quote:

---

Originally posted by BlackBlade:
... you have cancer all over you body in the form of moles.

---

(BB, I certainly appreciate the sentiment, and I think you give some excellent advice, but just for clarity -- most moles are not cancerous. They are benign growths of skin tissue. The ones that are cancerous are more rare and definitely do need to be removed. This is important because if someone does have a suspicious-looking mole or one that is changing, they really do need to get it assessed right away. But it usually can be dealt with just fine if caught early.

Cancer is generally defined as something that is or will break through the basement membrane. The cells of regular moles do not do this.)
 

---

Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
 
I was hoping CT or Theca would clarify the mole issue, I was curious. Thanks for doing that, CT.

pH, I echo the "stay calm" sentiment. Wait until you here what is going on and what the doctors think before you panic, hard as that may be to do. I will definitely be praying for you and your brother and your family. Cancer is not an automatic death sentence - I'm proof of that!
 

---

Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ClaudiaTherese:
I'm so sorry, pH. You and your brother have my very best wishes.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by BlackBlade:
... you have cancer all over you body in the form of moles.

---

(BB, I certainly appreciate the sentiment, and I think you give some excellent advice, but just for clarity -- most moles are not cancerous. They are benign growths of skin tissue. The ones that are cancerous are more rare and definitely do need to be removed. This is important because if someone does have a suspicious-looking mole or one that is changing, they really do need to get it assessed right away. But it usually can be dealt with just fine if caught early.

Cancer is generally defined as something that is or will break through the basement membrane. The cells of regular moles do not do this.)

---

Oh totally agree, but alot of people fall into murky territory when it comes to cancer especially when they hear its definition as "The uncontrolled reproduction of cells."

By that definition moles ARE cancer, but not really.

There is the Benign/Malignant part, but that does not really cover everything.

But thanks for your correction.
 

---

Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
(starting up another thread, because I want this one to be about and for pH and the challenges her family faces -- take care, sweetheart)

[ October 06, 2006, 07:09 PM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]
 

---

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
(((((pH)))))
 

---

Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
 
pH - I'll be keeping you and your brother in my thoughts.
 

---

Posted by cmc (Member # 9549) on :
 
The only brush I've ever had with cancer was with melanoma... Doesn't run in my family, I'm pretty young, I was never a 'sun-worshipper'... Even though it was pretty scary PERIOD, once the moles were removed I was A-OK. I think the scariest part was when my doc first told me and I was sort of sitting there like - Um, what? It's what? Stage what?, while my mind was racing towards horrible images of what I'd have to go through next... Like I said, for me, once they were removed I was totally okay. I just have to go to the dermatologist every three months for check-ups.

I'm hoping for an 'easy' remedy for your brother and thinking of you while all this is working itself out.
 

---

Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
 
I saw a lady with a history of melanoma of the eye this very week. She was telling me all about her treatment. She's doing just fine.
 

---

Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
 
My brother is forty-one. He only found out because his new girlfriend dragged him to the VA hospital. He's been bad about taking care of himself. I'm going to call him tonight, I think. Maybe I'll just text him and ask him to email me. But apparently this new girlfriend has been great for him, and I think my mother said she's great with his son as well. He does spend a lot of time in the sun, or he used to..he worked outside a lot. Theca, what do they do to treat it? I'm picturing horrible eye-things.

So I'll try to find out more tonight. I guess they're spending all day at the hospital.

(Edit because I was depressing myself.)

-pH
 

---

Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
 
Shucks darn. Hope things work out for your brother.
 

---

Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
 
Well, depends on where it is--it could be a very tiny spot in the eye. Sometimes these can be found very early, if it interferes with vision. I'm picturing laser surgery and radiation for a small spot, and removal of the eye for a larger lesion, with thorough testing to be sure there has not been any metastatic disease yet to any other part of the body.
 

---

Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
 
My thoughts and prayers are with ypou both.
 

---

Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
 
pH, you're in my prayers, and if you need to talk, you know where to find me.
 

---

Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
 
pH, we went through a cancer diagnosis with my sister's only child about a year and a half ago. He is out of treatment now, though that type of leukemia does have a tendency to come back. It was really... no words for how I felt about it. You see a little bit of what you're like underneath, I suppose.
 

---

Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
 
I'll keep him in prayer. Remember that caught early melanoma is highly treatable.
 

---

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
 
Sorry to hear this Pearce. What prayers I have are with your family.

Don't fret immediately though, treating cancer isn't what it used to be. Every day we all hear something new about a cancer treatment with hope and promise in the near future. My mom's best friend has been getting worse and worse cancer news for the past month, and they're going to set her up with an experimental treatment in New York. There seems to be a plethora of options these days, and hope is all around us for solutions.

Good luck to your brother.
 

---

Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
 
Do you guys think the VA hospital will take good care of him? I've been worrying about that all day. I mean, he's obviously still under their care if he could go to them today....he was honorably discharged from the army because he broke he knee while serving, I think. And he got a really bad blood clot from his knee up his thigh, and from what I understand it was acting up again. I'm not sure. I never called him tonight; I chickened out and invited one of my friends over for drinks instead. I'll call him tomorrow. Saturday is psychiatry day; maybe one of them will give me an idea of what to say.

I just hope they'll take good care of him.

-pH
 

---

Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
 
Ouch. I'll be thinking about you and your family and hoping for an easy treatment and a good outcome.
 

---

Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
 
Well, the VA has a good side and a bad side. I would comment that melanoma of the eye is rare enough that they either have in place an eye superspecialist and an oncologist and or radiation oncologist who can deal very appropriately with this, OR, they will arrange for him to see specialists who are not in the VA system for no extra cost. That's just my guess.
 

---

Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
 
I'm so sorry to hear that. I will hope for the best. (((pH)))

And what you say when you call is not all that important. The act of calling is much more important.
 

---

Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
 
More tests today.

They'll probably know more on Wednesday.

-pH
 

---

Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
 


While I'm sure this is very scary for everyone involved, I agree with what everyone has been telling you. Be calm and don't assume the worst. Wait until the doctors have done a full diagnosis and have a treatment plan.
 

---

Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
 
Jesus. I'm sorry, Pearce. Good luck.
 

---

Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
 
My mom called today and told me that my brother's test results came out really well, and it looks like they can just remove the thingy from his eye.

-pH
 

---

Posted by Leonide (Member # 4157) on :
 
I'm so glad, Pearce!
 

---

Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by pH:
My dad just called and told me that my older brother has melanoma. In his eye.

And that's pretty much all he told me, or else that's all I heard.

Please pray for him. I'm scared.

-pH

---

I'm sorry to hear this, Pearce. My thoughts are with you and your family.
 

---

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
 
Good to hear.
 

---

Posted by Eduardo St. Elmo (Member # 9566) on :
 
I'm glad that your waiting for information is over and that the test results were so promising.
Strength to you and your family.
 

---

Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
 
(((pH)))
 

---

Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
 
I'm glad to hear that the news is good so far
 

---

Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
 
Well, it turns out that he really did have melanoma on his eye. And they had to remove his eye. And no one told me about it until they already removed it (today - everything is okay, and he is doing well) because "I didn't want you to worry because there was nothing you could do about it."

So now I'm:

1. Worried about my brother.
2. Squicked out by this whole eye thing.
3. Ticked off that they sprung this on me all of a sudden.

Pray that they got all of the badness. My mom said the doctor said he thinks he did.

-pH
 

---

Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
 
Pearce, that really sucks about your brother. Hopefully everything is alright with him.

That also sucks they didn't tell you beforehand.
 

---

Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
 
Wow, I hope they got it all. Thinking of you and your family.
 

---

Posted by DaisyMae (Member # 9722) on :
 
I think I might be ticked off had I been left in the dark, too. Sorry to hear he had to lose his eye. My prayers in his/your behalf for comfort and that this is the extent of it.
 

---

Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
 
Wow - awfully crummy of them to not tell you! That is really unfortunate that he lost his eye, but if they got all the cancer, then that's good! Melanoma typically doesn't need any further treatment than removal if it's in the early stages, which it sounds like it was, right?

Families often think they're doing the nicest thing for us, but they end up doing the thing we'd want least. Love stinks!

Hugs to you and your brother - I hope he's coping well, and that you are, too!
 

---

Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
 
ph, you and your brother are in my thoughts. I wish him well.
 

---

Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
 
**prayers for him and your whole family**
 

---

Posted by Nell Gwyn (Member # 8291) on :
 
Wow. I'd be upset about not being told, too, but at least you know they didn't neglect to tell you out of maliciousness.

*thinking good thoughts for you and your family*
 

---

Posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion (Member # 6473) on :
 
I'm sorry that I've not tried to keep up with you on this, but please know that my thoughts are with you.

Much love <33
 

---

Posted by Zotto! (Member # 4689) on :
 
Man. Hang in there, Pearce. Hope your brother's recovery is speedy. *sends goodvibes*
 

---

Posted by Astaril (Member # 7440) on :
 
Here's hoping he recovers well. At least it's good news that they think they got it all. Will he have a glass eye? My shop teacher had one, and he said it wasn't too hard to adjust to when he first got it, so hopefully your brother will find the same if he goes that route.
 

---

Posted by Kelly (Member # 9576) on :
 
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers
 

---

Posted by Jeesh (Member # 9163) on :
 
Lot's of prayers for your brother.

(((((pH)))))
 

---

Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
 
Will do, pH.
 

---

Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Astaril:
Here's hoping he recovers well. At least it's good news that they think they got it all. Will he have a glass eye? My shop teacher had one, and he said it wasn't too hard to adjust to when he first got it, so hopefully your brother will find the same if he goes that route.

---

My mom says that they gave him a false eye. I got the impression that they did it on the spot, but I'm not sure. They had a plastic surgeon, and my mother insists that I won't be able to tell when I come home to visit.

I had a basketball coach who was blind; his eyes had been messed up from the old-school vision correction surgery. I guess he had at least one false eye. I remember at least once coming to practice and him not having an eye. Very weird for an 11-year-old to see. He was an awesome coach, though.

I think I'm going to put together some kind of get-well basket and mail it to my brother. I don't know what to put in it though. My mother is giving him a teddy bear on my behalf. I was thinking maybe of some candy and something sci-fi related. He's a sci-fi freak. And maybe soething for my nephew as well. Is that a good idea?

-pH
 

---

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
I think it's a great idea.
 

---

Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
 
If he's a sci-fi freak, does he watch BSG? 'Cause now he's totally like Tigh now.

Does your brother have a gallows sense of humor?
 

---

Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
 
I think he does watch BSG, but I'm not sure. And he loves the Alien movies, as does my nephew. My nephew's 10, and he reminds me a lot of the little chicken in Chicken Little.

Actually, come to think of it, he's probably the one who recommended I watch BSG, but I'm not sure.

-pH
 

---

Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
 
Well, if he's got a gallows sense of humor, I'd make him a get-well basket with a missing eye thing. A teddy bear with an eyepatch, pirate with an eyepatch, some fake eyeballs you can get around halloween... but only if he's got that type of humor, or it could be taken the wrong way.

I suggest it because that's the sort of thing we did to my uncle when he had cancer in his...um...the cheek of his gluteus maximus. Told him he'd have to get a prosthetic ass.

Yeah, my family is strange.

So if yours is strange too...
 

---

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
I was thinking of something along those lines, too, but wasn't sure how it would be taken.

A friend of mine sent her sister a chicken neck when the sister was in a car accident that involved whiplash . . .
 

---