Rutherfordectomy results!

[Brian Krashpad]

I guess I have probably mentioned I got a lump on my neck a few months ago, if not, those of you on fb may've seen it. I named it Rutherford, and he came out yesterday.

Frankenstein scar now in place! Bosstastically hideous! Man that f*cker must be 4 inches long! Got in at 6:30 a.m. and back home 1 pm-ish.

I'm fine. But it turned out the pathology on Rutherford was not a cyst but tumor, and not benign (which is what a needle biopsy a couple weeks ago had shown). Doc was almost as surprised as us. But they got it all, along with a tonsil and lymph glands just to be safe. Both the thingy on the tonsil and one on a lymph node were the earliest stage, T1 and L1 respectively. But, just to be further safe, I get to stick my neck in front of some radiation for 5 or 6 weeks, and I'll be good as new!

Btw-- the stuff about hospital ice cream after a tonsilectomy is bullsnot! I di'n't seen it! I had some of my own here at Casa Krashpad last night though.

Went to docs this a.m. Scar supposedly "looks good" inside of throat's all tore up, but that's supposedly normal. Disgusting drain thingy to come out Monday morning. Rad treatments start 11/29.

Just call me Zipperneck! Putitn' on the Ritz!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs595.ash2/154705_468430178878_512618878_5516104_5943475_n.jp g

On second thought I look like the Clint in Hang 'em High!

[piebaldpython]

Yeah, you do look like Clint.....at the scar anyway. :thwap

Dude, good luck to you with the RAD treatments and such. Mojo and prayers coming your way.

[duhvoodooman]

Geez, this isn't going to hurt your prodigious guitar-face capabilities, is it????

Seriously, glad to hear that everything was well-contained and that the prognosis is so good! :thumbsup

[FrankenFretter]

Wow, Brian. I'm really glad they got it all, and glad you're alright. You have a very positive attitude, and I think that's a very important thing for recovery. Keep your chin up, brother!

By the way, your wife digs scars, right?

[Tig]

Happy post-ectomy, "Clint"!

http://www.moviemarket.com/library/photos/320/320854.jpg

I'm glad they got it all out and that you'll be fine. Now you'll have something extra to be thankful for next week.

[Brian Krashpad]

Thanks fellers!

Not sure Mrs. K's position on scars, but she was the one to first notice the lump, so she probably won't say anything abou it, haha!

What's really odd is that she's always hated facial hair-- until mine started coming in gray and white.

[oldguy]

Hey, scars are manly. That's what I said when I got 'em anyway.:pancake

Glad things turned out OK for you, Brian, and MAJOR mojo and prayers from this end, hoping you heal quick, (and the rad treatments don't zap 'ya too bad, bro.)

[sunvalleylaw]

All the best to you my man! I am glad things are looking good despite the scare! (but not despite the scar!)

[guitarhack]

Good wishes and healing prayers for you, Krash!

[Katastrophe]

Glad everything went okay! Best wishes on contiued, quick recovery with prayers included.

That scar looks manly as all get out. You could have some fun with it at parties...

Party Patron: Hey, Brian, where'd ya get that scar?

Krashpad: I won't say exactly, but you should see the other guy!

[eichaan]

You're in my thoughts. Good luck, Brian!

[marnold]

Glad everything went well, Krash. It looks quite a bit like the mass my sister had removed when she was in her early grade school years. Thankfully, there's been no reoccurrence, even though they never figured out what hers was.

[MAXIFUNK]

Good luck and my prayers go out to you.
Having had my only Daughter beat 3 brain tumors and one spinal tumor I can some what understand your pain.

Keep your Head up & stay positive.

[syo]

Best thoughts to you Brian. Glad to hear that the prognosis is a good one!

[Brian Krashpad]

Thanks peeps. And Maxi, I'd say you more than understand.

[bcdon]

Hi Brian,

I'm glad the procedure went okay and that you have such a fantastic attitude about the further treatment. You have the right fighting spirit, but hey, that's to be expected from a punk rocker!! :dude

Please take care.

don

[Robert]

Great to hear you're ok. Take good care of yourself!!!

[sunvalleylaw]

More good thoughts, mojo and power chords going out your way!

[deeaa]

Damn, I hope it ain't too painful. I just had full tonsillectomy last Thursday, and that hurt like hell for a week and even now I'm spitting out bloody chunks every now and then, still got sore white and rough patches down the gullet. I guess that was a bit more than the average tonsillectomy, seems they pretty much scooped the whole back of the mouth off when I look in. But I did get plenty of ice-cream at the hospital!

Anyways, hope it's going well...and, after all - you did get an impressive scar :-) scars on face are cool in their way, they tend to lend you an air of someone who's really seen&experienced something I guess.

[Tig]

It finally hit me about the name "Lumpy Rutherford". Geez, I'm usually the first to associate TV characters, too. :mybad

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site200/2009/1007/20091007_061245_do08-dennis_300.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LIl5ocv-aso/TLzba0Y4iKI/AAAAAAAAAog/mKknxGmNH5A/s1600/B_lumpy01.jpg

[Brian Krashpad]

It finally hit me about the name "Lumpy Rutherford". Geez, I'm usually the first to associate TV characters, too. :mybad

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site200/2009/1007/20091007_061245_do08-dennis_300.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LIl5ocv-aso/TLzba0Y4iKI/AAAAAAAAAog/mKknxGmNH5A/s1600/B_lumpy01.jpg

Haha, yep, that ****er tried to kill me!

Drain came out of neck today (went in to Doc's this morning). Throat's gotten really bad, as Doc predicted for today/tomorrow. Slept most of afternoon, staying doped on hydrocodone, alternating with Tylenol (as I have occasionally done) is not an option today. May do my first double dose of Vicodin for overnight.

Good times!

[bigoldron]

Glad to hear everything's going to be OK, Brian. Don't play around with it - be sure to take the treatments. You're definitely in my prayers...

Keep us posted!

[Brian Krashpad]

Thanks Ronnie Beth (and everyone). I'm taking it easy and doing whatever I need to do. Odds are very very good that it's totally localized being at such an early stage.

But whatever it is, it is, and I'll deal with it as it comes.

[Brian Krashpad]

So, went to the radiologist today. My surgeon (just after the surgery) had said that the condition was T1N1, without explaining what that meant. That's actually pretty good, which is what I figured. However, I'm also Stage III, which is what I heard from the radiologist for the first time today. Which sounds pretty sucky, since Stage IV is the worst. Apparently I'm way over at the good side of Stage III, and the prognosis is no different from what I've always understood it to be, but fecking A, you'd think either one of these guys would've given me some sort of explanation, particularly the first guy since at that point I didn't even know I'd had cancer so would have had no reason to have done any background research myself.

If you're really masochistic (or, insomniacs), a discussion of the 2 "staging" schemes can be found here:
http://cancerguide.org/basic.html

So now my Mom is all upset, basically for nothing.

And on the list of stupid things radiologists say to overweight patients: "If you can, I suggest you put on ten pounds before the treatments, because you will lose that much."

Seriously dude? Are you fecking blind? The onliest upside to this is that I've lost 7 or 8 pounds. In fact if I DON'T another lose ten pounds during the treatment, I'm suing. So, you better give it your best shot.

Sigh.

[guitarhack]

Hang in there, Brian and keep asking questions. Best of luck to you.

[Katastrophe]

Keep up the fight, Brian! Don't stop questioning. That's the only way that you're gonna find out what they're doing, the reason for it, and how it affects you.

[Tig]

Keep up the fight, Brian! Don't stop questioning. That's the only way that you're gonna find out what they're doing, the reason for it, and how it affects you.

+1
Doctors usually don't tell us enough and can avoid answering questions almost as good as politicians. Educate yourself as much as possible.

Keep on fightin' the good fight! :punch:

[Robert]

I hope this all goes well Brian.

We're all thinking of you!

[Eric]

Wow, I just read this thread for reals. Good luck with everything, BK.

[sunvalleylaw]

I hope this all goes well Brian.

We're all thinking of you!

Ditto! Keep up the good rockin' attitude!

[Brian Krashpad]

I'll be fine guys, thanks.

Manana: the chemo guy!

(I do not expect to do chemo but the radiation doc wanted me to go see him anyhow. Sigh.)

Friday: back in with the surgeon.

[oldguy]

Continued mojo and support, Brian. We're prayin' for you on this end my friend.:thumbsup

[Brian Krashpad]

Thanks OG!

Well, went to the chemo doc today. Unsurprisingly, he recommended chemo. But, in no uncertain terms (both my surgeon and radiologist led me to believe it was at most. According to him, in the scheme of chemo treatments, mine (assuming I do it) is a relatively "easy" one. No hair loss, no nausea. But the combination of chemo and radiation can make eating/drinking painful and about half the patients end up just having a feeding tube put on their stomach so as not to deal with it.

Lovely.

Fwiw, he does not think I would be in that 50% because I'm considerably younger and in better shape (ha, how many times could I ever say that?) than most patients with head/neck cancers. He also said that my radiologist is probably one of the top guys in the world for head/neck radiation treatments. So that's good.

Meanwhile, however, I could swear I heard him say, while reading my chart on his computer, "T1N2b." That's a lousier grade than T1N1, which I had been hearing from the other 2 guys. So I have calls in to all 3 docs to get to the bottom of that. Also, I had thought all the lymph nodes on the left side have been taken out, but chemo dude said if that had happened I'd be missing half my neck. In fact he felt palpable lymph nodes (at this point I know exactly where they are) on the left, which he said not to worry about, since the radiation and chemo will take care of any possible cancer in them.

So, just call me "chemo boy." Or at least very probably.

An interesting side note. As it so happened, a copy of the mag I write a music column for was in the doc's office, that I talked to chemo doc in, today. He introduced himself and said "Mr. Kruger?" So I pointed to my byline pic and said, "Yep, that's me!" He asked about it and said that it was good for it to have come up, because he was going to ask me about whether I was a musician or not. Why would he ask such a question, you're wondering? So was I.

It turns out that the strongest cocktail for this application can also destroy or damage upper frequency hearing, as well as have a tiny possibility of nerve results in the hands! So they always ask people if they are singers or musicians or others whose hearing is integral to their work, and those people (me!) get a slightly different chemical.

So there you have it.

[Commodore 64]

I'd be worried, except I know that no cancer can withstand your guitar face. And even if it could, it would be destroyed by the dichotomy of your guitar face mandolin modifier.

Our secretary had 20+ lymph nodes removed from her neck (and her thyroid), and she's been cancer free for over a decade. And I'd still hit it. So that tells you something.

[Brian Krashpad]

I'd be worried, except I know that no cancer can withstand your guitar face. And even if it could, it would be destroyed by the dichotomy of your guitar face mandolin modifier.

Our secretary had 20+ lymph nodes removed from her neck (and her thyroid), and she's been cancer free for over a decade. And I'd still hit it. So that tells you something.

Pics?

:AOK

And thanks, that made me smile. Actually, I'm really in good spirits. Better than I probably should be, haha. The throat is finally getting closer to healing up, I'm on my feed, and aside from some minor weird post-op nerve issues (some nerves inevitably got bruised/damaged, in some cases they're still "asleep" and there's numbness, others are "waking up" and I'm sore in odd places, like my left shoulder) I'm feeling pretty great.

[sunvalleylaw]

Great to hear that you are feeling great Brian! Keep on Keepin' on!

[Eric]

...and I'm sore in odd places, like my left shoulder)
Does that mean that you sometimes look back...over your shoulder??

[Brian Krashpad]

Does that mean that you sometimes look back...over your shoulder??

Haha, actually, right now, with the nerves waking back up and shite, it kinda hurts to look back, over either shoulder.

Not that I've ever spent too much time looking back anyhow, haha.

The shoulder thing is quite weird. Basically feels like I've had a heavy backpack slung over that shoulder for hours, or been playing a 12-pound Les Paul all day. I know that there's not actually anything wrong with the shoulder, the doc didn't touch it. Still hurts though. Not serious or debilitating or anything, just an annoyance. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, or so I've been told.

[NWBasser]

It turns out that the strongest cocktail for this application can also destroy or damage upper frequency hearing, as well as have a tiny possibility of nerve results in the hands! So they always ask people if they are singers or musicians or others whose hearing is integral to their work, and those people (me!) get a slightly different chemical.
Well Brian, bass isn't such a bad instrument.:poke
You'll be able to hear it and nobody will notice any nerve damage.:rolleyes:

I finally got to read all this and I sincerely hope the best for you for a speedy recovery.

[Robert]

Here's for a quick recovery, Brian!

http://coolmaterial.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/beer-accessories/bedside-booze-drip.jpg

[Tig]

So, just call me "chemo boy." Or at least very probably.


Keep the humor and spirits high, and the body will follow.

Oh, and by no means are you allowed to go emo, not that you would. :cry:

XxPA1s3zXj0

[Brian Krashpad]

It turns out that the strongest cocktail for this application can also destroy or damage upper frequency hearing, as well as have a tiny possibility of nerve results in the hands! So they always ask people if they are singers or musicians or others whose hearing is integral to their work, and those people (me!) get a slightly different chemical.



Well Brian, bass isn't such a bad instrument.:poke
You'll be able to hear it and nobody will notice any nerve damage.:rolleyes:

I finally got to read all this and I sincerely hope the best for you for a speedy recovery.

Hhah, thanks, but I still need to hear that snare to work off the drummer.

;)

[Katastrophe]

Continued wishes for quick recovery, and I hope the chemo doesn't affect you at all.

The upshot is that surgery, radiation and chemo is the MFH to the stuck bathroom door of cancer.

I've got a good friend that at one point had cancer that had metastasized all over her body. She didn't listen to all the negativity, researched the heck out of her condition and kept fighting. Her last two scans have been clear.

[Brian Krashpad]

Here's for a quick recovery, Brian!

http://coolmaterial.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/beer-accessories/bedside-booze-drip.jpg

Haha, alas, it will be 2011 before ol' Krash will be having so much as a beer. It's been 16 days since I've had anything to drink already.

I found it kind of odd, today Chemo Doc sort of implied that hitting beer is less unhealthy vis-a-vis this condition. After establishing that I didn't really ever smoke cigs, he asked about alcohol. I told him I was no stranger to beer. Before he got into amounts, he said "Just beer? Not liquor?" I said, yeah, almost exclusively, I virtually never drink liquor. He says "no liquor" to himself and writes it down on his chart. It was clear by his expression that that sort of ruled out that as a causative factor. I had always heard "a drink is a drink," meaning that a beer is just as bad for you as a shot or a mixed drink, and vice-versa. But apparently that may not always be the case. Of course, it doesn't really matter here, since I got what I got anyhow, but I found that somewhat strange.

[Brian Krashpad]

Keep the humor and spirits high, and the body will follow.

Oh, and by no means are you allowed to go emo, not that you would. :cry:

XxPA1s3zXj0

Haha, I have a song title "Just Say 'No' to Emo!" that I have yet to get around to writing the song for!

And of course, I will have to write something about this. I think it will probably be called "Pain In the Neck," although I'm also toying with "Voila My Scar" (the latter being a reference to the Madeleine children's books). Hers however, was an appendectomy:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bDpg9dX2RY0/TCllzQfu-II/AAAAAAAABhA/GacEoB1oXL8/s1600/scar2.jpg

[Brian Krashpad]

Been doing a lot of doctor shite over the last week.

Looks like chemo and radiation will start up next week, after I get a couple big tooth fillings taken care of. The radiation is going to feck up my teeth/bone on one side, basically forever. Lovely.

Went to the radiation oncology mad scientist lab yesterday so they could make a plastic mask that will hold me in just exactly the right spot for the ray-gun to shoot me in the neck. The thing is pretty bosstastic looking and I'm hoping I get to keep it when we're done. This isn't mine, but gives you an idea what they look like:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs404.ash2/68251_479482903878_512618878_5674280_144372_n.jpg

While I was there, the rad-oncologist breezes through and says, "did I mention you could also do TWO sessions a day? But it wouldn't shorten the overall time, there's just a tiny possibility it might help. But your tumor was so small, it's not really necessary. I probably shouldn't have even mentioned it."

ARRRRGH. Feckin' A, doc, if you SHOULDN'T mention it, FECKING DON'T mention it.

I'm already getting chemo and radiation, AND have already had surgery to remove everything in the general vicinity of the damn thing. Under other circumstances I might go for broke. To my surprise, Mrs. K did not insist otherwise. I'm keeping a fairly cool head about this whole deal, I'm younger and fitter than the average patient, and a non-smoker. But I can see that some other patients would totally lose it if he did that.

Btw, here's a photo update. I've often written notes to myself on me (see hand). Now OTHERS are writing notes to THEMSELVES on me (see chest-- radiation reference mark). I think it's just an excuse for those radiation tech ladies to see me without a shirt.

Did I mention my bosstastic scar? (see neck) The super glue is starting to peel off. You can see that the end up closest to my ear has about a half inch where it's just pink. That's the actual scar. The brown color of the rest of it is the super glue that hasn't come off yet.

Beard's going this week-- I'll shave it off since one side'll fall out anyhow.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1357.snc4/162959_479509383878_512618878_5674546_8016734_n.jp g

No docs today! Yay. Probably the last weekday I'll be able to say that until Christmas Eve.

So, there ya go.

[Robert]

You look awesome Brian. Like an experienced pirate with some scars!

Seriously, I'm hoping this works great and that this issue is DONE for you for good after this treatment!

[Tig]

Man, that has got to suck. However, it sure beats the alternative!

Keep on rockin' in the free world, and don't let those radiology tech wimmerns have their way with ya'!

[Tig]

You look awesome Brian. Like an experienced pirate with some scars!

Well, hopefully not like a Keef pirate!
http://humordistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/NEpv9qprpop2sp_1_1.jpg

[Katastrophe]

Scar's looking good... Keep up the good fight, man. Prayers for continued recovery still headed your way.

[Brian Krashpad]

Thanks fellers.

As for piratin', instead I say "Stay thirsty, my Friends" a lot:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DII7QkBbhTM/Sjs6UD-hNAI/AAAAAAAAAEc/4wPOkmnM_Z8/s320/dosequis_interesting.jpg

[piebaldpython]

If you weren't married.....that scar would be landin' babes for you left and right. :thumbsup

Kind of like you were a "bad boy"....Johnny Depp-ish almost with a nod to Keef. :thumbsup

Seriously.....good luck with all this doctoring and stuff and try to keep your humor intact. That old adage about a laugh a day is true.

[Brian Krashpad]

If you weren't married.....that scar would be landin' babes for you left and right. :thumbsup

Kind of like you were a "bad boy"....Johnny Depp-ish almost with a nod to Keef. :thumbsup

Seriously.....good luck with all this doctoring and stuff and try to keep your humor intact. That old adage about a laugh a day is true.

Thanks, I've been laughing more than ever to be honest. Some somewhat dark humor on occasion, but that just makes it even funnier.

Best so far: my wife teaches adults English as foreign language. She got an e-mail from one of her students intending to comfort her about my situation. The subject line read:






wait for it...





I am sure he will be overcome


:laughingatyou

[Robert]

Man, Brian, I'm glad to hear you have such a sense of humor in all this!

:D

That was pretty funny, I have to admit. :applause

[Commodore 64]

ROFLMAO.

It's just like a gift, Brian. It's the thought that counts.

[Brian Krashpad]

ROFLMAO.

It's just like a gift, Brian. It's the thought that counts.

Her students, by and large, are the sweetest people in the world. Usually, each year we have a winter holiday break party for them, I call it the "United Nations party." I'm not sure if we're doing it this year, haven't heard any dates. My guess is that Mrs. K is skipping it this time.

If so, too bad. The food they bring is GREAT.

[Brian Krashpad]

Here's the last pic of the beard.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs739.ash1/163156_482055148878_512618878_5711669_1264437_n.jp g

"I don't always do chemo, but when I do, I prefer O'Douls to Dos Equis.

(OK, it's not really like I prefer O'Douls, but I'm not allowed Dos Equis. I digress.)

Stay thirsty, my friends."

Here's the drawings they did on me yesterday at the mad scientist lab. All you amateur radiation oncologists can figure out exactly where I'ma be zapped. Note tasteful lack of nipplage.

I gave up trying to finish shaving a neck I still can't feel. A bit scary that. May try to do better tomorrow. Or not. ;) At least most of the Santa beard is gone.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1231.snc4/156334_482517453878_512618878_5717305_4064314_n.jp g

Today: first zappage!

[Robert]

Good luck Brian! Hope it goes fast.

[sunvalleylaw]

Hoping it goes well and fast for you! Keep up the humor! :dance

[duhvoodooman]

Hoping it goes well and fast for you! Keep up the humor! :dance
Yeah, there's an idea for a slogan for your recent travails:


Lose the tumor, keep the humor! :rockya And you're doing it great.... :thumbsup

[piebaldpython]

Good luck with the Zapp(a)-ing. Hey, the "stubbleage" (sp ?) actually looks good. Mojo sent your way and yeah.....humor is a great medicine. Having been down a "dark road" too.......I can tell you honestly.....that finding something to laugh about everyday does wonders for the spirit.

[Katastrophe]

Dude, both the beard and the stubbleage look great on you. And thanks for the nipple coverage!

Good luck with the zapping. I hope it goes well, and knocks the hell outta them bad cells!