there's nothing there. You have nothing." It kept getting worse, and he got tired of the same old song. "Free" medical care is useless if it's inaccurate. He heard of a good clinic in Ochtrup, here in Germany. He had to pay for the check-up out of his own pocket, but he didn't care. Good thing. He has a tumor in his colon, and it was alarming enough for him to be pushed into an already crowded schedule at a clinic near Amsterdam. With the definitive diagnosis from Germany, they could no longer brush him off, so he goes in on Monday morning. Happy holidays.

We're hoping for the best, of course. He is only 50, has an adorable, smart wife and three brilliant, well-adjusted children. He should have been done with this half a year ago. At age 50, those things can grow relatively rapidly, so it has had at least six months to grow, metastasize, spread......or not. We just don't know. I figured that with my family history, I was next. It's still "when" with me, and not "if." Both my parents had cancer, and so did all of their siblings. But all the same, I am sick of all this, and would consider it the best present of all to hear that his prognosis is for a full recovery. My first three donations in the new year will be to the American Cancer Society, Sloan-Kettering, and a Dallas clinic that treats children with cancer. It's time for Joe Black to take an extended vacation.

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Best wishes to your friend and his family. I'm so sorry to hear about this and also, thanks...

for putting the organizations up there so the rest of us can donate to worthy causes this XMAS season.

[DFW]

5. This is a long slog, as the Brits put it.

And like MLK said, "I may not get there with you..." but I will not sit by quietly, and watch from the sidelines (full disclosure: my wife has had cancer twice, now, and beaten it twice. Neither has given up).

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

2. Cancer sucks.

Best wishes for your friend and for you. Terrible news to get during the holidays but hopefully in time

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I am so sorry to hear this awful news, my dear DFW.

My best to your good friend. I hope they've found it in time so that he'll have many more happy years with his family and all his friends.

And kudos to you for your donations!

[Shrike47]

4. Medical care you pay a lot for can do the same lousy job.

We have a friend whose doctor kept brushing aside his complaints about the pain in his back/side, weight loss, lack of energy, blood in his urine. Now he’s finally been diagnosed, metastatic kidney cancer.

[DFW]

6. There are way too many doctors everywhere who take the easy way out.

"Nothing to worry about. NEXT!"

**still, it was the one he paid for that found what was wrong, and the "free" medical care that told him to get lost.

[diva77]

12. True. The key in my experience is to get 2nd and 3rd opinions if you can afford it. But still, when

weighing 3 different diagnoses, sometimes it is hard to know which one is the right one.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. That hits home...

Couple months ago, Mr. dixie had same problem with tummy, luckily he felt "weird" enuff that he paid attention, had several tests, the colonoscopy produced a "large" polyp, which proved to be benign.
Doc said he was lucky, usually the bigger they grow, the worse they get.

I had colonoscopy this summer, since I am in remission of breast cancer.

Cannot say it enough.....get the damn colonoscopy!!! Yeah, the "prep" you have to do is kind of "icky" but so is cancer treatment,
Plus, you don't have to have it again for 5-10 years, depending on results.

[samnsara]

8. (((hugs)))

[ploppy]

9. What terrible news

I wish your good friend the best for a perfect recovery!

[IADEMO2004]

10. Never give up if you feel Dr is wrong. Get another opinion.

Wife was told constipation was cause of back pain. Dr. indignant she said no it isn't. Next Dr. said back exercise. Next Dr ordered CT scan. Pancreatic cancer. Too late inoperable. Get another opinion. Never give up.

[DFW]

14. That happened to the wife of another friend of ours in the Netherlands.

Ten years, they kept telling her there was nothing wrong with her until her belly started swelling up. Oops, sorry, terminal ovarian cancer, if only she had gone in sooner for a check-up, blah blah.

[Duppers]

15. +100

Thank you. Very sorry about your wife tho.

[Phentex]

11. So sorry to hear this...

I wish the best for him and hope the pain goes away soon.

[DFW]

13. Monday he goes in

We don't know yet if they'll operate right away.

[steve2470]

16. Hope your friend beats the cancer ASAP and...

best wishes to you and your family!