The Last Sprint Plus a PSA for Kicks

Well, tomorrow, Monday, begins the final week of treatment and will be the third multi-media extravaganza - that is to say, both radiation and chemo.  I'm definitely run-down by now, but can still make this final dash to the finish line.

In our society as it is, I'm probably pretty safe in saying that everyone reading this has been touched by cancer in some way.  Now for many, that may be knowing someone or knowing of someone who has/had the disease.  Mostly, we know of their plight second or third hand - our understanding that they are going through some bad stuff is generally in the abstract.  Most are never in the position of living the disease day to day, and all that entails.

BTW, I am not saying this in any judgmental fashion, but merely stating what I believe to be fact.  I truly hope that is the only way most of us are exposed.  The first time I was affected was 10 years ago when my son David had his ordeal, when I was 53 years old, so I had gotten pretty far along in life free of intimate knowledge of the disease.  And, of course, there's not a day that goes by that I still wish I was that naive 53-year old.  But, that's a different story for a different day,  There is no world of what should be, there is only what there is.

OK, you're asking, where is this drug and disease-addled crazy going with this one?  That, my friends, is the Public Service Announcement I promised in the title.  to re-iterate, I have been afflicted with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.  That is to say, I developed a rather large malignant tumor at the base of my tongue.  The cause of my brand of the disease is exposure to the HPV virus.  In laymen's terms, I have contracted an extreme STD.  The virus can remain dormant in our bodies for 10 - 12 years, or more.  So, since a lot has happened on my life during that period, I have not expended any effort in trying to trace the genesis of the disease, not will I ever.  The reality is it happened.  Now, it typically doesn't happen to guys.  In recent years, there have typically been fewer than 5,000 cases per year among American men.  That also leads to why it took several months for me to be diagnosed - it's not what the doctors were looking for.  They were looking for TMJ, or cluster headaches, or an abscess, or nerve damage, or . . .

But, getting back on point, recent statistics are that 5% of current cancers in Americans are a result of HPV.  So, these forms of the disease are preventable, or at least may be mitigated by early detection.  So, for yourselves and loved ones, no one knows your body like you do,  When it's talking to you, listen.  If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.  You're not being a weenie by going to a doctor and being the squeaky wheel.

And here's where I'm going to ruffle some feathers, but so be it.  I know that there are movements afoot now to eradicate all early childhood immunizations.  I also know that there are movements to have young girls immunized against HPV.  Now, I'm not going to pretend that I know anything at all about science and technology behind any of these.  What I do know is that I not only recommend that we have our daughters immunized against HPV, but our sons, too.  I know that I would never want to see any of my children or grandchildren, or any of your children and grandchildren, or any of the little boy who lives down the lane's children or grandchildren go though one day of what I'm going through.  If I can somehow prevent a single case of cancer from occurring, I will eventually die a happy man.

Peace and love to all!!
Joe