All,

We are a majority of mostly men with a penchant for great audio.

As a MAN, I want to pass on something that I am currently dealing with. My Dad recently watched a commercial on TV with an older gentleman talking about men getting breast cancer too. He spoke of an easy exam and speaking with a doctor should any lump be discovered.

Later that night, my Dad did an exam on himself and found a lump about the size of a pecan on the left side of his chest. He visited a local doctor who performed a needle biopsy on it which came back negative. Upon a subsequent visit to the VA Hospital in Dallas, they removed the lump at their suggestion and had it sent off for biopsy.

My Dad called me on Friday evening last and informed me that he had breast cancer! Yes, Breast Cancer! The biopsy had come back malignant. I will subsequently be driving him to Dallas early this Thursday morning to the VA Hospital in Dallas to have the breast muscle removed and seed radiation injections performed followed by three to four days of observation. They are trying to determine if there is more cancer.

My long-winded story is to pass along the advice that if you are Male to examine yourself (NO MATTER YOUR AGE)! And have any unknown lump investigated by a doctor! It has been just over two years since we lost my Mom to cancer and now my Dad has it too.

If you believe in God, please pray for my Dad...His name is John Furrer as well as for my family.

I don't want to lose my Dad nor any friends due to my not speaking aloud about this.

It's your life...take care of it...it's the only one you get.

Thanks,

WhatFurrer

I am so sorry to hear of your Dads illness.I hope and pray he will have a total recovery from this.Thank you for sharing your story.

My prayers are with your Dad and entire family.God bless.

Steve - my best wishes to you and your father is in my prayers.

Ray

wow...sorry to hear that. I'm not a praying man, but my thoughts are certainly with you and your family. I hope everything turns out ok.

Sorry to hear that. Hope he recovers fully.

Steve:
I'm sorry to hear about your dad... As difficult as it might be after losing your mom to cancer, try to remember that a positive attitude really can help!

M

Sorry to hear your news, your dad and your family will be in my thoughts.

Wayne

Your dad and family will be in my thoughts. I hope he has a full recovery.

jr

Steve, I'm not religious, but my thoughts will be with your Dad, you, and your family. If there is a Deity, he will hear what is in my heart. Courage, my friend.

Steve, and John;
Steve, you and your father Will be in our prayers-we have a number of others in our extended family in similar situations, who are getting better, our prayers have a reasonably good track record-We're all with you in this time of need.

God Bless all of you.
Rich and Family.

Steve
Sorry to hear about your dad, he will be in my prayers today and every day till we hear good news.

Prayers are with you. Thank you for thinking of all of us as you deal with this.

Mark

Steve, very sorry to hear of your father's situation. Our prayers here and at Mass will be with him so that God grants him and your family strength in this time of trial.

Sorry to hear, Steve.

Let him give 'em hell.

Bren R.

Steve,
I sincerely hope everything turns out well with your dad.

Steve, my thoughts are with you and your father.

Steve, It's been along time since my last post as I have been busy and distracted with many things of late. I do however try maintain a feel for the Axiom pulse.

I had planned my next post would be of my impressions of my new system but if there is any good reason to post it is certainly
for this. I too, along with the others, want to convey my deepest wish to you and your father that all turns out well.

Thank for you sharing and the heart felt advice.

My best of wishes for you both at this difficult time.

Michael

Early detection - taking the time to put ourselves first every now and again - can be a life-saver. I am so glad your father took the time and did the exam. We're thinking of you all and sending all the good energy we can your way.

Steve,
Our sincerest thoughts are with you and your family.
TjB

steve- i am a ditto to everything that has been said.

take comfort that he found it early, and has started the process to recovery.

your family will be in my prayers.

bigjohn

Sorry to hear about your father. My wife, daughter,and I have been going through the same thing for the last year. My 37 year old wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago January. She has been through 2 round of chemo, masectomy, and reconstructive surgery. Her last reconstructive surgery is this Friday.

Recovery is a long and difficult time depending on treatment. I think the most important thing is to stay strong. Your father and family will get through it.

My thoughts are with you, your father and your family.

Scott

Everyone,

Thanks for all the thoughts, prayers and words of encouragement. It is times like these in which this forum proves itself to be more than people talking audio and speakers, it is more like a family.

My Dad has a positive attitude about this and that is a very good thing. He told me last night that he was glad I would be accompanying him on Thursday...As eldest, I feel that is my duty.

Scott,

I am also sorry to hear of your wife's struggle with cancer. I can only imagine that it is much, much more difficult to deal with for a woman. You, your wife and your family will be included in our prayers as well. I pray God grant you peace and courage.

Thanks again to all and I will keep you updated as I get it.

This place is great!

Steve

My thoughts and prayers will be with you and your father

Sorry, I'm a bit late, but....... you, and your father have my prayers as well.

May God bless.

Larry


Larry

Steve and Scott,

Thanks to both of you for sharing your struggles. Having conversations about these things helps put our lives in perspective, and provides us the opportunity to pause and reflect upon the moments of joy within our daily existence. You are firmly in my thoughts and prayers. We have to do our best to take care of each other - that's why God put us here.

- Tom

Sorry to hear about your dad. Our thoughts and prayers are w/ you and your family.

Steve, thanks for sharing this and prayers out to your father.

Scott, you all will be in our prayers also, hang in there!

Everyone,

My Dad had his surgery on Thursday afternoon...It was a very, very long day...Any of you who have had to deal with a VA hospital know what I mean.

I finally heard news about my Dad's status about 6:00 PM Thursday evening. The doctors told me that he had done very well during the surgery and that they removed 6 lymph nodes...one of which had the radioactive tracer dye predominantly shown. This lymph node is the one through which the muscle in which the tumor was found was draining. They removed the left breast muscle much to my Dad's dismay...he thought they would not have to take it. He was awake and joking around after the surgery wishing he had a Whopper from Burger King (one of his favorite places to eat). He is in great spirits and is positive about the outcome. They released him on Friday afternoon (instead of Sunday) and by 3:30 was home checking on his cattle.

The only thing left now is to await the biopsy of the lymph node which had the tracer dye show up in it. It will be a week before we know more. If it comes back negative, according to the doctors, we are done. If it comes back positive, they will schedule another surgery to remove the remaining lymph nodes under his left arm (30 or more) and possibly consider chemotherapy.

As of last check, he has not had to take any pain medication and is generally acting like nothing has taken place. He favors his left arm a bit, but wouldn't you?

Please continue to remember him in your prayers to the effect that the biopsy is negative.

Thanks again for all the thoughts and prayers...Prayer DOES work wonders.

Thanks again to everyone who has expressed concern and words of encouragement.

Warmest Regards,

Steve

Good news, Steve. I'm glad to hear your father is doing well. I hope everything continues going in the right direction.

Sean

Thinking of him, and your whole family, Steve.

Steve,
I am just catching up on this post.
My prayers go out to your father and your family.
My mother had breast cancer back in the early 80's.
She went ten years after surgery and then had treatment(s) due to new developments (cancer).
Here we are 20+ years later and she is still kicking a$$ on the golf course in her 80's!
My Father had prostate cancer 1 1/2 years ago. He has a clean bill of health now.
A word of advice for you guy's: get those 'psa' tests done if you are in your forties. It could save your life down the road.

You got it, Steve;
Prayers shifting to the bioposy mode-glad to hear of the good news thus far and will be pushing for even better results.

Rich and Family.

Steve,

Glad to hear your father is doing well. Hope the news is good regarding the lymph node biopsy. My wife Lorie had no lymph node involvement and I hope the same can be said for your father.

Lorie had her reconstructive surgery Friday morning. I know what you mean by a long day. Left home at 0545 and returned home at 5pm. She is at home and is very sore. We are now done with surgeries. She is scheduled to have her battery of tests here soon, one year after initial diagnoses. I hope everything continues to go well.

I hope your dad's results are good and wish him a speedy recovery.

Scott

Steve,

Just found this thread, like most of the others, I'll keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers. Great to hear your dad has a positive attitude, that helps a lot.

Randy

Steve and Scott - so glad to see that things are moving
in the right direction for both of you!!

You are both in our prayers.

Steve,
great to hear that your Dad is in good spirits - that will serve him quite well. Here's hoping the tests confirm things are ok.
Scott,
Good luck and hopefully things continue to work out well. I have full appreciation for what a long year that can be - my girlfriend's grandmother just finished her chemo this week about 6 months after being diagnosed with cancer. It was pretty scary as her son had died just 3 years earlier.

Scott and Ray,

Thank you for your thoughts. Support from friends and family has been a blessing the last year. During Chemo we had food provided from friends. The hundreds of cards received boosted my wife's spirits as well as the flowers we received. I believe that my wife knowing she has a lot of people that care about her has made the last year easier to bear.

I certainly hope that no one here has to experience anything like this.

Scott

All,

Our prayers have been answered!

I apologize for not getting back to you all sooner, but the biopsy came back for my Dad's suspect lymph node and the Doctor gave him a CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH!

He has been released to go back to work (he already has ) and has been told that he can go back to using his arm again (with stretching and some weight lifting).

My Dad turned 76 on Tuesday and he was given this great news on Wednesday!

We all cried a great deal knowing that (for now) cancer is one thing we do not have to worry about with him...

I want to thank all of you for the prayers and positive thoughts on behalf of my entire family.

May God Bless each one of you.

Thanks again for being family.

Steve

Steve,

That is great news,tell your dad happy birthday for me

OH THANK HEAVEN! A little GOOD NEWS goes a long way, and is always welcome.

All the best to your Dad and family. It's suddenly a lovely spring isn't it?

Very glad to hear your good news about your dad.

That is good news, indeed. My father has been struggling with congestive heart failure for the past couple years. I fear that he is not getting better.

that's great to hear Steve!

Good news, Steve. I'm glad all is well.

I just read this thread for the first time today. I usually don't look on this board....

I'm glad to here you're father kicked the big C in the nuts. I'm also greatful that you shared this. I had absolutely no idea men could get breast cancer.

Great to hear that your father is going to be alright Steve. And a happy belated B-Day to him from Saskatoon.

So glad to hear it. Take care!

Steve, thank you so much for sharing the good news! Very pleased to hear it.

Great news!!

So...whatelse did he get for his birthday?

As usual I'm a little late to read and post but I'm glad to hear your father is ok Steve. I've been fortunate in that cancer has never really touched any of my family or close friends, at least til recently. I started dating a girl in December last year and she had always had a problem with cysts and in January they found out that she had cancer. She had surgery and has been receiving chemo since then that will continue for several months. Hopefully she will be OK. Her outlook on life is extraordinary considering what she's going through. As a side note yesterday one of my best friends got married and in order to see the bride and groom kiss you had to make a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society collection box. I've never seen that at a wedding before, a great idea I think.

Steve, great to hear the news which is so good for your father and your entire family.

I do believe in the power of prayer and we have had a number of people in our church healed of cancer (through prayer & medicine). I know everyone does not get healed (something none of us understands) but I will certainly keep your dad & family in prayer.