Live A Long Life

A fellow employee where I work sent me the following. I share it as good advice and hope when it comes to his type or any type of sickness. Think long term folks, we are not invincible...so take care of yourselves and live a long life.
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Please allow me to take a few moments of your time.

As another year has gone by, I feel it is time to once again speak up in regards to my bout with cancer some 28 years ago.

The story starts at a bowling alley of all places. I had a passion for this activity in my earlier years, bowling in multiple leagues several nights per week (not much else to do on the frozen tundra of Iowa in the winter months). On this particular evening as I released the ball I felt a pain in my groin but only passed it off as "a pinch".

I noticed some swelling over the next couple of days and as a result I made an appointment with my local physician. Little did I know at the time it was the single most important thing I could have done at that point in my first 33 years. The doctor immediately referred me to a urologist specialist, Marvin Jungling. During the first appointment the doctor looked me directly in the eye, after a short exam, and said "95% chance it is malignant and you have a 90% chance to survive because you came to see me".

I shall never forget those few words and the profound affect they had on me and my family. I was sent home to "prepare" over the weekend. On March 25, 1979 I went to surgery. The result was the removal of my right testicle; it was malignant as tested at the University Of Iowa Hospitals. I spent the next couple of days looking at the family as they came and went through blurry eyes brimming with tears at the thoughts of the possible outcome. I thought about my 4 children ages 11,8,4 & 3 and thinking what if I don’t get to see them grow up???

On the third day I said to the doctor that I would beat this thing or die trying. Marve looked at me and said; "you just beat it" the first step is the will power to fight. Over the next 8 days I started my recuperation only to find concern that the cancer could have spread to the lymph system. This put us back in surgery with what is referred to as a lumpectomy.

The doctor removed 31 lymph nodes in an 8 and one half hour surgery. The results were 3 nodes with some microscopic spots, not good news, but not as bad as your mind always thinks of. As a result after 17 days in the hospital, I went into a chemotherapy program as a precautionary procedure. I had five days of chemo the first week of the month; the plan was for this to last approximately a year.

At this point I have to say this was the low point of the whole experience. I was never so sick, or felt so helpless against a liquid that could just knock me down and render me almost helpless to the constant nausea that came along with the 15 minute IV drip.

A couple of months later a third exploratory surgery was performed on the right side. My first good news came in the form of a "no problems found". This truly signaled the turning of the corner in my quest to regain my health. First it was the "cat scan" at the 3 months, then 6 months followed by each year for the next five years. At the end of the 5 years a doctor down in Virginia looked at me and said I did not need to bother coming back for the tests anymore.

WHAT a relief, I did go back at the ten year point just for a sanity check.

Well it is now 28 years later, and I share this with all of you because; I made a promise to myself that if I could be spared I would continue to tell my story and provide any assistance I can to anyone who is going through this situation. Please, if you do not have yearly check ups and physicals make the appointment and do so starting today.

The single most important message is SELF DIAGNOSIS. If you are not familiar with how or where you should check, ask a doctor. The internet has some very good articles on how to perform these examinations, but I would ask that this be done in preparation for your visit to a physician.

I offer any assistance I can provide. If you are going through it, or know someone who maybe just needs an understanding person to talk to, do not hesitate to get them in touch with me. I will always make myself available. I want my experience and outcome to offer hope to those that may be facing some hard decisions.

Please feel free to distribute to any person or organization that can benefit from this message.
Thank you for your time

Bill Callen
EMC Corporation
Senior Manager / Symmetrix Technical Support, Level 2, US