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| | | From: Colin (Original Message) | Sent: 4/10/2008 4:34 AM |
Aw, shit.... Another update. But it's good news. Yesterday (April 8, 2008), I drove down to the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona to get with my doctor for a routine checkup (and to ask him some questions). Best news is that the doc said that is now exactly six months after finish of my combination of chemo and radiation therapy ended (after my nose removal operation)....and I am doing good...so good that the doc told me without any hesitation that my body is responding perfectly and that I am, at a minimum, 75 percent cured of all cancers in me. He is very satisfied with my progress. Also, I had the doc look at my nasal cavity and tell me what he thought. I asked him that I think cartilage and/or bone is growing out. He told me no. It's not that the bone is growing out. He said that what is happening is that is dead bone...and it is protruding out now because the skin is healthy (and healing more) and is shrinking...which causes that bone to protrude out...as if the body is rejecting it. The doc was able to remove some of it, but the remainder will stay there until the body rejects it or (as the doctor said) skin grows around it and puts it off to the side. The doc told me this is all healthy and my body is responding exactly how it should be. More good news.... I have told the doc (who is an expert at these operations) that I will be getting with him for a nose reconstruction operation. The doctor told me that he would be happy to do it, not to worry about it at all because he has done many of them, it is routine. The doc told me that in six months (which makes it a total of one year past my chemo/radiation therapy completion), he will do the operation then...because at the one year mark, I will have to be certified that the cancer has left my body TOTALLY....which is something I am sure is gonna happen. Because I am gonna knock this shit outta my body...no ifs, ands or buts about it. So, in October 2008, I'm gonna get my nose back....found out my military health insurance will cover it. Even more good news.... The doc down there said he is satisfied with my progress and he don't want to see me for another six months! This is great news because he is confident I'm on the mend...because if he wasn't, I'd be seein' him sooner. Life is good. Colin |
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Happy Thanksgiving to you too Colin. I will pray for you that everything goes as smoothly as planned and that you recognize yourself afterwards  lol. I'm sure you will do fine and we know you are in good hands. |
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hellooooooooooooooooooo i seldom come online nowadays but this morning i was checking email and read your updates that you posted colin--- i am so glad 2 hear that you are cancer free yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa--- heres hoping you have a very merry xmas and the happiest new year -- all is well with me i have been in a relationship and its so odd for me since i had been single for 18 yrs but my fella is such a sweety and we are quite happy it started so unexpectedly and he is the exact opposite of me lol so it makes for some interesting times 2 say the least ha ha |
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Wonderful news, Colin! God bless you. Hugs from me , Cassie xx |
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| | From:  RO§AY | Sent: 11/19/2008 9:58 PM |
HAPPY THANKSGIVING COLIN.... I BET YOU HAVE YOUR ORDER IN FOR A NOSE JUST LIKE RUDLOPH'S LOL SO GLAD THINGS ARE ON THEIR WAY FOR YOU....CANCER FREE IS AWESOME.... FRIDAY THE 21ST ...I WILL BE CANCER FREE FOR 18 YEARS..WOW TIME FLIES I WILL CHECK IN AFTER I RETURN FROM HOSPITAL ..AND CAN GET BACK HOME...HAVING TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT ON DEC 1ST TAKE CARE AND HOPING TO SEE A NEW PIC OF YOU.... HUGS RO§AY AKA CAROL |
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i can just imagiton seeing colin with a red nose like rudolphds lol |
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| | | From: Colin | Sent: 11/21/2008 12:23 AM |
Thanks for the all the kind words. And I wish the best to you Rosay...get it done and recover quickly. I know. I'm supposed to be under the knife today, but the best laid plans of mice and men sometimes go astray. It has been cancelled. Due to circumstances beyond both mine and the doctor's control. I just got back from the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona last night. Kind of a long story, but the main thing is that my surgery for nose reconstruction had to be unavoidably delayed. What happened was that I successfully completed my POME (Pre-Operational Medical Examination), but, in the process, a nurse extracted blood from my right arm. That was the problem. And I didn't know it at the time. Skin from my right inside arm is going to be used to build up a new nose. Because of the wires crossed, the doctor is unable to use this skin now til that minor little puncture from my blood withdrawal is healed. Because it effects the vein and degrades the skin. I guess it's really technical, but that little puncture from drawing blood has to heal first before they can start extracting that tissue for my new nose. Because, according to the doctor, the chances for the success of this has degraded badly because of that. If that vein and skin is healthy, it is a 99 percent chance of success. Now? No. So, I had to call it off and return to Las Vegas. The only good thing is that the trip was not wasted. I found out valuable information about the whole process and the POME is good for six months. So, I won't have to do that again. The doctor is going to reschedule the operation for 10 or 14 days from now. In other words, I just drive down and go right into surgery this time. It was just one of those things. The doctor apologized profusely, and I understand. Because this surgery is not required to be done immediately because this is not life threatening (like it was last time with my cancer removal), especially if the chances for failure are high. Better to wait. And I am patient. I want this to be done right and I want the odds for success in my favor. So does the doctor. So, I will still get a new nose fer Jesus, but it will still be before Christmas. If anyone is interested, I'll keep ya posted. Colin |
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We ARE interested, Colin. You are one of us, man. What happens to you is intrinsically connected to all of us. |
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Yah, Colin. Don't make me come up there and smack ya! We has a needs to nose....errr, know.  |
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| | | From: Colin | Sent: 12/5/2008 8:14 PM |
I got the news yesterday. I report to the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona promptly at 5:30AM on December 29, 2008 for my surgery. I did confirm that it is a 14 day stay at the hospital. So, I'm bringing plenty of books with me to read. Because of the main surgery, monitoring to make sure I heal, follow up surgery cosmetic and allowing time to heal and ensure that infection does not happen is why it takes so long. I'm not worried. This is a cake walk. The drive down to Phoenix from Las Vegas is way more dangerous than this surgery. Compared to what I did before to remove cancer, this is nothing. All this stuff is not life threatening. It's cosmetic and trying to build something back. The only part I don't like is they will again have to stick a tube down my throat during surgery. Which causes extreme soreness in my throat for about a week until it heals. But what the hell...they have to make sure I breathe properly during surgery. I'll work with it and do my damndest to heal quickly. Darnit. Looks like all I want for Christmas is my two front nostrils is not gonna happen. But like Dawnie poop pointed out... It is gonna be a Happy Nose Year! Er.... New Year! I do know that after this is all over with, people are going to be envious of me. Most people go through life with one nose. Well, not too many of you can say they discarded one and got another. Not too many of you can say they had two noses in their lifetime. (smile) Colin |
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| | | From: RO§AY | Sent: 12/31/2008 6:47 AM |
((((((((((((((COLIN))))))))))))))) My thoughths and prayers are with you....hoping to go home this week to ...between the weather and a few minor healrh problems...everyday is better... Please keep in touch and rest while u can Best always....God Bless Ro§ay |
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Love ya Colin Poo...and you are in my prayers...behave yourself with those nurses. |
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| | | From: Colin | Sent: 1/1/2009 6:06 PM |
Another update.... I am at home now. I went to the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona and reported in at about 5:30AM on December 29 for my first surgeries to replace my nose. I am very happy to note that I have a team of doctors working on me. And, they didn't say it to my face, but I have proven to be a challenge to their abilities. I was prepared for surgery and then met with who I called Miss Pink Floyd. The anesthesiologist. She asked why I called her that. I said because I knew she was gonna take me to "The Dark Side of the Moon" and make me "Comfortably Numb." She laughed. Well, anyways, I woke up later. The doctors were huddled around me. They decided to stop the process. Evidently, they wanted to explore the possibility of taking a vein under my right jaw, along with tissue and parts of bone under my jaw, to use to build up my nose. As it turned out, they only did a half cut on me when they realized that this is not enough to complete the process. Mainly because the base part of my nose had so much removed (the part between the base of my nose and upper teeth) that my lip has moved up (from the healing process). This tissue is not enough. They did relieve the pressure by loosing up my skin, moving my lip back down. Plus they cleaned my nasal cavity extensively. So, they stopped this process, stapled me back together. The doctors explained to me that they are now looking at taking tissue from both of my inner arms (between the wrist and elbow joint) and maybe along with cartilage from behind my ear to start the process again. I stayed down at the hospital there for one day and they released me. They did give me an annual flu shot for free though. I'm back home now. I'm staying at home and healing right now. Seems I have caught somewhat of a cold. And for me this is a sort of messy problem. I can't blow my nose like you all can. I have to try to flush it and keep it as clean as possible. Well, anyways, I am better now and the cold is going away. Next Tuesday (January 6), I go back down and get my staples removed. I will find out more about where we are going from here from the doctors. I am not worred at all. I am very content that the doctors are exploring every avenue available to them to make sure this is a success and they are very, very careful. So, right now, I kind of feel like I'm standing there in the middle of a raging thunderstorm and I'm howling back at in anger. But I'm NOT giving up. I WILL get this done. NOTHING will stop me from getting back to leading a normal life. Colin |
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A little delay in the plans.... So do they put an inflatable ballooon thingy under the skin in your arm to stretch out the skin that they want to remove and use? Hope the cold doesn't hang on too long, Colin.   |
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| | | From: mellow | Sent: 1/2/2009 2:20 AM |
 WELL ITS PROGRESS EVEN IF THE PACE IS SLOWER THAN EXPECTED BUT GETTING LOOSE LIPS MAKES IT EASIER WHEN YOU GET READY TO PUCKER UP OR LESS SLOBBERING |
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