Sad Day For An Aviation Lover

A

AVIATORRANDYCFI

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Dec 18, 2006
Messages
20
Location
New Boston NH
Display Name
Display name:
Randy
On May 8th i became self grounded as I lay on the operating table having my tonsile removed to find out that i have squamus cell carcinoma which is a form of oral cancer. After ten years of passionate flying and earning all my rating thru CFI and getting a teaching job that was a dream come true only to have this happen to me. I will say that it is 100% crueable and with the help and support of my wife and 5 children i will be kicking cancers A** ... I am 44 years old and ask all my fellow pilots that if you smoke quit now. no matter how hard it is do it. i smoked for 25 years and quit november 1 st only to find out in may that i cancer from smoking. I was not a big smoker either 3/4 pak a day. My boss said that as soon as i feel better i can still teach commercial students, bi annual flight reviews, rental check outs and all the ground schools. I was a really good teacher of flight and realy cared about all of my students,thats why i became an instructor never for the money or the airline only for the love and passion of flying. If anyone ever needs a right seater for a ride and advice its always free from me and would love to keep everyone flyin safe just drop me a line. I will always be here learning and helping. And after one year from my last treatment i will reapply for my special issue medical. So say a prayer for me and keep fying safe, and if you smoke QUIT NOW.

Take care for now all my pilot friends
Randy L. New Boston New Hampshire
 
With your attitude, I'm certain that you'll beat it and be back in the air at some point.

Never give up.
 
I am truly sorry to hear it, but you've got the right mindset.

Go kick cancer's ass and report to the flight line!
 
Randy,

A positive attitude such as you have is the best medicine. Never lose faith that you'll kick it. Good luck.
 
SkyHog said:
I am truly sorry to hear it, but you've got the right mindset.

Go kick cancer's ass and report to the flight line!
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So, Nick... Ya gonna quit smoking? :dunno: I don't want to be seeing you in this situation down the road. :no:
 
Some day. I don't want to hijack the thread with smoking talk about me. So I'll leave it at "some day."
 
Best wishes, Randy. I have no doubt that you'll make a speedy recovery and get your medical back, with many years of flying left.
 
Dude, flying is secondary. It's all I've got. But you... as you've stated, you have a wife and five kids who need you healthy and around for many years to come. So, take care of yourself and beat this thing!

Prayers and Best Wishes,

Ken
 
Yes my main focus is getting well and then flying and then fighting for people with medical issues to keep them flying. Its like losing your drivers license to some of us. Thaks for all your support and comfort.
 
Hang in there, buddy - you'll do fine, I'm sure. Stick with it, you've got a boss that is behind you, which is great, and a fine family which is way past great. You'll beat it. :yes:
 
SkyHog said:
Some day. I don't want to hijack the thread with smoking talk about me. So I'll leave it at "some day."
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WRONG my friend. Randy has made this about you! Randy G-d bless and I wish you a speedy recovery. Nick. I consider you a friend as do many here. As a friend I'd ask that you take Randy's lesson to heart and quit. The USE ALL THE MONEY YOU SAVE ON CIGARETTS AND PUT IT TOWARD FLYING..


RANDY THANKS FOR THE MESSAGE
 
Good luck, Randy. You'll make it. Keep us posted.

Nick, god***it! Quit now! It only gets harder. You're young. My husband finally quit smoking, and less than two years later, caught a virulent form of pneumonia that tipped him over the edge on his "borderline" emphysema. He had to quit flying (and he earned his living that way) and has been on oxygen ever since.

Judy
 
Oh, Randy. Sending lots of great big healthy thoughts that you can beat this thing.

hugs,

terry
 
Nick, Thanks for your support and if i can ever do anything to help you quit give me a shout. Its not about me or you its about living and flying.
Rigth now my neck is killing me it hurts to swallow and this is only the beging. Hoping to go flying next week with my friend and work on his commercial rating befor i start cemo and radiation in about 2 weeks.
Nick really anything i can do ever let me know PM me i can give you my cell so you can have 24 hour support . and it sounds likeother peple here would be glad to do that for you too.
take care Randy
 
Just got back from the cemo doc and was talking about my treament plans. One of the shots hat i would like to have is to boost the white bloods cels that the cemo destroys. he told me the shot cost $10,000.00
dollars and we will have to see if i am covereds for this. WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH THIS COUNTRY !!! i just can not belive it.
sorry for venting . Randy
 
AVIATORRANDYCFI said:
Just got back from the cemo doc and was talking about my treament plans. One of the shots hat i would like to have is to boost the white bloods cels that the cemo destroys. he told me the shot cost $10,000.00
dollars and we will have to see if i am covereds for this. WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH THIS COUNTRY !!! i just can not belive it.
sorry for venting . Randy
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First, Randy, good luck on your treatment.....
WHAT IS WRONG INDEED!!!!
My wife just went through two epidural steroid shots in her back to reduce inflammation of a disc. Each shot was done as an outpatient procedure that took all of 10-12 minutes. Each shot cost approximately $6500.00. ($541/Minute) Still it was better than the two surgeries on her back 3 years ago that were $30k each. If we did not have insurance, we would be in debt for the reast of our lives. The insurance company had a "negotiated price" on the surgeries of ~~$20k. No insurance, you pay the full retail price!!!!!!
 
Cancer certainly will focus your attention on what is important in life. I wish you all the best. I am a survivor, 4 years now. My advice, get to a clinic where they treat A LOT of your specific cancer. Travel if you need to, to get the best care. Some places threat all kinds, and it is not really possible for the Drs to be totally up on every one. So if they treat a lot of yours, stands to reason they will know the latest greatest for it. Also, ask for Zofran for nausia during chemo. Great stuff. Expensive, but I never threw up through chemo or radiation.

My son is taking pills to quit smoking. Chantix I think. Said he was able to stop a 2 pack a day habit one week into the program without side effects.
 
Keith Lane said:
First, Randy, good luck on your treatment.....
WHAT IS WRONG INDEED!!!!
My wife just went through two epidural steroid shots in her back to reduce inflammation of a disc. Each shot was done as an outpatient procedure that took all of 10-12 minutes. Each shot cost approximately $6500.00. ($541/Minute) Still it was better than the two surgeries on her back 3 years ago that were $30k each. If we did not have insurance, we would be in debt for the reast of our lives. The insurance company had a "negotiated price" on the surgeries of ~~$20k. No insurance, you pay the full retail price!!!!!!
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We saw this through my treatment too. Insurance negotiated price often less than half the retail rate. Unfair to anyone without insurance, who often can least afford to pay.

About the shots for boosting blood cell production, I never had that. Every treatment the first step is a Complete Blood Count. They verify you are in a good range. I think they delayed a round of chemo 2 or 3 days twice. The drug works, but is not needed if your system is still working well enough to recover from each round of chemo. Depending on the insurance, they would likely pay only if the Drs determined it was "medically necessary" for effective treatment.
 
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There are cells in your body called macrophages. They respond to wounds and irritation, like burning vegetable matter in your lungs. Macrophages make an enzyme called elastase. Enzymes get their names from what they work on, elastase modifies a protein called elastin, it cuts it into small pieces. Elastin gets its name because it is highly elastic, and elastin fibres make tissues (like the lungs) springy.

They also form a sort of skeleton in the lungs. To get gas (like air) to efficiently go into a liquid (like blood) you want a lot of surface area, it works better. Hence, your lungs are subdivided into lots of little compartments, called alveoli, which I think is Latin for little compartment. What are the walls of these little compartments made of? Elastin fibres! And what happens when you smoke? Macrophages respond to the irritation, and destroy the elastin fibres. What happens if you start beating down the walls of your house? You get bigger rooms. Same thing happens to the lungs after smoking. That's why emphysema, which is a breakdown of alveolar structures in the lungs, occurs in smokers. Emphysema patients are put on oxygen because their lungs are no longer efficient enough to supply oxygen out of the air.

Don't you just make more elastin fibres and heal the lungs? No. You make all the elastin you'll ever have as and infant, you never get any more. They are broken down every time you smoke. You harm yourself every time you smoke. That, and you increase your risk of a plethora of cancers.

If you smoke, stop right now. If you know someone who smokes, make them stop.​
 
Hey DBVZ,
thanks for the reply. So after one year of treaent you got your medical back? I am going to on of the top medical centers in the country. I am going to Dartmouth Hicthcock Medical Center in Lebonon New Hampshire about an hour and 15 min drive. its called the norris cotton center, and each form of cancer has there own teams of doctors, nutionist, radioloigist, oncologists and a case management specialist. I am very happy with the treament so far and the plans for the future. God has blessed with a new life and i am so very sure you know this.God wil be blessing me to with a new life and like you said we have a way different veiw of the big picture now. god bless and stay free for ever!!!!!!!!
Randy
 
AVIATORRANDYCFI said:
Hey DBVZ,
thanks for the reply. So after one year of treaent you got your medical back? I am going to on of the top medical centers in the country. I am going to Dartmouth Hicthcock Medical Center in Lebonon New Hampshire about an hour and 15 min drive. its called the norris cotton center, and each form of cancer has there own teams of doctors, nutionist, radioloigist, oncologists and a case management specialist. I am very happy with the treament so far and the plans for the future. God has blessed with a new life and i am so very sure you know this.God wil be blessing me to with a new life and like you said we have a way different veiw of the big picture now. god bless and stay free for ever!!!!!!!!
Randy
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Amen to all that! Family and friends help too. I went to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. They get people from all over, including a lot of pacific rim countries. Treatment was 6 months. It was more like 15 months after treatment that I went for the medical. No real problems. I did not fly before the cancer, which actually resulted in my retirement so I have time for it. All I need is Class 3. I expect that Class 1 and 2 would involve more questions and tests than I had because of the additional responsibility involved. I have been through the Class 3 twice now, since treatment. They have a number they can call if they are unsure of anything. Both times I think they called, and both times signed the form without restrictions. Could be because of the type of cancer and location, and that I have no ongoing treatment or medications for this at all. I am checked every 6 months, but that is it. I pray your treatment is effective, and as free of side effects as possible; but that in any event you hold fast to the Truth that will sustain you through whatever is ahead for you in the next months.
 
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