Diagnosed with stage 4 cancer - the long winding road it has become

[Sepia]

One thing that is getting to me is the inability to cycle.

I think it is time to get on the spinning bike as I am losing a lot of muscle mass. Tomorrow I will be at the hospital again to get sutures removed from the port site.

And one thing I must say of cancer warriors, we support each other. It is weird, but we see each other every second week, and just the positivity among the warriors are infectious. Cansa asked me where I wanted to die. At a hospice or at my folks in Bronkhorstspruit. And the only reply I could think of was f-you for asking me that question.

Yes the paper work says there is no cure for stage 4 cancer, but I say F-you to everyone saying that there is no cure.

Just the hopelessness that people like them are spreading is a killer, killer of hope and stealers of any future outlook.

And got some other great news, the medical aid approved another treatment protocol today. So it is more targeted and will be the third item on the treatment list to kill this cancer in me.

That's my Boy. Tough nut. The positivity in the way you put things is to be admired

[Help.Me.]

Words really fails me....But goodluck and you are an example for all of us....please listen to the words of the song by

Rod Stewart

Forever Young

May the good Lord be with you down every road you roam.

And may sunshine and happiness surround you when you're far from home.

And my you grow to be proud, dignified and true.

And do unto others as you'd have done to you.

Be courageous and be brave.

And in my heart you'll always stay

Forever young. (Forever young)

Forever young. (Forever young)

May good fortune be with you, may your guiding light be strong,

Build a stairway to heaven with a prince or a vagabond.

And may you never love in vain.

And in my heart you will remain

Forever young. (Forever young)

Forever young. (Forever young)

Forever young. Forever young

And when you fin'lly fly away, I'll be hoping that I served you well.

For all the wisdom of a lifetime, no one can ever tell.

But whatever road you choose, I'm right behind you win or lose,

Forever young. (Forever young)

Forever young. (Forever young)

Forever young. Forever young

For forever young

 

I lost my cycling buddy and best friend in a farm attack 6 weeks ago....

[ChrisF]

VOORSPOED !!

[BigDL]

Words really fails me....But goodluck and you are an example for all of us....please listen to the words of the song by

Rod Stewart

Forever Young

May the good Lord be with you down every road you roam.

And may sunshine and happiness surround you when you're far from home.

And my you grow to be proud, dignified and true.

And do unto others as you'd have done to you.

Be courageous and be brave.

And in my heart you'll always stay

Forever young. (Forever young)

Forever young. (Forever young)

May good fortune be with you, may your guiding light be strong,

Build a stairway to heaven with a prince or a vagabond.

And may you never love in vain.

And in my heart you will remain

Forever young. (Forever young)

Forever young. (Forever young)

Forever young. Forever young

And when you fin'lly fly away, I'll be hoping that I served you well.

For all the wisdom of a lifetime, no one can ever tell.

But whatever road you choose, I'm right behind you win or lose,

Forever young. (Forever young)

Forever young. (Forever young)

Forever young. Forever young

For forever young

 

I lost my cycling buddy and best friend in a farm attack 6 weeks ago....

Sorry about your friend. I lost my best mate to a heart attack in December and your song, as cheesy as it may be, brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat.

 

Cois, keep fighting China. Your positive attitude and refusal to believe the naysayers continues to inspire me personally. Thank you for sharing.

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Hi Cois, wishing you all the best with this struggle you're facing, I can just imagine the internal battles you must be fighting daily. Keep that positive outlook and remain resolute to get better. Cancer can and has been beaten many times, as you well know.

This little sticker on my desk is a constant reminder to me of "The Grace of God". A few years ago, friend of mines young daughter (8yrs old then) was diagnosed with a brain tumor and the Drs gave her zero chance after operating on as much of the tumor as possible. Prayer was literally the only other option.

We had these stickers made up and we sold then to raise funds for treatment. Well, she's 13yrs old now, fully healed and living a wonderful life.

Keep the faith brother.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Hey Cois,

 

Love the positive vibes and as I have said before, you are in good hands at Wilger's. That hit you hard with the treatments but it is the best way to go about it.

 

I know you have had digestive issues before based on your Kefir comments. Have they linked your current conditions to these issues experienced before? Would be curios to know. With my wife they said it was just gentics and a freak mutation, no way to have known.

I hate Cancer, honestly believe it should not be the disease it is but the money to be made off of it skews the research funding!!

[Cois]

Hey Cois,

 

Love the positive vibes and as I have said before, you are in good hands at Wilger's. That hit you hard with the treatments but it is the best way to go about it.

 

I know you have had digestive issues before based on your Kefir comments. Have they linked your current conditions to these issues experienced before? Would be curios to know. With my wife they said it was just gentics and a freak mutation, no way to have known.

I hate Cancer, honestly believe it should not be the disease it is but the money to be made off of it skews the research funding!!

Hi Steven

 

It could have been connected. A few years ago I was diagnosed with IBS.

That and the city of Pretoria that sent out a cholera alert, I was sure it was just the IBS and “clean water” of Pretoria that gave me the runs and all the visits to the loo that caused the bleeding. That and the new job that I started at last year (that ended up in the company failing a year after I started working for them) that placed me under a hell of a stress load could all contribute to the spread and some of the symptoms. But as the one doctor said it is something that we will never understand. It is just one of those things that we can’t explain at all.

 

The beta blocker is working but still having a fair bit of shakes. The Dr who took out my stitches from the port did not want me to leave his rooms as I looked like I was going to pass out any minute. It might be a side effect or it can be the anemia that is getting to me. The blood counts looks good but the platelets size is very small. So the count looks right, but the size of the platelets are a cause of concern.

 

I can just hope that tomorrow will go well and that I can get a little positivity in the form of a job to assist my wife with all the bills and expenses that we have and that was not foreseen at all.

[Blackheart]

Hi Cois

I was diagnosed with a high grade non Hodgkin's lymphoma, I was initially given 2 weeks to live due to the size of the tumor and how involved it was with my colon, liver and spleen. I had half my colon removed along with various other bits and pieces, 8 months of chemo, 31 consecutive days of the highest dose radiation treatment.

That was 20 years ago this year.

I don't list the above to boast, or to prove anything, just to let you know that I've been through the ringer, I know what it's like in the trenches, and I'm here to chat anytime.

If you don't feel like chatting, that's cool too, but if you do, I'm here.

Please feel free to pm me anytime, or if you'd rather chat here, also fine.

 

If we don't chat, can I please leave the best single piece of advice I ever received.

 

My Oncologist once told me, and I held on to this so tightly.

"I can only guarantee you one thing through all of this, it is not certain that if you fight with everything that you will live. What I can guarantee is that if you don't fight with everything you have, you will die."

[Frail. "Will forever remain "Frail"]

Hello Cois

 

Thank You for keeping us updated, you are constantly in my thoughts and prayers.

I feel Your sorrow with your circumstances of not being able to ride.

 

That fighting spirit that is burning through you right now.

We are all thinking of you and your family.

Do take care.

 

David

[MrJacques]

https://www.algoafm.co.za/article/kaycee-rossouw/100391/new-dawn-in-cancer-war-scientists-to-develop-revolutionary-drugs-to-stop-tumours-resisting-treatment-

[Cois]

https://www.algoafm.co.za/article/kaycee-rossouw/100391/new-dawn-in-cancer-war-scientists-to-develop-revolutionary-drugs-to-stop-tumours-resisting-treatment-

Thanks needed this to see that there is still hope. Still I have to pray that they will be able to fund this project.

Again I have to ponder, it this was AIDS, what would the funding be like? Full funding by this time I would guess. Saw it at a client I worked for. You just research AIDS and you get a huge amount of funds

[Cois]

Second round of FOLFOX and FU5 done today.

Just came back from the oncology unit where they removed the chemo pump.

 

Suffering from severe nausea. But part of the therapy. Next session might be a lot tougher. Getting the new treatment protocol with my current protocol.

 

I want to thank each and every person on BikeHub for your support and messages. You guys and girls are a pillar to me. I can’t do this on my own. It is a tough battle to fight.

[koukie]

Hi Cois,

 

I'm glad to see that you are positive and fighting. If you dont mind please pm me your banking details I would like to make a contribution for your bills.

 

Cheers

[IMPACT]

Keep on fighting, you have lots of of support from the Hubbers

[cpelser]

Hi Cois.

My wife is a radiotherapist and deals with cancer daily. But at a private company and fairly upmarket clients.

She also always says there's two types of cancer sufferers - first those who hates life because they were the ones to get it and not the next guy, theyre difficult and full of self pity.

Some of these people do fight it but it's mostly not successful.

 

Secondly those who seems like cancer is the best thing to ever happen to them. They accept it and fight it head on. We do a 5km survivors walk with many of them each year. Even those who don't survive leave a legacy unlike what they would have had they never contracted cancer.

 

Your situation is a bit different but for some of these people they've had a safe easy, monotonous life for years and getting cancer is the flint that ignites them to live. Usually they inspire many around them to live each day to the fullest too.

 

If "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is true, these are the strongest people on earth capable of anything.

 

All the best my friend.

 

Laat daai witbloedselle vandag daai kanker mamparras gas gee!!

[BigDL]

Hi Cois,

 

I'm glad to see that you are positive and fighting. If you dont mind please pm me your banking details I would like to make a contribution for your bills.

 

Cheers

Would appreciate a PM as well.