Serious question for the luthiers here ....

[johnson79]

I'm sorry to hear all of these cancer stories and I wish you all luck in recovery. My mom had breast cancer twice and did chemo/radiation. I have a number of friends and neighbors dealing with it now. I think the one thing I can add is that everyone feels differently from the treatment. Some have good days and bad. Good luck!

 

[Dark Horse]

Gentlemen I am sorry to hear of your health issues, and wish you all the best for the treatments that you will be going through in the future, I have been battling Lyme disease for the past 3 years , I had to stop working and have both physical and cognitive problems, I have found that keeping a positive attitude and being creative have helped me enormously, for example I bake bread a couple of times a week and it’s gives me great satisfaction, I have found as Bruce said it’s really hard but slowing down is the key and pacing yourself if you try to do to much you end up super tiered and mentally disappointed with what you are able to achieve, I went from running marathons to needing a cane to walk it’s a really hard road to walk on but you need to be realistic of what you set yourself as challenges, I hope luck plays no part in your future and that you both have every success possible with your treatments h

I definitely see what you’re saying about paving yourself...as well as finding alternate creative outlets.

Lyme - I’m so sorry, that’s definitely a tough one. It’s abating how something like that can alter the course of our lives and the things we’ve always done/known. Sending positive vibes and prayers your way ...I hope each day gets a little better for you.

 

[wraub]

I was sad to read this, but, I am hopeful for you. Please pace yourself, and do what you think is right for you.

My thoughts and best wishes go out to you, and all others here going through similar issues.

Be well, everybody.

OK, this is not something I’ve been sharing with people really, but I’m gonna ask it here. There’s a reason I’ve been working frantically on a few different builds. Not that I need to get them done, but I don’t know what I’m gonna be able to do over the next couple of months/years. So here’s my question…

i’m about to start radiation therapy and chemotherapy next week. Five days a week, for seven weeks on the radiation, and once a week for chemo. I have cancer at the base of my tongue and in a couple of lymph nodes that are adjacent to it. So anyway, I am frantically working trying to get some of the big things done now. I don’t know what I’m gonna feel like, as I’ve never had to deal with this before. So I’m trying to get all the big sawing, all that stuff done. I figure if anything, The most I’ll probably want to do is sanding, detail stuff, little things. But I don’t know.

For those of you who have been through this before, or something similar, would you care to share your experiences? How you felt, but your general physical abilities were? How long you were out of the game if you were out of it? It’s honestly fairly terrifying, and I’m trying to get a big grip on it all. This type of cancer is not good, and at best causes problems for a long long time. But I guess that’s better than being 6 feet under.

Mods, sorry that this isn’t directly a build thread, but it is something that pertains to Luthiers, as I’m inquiring about ability to use the tools and everything else during this time period. If you feel that is inappropriate for this particular form, please delete, do not move. I’m trying to keep this semi private, I’m just hoping some of the folks here can help with questions.

 

[Dark Horse]

I'm sorry to hear all of these cancer stories and I wish you all luck in recovery. My mom had breast cancer twice and did chemo/radiation. I have a number of friends and neighbors dealing with it now. I think the one thing I can add is that everyone feels differently from the treatment. Some have good days and bad. Good luck!

I was sad to read this, but, I am hopeful for you. Please pace yourself, and do what you think is right for you.

My thoughts and best wishes go out to you, and all others here going through similar issues.

Be well, everybody.

Thanks my friend

 

[Koog]

Horse....I'm not a luthier, nor have I personally faced cancer, but I want to acknowledge you and your work. I admire what you create, appreciate your gentlemanly attitude and sage advice in your posts, and want you to know you have my best wishes during this time and through the upcoming months. You will be in my thoughts and I'll be sending positive, healing vibes your way.

Best to ya.

Koog

 

[oren]

I’m sorry to hear of your diagnosis. I’ll share my experience in the hope that it’s helpful, though I think everyone is different in how they respond.

I was diagnosed with tonsillar cancer in December 2010. I underwent 12 weeks of combined chemo and radiation treatment for it at the University of Chicago. In my particular treatment, I was in-patient in the hospital every other week during that time, and during those weeks I received 24 hour chemo drip and radiation twice daily.

I do want to say that the doctors and nurses who treated me were uniformly some of the best humans I have ever met. Warm, knowledgeable, caring, funny, and just good people. I suspect you will experience that too.

the effects of the treatment are cumulative. During the first few weeks I was able to function normally, went to work, and as an IT professional was even able to work from the hospital. But as the dosages built up I felt lethargic, lost the ability to focus, and was generally just unwell. I was fortunate in that I never had the regular sustained nausea that many get from chemo, but the radiation burned the inside of my throat making it progressively more difficult to swallow - to the point where I was subsisting on an entirely liquid diet (hint - Instant Breakfast tastes much better than Ensure and the like, and ice cream and milk shakes are good sources of calories when you need them). I was apparently a rare case of someone who made it through that treatment without needing a feeding tube.

My wife was an amazing support through all of this, and I think having the attention and emotional support of family and friends was crucial for me.

I’m not a luthier, but during my treatment I lost most of my interest in playing, and playing bass, especially upright, just seemed like too much work. I did spend some time learning a bit on banjo, which seemed easier and more soothing somehow. I haven’t touched a banjo since, whatever that means.

It takes a long time to recover from this kind of treatment. At the end of the treatment they told me “You will continue to feel poorly for about six weeks, after which you will start to improve.” I internalized that to mean that I would feel all better after six weeks, which was far from the case. The treatment left me weak and confused, and I suffered from a long bout of depression even as I began to recover physically. It took about nine months from the end of treatment to get back to feeling like my normal self.

The good news is that I did recover fully (though my swallowing is not what it once was), and have a full and active life now. And my upright chops, while far from stellar, keep getting better!

I wish you the best of luck with your treatment, and a speedy and full recovery.

 

[Dark Horse]

Horse....I'm not a luthier, nor have I personally faced cancer, but I want to acknowledge you and your work. I admire what you create, appreciate your gentlemanly attitude and sage advice in your posts, and want you to know you have my best wishes during this time and through the upcoming months. You will be in my thoughts and I'll be sending positive, healing vibes your way.

Best to ya.

Koog

Thank you, my brother! It is greatly appreciated!

 

[Dark Horse]

I’m sorry to hear of your diagnosis. I’ll share my experience in the hope that it’s helpful, though I think everyone is different in how they respond.

I was diagnosed with tonsillar cancer in December 2010. I underwent 12 weeks of combined chemo and radiation treatment for it at the University of Chicago. In my particular treatment, I was in-patient in the hospital every other week during that time, and during those weeks I received 24 hour chemo drip and radiation twice daily.

I do want to say that the doctors and nurses who treated me were uniformly some of the best humans I have ever met. Warm, knowledgeable, caring, funny, and just good people. I suspect you will experience that too.

the effects of the treatment are cumulative. During the first few weeks I was able to function normally, went to work, and as an IT professional was even able to work from the hospital. But as the dosages built up I felt lethargic, lost the ability to focus, and was generally just unwell. I was fortunate in that I never had the regular sustained nausea that many get from chemo, but the radiation burned the inside of my throat making it progressively more difficult to swallow - to the point where I was subsisting on an entirely liquid diet (hint - Instant Breakfast tastes much better than Ensure and the like, and ice cream and milk shakes are good sources of calories when you need them). I was apparently a rare case of someone who made it through that treatment without needing a feeding tube.

My wife was an amazing support through all of this, and I think having the attention and emotional support of family and friends was crucial for me.

I’m not a luthier, but during my treatment I lost most of my interest in playing, and playing bass, especially upright, just seemed like too much work. I did spend some time learning a bit on banjo, which seemed easier and more soothing somehow. I haven’t touched a banjo since, whatever that means.

It takes a long time to recover from this kind of treatment. At the end of the treatment they told me “You will continue to feel poorly for about six weeks, after which you will start to improve.” I internalized that to mean that I would feel all better after six weeks, which was far from the case. The treatment left me weak and confused, and I suffered from a long bout of depression even as I began to recover physically. It took about nine months from the end of treatment to get back to feeling like my normal self.

The good news is that I did recover fully (though my swallowing is not what it once was), and have a full and active life now. And my upright chops, while far from stellar, keep getting better!

I wish you the best of luck with your treatment, and a speedy and full recovery.

I appreciate you sharing your story more than you know. Obviously as you are aware, there are a lot of similarities in the type of cancer you had and the type of cancer that I have. You also know the pitfalls, side effects, and all that stuff that goes along with it. I really appreciate you relayed in your experience to me. What sucks is that I literally just got a ridiculously great gig, one that a lot of people would truly dream of having. My hope is that over the next eight weeks, with all the cancellations and stuff, I might be able to get treatment and then resume playing, though the more I hear, the tougher that looks like it’s going to be. I guess I will have to go through three or four weeks of treatment and then reevaluate before I let them know. I definitely don’t wanna lose this gig. Obviously getting treated in healthier is more important , no doubt. Im glad you are well on your road to recovery, And I hope you continue to get better and better. Right now it feels like a bad dream, but unfortunately I know it’s not.

 

[Quap]

For those of you who have been through this before, or something similar, would you care to share your experiences? How you felt, but your general physical abilities were? How long you were out of the game if you were out of it? It’s honestly fairly terrifying, and I’m trying to get a big grip on it all. This type of cancer is not good, and at best causes problems for a long long time. But I guess that’s better than being 6 feet under.
QUOTE]

I was diagnosed with a rare aggressive lymphoma in 2018. The treatment you'll have is very different than what I was given. I had no radiation and was in patient chemo. My treatment lasted 6 months.

Each cancer and patient is different but you'll find your groove. There were days I couldn't get out of bed due to fatigue. There were other days that I cleaned and cooked dinner.

There is a chef named Grant Achatz who had tongue cancer. His story is something you should check out.

Chef triumphs over tongue cancer and in the culinary world - UChicago Medicine

It's going to be hard. But not impossible. I wish you the best.

 

[Dark Horse]

Thanks, I will definitely give his story a read!
All the best my friend!

 

[MustangWally]

Hi DH. Not a personal experience, but a close friend of mine had radiation and chemo for his prostate cancer a few years back. As expected it knocked him physically but he was still able to function at about half-throttle during the treatment. The big thing for him was the chemo, after each session he would get bitchy as all get out, and this is a normally pretty easy-going guy. I saw him a couple months back and he is fine and has been for quite a while. I’m sending good vibes to you man. God bless.

 

[Dark Horse]

Hi DH. Not a personal experience, but a close friend of mine had radiation and chemo for his prostate cancer a few years back. As expected it knocked him physically but he was still able to function at about half-throttle during the treatment. The big thing for him was the chemo, after each session he would get bitchy as all get out, and this is a normally pretty easy-going guy. I saw him a couple months back and he is fine and has been for quite a while. I’m sending good vibes to you man. God bless.

Thanks brother, I appreciate it! And thank you for relaying that story, the more information I have, the better off I am!

 

[Delusionati]

Oh man, I am so sorry to hear this. I am following your threads and really enjoying your work. I really wish you the best.

My first thought was the book "What does this Button Do?" by Bruce Dickenson (yes the Iron Maiden singer). His book, while proving he cannot stop doing anything he wants to do successfully, also details his fight with a very similar-sounding cancer. And then going back to be a rockstar, commercial pilot, beer brewer, author, ...

Do you have a Kindle or the Kindle app on a phone? DM me and I'll try to gift you a copy. I suppose money might be a bit tight ATM since you need treatment in the USA...

 

[Delusionati]

Thanks.

Yes, I am told that experiences vary quite a bit. My Oncologist was impressed with my recuperative abilities, and she told me I handled everything quite well.

Ms. Glo.

Ever since you started posting here again (yes I missed you and we celebrated your return - 'there was much rejoicing'), I somehow knew when you were ready you might give a few details of your "health issues", but I didn't expect lung cancer. Congratulations on kicking cancer like that. I've never heard of anyone beating lung cancer.

Now that it is public, I hope other members stop asking you to build, and let you take your own path. We don't need anymore Mapleglo builds, there are lots of them to relive in this forum. You were one of our most prolific builders and I loved watching you learn - right from the first one. You truly are a legend, which is why I guess people keep asking you...

Take care of yourself and Mr. Glo. Still love it when you drop a post with advice as you have been doing lately

 

[Dark Horse]

Oh man, I am so sorry to hear this. I am following your threads and really enjoying your work. I really wish you the best.

My first thought was the book "What does this Button Do?" by Bruce Dickenson (yes the Iron Maiden singer). His book, while proving he cannot stop doing anything he wants to do successfully, also details his fight with a very similar-sounding cancer. And then going back to be a rockstar, commercial pilot, beer brewer, author, ...

Do you have a Kindle or the Kindle app on a phone? DM me and I'll try to gift you a copy. I suppose money might be a bit tight ATM since you need treatment in the USA...

hi !

that actually sounds like my kind of book.... that’s very kind of you.

yeah.... I’m sure you can imagine how much the bills are already piling up, and I don’t begin treatment till next week

 

[FatOwlBass]

Best wishes and prayers for you! It is inspiring to hear how you wish to pursue what you are passionate about in the face of adversity. I hope turns out well.

 

[Delusionati]

Well, last spring I went through 8 weeks of radiation treatment for prostate cancer. Fortunately, we spotted the cancer early enough, and the radiation treatment got rid of it completely with no chemo or surgery. The radiation treatment was basically painless and didn't really affect my ability to work. It took up a lot of time, with the daily treatments, and left me tired overall. But I was able to get in partial work days.

I don't have any personal experience with chemotherapy, fortunately, but several of my close friends have gone through it. That's nasty, and you will feel sick, in bed, unable to do much for some days or weeks. Again, the key is that they found the cancer early enough that you only need lighter doses, not too often.

Now, I'm facing heart surgery in May. They're telling me that I'll be in the hospital for a week, and then recovering at home for about two weeks. They say that during the home recovery, I'll be able to get around and do some things, but I'm just going to be tired and need a lot of rest. After that, they say that my energy will come back, and I'll feel like a much younger man for many more years. It'll be worth it.

Right now, they've got me on some heavy medication which reduces my energy and leaves me tired. I can't lift heavy things or do anything that elevates my blood pressure much. I'm having to learn to be an old man. I don't have any choice. I'm working in my shop, building Scroll Basses, but I'm learning to slow down. Work slowly and thoughtfully, don't push myself, and when I feel like it, take rest breaks. Sit down or lie down for a while. Then get back at it. It's tough to get used to, but I have to admit that I actually am getting work done steadily. Pace myself and keep going. And enjoy the satisfaction of getting the work done.

And that's the most important thing: keeping a positive attitude toward working in the shop. When you are feeling sick or tired from the treatments, keep thinking about how much you enjoy being in your shop and building basses. Don't let the medical stuff make you think that you can't or won't want to go back in your shop. Your goal of beating the disease is to get back there and continue your projects. When you are lying there resting, think about your projects, what to do next, new ideas. Fix in your mind that you are going to get well and get back to your shop soon. That attitude will help you recover.

Don't convince yourself that you won't be able to work again. You will. Don't become afraid to touch your tools, or afraid that you won't enjoy it again. You will.

Bruce, I'm really sorry to hear about your last and next battle.

You are without a doubt the best part of LC. There are tons of accolades here about you, and I think they speak for themselves.

I don't build. I just sit at the feet of a master and drink in the smart you give in detailed posts and epic (and I do mean epic!) threads.

I wish you could have seen the smile on my face when I saw your picture in Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass! It felt like the world was finding out about a treasure only a few of us know about.

We will all be thinking of you in May.

 

[TeaTime]

So sorry you are having to face such an issue. A lot of good advice here, always a good community.

I went 10 weeks combined. Up until diagnosis I was a runner (4-6 marathons a year) and a frequent white water rafter, also gigging most weekends. Everyone, including myself, were so sure I'd just push through it. And I tried. By week 4 all I wanted to do was sprawl on the couch and sleep. I kept trying to push, afraid I'd be letting my wife, friends, and bands down. Soon after everything stopped. I stopped gigging, stopped even playing at home, stopped woodworking. Eventualy stopped caring that I had stopped.

The one advice I give to people is simply to admit you are ill right up front, and life is now not normal. Do what you can, but be honest with people when you can't, or simply don't want too. Take care of you, and let others help as they will. It's not weakness - it's survival.

 

[Fender_Bender]

Nope. Never chewed, smoked anything or taken a drug in my life.

Good to hear. Had you chewed tobacco it would have been another warning for those that do.

 

[BishopJP]

Hey DH, no personal stories to add, just want to wish you a speedy recovery and hope you can continue with your projects, as much or as little as you want.

I look forward to you talking about this experience in past tense.