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I am so sorry, Jim. I will pray for him as well. WHat is his name?
tlong, sorry to hear about your brother. I am religious and have faith in God, so I will pray for him.
This is a coincidence, because my brother is dire straights too.
4 yrs ago, he broke his leg at work and had to have a lot of surgeries. During his convalescence, he was taking Vioxx for 2 yrs. Well, his heart was damaged and now is only working at about 20% of normal and unless he gets a transplant, he will not make it 2 more years as the heart is getting worse all the time. His insurance sucks, so he has no chance to get the transplant, so it is basically ed. Our family has never had any heart problems at all and we all have low BP and very low cholesterol(mine is 115, my dad's is 130)
He has not gotten in on any of the class action suits against Merck because he is too depressed.
Anyway, I know what you are going through.
I am so sorry, Jim. I will pray for him as well. WHat is his name?
Thanks 2Blonde. His name is Lee.
tlong, as a survivor of cancer, almost 13 years ago now, I can tell you he would like to talk to someone about how he feels and what you think. When you get news about cancer, it is like getting hit in the head with a sledge hammer. I think that is because it is terminal in so many cases, but like has been posted here, it is no longer a death sentence. My Daughter has had cancer twice, in two seperate areas, bless her she gets on with her life and accepts so far so good with her's. Sadly most doctors never talk cure to their patients, only percentages, which doesn't help. Believe me when I tell you this. Prayers are answered, each and everyday. It soothes the soul and lifts your outlook on life. Never believe otherwise.
My dad had a bad bout of bladder cancer a few years ago, and with the help of a kick-ass urologist/oncologist at UTSA he has recovered quite well. I have an uncle who recently had a growth on his kidney, and has since had it removed and is doing great.
Cancer is scary and seemingly ominous when you initially hear about it, but with the right help and early detection it can be treated quite effectively. It also depends on what kind of cancer it is and how aggressive it is. Kidney and bladder cancer are pretty common, because all of the toxins/chemicals removed from your bloodstream pass through and collect there.
Sorry about your brother and I'll put in a few words for him as well.
Just FYI, renal cancer is one of the more curable ones. If they sucessfully get all of it in surgery and there's no signs of spread anywhere else, then he's got a really good chance.
TLong,
I lost my dad to cancer earlier this year and having the time to talk with him about it during the times when we were unsure of certain diagnoses,( is it spreading, is it curable, is it aggressive, etc..?) was very cathartic to the whole family. It brought us all closer together. Yes it made him sad to deal with his potential mortality but it helped him deal with the reality of the situation that was facing him and helped him be strong enough to ask the tough questions of his doctors. I think if he had been in denial then the doctors might have been less forthcoming as well. Unfortunately our situation was bleak but we made it through together and we are a closer family than we have ever been. His illness/death has provided us with some incredible blessings. I just wish he could be here in person to share them with us. Something really wonderful happened last night. I was able to do something significant for someone I really love, and on my way home that somg by Josh Groban... "You Raise Me Up" came on the radio. All of the sudden I got a chill and felt my dad there with me telling me how proud he was. I started crying.
I guess my point is that this time can be a blessing for you. No matter how this turns out, good or bad, use the time to get even closer to your brother. Talk about everything and anything. Just be thankful for every moment you have and cherish it. God is showing you how precious it is.
My grandma had cancer on her kidney a few years back, they removed it and she was good. Don't worry dude. will be alright.
Sorry to hear about your bro Jim. I wonder if I should stop taking Celebrex? Do you remember playing golf with my brother?
.
TLong,
The following is an excerpt from an email between my husband and his DOC about Celebrex. My husband's Arthritis was bothering him and he was wanting to increase his dose so he emailed his DOC. Here is what his DOC said. But talk to your own doctor.
You really don't have any good options with your puny kidneys. All NSAIDS are bad for them. The special NSAIDS, Celebrex and the lot, in addition to being a Cox-2 inhibitor to spare the stomach, inhibit Cox-1 also, which turns out to be something that protects your heart. Who woulda thought? Anyway, regular NSAIDs like Motrin, Naprosyn, Feldene, etc bad for your kidneys. Celebrex, Vioxx, Bextra, bad for your heart, Celebrex being the least harmful of the three.
Try adding 650mg of Tylenol every 4 hours on top of your Celebrex. Take a hot shower before working out to get those joints loosened up.
I think that its still allright to pray even if youre not religious or believe in God. The good wishes will be sent anyhow.
I'm going through a similar situation right now. My only uncle was told that he has a growth in his brain ):. I really hope for the best. But as for praying or anything else, I think its all whats in your heart and at ude.
Sure I remember playing with him, I am not that senile yet.
I liked him, and I could see how you guys were close. I too am close to my bro, and I hate to think about life if he leaves this world so prematurely.
this thread reminds me of the saying, "there are no atheists in foxholes" or something like that...
Tlong,
There's nothing like a brother's love. I lost my brother 2 years ago and just wish I would have done more with him. For example, I wish I would have taken him out to lunch more. I'm sure your brother will be ok, but take advantage of every minute you have with him even after he gets better.
On the religion part, God has a plan for you.
Best wishes to you and your brother and your entire family.
I think God loves you and is happy that you are praying.
I'll say a prayer for you and your family too.
I'm praying for your situation too Jim.
= )
The Love you have for your brother will bring you closer to Him.
Pray to the Lord and you will KNOW what to tell him.
You are not a hyprocrite, you are just lost...but you are on your way my friend...
It doesn't matter that we have never met your brother, we all KNOW him as we all have pain in our lives and demons to conquer. We are him. Praying for him is like praying for ourselves. and our Prayers will be answered. Believe that. I will pray for your brother as many on this forum and in your family already have, and your brother is going to be okay. The Good Lord will not take him away from his family or you...yet. We all die. But I feel your brother has much more love to give his family and friends...so his work is not finished. Keep the faith Tlong, it's going to be okay.
hold your brothers hand and tell him you are going to kick this tumors ass together...then talk about all the stuff you and him and his family are going to do when he gets healthy...much more fun and happiness in store for both of you...
they did. no worries. it's in His hands.
Godbless you and Rex. the Long brothers...he is Rex cuz he is strong like a dinosaur...like a TRex, he takes no prisoners....and i read this joke...do you know why a TRex is so mad? cuz his arms can't reach his ...
the path you must travel is LONG, but stay the course and you will get there...no worries...
The Love you have for your brother will bring you closer to Him.
Pray to the Lord and you will KNOW what to tell him.
You are not a hyprocrite, you are just lost...but you are on your way my friend...
It doesn't matter that we have never met your brother, we all KNOW him as we all have pain in our lives and demons to conquer. We are him. Praying for him is like praying for ourselves. and our Prayers will be answered. Believe that. I will pray for your brother as many on this forum and in your family already have, and your brother is going to be okay. The Good Lord will not take him away from his family or you...yet. We all die. But I feel your brother has much more love to give his family and friends...so his work is not finished. Keep the faith Tlong, it's going to be okay.
hold your brothers hand and tell him you are going to kick this tumors ass together...then talk about all the stuff you and him and his family are going to do when he gets healthy...much more fun and happiness in store for both of you...
they did. no worries. it's in His hands.
Godbless you and Rex. the Long brothers...he is Rex cuz he is strong like a dinosaur...like a TRex, he takes no prisoners....and i read this joke...do you know why a TRex is so mad? cuz his arms can't reach his ...
the path you must travel is LONG, but stay the course and you will get there...no worries...
Good joke Zak! I think he is scheduling his surgery today so it should be pretty soon. Thanks to everyone for the positive thoughts.
Zak, you're a little over the top with your religious stuff, but it's cool I like you anyway. Maybe you should be a minister instead of a comic?
My little brother, who I am very very close with, got into a bad car accident his Sop re year in High School. He broke a bone in his neck, punctured a lung, and shattered bones in his hand. I was never very religous and spurned my mom's requests to go to church, but when I got word of the wreck I prayed. And I prayed. I at first didn't know how bad it was, so I prayed to god just let him live. Even if he is paralyzed or in a coma, I prayed that god wouldn't take him away. When we found out he was going to survive, I prayed to god that he take away the pain. That night, I asked my brother if he was in pain. He looked at me smiled and said, "pain? I can't feel a thing (because of the drugs)." We found out later, after the surgery to repair his neck, that a nerve was damaged and he might not regain complete use of his left arm ever again. He's a pretty good left handed pitcher and had a pretty bright future because of it. So I prayed that he be able to play ball again. He played his first game six months to the week after his accident, and was district MVP in High School, All City and All State his senior year, and now goes to St Marys to play baseball.
Pray Tlong....Even if you don't believe in it.
thanks for liking me anyway...
Good always triumphs brother...sometimes the game goes to overtime...but the Good guys always win in the end...
Redskins 20
Seahawks 17
as for being a minister instead of a comic? i'll quote Dieon Sanders and say BOTH.
In my opinion, prayer isn't a bad thing. In times of crisis, it makes the person praying feel as if they are helping the situation, even when nothing else can be done.
Prayers are not for the sick, just like funerals are not for the dead.
There has been a lot of research about the strange but positive effects of prayer for patients and recovery, even by people that calim agnosticism or atheism. It certainly can't hurt, and I don't find you hypocritical for it - I find that most people find their spirituality and peace in moments like this.
Prayer can help you and can help him.
As for talking about it - it's so individual, you should just take it day by day. There will be times he'll want to talk it through and share his fears or hopes or acknowledge it, but there are also times that he'll want to talk about anything else. That's how I was when my new husband tried to commit suicide about a year ago, and we were separated by a long distance physically and emotionally, and the same is also true of my mother's suicide attempt five years ago. Some days it was all I could think about, and how I almost lost them, and would I in the future, and some days I couldn't deal with it anymore.
Fortunately they are healthy and happy now, and I pray your brother will be as well.
Just because you're not religious doesn't mean that positive thinking and good thoughts won't help. Times like these are when people often find their faith. You don't have to believe in a God to have that and to have hope. Best wishes to you and your brother and his family, Tlong. I know that things will work out. I'm a firm believer in miracles and that things happen for a reason.
Stay strong and keep us posted!
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