This cancer thing won't let go of my family. As I've posted I'm stage IV adrenal cancer. Now my English Bulldog has been diagnosed with a type of melanoma that attacks the bones. He's already had one operation to remove part of his rear foot, but at this moment he is in surgery to remove his whole left hind quarter . The Vet said this aggressive approach should stop it for an extended period of time. He,s already 5 and bullies don't live much past ten on average, but my dogs have always been long lived. We love them like children. At present I have one chocolate. Lab, an old girl of about 12 and a set of English Setter twin boys 4 years old. They were my bird dogs before I got sick. Now they are a little on the heavy side and taken to long knaps in the sun. They still get a run in once in awhile. Then there is my loving English bulldog Winston Tank Churchill II or as we call him "Winnie" If you want a dog that wants nothing more than to be with you and have you love him he's your man. He doesn't mind well, very obstinate ,can't swim( with out his life vest) and claims all dog toys as his own. When he's sick of them then the other dogs can play with them too. But he is the ultimate companion,especially if you like sleeping for about 20 out of 24 hours a day. The vet said he'll be fine with only three legs considering bullies carry 80% of their weight on their front end. It's not that, it's just this cancer that we all have is the devil itself,unrelenting, brutal. How do you answer your teenage daughter when she comes to you in tears wondering why? And when is it all going to stop. My little perfect family of four, plus pets, has turned into a never ending battle against cancer. Ok I'm vented now, Lange ... View more

It's not the long term results of this illness which bring me down each day it's the day by day stuff. I know it wll take me in the end, o.k. Got that. How do you survive the the hour by hour stuff, the day by day stuff and keep going? It is in my face 24/7. I pray, and receive comfort. Than an hour later I'm down again. It's the day to day that is destroying me. What do you do? Lange ... View more

I just found out I'm eligible for a clinical trial in Bethesda Maryland, phase I -2 it is for a drug that is very new and the main reason for the study is to accumulate information on side effects, however it has the possibility of shrinking my tumors. It lasts four months, of which about six weeks of that four months I would be away from home. I have about a year left as I sit right now. I know I have to talk to all my docs about this but how do you know if you should do it? On the one hand I may just be setting myself up for four months of Hell, and still pass away in a year. Or this may be something that gives me more time. I've already had four operations, about a half a dozen procedures, chemo, chemo drugs and am currently having radiation, all in the past year and a half. A lot of people around me are saying " go for it " but they have not fought the battles I have. My wife would support me either way, she has been by my side through it all. I know everyone is different, but I have to finish radiation before they would let me start, so I am taking that time to get as much info and opinions as I can. I know it's hard, but please tell me your opinion on what you would do. ... View more

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this or not. I'm looking for someone else with adrenal cortical carcinoma. There are not that many of us out there. So......kind I've been looking around haven't found anyone yet. I'm stage 4. I don't want to have a big whine fest, I just want to talk to someone who is like me. Like I said I have never met someone with the same diagnosis Winston Churchill, " Never, Never, Never Quit." I survive by this quote, The first thing I asked my first doc, their have been many, as I'm sure with all of you, will I have a chance to fight? She said, Yes. Little did I know what that would entail. ... View more