Please pray for me

P T Schram

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January 10, told it was cancer

I have 13 more radiation treatments and three more chemo.

So far, I have tolerated the chemo well, but the radiation has destroyed my mouth and I'm having a hard time getting enough nutrition in spite of my wife having gotten me a really high calories supplement.

I'm not as active here as I was when I had the Snap-On route (I had a lot of time to surf back then-LOL) but found myself here again trying to pass the time as surfing is about all I have energy to do. Which is killing me as I have another 80% AR in the vise of my mill and need to finish it so I can move on to other projects.

My doctors keep telling me I'll make it, but it's a long rough road ahead yet.
AND, vaccinate your kids for HPV, it is what caused my cancer!

Thanx for letting me play in your sandbox guys, I like it here where I'm one of the old guys who has done a lot of what's under discussion
 
Hang in there, Mr Schram. More and more folks are beating the Big C every day, and I'm guessing you're some man of fortitude to begin with! Be strong, and there's a ton of great guys here to help take your mind off things.

Best of luck.

-frank

Edit: forgot to mention, I got a sweet set of Snap On screwdrivers for my 16th birthday. Still got em too nearly 40 years later -- love those things! Nicest screwdrivers I've ever owned.
 
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Prayers sent, PT. Your nutrition is critical and yes, radiation can cause painful sloughing of the tissues, making eating really tough. Have you and your doctors discussed a Gastrostomy Tube (G-tube) to temporarily maintain you during your treatment period? Something to consider.

I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, and we'll all hope for a speedy recovery.
 
Prayers sent, PT. Your nutrition is critical and yes, radiation can cause painful sloughing of the tissues, making eating really tough. Have you and your doctors discussed a Gastrostomy Tube (G-tube) to temporarily maintain you during your treatment period? Something to consider.

I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, and we'll all hope for a speedy recovery.

Thank you for the kind words.

My mouth is sunburned on the inside (really, it's textbook radiation poisoning) and not much I can do but hope my taste buds grow back once the treatments end


I'm avoiding the feeding tube at all costs and am gonna suffer through the lack of appetite by forcing myself to consume as many calories as I can. I can easily,eat 1000 calories and as sedentary as I am, that will slow weight loss, but I need another 500-1000 to gain

It's hard to not become horribly depressed, but it is much better than the alternative which wouldn't be far off given how quickly,the tumors grew from the size of a grain of rice Lat September to tennis ball sized by January
 
You need about 1500 calories just to stay alive, even in a sedentary state. 1,000 calories daily will result in continued weight loss and you'll get weaker. Your call on the G-tube but it is a very good option for the short term and will help you to heal faster because your body will have the nutrition it needs to do that.

You have a choice: you can let this depress you or you can fight by doing all you can to help your body heal. As horrendous as oropharyngeal cancers are, the prognosis is actually pretty good if you treat it aggressively (sounds like your doctors are on it) and maintain your nutrition. There may be topical meds to help with the throat pain as well. The throat tissues will usually heal pretty quickly once the radiation is done (by quickly, I mean a month or so). Until then, you need the calories ...

So, you can step up or lie down. We are all pulling for you but the choice is yours.
 
I had same cancer 5 years ago.stage 4 before my hard headed ass went to Doctor. Had radiation Monday thru Friday.chemo every Tuesday.for 16 weeks.had port in chest for chemo.all doctors insisted I had g tube installed.i was against it but did it..if I didn't I wouldn't made it.within 2-3 weeks food including water.ice cream tasted like hair balls.even with tube went from 240 (was240 for 40 years) to 156 by week 16..about 4-5 weeks after treatments I ate something..ritz crackers and salsa..it was wonderful..I'm saying all this to let you know you are going to beat this..please keep a fighting attitude..you might wish you had g tube if you're having lots of treatments.hope you're not..half the battle is a very strong attitude about kicking this in the rear end..I pictured God on a cloud throwing lighting bolts ( big ones) at cancer cells..5 years later I'm up to 200 pounds.eat 5 times a day. I'm always hungry..YOU will beat this.please get and keep a strong and positive attitude.sorry for long post.you post hit home...eat everything while you can..
 
Keeping positive is the hardest thing, keep your family in mind they want and need you more then you think. I was pretty much dead in 09 from massive pulmonary embolism. I too didn't go right away till the next day , I was a really big man and lost over a hundred pounds within that year.
I use to buy lots of snap on tools my toolbox cost twice what I paid for my first new car a 1974 road runner. I've long out grown it and have other boxes too. Ill be praying for you , keep the fight strong force yourself to eat and keep fluids moving . Many times the weakness is worse then the chemo . Your on my prayer list and ill diligently keep you there were like brothers as machinist and you and I like gunsmithing I've got four are builds to do one from raw casting . I'm looking to do a 762-39 , 300 blackout, 458 and an undecided possible pistol caliber.
We can kabitz about guns anytime. I've hunted and shot and lived for the love of guns.
Now I'm laid up going on two plus years from back pain. Waited a year just for an appointment to a good surgeon to be turned away to pain management turned away from four more of them .
If patients a virtue I most be a saint. But you'll get thru it just like I will out do this pain . Keep busy in mind use this place part of every day , don't be afraid to ask for help , we all need it , ill do my best to.
Dear father in heaven you see us all , our true hearts are known to you alone. I pray father to ask for your Devine interaction in this cancer invading my brother here. We beg for relief from the battle being fought in his body , please grant his desires to be with his family where he is needed. In the name of your son Jesus who died for our sins so long ago. Amen father and thank you Lord God .
 
P.T. Prayers will be said for you brother, The Lord will be with you , As will myself, and the brothers on the forum , Try also and keep your mind on mechanical things occasionally to get yourself away from the misery for a little while, We are also praying for the Lord to give wisdom to your doctors in this battle.
 
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