---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:21 PM
---------------------------
From: Sharks Hockey Team Captain
To: fred_furia@iname.com
cc:
Subject: Best Wishes
On behalf of the entire team, I would like to extend my best wishes for a
speedy and complete recovery. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they
play sports, and you exemplify clean, solid hockey. The team will miss you,
and you will be in our thoughts and prayers.
If sports does imitate life, this is only the end of the first period, and you
are in the penalty box for unnecessary roughness. I'm sure you will be back on
the ice soon. Let me know how you are doing, and I hope to see you very soon.
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:25 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia on 09/01/99 07:58 AM
To: Gators Hockey Team
cc:
Subject: last night
Hey guys. Sorry I was the "mystery spectator" last night and didn't explain.
I am home from Houston for a sick leave, because I was diagnosed Saturday with testicular cancer. I will have a couple of rounds of surgery (starting at 9:15 this morning) and then chemotherapy, so I really wanted to run into you guys while I am as mobile as possible.
It's not that bad. Besides the losing the testicle later today, this kind of cancer is about as friendly as cancer gets. It has a very high survival rate, and so far I am expecting to have everything behind me in two, three months at the worst. I will keep you posted, and I will try to make your next game. (This first surgery is actually only a one-night stay at the hospital. I should be able to get out of the house within a week or less.)
Wish me luck.
-Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:26 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia on 09/02/99 02:30 PM
To: Family
Subject: Re: update on Fred Jr.
Thanks, Anne.
Just to let everyone know, I am already out of the hospital, and "it" is out of me. I have been moving around very tenderly, but it is about 99% squeemishness, 1% pain. To be honest, I haven't felt much pain at all, and I am extremely happy (and surprised) with that.
This one was little-league comared to lung surgery.
Now I am doing what I have wanted to do for some time now: sitting around and enjoying my house.
Keep in touch, all.
- Fred
PS: I had some salad and desert offers for my BBQ. Hopefully some of those will find their way to Baltimore.
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:27 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia on 09/02/99 02:39 PM
To: Work Friend 1
cc:
Subject: Re: How are you feeling?
Yes, I am going to spend a lot of time online. Especially to play video games, but also to check for email and respond to it.
I really can't believe how low the pain level has been. I am doing everything all tenderly and carefully, and that makes it look like I am in pain, but it has truly all been FEAR of pain. I am not happy over losing a testicle, but other than that this isn't even a pale shadow of what lung surgery was. (I had that in 1993 for a collapsed lung.)
Tell everyone I am feeling good. So good that I am almost embarassed that people are worried about me. I know it must have been quite a shock to come in Monday morning. Life is so odd.
Oh well. Talk to you later...
Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia on 09/23/99 02:59 PM
To: Gang
cc:
Subject: general update
Okay, I have finally put together a list of everyone who has recently asked me what's going on, how I am, and all that, so here is the latest...
I got some fairly good news on Tuesday: The CAT scans -- at least the parts they were really worried about -- came back negative. It appears nothing has spread to my head, chest, pelvis, or any essential organs.
I have a big operation scheduled in a week (Wed 9/29), to take out a bunch of my abdominal lymph nodes, because cancer cells apparently love to go there from the testicle. One of those nodes is expanding, so there might be a small tumor there. This is common, and it did not surprise the doctor at all. That means I get to stay in the 95% survival category. (If I had something in, say, my brain, it would be a different story.)
The surgery is kind of major -- 3 hour procedure, big incision, a week in the hospital. But after next that and some precautionary chemo, I should be in the clear.
By the way, thanks for all the calls, cards, and gifts. Special thanks to the blood donors, who gave blood as a completely precautionary measure (I shouldn't require any for the surgery). Especially tough-guy Joe Washco, who fainted at the donation center. ;-)
Thanks all around!
Fred
PS: For those of you in the Philly area, I will be at HUP (Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania), and I expect to be well enough for short visits by Thursday (a day or two after surgery). I will send out more information on that next week.
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:31 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia on 09/27/99 07:36 PM CDT
To: Gang
cc:
Subject: 100% clear liquids
Yuck, they haven't let me eat food since midnight Sunday night (surgery preparation).
I drove to a few convenience stores, hoping to find some Crystal Pepsi, but it looks like PepsiCo bagged that idea at some point. I don't blame them, but I am kind of sad, because most of you probably know I am a serious cola drinker. So tonight I am stuck having a little "taste test" between Canada Dry and Sprite. Fortunately, ginger ale tastes pretty darn good to me -- as anything might, at this point.
Okay, to the point. As I said last time, I will be at HUP (Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania), at 34th and Spruce, starting Wednesday for surgery and running 5 to 6 days beyond that. I am asking that no one visit me at all on Wednesday, since I will probably be recovering and unable to appreciate company. From Thursday on, please do stop by if you are in the area. Short, quiet visits should be really good for me.
Visiting hours are 11am to 9pm daily (at least for normal rooms). You should be able to get my room number and visiting status from one of these numbers:
HUP MAIN NUMBER: (215) 662-4000
HUP PATIENT INFO: (215) 662-3308
Thanks....
Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:32 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia on 10/05/99 02:24 AM CDT
To: Gang
cc:
Subject: home sweet home
"Ouch."
That's what I thought for about 5 days straight, night and day, in the hospital.
Just to put everyone at ease: I am at home, and in UNBELIEVABLY good condition right now (compared to, say, day 2 after surgery).
I make trips to the bathroom by myself, I am allowed to wear normal-person clothing. (I of course keep the pants-waste always unbuttoned and unzipped, to protect my incision, but I can usually hide that with a big droopy shirt.)
I can sleep for 4 hours at a time without suddenly waking up to pain. (When I was in the hospital, my pain button had to be pushed every 20 minutes to maintain dosage levels. For much of my stay, even a one-hour nap had a major price in pain.)
These are just the basics, to give you an idea of how happy I am to be home.
Here are some other basics, which people may or may not have heard. (I have not really gone back through my own mailbox yet.)
The surgeon found and "dissected" 2 nodes that looked suspiciously enlarged when he saw them. They are being investigated by pathology right now, but I am assuming that the enlargement was due to early-stage tumor activity. This is very common, and does NOT affect my extremely-high survival changes.
For the morbid among you... My incision is about 10 inches long. It is a straight line that looks extremely long, because it extends completely from my sternum to my pelvis, curving only to get around my navel. It does not really hurt all that much when I just sit or lie around, but movement makes it feel painful to uncomfortable, depending on the movement. And laughing... Let's just say it's all fun and games until Fred starts to laugh.
Okay, I feel another wonderful 5 hour nap coming up. Ah, the luxury of extended sleep.
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:33 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia on 10/05/99 02:27 AM CDT
To: Work Friend 2
cc:
Subject: Thanks!
Hey, thanks for the greeting you sent me at the hospital. In the form of an angel, no less!!! (She was so cute that I first thought it was my girlfriend, Meredyth.)
I wonder if I made a good impression, besides the 3 nose-tubes, 2 IV tubes, the epidoral needle stuck in my back, and the bags collecting bile and urine. Ha ha ha!
Seriously, thanks for thinking of me.
-Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:35 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia on 10/07/99 10:36 PM CDT
To: Former Co-Worker 1
cc:
Subject: Re: Back In Touch....
Hey! Good to hear from you!
Well, only since you insisted on asking...
I haven't worked since August 28 because I found a lump in my testicle. Sat 8/29 I went to the emergency room in Houston (my current project assignment -- an assignment I wouldn't have taken except that my girlfriend was down there), and they diagnosed me with cancer. I came home Sunday 8/30, and had "the surgery" Wednesday 9/2.
Wednesday 9/29 I had a much more major (open abdomen, 10-inch incision completely from my sternum to pelvis) surgery to remove several lymph nodes. This is precautionary, because those nodes are a favorite landing zone for testicular cancer. So far it looks like two nodes had been infected, but only recently (thank god).
My CT scans are clear, and so is my chest x-ray (that covers all the other favorite landing spots). All that remains is (you guessed it) chemotherapy, as soon as I am feeling better form the lympy surgery (just 8 days ago). This is also precautionary.
Yesterday I walked to the 7-eleven (a quarter mile away -- first time outside since 9/29), and today I walked to the 5&10 store (half a mile away!). With any luck I will be ready for chemo in no time. (How's that for incentive? hehehe.)
Anyway, I don't mean to pout and whine, but that's what's up for me these days. I should be a normal, working person again by some time in November, so it's not all that bad. It's amazing, though, isn't it? I mean, I was about the best-conditioned athlete on my ice hockey team (did you know I have picked up ice hockey? I am even assistant captain on my winter team!)
And imagine saying "have a nice weekend" to everyone you interact with at work, then the next day having to come to the office (Saturday), pack up everything you own, and write emails to everyone involved so you can explain what happened, where you are on every piece of work you have been constructing. Man, I had to wrap up a whole life down there. It's surreal. (I won't be going back there, because the project is wrapping up. We were doing Compaq's online computer store, but they are now moving away from our custom solution.)
oh well. There is some good news. My girlfriend was granted a transfer to the Philadelphia office. (She is with PwC, and she was based in DC but working in Houston. There is no telling where she could have been sent next, without the help of this.) It was a weird thing. She came up for a training course that my cousin Gerry was teaching, and we somehow met at a company function. We spent a ton of time together, and I started visiting her in Dallas (her home office at the time -- kind of confusing I guess) every three weeks, and suddenly someone from the Houston project called me and asked if I was available for work down there. Someone at the GTC had given them my name. At the time I couldn't believe what a lucky guy I was, but now, I am guessing maybe it evens out.
(It's been a lot of tv, computer games, email, and reading these days. I think I have been through over 3000 pages of brain-candy science fiction reading. All the things I wanted more time for are now driving me mad!!!!)
Okay, now I have really given you the long version. I'll let you rest your eyes after all this reading!!!
Thanks for the thoughts. (I have just looked at your second email!)
Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia
To: Former Co-Worker 2
cc:
Subject: Re:
Yes, it's true. One minute I was a big-time consultant on a high-profile project (Compaq's online store, in Houston), and a hard-skating ice-hockey player (www.phillyzone.com/gators -- a website I run myself), and the next I was undergoing surgery after surgery, along with chemotherapy to make me feel nice and unwell.
Friday, August 27 I noticed a lump on my left testicle. Saturday I was diagnosed in a Houston emergency room, and I had to spent 4 hours in the office at Compaq, collecting everything I owned from my desk and writing emails to everyone (lead, manager, coworkers) explaining where I went, telling them what remained to be done on each of my work assignments, describing who could take on my routine tasks, and simply apologizing for suddenly disappearing from their lives. It was quite a shock -- maybe more so than the treatment.
Wednesday, 9/1, they removed it (just an overnight stay). Wednesday 9/29 they did a much more serious surgery on my abdomen to check for and remove infected nodes. (10 inch incision from my sternum to my pelvis, 6 extremely uncomfortable days recovering with a nose tube draining fluid from my stomach -- ouch).
Then chemotherapy started less than two weeks later. Between waves 1 and 2 I had to have emergency surgery to correct a bowel obstruction. This sometimes results from the previous abodominal surgery I had had, because they move the intestines around a great deal when they perform it. So I spent last week recovering, once again with a nose-tube draining stomach fluid. (This is the single worst part of the experience. I can't tell you how awful those nose tubes are!)
So finally, I resume chemotherapy tomorrow. It should be a week of medication, a week of recovery (during which I feel pretty awful), and then a week of nicer recovery. And THAT should finish all this crap, and get me back to my life. I am tired of reading. I am tired of video games. I am tired of television and video rentals. All the things I never had enough time for... Forget it. I want to get back to work (and then to hockey).
So there you have it. If Mark was missing some details, you could forward this back to him. I have been pretty open with anyone who is interested in what's going on, so it's not a secret or anything.
I don't know when that planned lunch with Patricia was supposed to happen, but I doubt I will really enjoy eating for at least 4 weeks or so. Starting in about 2 or 3 weeks I might start poking around at the office, so if that was your timeline we might at least run into eachother.
So what are you doing nowadays? Still in the SAP stuff, or have you moved on to other technologies? You should jump into e-buziness as soon as possible, if you haven't already. After Y2K settles down, that's where the heat will be.
Anyway, thanks for your concern. I hope everything is going well for you.
Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia
To: Gang
cc:
Subject: my own update
Okay, here's some information about what's going on...
I am still in the hospital, finally feeling up to using my laptop for email.
The emergency surgery on my intestines (Sat 11/6) has set me back a week and two days. I was supposed to begin round 2 of chemotherapy on Monday 11/8 (as per my previous outgoing email), but instead I will be starting it tomorrow (Wed 11/16). The bad news is, the oncologists do not have a good handle on how this delay will affect my chemotherapy. They have been clear from the beginning that waves 1 and 2 need to be timed very carefully together.
The reason I stopped taking visitors during the week last week is that my old friend the nose tube was back with me. This tube gets inserted in the stomach by way of the nose, and is left in place to drain bile from the stomach while the intestines recover from surgery. For 6 days my intestines were simply shut down (usually this should be 4 or 5 days, but I am guessing two abdominal surgeries within a month is quite a shock to the system). I could go on and on about this tube, but suffice it to say I lost 10 pounds in those 7 days, and could not speak during much of the time due to the tube's agitating effect on my throat. The tube came out on Friday (11/12), and within hours I was smiling and having conversations.
I was upgraded to full meals (no more chicken-flavored salt-water) on Monday (11/15), and I have already gained 2 pounds in the past 3 days. I'd prefer to have kept the other hard-fought 7 pounds I had regained from chemo round 1, but it's time to get on with chemotherapy nevertheless.
Chemotherapy, my second and final round, commences tomorrow morning at 9am. It will be 5 straight days of medication, followed by two more weekly Wednesday doses of bleomycin (the weakest of the 3 chemotherapy drugs).
I do have my laptop working here at the hospital, but the anti-nausea treatments may keep me too drowsy to be sending out interesting updates. (Either that or simple nausea will curb my interest. Let's hope the former.)
Thanks everyone for the cards and visits. They have been very cool and timely. (Thanks also to the Philadelphia FLYERS for going on a big hot streak for me to watch this past week.) This round has easily been my darkest time, because it was so totally unplanned. I had expected to be back at my house by now, a little queasy, but home.
Now I look forward to that happening by, say, one week from tomorrow. (Wed 11/24. That leaves 5 days for treatment, 2 days for settling down.)
Anyway, wish me luck guys. Just one last time...
Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia
To: Gang
cc:
Subject: Yes, Wednesday was ugly
I did throw up 3 or 4 times, and I was quite miserable over the prospect of having 5 straight days of that.
However, on Thursday I was MUCH more aggressive about getting my anti-nausea medications as often as possible. If I wasn't due for a medication for another 30 minutes or so, I would just kind of whimper about my nausea to the nurses and get them to give it to me early. (Friday) Today I have even gotten the oncologist to narrow the gaps between doses of ativan from 4 hours to 3 hours. Hopefully this will smooth out the rest of my week, but you never know....
I just need to get through Sunday. After then there will be no more cysplatin or etoposide (ugly drugs number 1 and 2). I will get two more weekly doses of blemycin, but that's little-league compared to cysplatin.
Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia
To: Aunt 1
cc:
Subject: Re: Yes, Wednesday was ugly
Yes, I should be home for Thanksgiving, but that means sitting around without an appetite, likely unable to socialize do to a low white blood count (making me a major infection risk until they can push that back up).
So I will be thumping around my house, taking medications and eating what I can put down. That will be my miost appreciated Thanksgiving in ages, to be honest. Hehehe.
THanks for the thoughts. I have just one more day of medication, then I can expect a day or two of "settling down" before being released. I can't wait.
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia
To: Aunt 2
cc:
Subject: RE: Almost Monday
Well, I will be lucky if I can eat more than a little bit of soup for my Thanksgiving meal, because the nausea follows chemo for at least 2 weeks. However, maybe I will be up to par for some really big Christmas eating.
I'm going to keep it short, because I also don't feel especially well sitting at the computer here. In a few minutes, my dad will be here to take me home (from the hospital here), so that is a good thing.
I hope you enjoy meeting Jill's parents. Glad to hear about the mountain biking. I have a mountain bike, but I can't ride it right now. Maybe in the spring....
Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia on 11/22/99 05:31 PM CST
To: Gang
cc:
Subject: Out of hospital
Just a quick email warning, since someone just mentioned they might visit me at the hospital tonight or tomorrow.
I have snuck home from the hospital, and (having kept down at least one meal thus far), I might manage to stay here at home for a little while. As long as medications and distractions (cable tv) can keep back the nausea. Ideally this will get better each day.
And thank goodness. I was getting pitifully bored with the hospital room. 2+ weeks in a single room (mostly in a single bed) can seem like a lifetime.
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia
To: Internet PenPal
cc:
Subject: Re: well hello there. :)
Oh well. I have been re-admitted to the hospital as of Tuesday. I was just to nauseated to keep eating and all that.
Wish me luck next time. They will probably release me again tomorrow (Saturday). :-(
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia
To: High School Friend
cc:
Subject: Re: Out of hospital
Yeah well, funny thing happened. I checked back into the hospital the next day with bad nausea (unable to keep fluids down -- even my own saliva).
So I am STILL in here, wondering when I will ever be able to sit happily at home without slowly dehydrating myself like some weight-concious amateur wrestler (i.e., spitting and avoiding water). Possibly tomorrow, but they will only let me go if I feel totally okay about leaving. We'll see. Today would have been tough.
Thanks for the thoughts/prayers.
-Fred
PS: I have thought of some good, funny one-testicle jokes you'd probably appreciate (you being one of the more tolerant jokesters I've joked with in my life). I'll wait until a more tasteful time to send type them out, of course. hehe.
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia
To: Gang
cc:
Subject: Get back in here.
So yeah, as most of you heard from my mother, I was thrown back in the hospital after about 20 hours of freedom.
I really thought I was ready to go home, but by nightfall I found I could not keep down any liquids -- even my own saliva. So I spat into a cup all night, hoping it would get better, and the next morning I conceded that I must on my way to dehydration, so I had my father bring me to the hospital and get me checked back in.
I am still here. I still have trouble with water and saliva, even though I can eat the meals put before me (including soup and milk!). I am tossing around tomorrow (Saturday) as go-home day, but I want to see myself actively drinking water in order to make that safe. I have managed to decrease the anti-nausea drugs I am taking to keep stable here at the hospital, so that is a plus. The less of that stuff I am using, the closer I am to complete independence.
Other good news -- the gastro-intestinal specialists assure me that the trouble is purely post-chemo nausea, and not some further complication of my bowels. This is good, because I would just cry if they told me I needed more bowel surgery. (Actually, only because of the NG tube it would bring with it. The surgeries themselves don't seem so bad, with pain killers and all.)
If anyone has ideas on how to make water seem more enticing, please pass them on. I'd like nothing more than to go play a hockey game (which usually makes me crave water like nothing else), but my surgeries would make that a hernia risk for another 5 weeks. Other ideas are welcome...
Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia
To: Work Friend 2
cc:
Subject: Re: Message to Fred
Hey, thanks for the email.
As you know, things have been up and down for me. Tonight was a setback, for instance, because my dinner came back up mysteriously and unexpectedly. That pretty much rules out Saturday (tomorrow) as my return to home.
This is driving me nuts. Guys our age are not supposed to spend 3 weeks in a hospital bed suffering from discomfort like this. I am SOOO out of things to do it is not even funny. At least I am feeling well enough that I am interested in things to do. That is a plus, I must admit. There are other small improvements (such as my new ability to take my medecines via mouth instead of IV -- meaning that my nausea is probably not as awful as it was. And I have reduced the overall amounts, too. This is all good (unless you blame it for my lost dinner -- you could also blame that on overeating, which I probably did).
I have not been webmastering, man. I have been too sick and surgery-ized to focus on things like that. I do plan to really dive into that once I return to work, or maybe just before then if I feel well enough for a few days, but I really ought to work once I can work at all -- even if just from home.
Aw man, you're so lucky you got to stay on the project until October. I had it all figured out. Stay in Houston until October, get pulled off the project (back before I realized things would end that month anyway), and be home in time for hockey. Now I missed 2 months of the work that was finally making me a viable MODERN Internet guy (not Perl/CGI anymore), and I am missing 3 months of my precious Gators season (www.phillyzone.com/gators -- way out of date, because I am the webmaster).
Speaking of PhillyZone, that is where I plan to eventually put my boardwalk findit site, as well as a link to my Philly screen saver, a program which displays beautiful scenic shots of Philadelphia as your screen saver. Other ideas are still in the works.
Anyway, keep in touch. I am now well enough that I have a keen interest in email of interest. I might even read Dave's humor emails soon, out of desperation for interesting reading.
Later,
Fred
PS: Get to open hockey dude. You should get back into it, especially if you are on the bench/beach at the moment, so you won't have equipment-storage issues.
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia
To: Grad School Friend
cc:
Subject: Re: Get back in here.
And no, I do not still have hair. Bald as an egg. You can feel some very minor "scalp-stubble" if you really rub it, but it's quite invisible really.
I have to wear a wool hat all the time or I get really cold. That's tough. At first I thought I would get away with baseball caps, but no way....
My mother's updates do tend to be more gruesome, or so I hear (for some reason she skips me with her updates!). She was right about the insurance company pushing me out of the hospital. They didn't tell me that at first, so I found it out way after the fact. This time, however, the doctors here are convinced that I need to stay until I am completely comfortable. They are embarassed that I had to come back after 24 hours, all miserable and dehydrated, and they have promised not to let that happen again (insurance be damned -- they will just keep writing nausea/dehydration on my chart as long as they need to).
Anyway, write me as much as you can. Boredom is becoming a high-impact issue for me here at the hospital. (I guess you can tell that by my increasing use of email. That means I am having more and more "not so sick" spells where I can enjoy things like the laptop. That also means I need as much stimulation as possible. Tell me what you are up to these days. Where has the world taken you? Etc. etc.)
Talk to you later,
Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia
To: Gang
cc:
Subject: Fred Discharged
Fred is being discharged this evening. He'll be going to his new house on
Eagle Road. We are hoping oral medication will control the nausea.
He will report to the cancer center at DCMH tomorrow for shots to raise his
low white blood cell count, and the next day for what we hope is his last
dose of chemotherapy. He will continue to have his white and red counts,
etc. monitered each day for a while.
He remains somewhat dehydrated. The chemicals he has been taking make water
taste horrible to him, although his taste of milk is unaffected. His weight
last night was only up to 141 and a half pounds. After the first 2
operations, but prior to the start of chemo, he weighed 171.
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia on 11/29/99 07:23 PM CST
To: Gang
cc:
Subject: Re: Fred Discharged
Yes, I am home again. I feel much better this time, and I expect the oral medications to work okay. I have taken nothing but these oral medications in the hospital for the entire weekend, and I kept down my meals and felt for the most part only mildly nauseated.
My white blood count was low enough that they didn't want me roaming the halls of the hospital without a mask today, so I guess I will make sure to show up for my shot tomorrow. I will get one shot per day until my white blood cells return to their normal levels.
Yes, there is that one last dose of chemotherapy on Wednesday, but that is the wimpiest of the chemo drugs. I am not afraid of it, because it's only side-effect seems to be a fever (treated with tyllenol). Nausea is what scares me to death at this point.
>He remains somewhat dehydrated. The chemicals he has been taking make water
>taste horrible to him, although his taste of milk is unaffected. His weight
>last night was only up to 141 and a half pounds. After the first 2
>operations, but prior to the start of chemo, he weighed 171.
I see my mother was really watching when I weighed myself last night. She was standing there with me, and I gave myself a generous 142, but I admit, she is correct, it was actually 141 and a half. One small correction, however. I weighed 171 before EVERYTHING... Surgery, chemotherapy, etc. I believe I was still working my way up through the low 160s when I entered chemotherapy, so the weight loss under that treatment is more like 20+ pounds. (Let's not leave surgery and NG tubes totally blameless.)
And speaking of dehydration, Meredyth has reminded me that I really liked hot cocoa during the last round of chemo. I have been sipping it all night so far, and it is working out great. Thanks for all the other ideas (and interesting insights) that came back about water-tasting. The funniest was probably from Uncle Dan, who told me that he can't drink any water around him because he is currently stationed in Kiev. Apparently, over there, it is find spring water or risk major illness. hehe.
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
---------------------------
From: Fred Furia on 11/30/99 10:26 PM CST
To: High School Friend 2
cc:
Subject: Re:
Hey man, I was wondering when you'd surface again. Did you have a great time or what?
On my end, I'm sorry to say life has been terrible. I am going to borrow from a previous email to make my story easier to explain, but the basic problem has been a case of stage 2 testicular cancer.
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I am in bad shape. I was working in Houston, happy because of the great assignment (e-commerce -- Compaq's online store) and the great situation (I was with Meredyth, my serious girlfriend. I had it all, and after work on Friday August 27 I noticed a big lump in my left testicle.
Saturday I was diagnosed with testicular cancer in a Houston ER. I remember when the shock set in. I suddenly turned to the doctor and said to her, "Wow, I'm not going to make it to work this week." She looked at me as if I obviously didn't get something, and she said "Oh no."
After visiting the hospital, I had to stop at Compaq and go to my desk in order to write emails to everyone -- EVERYONE that I worked with down there -- trying to wrap up my 6 month assignment (this was the 4th month, so I was in the middle of a few projects, as you can imagine). I made sure that the right person knew about each project and had detailed instructions on how to continue my work, emailed my lead, manager, and project manager giving status on these items and making sure they knew who had the information on which project, and then wrote a big email to all my friends, apologizing that I would probably not be back with them for a while (if ever). The project itself ended in October, so all my friends have been sent home to their various parts of the country. Oh well.
But anyway, back to the big story... I have not returned to work since diagnosis. My cancer turned out to be malignant and spreading, at least to my abdominal lymph nodes and into my circulatory system. I have had 3 surgeries and chemotherapy, and I am writing to you while recovering in the hospital from terrible nausea caused by my chemotherapy, even a full week after my last dose. (The drug used for testicular cancer happens to be the worst of all chemo treatments, and I happen to be extra-susceptible to the miserable nausea it causes.)
Anyway, here is what they did:
Wed Sep 1 -- radical orchiectamy (remove testical)
Wed Sep 29 -- retroperitonial lymph node dissection (remove any infected lymph nodes from the abdomen -- a favorite landing spot for cancer)
Mon Oct 11 -- Begin chemotherapy, first cycle
Sat Oct 30 -- Emergency surgery to fix bowel obstruction, probably caused by Sep 29 surgery
Wed Nov 10 -- Begin chemotherapy, second (and last) cycle
A wave of chemotherapy is 5 straight days of IV injections. They have made me sick as a dog and bald as an egg.
The "radical orchiectamy" was very tame. I was in the hospital overnight, and after 48 hours I wasn't using any pain killers at all. Go figure.
The two abdominal surgeries were awful. The especially horrid part of each was the NG tube they had to leave in my nose (going all the way to my stomach!!!) to drain bile while my intestines were in shock from surgery. The intestines apparently shut down whenever your bowels are messed with. Anyway, let's just say that the tube is a nightmare I will never forget.
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I am now out of the hospital. It has been 24 hours and I have been able to keep 3 meals down, along with lots of fluid. (Water tastes horrid to me, but milk and cocoa seem nice.)
I should be able to work in about a week and a half. That will make 3.5 months during which my life has been totally empty except for medical procedures and pain and discomfort, but it looks like I have won. I still feel kind of sick all the time, but that gets better every day.
How's that for an unexpected reply, eh? Thanks for keeping in touch. Please continue to do so. I am sure you have some wild Appalacian stories, right?
Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
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From: Fred Furia on 12/02/99 07:05 PM CST
To: Former Co-Worker 2
cc:
Subject: Re: How are you?
Well, I had one wave of chemo during which I faired badly (had to be hospitalized for an extra 5 days for nausea/vomiting). Then, when it was almost time for my other round to start, I had terrible gas pains bring me to the hospital. This was due to adhesions blocking my large intestine, requiring emergency surgery for repair. (The suspected cause is the earlier surgery I had to remove my abdominal lymph nodes. Sometimes the bowels heal with a twist or a kink, and that is what happened to me.)
So then I had awful nausea/vomiting during wave 2 (once they dared administer it -- almost 2 weeks late). But the good news is, I got out of the hospital from that one on Monday, and all my treatment is behind me. I still feel sick much of the day (even with two anti-nausea medications), but I am well enough that I might wander around the office for a small visit tomorrow (after my doctor appointment). If I can just shake this "background nausea" I will be 100% back in the norm (although 30 pounds lighter than usual).
Thanks for asking. Keep in touch.
Fred
---------------------- Forwarded by Fred Furia/MCS/Price Waterhouse on 10/24/2000 06:28 PM
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From: Fred Furia
To: Gang
cc:
Subject: Returned to work Monday
For those of you who don't know, I returned to work on Monday (yesterday). I felt a little sick sometimes, and tired as well, but it's good enough. I am back again today, for instance.
The chemotherapy turns out to have caused some temporary kidney damage (very common for these drugs), and as a result I have to take a lot of potassium and magnesium supplement pills. They are very large and hard to swallow -- but who really cares (I'm out of the hospital, remember?). This should last about a month or so.
I am also still bald as an egg. I have no idea when I'll get some hair again -- maybe early next year. But like I said, who really cares.
As far as the weight-watch goes, I believe I have gained about 6 pounds since the last email I sent out (11/29). That leaves about 24 pounds before I get up to normal. Not a problem, as my appetite is now huge. I am wolfing down pasta (with thick alfredo sauce), pizza and other fattening foods with no problems whatsoever. I am even drinking water a lot more than before.
I will have lots of medical tests over the next year, but as far as treatments it looks like I am completely finished. The chances of recurrence is very low after the type of regimen I have had, so I expect no further problems. (Let's hope.)
Otherwise, things are back to normal. I have yet to buy a Christmas present, for instance.
Thanks one last time for all of your support. I'm sure I'll run into most of you soon anyway, to thank you in person. As I count it (diagnosis through return to work), it's been 107 days of fighting for my life (imagine leaving your normal life for 107 days -- that is a long time), and you've all been a great support group throughout that time. I really appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Fred
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