Cancer

Yes, I've got it.

No, you can't have it. You have to grow your own. You don't catch
cancer. It's not a head-cold or a case of clap. I've been working on
mine for more than five years now. It's called Multiple Myeloma and it
has lead me a merry chase, partly because the first symptoms appeared
as a kind of transition variety and all those fancy, infallible
scanners and CATZ and PETZ and sooper-dooper hi-teck never-wrong space-
age machines that were DEAD WRONG. Indeed, I was I was healthy as hell
according to them... and they were right. Unfortunately I was in the
process of developing multiple myeloma so that while I was healthy
then, within a matter of weeks I was now not... even though I had just
completed a series of expensive, time-consuming tests that said I was.

One of the trickier bits about Multiple Myeloma is that it likes to
attack people who are about forty years of age or older. Need I
mention that includes a lot of pilots?

If you just found out you've got it, you're one of about 15,000 others
in the 40 - to - 65 age-group who joined that year's club. After
getting the good news an awful lot of these guys make it as far as the
parking lot before blowing out their brains. I mean, after all...
they've just lost their ticket, everyone is moving to larger airframes
rather than smaller ones and career-wise our boy is on the lower cusp,
for whom a lab report ...perhaps accompanied by a friendly tranquilzer
and cuppa tea... has just guaranteed the world as he knew it has
ended.

Okay, stats vary and I don't want it to appear worse than it is but
I've had the misforturne to see this scenario played-out twice, up-
close and personal. My own situation aside, I'd rather it didn't
happen again so howzabout following me through on this one?

The Biggie is that some forms of multiple myeloma are TREATABLE. Okay,
so there's no ATR in your wallet when you get done but at least you
are still there.

Treatable means you can't have my plane... go build your own. But we
-- and I'm talking the aviation community, your family and what all --
we've still got you. That puts us miles ahead of the game. So don't
get all teary-eyed on me. You've still got the Big C! (and so do I).
It's awful. It F**king Hurts! It's NOT FAIR!!

So suck it up and let's get on with our lives.

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Like I said, some forms of multiple myeloma are treatable and I'm a
living example of someone who has just started through the process.
I've done the wet hanky bit, hid in the corner for a major bout of boo-
hoo's, then then did the Oh So Sorry me but my God that sonofabitch
hurts!

Weak as a cat, too. (But I'm working on that.)

Kinda confused. Chemotheropy guarantees you're going to be kinda dingy
now & then but but trust me, I passes.

What you need, right now and for a good while to come is your friends.
And you can go ahead and count me in, if I'm not already on the list.
Because with multiple myeloma the emphasis is NOT about grabbing your
friends by the handles and dumping them in a hole in the ground, it is
about getting BETTER; about HEALING. And I'm not standing here blowing
smoke. Hell, I'm still making ribs for Chugger's wing ! (and no tranks
in the pill compartment this morning).

(And I've still got three damn engines to finish :-)

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So what about you guys who don't have 'chugger' waiting in the wings?
Then you're going to have to get one... or something damn near
identical.

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Plus you've got to learn how to SLEEP.

Deep, rich rewarding SLEEP. Because based on my limited (but growing)
experience as a cancer victim, sleep appears to be the catylyst for
cure -- or at least for healing. The only problem is that everything
is all so new (!) and there is so much to learn. To make matters worse
you usually look like the dog's dinner and feel even worse.

Tough Darts.

About half the time, multiple myeloma is trying to kill you on purpose
and the rest of the time it does a fair amount of damage through pure
chance, all the while you are rattling like a goard from all the pills
you've stuffed yourself with. Most of the pills are an effort to
control the pain, others are there to help control the side-effects of
the chemicals that are suposed to help you GET WELL and a very
critical aspect of that effort is the need to maintain accurate
records. The records are needed to maintain the proper balance between
pain management and chemotherapy. Need I mention that if you aren't a
good clerk at the outset you'll soon become one?

So what works? What's the Secret Weapon? The Hidden Rules?

I haven't the foggiest notion.

But I do know that Jesus never owned a Cadilliac and Mohammad had
never actually seen a real oil well although it's fair to assume both
enjoyed a wealth of real friends, the kind you can't buy.

So let's start with that..

If I did not have the kind of support I'd begin with that; with
opening myself up to others. Cancer isn't something you can fight
alone.

The Rules for Cancer Fighting are to keep things simple, such as One
True Friend is worth more than a temple filled with False Friends.

You'll pick it up as we go along :-)

-Robert S. Hoover
-EAA 58400 (Life Member... bit of humor, what?)

wrote:
Yes, I've got it.

Fight the good fight, and when its licked, get that ticket back..
Dave

You have a good attitude to start with, that is a plus on your side.

My mother-in-law had the treatable form and lived with it for 10 years
or so before her death in her mid-70's.

You will have your good days and your bad days. Yes, sleep is something
you will get a lot of.

Your aviation family will stand by you and provide you with occassional
"aviation fix". Your friends will be there for you.

Don't give up. Live every day to its fullest.

Hang tough, Robert.

It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings.

Richard

In article
,
" wrote:

Yes, I've got it.

During the past few years I've had a number of friends and acquaintances
get their various diagnoses; some to fight and win (for now), and some
to just give up.

You sound like one of the fighters. And that is very good.

Hope to be watching out for you again in our airspace in a little while.

wrote

Yes, I've got it.

I've seen medical miracles happen to people close to me. People surviving
stuff that always kills (most) people, and they should not be with us. Yet
they are.

Make one happen to you, O.K.? They do happen, so believe one will be
there for you.

I will.

Besides, you still have stories to write, planes to build, planes to fly,
and tales to tell. Stick around.

I'll be sending up some positive karma your way. Hang tough and get well.
--
Jim in NC

wrote in message
...
Yes, I've got it.


God Bless You, RS.

Never give up the ship!

Flash

On Jul 5, 2:44*pm, " wrote:
Yes, I've got it.
,Cancer Fighting are to keep things simple, such as One
True Friend is worth more than a temple filled with False Friends.

You'll pick it up as we go along :-)

-Robert S. Hoover
-EAA 58400 (Life Member... bit of humor, what?)

Mr Hoover. From one motor head to another my thoughts are this
analogy. We have both lost good running engines on the dyno for no
good reason. The first response is " I checked all my clearances, ran
the valves several times, set the timing as close as possible, triple
checked the torque on all bolts. The gauges looked great, temps
nominal, oil pressure right where it belongs and then silence. What we
do is review the situation, look close at all the damage and move on
to the next motor bringing with us this past experience to make us
better. Your attitude is positive, your thought process complete and
motive to beat this overwhelming. The human body is one KOOL machine,
we do take for granted all the little actions that happen every second
to keep us alive, ie, breathing, heart pumping blood, liver filtering
it,skin sweating off excess heat, etc... Let one small thing go
haywire and machine hiccups. If I my remind ya you are a experimental
aircraft member so don't dismiss alternative treatments. The AMA
hates things that they don't get a piece of the action on and didn't
publish in their journal but hey they are the ones who endorsed those
wizbang MRI-CATSCAN-bloodtest 10,000 series gizmos that keep saying
you are healthy. Ya see where i am going with this...

Chin up and fight this like hell,, You can beat it and come out the
other side a better man.

PS, I am also a EAA lifetime member and by god you can't let Poberency
win. You want to get your moneys worth. ! :)

Ben Haas
Jackson Hole Wy.

On Jul 5, 9:59 pm, stol wrote:

Mr Hoover. From one motor head to another my thoughts are this
analogy....

Ben Haas
Jackson Hole Wy.
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Hi, Ben,

Except for a couple of details -- Mr. Hoover was my dad, for
crysakes :-) ...Ben & me singing off the same sheet of music.

But you don't 'fight' cancer ...unless you're doing a re-make of Bed
Time for Bonzo. The Big C comes along, takes a bite out of your ass
then crouches there in the corner, waiting to see how you handle it.

My message sez a lot of guys don't even try (to handle it). And
that's wrong. But so is the 'fight' analogy which makes it sound like
one of those tricky-word puzzles.

Run into the Big C, you wanna win but you don't want to 'fight.'
Cancer has all the cards. Try to 'fight,' the cancer just keeps
bringing more power to bear.

What yoiu want to do is to OUT-WIT that sucker. (And forget the
bureaucrats. They're simply an extension of the problem.

So how do you win without putting up a fight?

I don't know. And that's why I'm here.

Better pain management. A better sleep strategy. Better oxygen
generators. A more EFFICIENT AIRPLANE. (Smile but don't laugh.
There's a lot of sky out there.)

-R.S. Hoover

On Sat, 5 Jul 2008 13:44:28 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Yes, I've got it.

No, you can't have it. You have to grow your own. You don't catch
cancer. It's not a head-cold or a case of clap. I've been working on
mine for more than five years now.

oh god not another one with bloody excuses.

look its smaller than a breadbox, stop focussing on it and get out in
the workshop and build a rudder.
got one of those?, well build the elevators.

the reality is that we probably all have little cancers. they are just
cells that dont know when to stop.
most of the time our immune system clobbers the little buggers but
just occasionally one gets through the net. that's what medicine is
for.

when are you going to have that aeroplane finished? thats the real
problem!

Stealth (all heart) Pilot