Oncologist . . .

A while back while at my Cardiologist I commented about the bruise blotches on my arms and the easy bleeding I have been experiencing from my lower arms.  So my Cardiologist referred me to the Oncologist to do a platelet study of sorts.

Well I had the appointment with the Oncologist and the first thing she said was, "You are old and have had a life time of sun exposure and your skin is reflecting that experience.  The splotches or bruises are perfectly normal of a person of your age."  In other words, you do not have a problem with your skin.

But her expertise was in Hematology - blood.  So she had me bled, that is did a series of blood tests one of which one was platelet oriented.  And one of the tests could only be read at their big lab in downtown Fort Worth.  So the tech said go to this address, I will forward the request and they will do all the blood work.  So I charged off to Fort Worth medical district and to their lab/central office for the Oncology Group.  I found the place easily and parked.

Up to the second floor I went and at the desk, the attendant said, "Yes, we got the request.  Have a seat and we will call you for the blood drawing."  That took about 20 minutes.  I saw at least five of six people go into the area where they were doing the blood drawing.  And in I went and they took four vials of blood out of me.  Sort of a continuing operation.

I had a follow up appointment with the Oncologist and got the results.  She said you are "extraordinarily normal."  There were no platelet issues to worry about.  She smiled and said, "Out you go, no need for further testing."

So I trooped out to the front desk and they did something I thought was strange.  They took a picture of me.  The clerk alleged it was done to be able to remember who I was.  I am sure they do that to all their patients that go into remission except I did not have any remission to worry about.  I had no signs of cancer.

That is a big thing with me.  My father and my grandmother both died of breast cancer.  My father alone had four different bouts with cancer.  In his middle ages he had skin cancer on his lip and on his cheek, both were treated with radiation.  He had smoked but only cigars and a pipe.  He of course quite smoking.

Many years later he had the bain of all men, Prostate cancer.  That was taken care off and he had no more problems in that area.  Then in his mid 70's he developed a sore on his left arm and examination confirmed it was Melanoma.  Of course this is his third go round with cancer and second time with Melanoma.  They dug out all the cancer cells in that area and remove a couple of lymph nodes which were negative.  That incision healed, big scar but healed over.

Later when he was 80 they doctor repaired a hernia, hiatal hernia, common in older men.  But while examining him, found a lump in his breast.  That lump turned out to be breast cancer.  And he had a radial mastectomy removing his breast.

Some years later he complained of not having enough energy to complete a round of golf even though he used an electric golf cart in his play.  The doctor did a biopsy on his arm thinking he may have bone cancer.  That turned out to be negative but they discover cancer cells going in to do the biopsy.  They were breast cancer cells.  The diagnosis was terminal breast cancer.  He passed away seven or eight months later.

The scary part is that the lower Mississippi River Valley from Natchez to the Gulf of Mexico has the highest incidence of cancer in the US.  It is common in that area.  I am sure of two things, the first is all the exercise I did in the military and later in my life forestalled any serious heart disease.  Yes, I have heart disease probably part hereditary and probably part exposure to Agent Orange in Viet Nam.  But all the exercise kept in good shape.  The other is that after the age of 21 years I moved away from Louisiana and the Mississippi Valley.  At first it was only to Alexandria, LA but I was really there for less than a year, the other time spent in Viet Nam.  After that I was Germany, then Virginia, Korea, California, Ohio, back to Germany and finally I retired in California.  After I retired, it was California, New Mexico and Texas.  All I have done since then is visit Louisiana briefly.

So I was confident I would not show up in this recent span of time with cancer and I am well beyond when my father started having cancer issues.  I guess there is something good about left home on career jaunts well away from the source what ever it is.  And I have been all over Europe, Asia and Africa.  But no cancer as of now, 78 years of age.

Ultimately it is healthy living and exercising that has protected me so far.  Yes, diet changes, better medicine and host of scientific improvements have all helped.  But no cancer - hooray!