Paul's Heart

Life As A Dad, And A Survivor

Archive for the category “The Heart”

04 Oct 2018
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I Am Glad I Did, Or Glad I Did Not


This year marked my 35th year high school graduation.  To be honest, I never thought I would be around to say that.  To be honest, I never thought I would see it.  Sadly, I will not be able to attend the reunion for several reasons, but not because of what you are about to read.

As I said, I am not travelling back home for the reunion of my graduating class, but that has not stopped me from reading and participating in the chatter as my former classmates prepare for what will be a memorable and fun gathering, and for those fortunate enough, a great weekend.

A classmate who admittedly though I recall, yet never knew, provided me with something I often need here, to get me to write when I have writer’s block, a prompt.  And she has prompted quite a few entertaining conversations.  But this one really struck me.  She wrote about an event in her life, that could have ended very tragically, had she not done things differently.  She was also thankful for those who had chosen their paths, because they made a difference in saving her life.  So with that, here is my post.

I am glad I…

went for six second opinions when I was told I had cancer, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  Talk about major denial.  I was convinced I had a sports injury and only until I saw that 7th doctor, was I convinced that I needed to deal with cancer, head on.  Why was I glad?  Because up until that moment, I was a healthy twenty-two year old, who refused to accept and believe what I was faced with.  I would have died.

I am glad I did not…

go through with more radiation treatments.  As far back as the mid 90’s, very little was known by medicine as to the true damage done by radiation therapy, or should I say, the extreme amount of radiation therapy patients were exposed to.  Even today, it is not taken completely seriously by everyone except for those who work in radiation-related fields, or long term survivors like myself.

Originally I was treated with 4000 grays of ionized radiation, followed by chemo therapy.  By the 4th cycle, I was pronounced in remission, but necessary to go through with the full 6 cycles.  After, I was to choose between an extra 2 cycles of chemo, or another round of radiation as preventative therapy.  I figured that as I was already going through chemo, what the hell was 2 more months of it?  Little did I know what would happen to me, or rather, not happen to me because of that decision.

I am glad I…

reached out to my primary doctor in April of 2008 about a nagging “chest tightness” that  I had been experiencing four months already.  And I am really glad she made the decision and call herself, to order a nuclear stress test, not something done on a health 42 year old.  Had she left it up to me to make the appointment, instead of being seen just days later, I probably would have been scheduled weeks later.  And I most likely would be dead.

I am glad I did not…

walk out of the cardiologist office, never to return.  He had given me news that I was not prepared for, and honestly, made as much sense as telling me I had cancer.  It could not be.  Having that appointment scheduled as soon as it was, got me put on a table to undergo emergency life saving open heart surgery for a “widow maker” bypass.  And the name is not a joke.  You die when you have this type of blockage.  As my cardiologist told me, I am the “luckiest man alive to have prevented his fatal heart attack from happening, not if, but when.” (see my page “CABG – Not Just A Green Leafy Vegetable.”

It was discovered that the radiation therapy that I was exposed to, was the cause of this damage to the main artery, blocking it 90%.  As I mentioned earlier, I opted for more chemo instead of radiation.  If you mention the amount of radiation I was exposed to, like many of my fellow survivors, to radiation techs, nuclear power plant operators, or anyone with knowledge, they will tell you this amount of exposure is horrific.  And yet, I know people who were exposed to more, even double what I was exposed to.  I can only imagine what I would be dealing with had I opted for more radiation as my health issues from both my chemo and radiation treatments are bad enough.

I am glad I…

reached out for support, not just from doctors who at the time did not know about us long term survivors and all the complications we face, but from other survivors.  It is these other survivors, who steered myself, and others to get the help we need.  It was this support that took me to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where I met the doctor that would make a promise to me, to help me manage (these issues cannot be reversed) all the complications that I faced today.  Today, the things I have learned have been passed on to my doctor who now has more knowledge to help me survive hopefully for decades to come.

I am glad I did not…

walk away from what I faced, 30 years ago next month.  Not only is it my 35th year graduating from high school, but I am approaching 30 years since my diagnosis.

I am glad I…

made the decisions that I did during my life as a cancer survivor.  It has made me the fighter that I am today.  I had to.  I faced three more life threatening events related to my treatments since my cancer days, emotionally and physically, my decisions, intuition, and determination I believe is why I am still here today.  The hard part for me though, is even as I can express my appreciation for surviving this long, my heart aches for everyone that I have met throughout my life, fellow cancer patients and survivors who have not been as fortunate.  It is a guilt that I carry every day.  Why them?  Why not me?  What was so different?  Why could not they be given the chance I was?

Ultimately though, and thank you to my high school classmate,

I am glad I…

got this chance…

 

Posted in Cancer, Education, Family and Friends, Inspired By..., Recreation, Side Effects, The Heart
07 Sep 2018
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Talking To Children About Cancer


My children were long from even being thought of when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  But once I had to begin dealing with the late developing side effects from the treatments that I received for my cancer, actually forced to deal with these side effects, even though my daughters were quite young, I had a decision to make.

It was over 10 years ago, my daughters, then aged 3 and 5, had no choice.  They were now aware that their Dad, had at one time, faced cancer.  Though their immediate attention was the fact that I just had open heart surgery to repair long term damage from excessive radiation to my heart as part of my cancer treatments.

Later on in elementary school, my daughters would take up causes for “Hodgkin’s Lymphoma” because their dad had it.  It was cute.  Though they really did not have a concept of just how serious my situation was, they knew Hodgkin’s was a cancer, and I had beaten it.  And up until that time, that is all that I had told them.

As a counselor, I have often been asked, “when is the right time to tell a child?”  The truth is, there never is a right time.  No matter what the issues, a child should always be left to be a child.  There will be plenty of time for a child to act and talk like a grown-up.  Unfortunately, not when it comes to cancer, or any other serious diagnosis.  Which is why, it is so important that you remember, they are children, even if faced with the fact that their parent (or other loved one is facing such a horrible disease).  Keep the information on a level that they can understand, and without the somber tone of drama often associated with talking about cancer.

Kids will get it.  They understand a lot more than we give them credit for.  And let’s face it, times are a lot different from decades ago, when a cancer diagnosis was a definite death sentence.  With social media, survivors are available to give hope, where once there was none.

As I mentioned, my daughters are all too aware how I got to this point of survivorship in my life.  They are not aware of all the details of my health issues that I face.  Over the summer, we began the discussion that I did not know how to begin, that I had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Again, keeping it at a level of understanding for young teens, they learned that it lasted a period of time of over a year and a half.  They learned that I went through chemotherapy and radiation.  And now they have learned that it was those treatments that caused the many health issues I face today.

So, in summary so far, they have learned that I have been around a long time having faced a deadly disease.  Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is considered a “rare” cancer, and thus, often hard to diagnose.  How rare?  According to the American Cancer Society, just over 5,000 new cases get diagnosed every year.  Compared to over 320,000 breast cancer diagnosis every year in women (according to breastcancer.org).  And there are over 140,000 cases of colon and rectal cancer diagnosed every year according to the ACS.

Oddly, the survival rate for Hodgkin’s is one of the higher rates, at around 86%.  One would think that a cure rate would be higher for a more prevalent cancer, but in the case of Hodgkin’s, it is not.  The unfortunate thing about the survival rate for Hodgkin’s, is that it has stayed around this number since 1988, when I was diagnosed.  There are still 14% that do not survive.  How is it possible, to be so close to a 100% curable cancer, things have not improved?  Sure, newer treatments have been discovered, and some may be safer to use, but yet, the survival rate has remained the same.

In a year and a half, I will hit my 30 year mark of survivorship.  My daughters are very aware of how far I have come now.  As one of my daughters has put it, “you are a fighter.  You always have been to me.  You don’t give up.  You will always be one of the strongest people I will ever know.”

Posted in Adoption, Cancer, Education, Family and Friends, Inspired By..., Side Effects, The Heart
05 Sep 2018

Counting Down To 30 Years


This picture is more than 30 years old.  In fact, as I am reminded by an invitation to my school class reunion, it is actually 35 years old.

But as the clock on this page states, I am approaching 30 years cancer free of Hodkgin’s Lymphoma.  In fact, I will hit that huge milestone in exactly 18 months.

And so, as I approach this milestone, over the next year and a half, I know that I will spend a lot of time personally reflecting on the path I took from discovery, to diagnosis, to treatment, to remission.

Of course, waaaaaay back in the early 1980’s, no one ever thought of turning their cameras backwards to take a picture of themselves, today referred to as a “selfie.”  And no one as far as I knew, never really thought of photodocumenting their cancer journeys.  You have to realize, as late as the 1980’s, at least as far as I was concerned, cancer was a death sentence, no matter what type of cancer it was.  The last thing on my mind was taking a picture of me, on a path to my demise.

And so, there are no photos of me during my time dealing with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  Fortunately, I have a lot of my records, and those are things that I will most likely publish to demonstrate just how far we’ve come.  To my knowledge, and if I find them before that 30th year milestone, there are only 3 photos taken of me during this time.  One, a photo for a church directory.  A second, a candid photo of me resting on my couch.  And finally, my current driver’s license taken during the middle of my chemotherapy treatments.  That I know for a fact will never see the light of day, because I was so adamant when I saw the photo, I never wanted to remember that time period again.

I have experienced so many things over my survivorship, some good, some not so good, and some awful and tragic.  But the fact is, I would not have changed anything that has got me here today.

I know so many survivors today, personally who have a lengthier longevity than I do.  And it means so much for me to have someone to chase after as far as longevity.  But I also realize my role for all of my “newbie” and “younger” survivors, and I hope some day that you all can enjoy similar memories and happiness, and of course the longevity that I have for all these years.

And a quote that I have used so many times in writings I have done…

“As I continue down the road of remission, I will keep looking in my rear view mirror to make sure that you are still following me.  And if you are not on that road, hurry up!  It’s a great ride!”

Posted in Cancer, Education, Family and Friends, Inspired By..., Side Effects, The Heart | Leave a comment

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