nwpadmax
02-01-2010, 08:38 AM
Hey all-
Adam Deist loved sledpulling so I thought I'd post this up in here. My wife is a Facebook fan and Adam has this posted up on his FB page. Adam has cancer and the prognosis is not good. Let's all keep him in our prayers, he really needs it.
Adam and I were known for carrying on a good argument like brothers but at times like this, all of that seems rather silly. Life is fragile.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
1 year later. Adam Deist 1/31/10
With 2009 came a boat load of surprises. Without a doubt, 2009 was the toughest year of my life. One day I go in for a simple and routine physical for my CDL license, but to my surprise I walked out the door that day as a cancer patient.
After 3 surgeries and 7 months of Interferon chemotherapy it was decided by a new doctor in Pittsburgh to wait and see if the cancer would progress or not. January 21st, the melanoma was found to have yet again progressed. Now in it’s worst stage, Stage IV. The cancer has moved into the lymph nodes in my left shoulder to the lymph nodes surrounding my left lung and some of the outer tissue of the lung.
Now we move on to a new type of chemotherapy known as Interleukin 2. The treatment regimen won’t be an easy one, but since I feel it’s best to continue the fight it’s what the doctor says must be done. The facts are chilling, but right now this treatment is what is available. IL-2 is only successful for 15% of the patients that are treated with it. If the treatment works it works well.
Stage IV melanoma patients don’t have that good of odds as other cancer patients unfortunatelty. I found some horrifying information on the internet the other night that has disturbed me terribly. 53% only survive the first year, 28% survive five years, and only 3% make it ten or more years. I haven’t been the same since I found that. However, hard work & dedication has always been what makes me who I am. Someone once showed me how to be a winner, since then 3% odds are probably all the better I have had in anything I have done. It seemed that I was always an Underdog of sorts but never give up until becoming the one at the top.
So when we see each other or when we talk, do not pity me, do not tell me how sorry you are, and do not pester me for information about what is going on. Unless you feel that you need to piss me off! Instead, be glad that we got to talk or see each other again. If I feel that you should know something I will tell you. Be there for support is all that I ask. If I feel like talking please be a good listener. So from here on everyday is truly a good day.
If I feel good enough I will go to work.
If I feel good enough, I will spend time in the woods with my dogs.
If I feel good enough, I will shoot my guns.
If I feel good enough I will do something that I enjoy.
If I don’t feel good, I will rest.
Please respect that, I can’t really ask much more. There are still a lot of things that I would like to do or would like to see. If the opportunity comes to do those that would be great, if not I can deal with that. Time may not be on my side, whether my best days are behind me, or they are yet to come I do not know. I once heard a man speak about it’s the dash in between that truly tells your tale, the dates on either side are just a reference of time. Hopefully the dates on either side are longer than the odds are giving me. I’m clinging to the 3% odds, right now it’s the best motivation that I got.
Adam Deist loved sledpulling so I thought I'd post this up in here. My wife is a Facebook fan and Adam has this posted up on his FB page. Adam has cancer and the prognosis is not good. Let's all keep him in our prayers, he really needs it.
Adam and I were known for carrying on a good argument like brothers but at times like this, all of that seems rather silly. Life is fragile.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
1 year later. Adam Deist 1/31/10
With 2009 came a boat load of surprises. Without a doubt, 2009 was the toughest year of my life. One day I go in for a simple and routine physical for my CDL license, but to my surprise I walked out the door that day as a cancer patient.
After 3 surgeries and 7 months of Interferon chemotherapy it was decided by a new doctor in Pittsburgh to wait and see if the cancer would progress or not. January 21st, the melanoma was found to have yet again progressed. Now in it’s worst stage, Stage IV. The cancer has moved into the lymph nodes in my left shoulder to the lymph nodes surrounding my left lung and some of the outer tissue of the lung.
Now we move on to a new type of chemotherapy known as Interleukin 2. The treatment regimen won’t be an easy one, but since I feel it’s best to continue the fight it’s what the doctor says must be done. The facts are chilling, but right now this treatment is what is available. IL-2 is only successful for 15% of the patients that are treated with it. If the treatment works it works well.
Stage IV melanoma patients don’t have that good of odds as other cancer patients unfortunatelty. I found some horrifying information on the internet the other night that has disturbed me terribly. 53% only survive the first year, 28% survive five years, and only 3% make it ten or more years. I haven’t been the same since I found that. However, hard work & dedication has always been what makes me who I am. Someone once showed me how to be a winner, since then 3% odds are probably all the better I have had in anything I have done. It seemed that I was always an Underdog of sorts but never give up until becoming the one at the top.
So when we see each other or when we talk, do not pity me, do not tell me how sorry you are, and do not pester me for information about what is going on. Unless you feel that you need to piss me off! Instead, be glad that we got to talk or see each other again. If I feel that you should know something I will tell you. Be there for support is all that I ask. If I feel like talking please be a good listener. So from here on everyday is truly a good day.
If I feel good enough I will go to work.
If I feel good enough, I will spend time in the woods with my dogs.
If I feel good enough, I will shoot my guns.
If I feel good enough I will do something that I enjoy.
If I don’t feel good, I will rest.
Please respect that, I can’t really ask much more. There are still a lot of things that I would like to do or would like to see. If the opportunity comes to do those that would be great, if not I can deal with that. Time may not be on my side, whether my best days are behind me, or they are yet to come I do not know. I once heard a man speak about it’s the dash in between that truly tells your tale, the dates on either side are just a reference of time. Hopefully the dates on either side are longer than the odds are giving me. I’m clinging to the 3% odds, right now it’s the best motivation that I got.