Good news came my way yesterday. My friend and urologist Dr. Iain McAuley gave me the news - there was nothing on the scope. This means that after a seven month battle I am now cancer free. The flip side of the news is that there remains a one in four chance of the cancer coming back; that's if I do nothing. If I continue with the BCG treatments I can greatly reduce those odds. The hard part will be completing the treatments. Only 18% ever see the treatments through to the very end. Of the 82% that don't complete the treatments many are forced to quit after developing the TB side affects associated with BCG. Others pack it in fed up with the invasive and not very pleasant experience. I've signed up and will resume the treatments in October. I'll have to see how far I can make it down this road. Apologies to my good friend Martin. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Tough kayakers do better! Between my sporadic bouts of irriligiousity, I have been asking the Man upstairs to keep an eye on you Gordin. Not that Victoria needs more grizzled old kayakers on the kayak scene, but we do kind of think of you as special. :-) Hang in there buddy! Doug L > Good news came my way yesterday. My friend and urologist Dr. Iain > McAuley > gave me the news - there was nothing on the scope. This means that after > a > seven month battle I am now cancer free. > > The flip side of the news is that there remains a one in four chance of > the > cancer coming back; that's if I do nothing. If I continue with the BCG > treatments I can greatly reduce those odds. > > The hard part will be completing the treatments. Only 18% ever see the > treatments through to the very end. Of the 82% that don't complete the > treatments many are forced to quit after developing the TB side affects > associated with BCG. Others pack it in fed up with the invasive and not > very > pleasant experience. > > I've signed up and will resume the treatments in October. I'll have to see > how > far I can make it down this road. > > Apologies to my good friend Martin. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
may you live to paddle many many more years! > Good news came my way yesterday. My friend and urologist Dr. Iain > McAuley > gave me the news - there was nothing on the scope. This means that after > a > seven month battle I am now cancer free. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> If I continue with the BCG > treatments I can greatly reduce those odds. > > The hard part will be completing the treatments. Only 18% ever see the > treatments through to the very end. Of the 82% that don't complete the > treatments many are forced to quit after developing the TB side affects > associated with BCG. In what's been a third-world country up until recently (very likely, still is) - former Soviet Union - infants are vaccinated with BCG. No significant side effects at that age. Though, their adult cancer rate, if anything, isn't any lower than North American. Too many contributing factors over there... *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Congrats on being free of the big C! And on having the courage to carry on with the BCG. Wishing you many more years of paddling. Philip -----Original Message----- From: hmgwarner <hmgwarner_at_shaw.ca> To: paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net Sent: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 8:17 pm Subject: [Paddlewise] Free At last, Free at last! Good news came my way yesterday. My friend and urologist Dr. Iain McAuley gave me the news - there was nothing on the scope. This means that after a seven month battle I am now cancer free. The flip side of the news is that there remains a one in four chance of the cancer coming back; that's if I do nothing. If I continue with the BCG treatments I can greatly reduce those odds. The hard part will be completing the treatments. Only 18% ever see the treatments through to the very end. Of the 82% that don't complete the treatments many are forced to quit after developing the TB side affects associated with BCG. Others pack it in fed up with the invasive and not very pleasant experience. I've signed up and will resume the treatments in October. I'll have to see how far I can make it down this road. Apologies to my good friend Martin. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Tue, Sep 16, 2008 at 8:17 PM, hmgwarner <hmgwarner_at_shaw.ca> wrote: > Good news came my way yesterday. My friend and urologist Dr. Iain McAuley > gave me the news - there was nothing on the scope. This means that after a > seven month battle I am now cancer free. > > Unlike DougL I am of the opinion that we need all the grizzled old kayakers we can get!!! He will convert to this opinion within a few years, I am pretty sure. After all, it wasn't that long ago that we were encouraging him to stick around long enough to grizzle-up a bit. Great news. Hang in there. Try to look at the continuation of treatments as just another adventure. I draw inspiration from you and Doug and others. :) Craig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Gordin was out with the club on Sunday; he looked liked he had reached a paddling maturity of some signifigance. Not age-related, but experience and intensity related. If you have been paddling long enough you can tell the look; the moves; the attitude - a certain uncanny confidence, a strength of character, a calmness you know can face environmental hardship and the sudden curve balls you get on the water, and certainly a "easability" with paddle and yak and navigational competance that is unmistakable. Not to be a judge of others but, my observations are usually accurate and have some weight of experience behind them.. > >> Good news came my way yesterday. My friend and urologist Dr. Iain >> McAuley >> gave me the news - there was nothing on the scope. This means that after >> a >> seven month battle I am now cancer free. >> >> > Unlike DougL I am of the opinion that we need all the grizzled old > kayakers > we can get!!! He will convert to this opinion within a few years, I am > pretty sure. After all, it wasn't that long ago that we were encouraging > him > to stick around long enough to grizzle-up a bit. > > Great news. Hang in there. Try to look at the continuation of treatments > as > just another adventure. I draw inspiration from you and Doug and others. > :) > > Craig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 9:29 PM, Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> wrote: > > Gordin was out with the club on Sunday; he looked liked he had reached a > paddling maturity of some signifigance. Not age-related, but experience and > intensity related. If you have been paddling long enough you can tell the > look; the moves; the attitude - a certain uncanny confidence, a strength of > character, a calmness you know can face environmental hardship and the > sudden curve balls you get on the water, and certainly a "easability" with > paddle and yak and navigational competance that is unmistakable. Not to be a > judge of others but, my observations are usually accurate and have some > weight of experience behind them.. > Nothing like a little paddle around the Isle of Man to whip a guy into shape, eh? That story is a wonderful read and even better if you, like like I did, follow his trip with Google Earth. The Island has been rendered with pretty decent resolution and with the embedded photos on G. Earth you can get a good feel for where he paddled (and the rest of the Isle of Man). If any reader has not yet looked at Gordin's blog it's at: http://victoriakayaker.blogspot.com/ along with some other good stories. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Doug, You're making me blush. But thanks for the compliment. Gordin ----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Lloyd" <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> To: "Craig Jungers" <crjungers_at_gmail.com>; "hmgwarner" <hmgwarner_at_shaw.ca> Cc: <paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 9:29 PM Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Free At last, Free at last! > > Gordin was out with the club on Sunday; he looked liked he had reached a > paddling maturity of some signifigance. Not age-related, but experience > and intensity related. If you have been paddling long enough you can tell > the look; the moves; the attitude - a certain uncanny confidence, a > strength of character, a calmness you know can face environmental hardship > and the sudden curve balls you get on the water, and certainly a > "easability" with paddle and yak and navigational competance that is > unmistakable. Not to be a judge of others but, my observations are usually > accurate and have some weight of experience behind them.. > >> >>> Good news came my way yesterday. My friend and urologist Dr. Iain >>> McAuley >>> gave me the news - there was nothing on the scope. This means that >>> after a >>> seven month battle I am now cancer free. >>> >>> >> Unlike DougL I am of the opinion that we need all the grizzled old >> kayakers >> we can get!!! He will convert to this opinion within a few years, I am >> pretty sure. After all, it wasn't that long ago that we were encouraging >> him >> to stick around long enough to grizzle-up a bit. >> >> Great news. Hang in there. Try to look at the continuation of treatments >> as >> just another adventure. I draw inspiration from you and Doug and others. >> :) >> >> Craig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Wow, I've been overwhelmed by the response to my post. Thanks to all for your thoughts. About vaccinating children in Russia with BCG. This would be done to combat Tuberculosis. BCG is a mild virus or strain of TB. DON'T READ FURTHER IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH! Using it to treat bladder cancer was developed by a Doctor at Kingston General Hospital in Kingston Ontario about 30 to 40 years ago. What motivated him to pump it into some poor guys bladder is beyond me. But boy am I glad he did. What it does inside the bladder is kill all the living cells, cancerous and healthy ones alike. Since the bladder is like our skin and is constantly renewing itself. You can see how this works. The healthy cells are renewed the cancerous mutated ones killed. After the first treatment you've killed 90% of the cells. After the 2nd you've killed 90% of the remaining cells. this is repeated six times. Three months pass and you're scoped. Then you start all over again but only for three treatments at a time until you've had enough or you complete the regime. BCG is highly contagious which means I have to stay at home for 24 hours after each treatment and shock just about the entire bathroom with bleach. If at any time the BCG should enter the blood stream from the bladder (through a nick or cut from the catheter) then the patient will develop TB like symptoms (High fever and yellow skin are the most common but they can also be far more serious) and the treatments will have to come to an end. Since the catheter is 2 feet long this is a real possibility. These things are called French Catheter's and when I first saw them I asked the nurse if she had anything like a small Japanese subcompact. BCG could also stand for British Columbia Government and I had a standing joke with my first nurse. After the first treatment I told her I was going home to P....s Off the BC government. At the end of the second treatment she'd tell me, "don't you do it. They'll just raise our taxes." Now here's an irony for you I grew up just outside of Kingston and one of my close friends father was the Chief of Surgery at KGH. Dr. Jacobs. was reputedly also Rommels physician in North Africa. Strange world. Gordin Warner *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:50 PDT