came home from shopping with my wife and took a handfull of groceries to the front porch. as I turned I must have slipped in the gravel as all I can remember is waking up with my head busted on a cement step and my left knee gashed open. EMS was called and I had to spend the night in the hospital for observation. Definately all I need a week before stating chemo again (which is supposed to be once a week for 4 months) I am ok now but sore as a MO-FO on the back of my head, my upper back and my left knee and shin.  UGGGG!!! should mention that the problem seems to be blood pressure dropping again and my pulse would not go above 42 in the ER. They found nothing wrong during follow-up.



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Oh, Joy... I get to start chemo again after all this time - once a week for 4 more months to try to kill off the hidden lingering tumor that they cant seem to find on a scan. First I get to have a chest port put back in since my veins wont last. then we try another round of scans with various radioactive agents and contrast. Not to mention all the new meds I now have prescriptions for (as if I can afford what I already have). If anything that even looks like it is pretending to be a tumor on the scans shows up, we are going in for biopsy's. That's what's new...

Haven't posted for a while due to the fact I signed myself into the nut hut for a couple weeks due to major depression (before I got all this great news). Now, my friggin brain is just dead from being overwhelmed with crap. I did however start therapy and hopefully will find the strength and will to go on fighting this friggin cancer crap. The first round tod wish ok so much fight out of me I'm not sure where the rest will come from but I am digging deep for it.

That's all I got for those keeping score, new meds, copays extra for therapy and such, those who can and wish to can donate from the home page or just directly to my paypal at [email protected] - if you put the amount (and it can be any amount from 50 cents to 5 million billion dollars) as friends and family, Paypal doesnt take any fees out. Thanks in advance to those who donate. Thanks also to those who don't have the means to donate but still care. you guys all keep me going and believe me, I understand what too broke is. Just keep me in your thoughts.  --- Shadowpest
 
Well, I must say, that was fun - NOT !! 5 hrs in surgery and 2 in recovery. They removed all of my lymph nodes, a muscle in my neck, my jugular vein and a few odds and ends to boot. the only side effect so far is I will need physical therapy on my shoulder. some minor nerve damage, I had lost feeling under my chin after my biopsy a couple weeks ago that led to this and now my right ear feels like its full of Novocain that wont wear off. ( if it stays numb I am gonna see if Michael Madsen will cut it off for a viral YouTube video so I can have my 15 minutes of fame,  God bless Mr Blonde).
SO anyhow, my mom wont get the reference so here you go mom - its a scene from Reservoir Dogs (One of Quentin Tarantino's Finest.)

I hurt like hell and cant sleep worth a crap due to the pain and some pretty severe anxiety. I got racing thoughts and just an overall numbness of emotion right now. Worrying a lot about it coming back on the original side and having to do this all over again. They sent out everything they removed for biopsy and I may have to do some chemo again which many of you probably remember doesn't go well for me. I believe I have had my lifetime limit of radiation so that wont be an option this next go round but that is probably good cause I cant take any more trauma to the throat. my salivary glands are fried and I barely make enough saliva to keep my tongue moist so I have to have a bottle of water with me at all times. I think this is going to be a long uphill and sometimes downhill battle for some time.

I did manage to get my cobra insurance extended for 6 months through BC/BS of Texas through my former employer which will help greatly since OHIO wants $1,200.00 a month for the same plan "due to my pre-existing condition"  pretty good that the IRS lady from Cincinnati sits home and collects a few grand a week while pleaing the 5th and I got to beg for donations to pay for my prescriptions. What a great country we live in. Come next January I will either have to be uninsured for 6 months or spend about my whole disability check on insuranse till july when I will finally get Medicare. Anyway thats what is going on with me lately. I truly hope EVERYONE is doing better than me right now - I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

If you have the means to chip in a $5 $10 $20 - everything is really going to help with my physical therapy copays and my myriad of new meds . If you can, Retweet and share on your Facebook page, google + anywhere to get the word out. all those $5's and $10's from new folks that haven't heard my story really help. 

Any way, there is my latest update. I sit here in the hospital with my dilaudid drip so I am at peace right now. if you want to just say Hi or ask any questions about any specifics of my cancer and how it all went down there is a comment section here or email me at [email protected] and I will be happy to help in any way I can.



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surgery is still tomorrow but has changed to 10:30 - 1:30.


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wish me luck and think about me during those hours (if you are up) while I get half my neck removed. Got my Cobra extention today but the cost is going up $25 a month. Keep the donations coming no matter what you can afford. 

Very shortly www.saveshadowpest.com will go live as a legit .com website. I will keep the .weebly.com up for a while during the transition but big changes are coming. Stay Tuned and retweet and share as often as you can. Love you all, hope to have an update after Monday if all goes well. PEACE...


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No matter how many people tell me not to worry or you will pull through this like a champ, I can't stop worrying about this upcoming surgery. I hope that I don't lose the use of anything like my arm or shoulder as a result. I worry that chemo was hard enough to endure the first round and question whether or not I have the fight left in me for another round that I must now go through. My nerves are a wreck and my stomach has acid reflux to beat all. I feel I am getting sicker and sicker with worry as the day of surgery approaches. Had some extra expenses this month getting things in order for the surgery, luckily got a couple donations that covered them. Still won't be able to fill my prescriptions this month that come to about $100.00 but will be in the hospital for at least a few days where I will get them and hopefully get a few donations before I get out.

Remember - NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL --- $5.00 and $10.00 cover a refill and $25.00 covers a Dr Office co-pay. They all add up. If you get this through twitter - please re-tweet and post to your facebook or google + account also. Spread the word like it was a Virus. If you get this through someone you know and don't know me or my story, follow me @shadowpest on Twitter this site automatically posts to Facebook and Twitter every time it is updated in any way. I would like to get enough of a following and a donation base to get a full on .com address instead of the free site (which is working for now) but I want to add other peoples stories of the ups and downs of recovery too and give them a place to reach out for help like I have gotten and remain getting throughout my ordeal of medical and government BS because I contributed instead of sitting around crying about "where's mine?" all my life.

My sleep schedule is all messed up and I don't sleep well when I do. I cannot wait to get the surgery over with and press on with whatever fight I got left in me. Surgery is on the 10th, Wish me luck, send warm thoughts, pray for me, think about me, throw in a "good luck bro" (for my fellow O&A fans) donate at the bottom of the Home Page of this site (if you can, it all helps). Most of all - GET YOURSELF CHECKED REGULARLY - YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT COULD BE YOU
 
My new email for the site is -- [email protected]  and I am adding (slowly) a youtube channel there.
 
Got my first of 3 corto-steroid injection in my lower spine went well but zero relief 2 days later. I have a major surgery coming up on the 10th of June - modified radical neck dissection of right side. they will be removing all lymph nodes major arteries and a chunk of muscle that will leave me very noticeable. Kind of sux but I guess cancer sux more. I will be 3 - 3 1/2 hrs in surgery and in the hospital for several days I will also be starting Chemo again which will probably keep me in the hospital longer. Until then, I have several pre screen appointments and new medications to get ready. I do not have gas money to get to these appointments or money for my new meds since I don't get my check till the 3rd (and am broke by the 6th paying for Cobra, med refills and various bills + 1 fill up that lasts me a week and a half). Donations, no matter how small are badly needed ASAP so I can take care of these and get ready properly for this major surgery. They will be holding off on the left side since there is currently no sign of cancer on that side (the original side) but if it shows again they will take out all of that side too.

Please, even if you cant donate, retweet, share on your facebook or google +. Get the word out for me. Thank you all very much.



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Jump over to the ABOUT MY CANCER EXPERIENCE page and read the updated Blue Section For important preventitive measures you can take quickly and easily



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