Some Important Savageamusement News - Please Note
 

As many know I try to take care of the social aspects here, some contests- the chain reactions and such...
Along with Kevin we run the board- and through this site, and the years of trading I have made some great friends. Most of the people I deal with here, I consider good friends, much more than just a 'trader'

So, when I have had wonderful news, such as expecting my son, then my daughter this site was one of the first places I updated, to share such news.

Sadly, I have to share bad news in this post.
I have been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, neurofibrosarcomas, is what I have---a type of cancer that attacks soft tissue and the nerves. It is aggressive, and this week I will be heading into surgery for its removal-

That being said, it will be followed with radiation therapy and obviously this will affect my life-

I do plan on maintaining all I do around here, but I wanted to be honest and upfront with everyone as there may be delays or lapses in my replies.

For those who are of a spiritual nature, I humbly ask for your prayers.


Hopefully, this will be fought quickly and with the same amount of determination I have-and this will be something I survived, and I talk about in 40 years...

I am so sorry to learn of this. I will pray for you and your family. Al

best wishes

Please, take care of yourself.

I will pray for you and your family!

oh gosh, i'm sorry to hear about this. i wish you the best of luck with your treatment.

Thank you
 

Thanks for the wishes and prayers....
My Dr will be scheduling surgery today, for Saturday. Hoping they can remove everything....and that everything goes well.

Like I said in my PM to you Kim ... it's not fair. Why us?

I don't even know what to say anymore. Prayers, wishes, luck, sorry, feel bad, etc ... but at some point the words are so hollow feeling to me. Don't get me wrong, the words of others provides great comfort -- and thank you to you all! -- but they still do not override the daily worries. It's not a good feeling. We're still so helpless to do anything, so afraid of the unknown future.

I know Kim, I know.
I've been there, and I'm still there.

What I do know is that you're strong, you're a fighter, you never quit. You'll need that.

Godspeed. :)

So stunned to hear your news Kim. We will be praying for your speedy recovery.

I sure will be praying for you.

May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.

You know how I feel my dearest Kim.

Kim, i'm sorry to hear such horrible news. I wish you all the best in fighting and beating this, plus my prayers are with you and your family.

I also want to say that all of us here on the board are grateful for what you (and Kevin) are doing, and we naturally care about you both and hope that you survive through this and also a speedy recovery.

As you fight through this just remember each day is a day of steady progress. Persevere.

Best wishes on your surgery, and also on your recovery.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. God bless

Went to a specialist out of Loyola- he ordered more tests, and another biopsy.

Meeting with him Monday, hopefully there is good news and good treatment options. Going to be a long weekend either way.

Sorry to hear this sad news:(

Get well soon Kim:)

*Fingers crossed*

Okay..so we have a verdict. My Dr sent me to the hospital, radiology had me talk to oncology due to the results of the MRI- the oncologist sent me to a specialist. The specialist sent me for more tests, and was baffled- fielded those results out to Loyola, who ran more tests. And Loyola contacted a lliaison at the Mayo clinic.

Here is the result.
I have RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis)
Due to that, I had surgery on my foot years ago, to remove nodules that formed on the top of the foot-
They were attatched to the bone, so the surgery was difficult and left scar tissue.
Over the last several years of getting fitter, I removed a lot of the excess fat and padding that area had- and the scar tissue was rubbing, irritating the bone and surrounding area.

My body formed spurs from the irritation, but I never felt it- because when they did the surgery, I lost feeling of the nerves along the top.
The spurs, formed from calcium and protein, as well as bone- had very little space, and therefore a cyst began to form around the area, for protection.
Well, I saw the cyst, and it got very large quickly- because I have been working out more, losing more- and been very active.

The results of the MRI' and XRays are designed to show the difference of mass versus fluid, in the case of cysts, or matter- and the reading showed a hard firm mass- so the conclusion was a tumor.
The fluid biopsy shows cancerous cells, however this is why the rest of the testing was very confusing- as well as my symptoms.

So bottom line, my foot is getting thinner, and the area is irritated by the spurs, the cyst will remain as long as that irritation remains.
But given the cells are deemed cancerous, it is in the best interest not to invade the area, preform surgery or alter the area. Another surgery would add scar tissue, to an already irritated area.

The liasison from Mayo said he could not fault the previous diagnosis because according to the scans, it looks like a hard solid mass. But in reality it is calcified matter, and spurs surrounded by fluid.

I will continue to have pain, and limited flexibility, but that sure as hell beats losing my foot, or my life to cancer.


A thoroughly scary week I have had....and I consider myself blessed that I was able to pull through with a positive (somewhat) diagnosis.

I can't thank everyone enough for the positive thoughts and energy that was shared with me. I am a true believer in positive thinking and positive energy- so thank you all. I feel blessed and grateful to have so many in my life that took time to include me in their prayers, and share kind words.

(big group hug)

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That about sums it up my dear.

That's still not great, but MUCH better than it sounded initially. At least you know what it is.

(So Kim, trying to get back in a bikini? :p )

All things considered, excellent news!

Hang in there! Prayers for you and family!