DougJ

Hey everyone, finished my 7th round. 1 more to go than on to the radiation. The Dr.'s are pretty optimistic so far. They all believe the tumor is shrinking as a result of the chemo. The next cat scan will show for sure. Initially, the tumor's size and location made it inoperable as it was too close to arteries and veins of the small intestine. They were afraid that I could bleed out on the table if one was nicked. But with substantial shrinkage there should be a significant margin to complete the surgery. The surgery will include removal of 1/3 of my pancreas and 1/3 of my stomach. So I will have a 2 mo recovery period. Now for the good news I am planning on playing 9 holes this pm. 9 holes tomorrow am. 18 hole Best ball tournament on Fri. Anyway guys enjoy your time on the links. If you hit one in a sand trap dedicate it to me. :-) The last round I played I was in a total of 4 traps. I thought I was in whistling straits. Doug

Doug, tks for the info. I will be scheduled for radiation as soon as this series of chemo os over. Then another cat scan to see if I am a candidate for surgery. I am trying to stay active and at least several meals a day. Even if they are not large in size. I do take ensure with the 350 cal portion so that should help somewhat. Doug

Just finished my 6th chemo yesterday. Only 2 more rds left. I played 9 holes on Monday. It was pretty easy as it was best ball. Had fun being out with my golf buddies. I am trying to walk a little more just to be more active. I signed up for a best ball tournament. I have 3 friends who have signed up with me. After the chemo then I start with radiation treatments. Hopefully if the tumor has shrunk enough I will be candidate for surgery. One of the worst side effects is loss of appetite. I am eating about 60% of what I normally eat. Food just doesn't taste good anymore. However the Doctor said eat ice cream everyday that will help me to keep weight on. That still tastes good.

Thanks guys for the tips. I appreciate it. Doug

colin, what do you suggest to keep up my fitness. I rode my bike for a couple miles the other day and was fairly tired. My muscle mass is disappearing with my weight. Any suggestions. Doug

Well, just to give you an update..... I finished my 4th rd of chemo. the side effects are cumulative. The effects seem to last longer/ more intense after each round. I can't complain as there are a lot of people at the chemo center who are worse than me. I have lost 35+ lbs so far. Down to 144. The effect on my golf game has been significant. I 've lost 10-15 yds on my driver/irons. I get tired quickly and can only play 9 holes before calling it quits. I an scheduled to go to Johns Hopkins Hospital, the leader in pancreatic cancer research for a consultation. I am still optimistic and am planning our annual golf trip to MB with my friends. I have met quite a few people who have overcome this disease and that is an inspiration. Doug

I use the Fusion. I have everyday. My beard is about medium in density. My blades last one month before replacement. I buy a 4 pack every 4 mos. I like the shave. By the way , my wife shave her legs with the same razor/blade. At the end they are getting pretty worn. But I don't see the need to change more often.

Scott, so sorry to hear about your friend. I hope you have a lot of fond memories of him because that helps when you reflect on your loss. I have just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and that sure has changed my life as would be expected. l am undergoing treatment but nothing is for sure. I was absolutely overwhelmed with the with support and prayers that people have given me. The blitz group that I play with have been absolutely wonderful. They want me to come out and just ride the 18 holes with them, even if I can't play. The club pro says I can use a cart anytime w/no cost , just come on out and enjoy being with my friends. I give thanks to God for having such wonderful friends. Doug

I enjoy this thread!! This is a lot better than a Hillary Clinton news conference.

Sighhhh......... Thailand sure is a model country for justice and corruption..

I have Verizon FIOS and it has great quality. However, I am paying for hundreds and hundreds of channels . We watch maybe at the most 15-30 channels consistently. That includes local news, live sports, and channels we are interested in , like cooking, crime, National Geographic, history. The only show we watch from the big 3 is Blue Bloods. I could give a d*mn about the shopping, Spanish, Moslem, alternative life styles, and reality shows. It really gets under my skin that we don't pay for what we want instead of bundled packages that are mostly fluff. I have been thinking dropping cable just because of this.

My favorite band of all time is The Moody Blues. My favorite male vocalist is Roy Orbison. My favorite female vocalist is Patsy Cline.