A trip to Europe, more road trips, help him manage a restaurant, a German Shepard for me once I had my first baby. Just a short list of promises my father had made me since I was a little girl that shall remain unfulfilled because of cancer. He had to stop coaching my little brother’s T-ball team and my youngest sister will never know a life with him since she was 11 months old when he passed from cancer. His mom had to watch a second son die and his oldest children get to be haunted by the memories of a chemo and radiaton-eaten dad. It’s been over three years and I still think of how such a strong man could be stripped of everything so quickly, I cry because he didn’t get to give me away at my wedding and see his first grandchild come into this world. Cancer is horrible, I hate it with every bone in my body and now I see my husband’s grandmother going through the same as my father. I pray for everyone cancer has touched and that it will be completely obliterated from the earth. Peace be with all who have been touched by this disease.

Michelle B.T.

Two of my very best friends were diagnosed with melanoma in 2003 within a month of each other.  Cathy’s presented as ocular melanoma and she lost her left eye, Kellie’s was spot removed from the back of her knee.  Both were told that their tumors had been caught early and were given a good prognosis.  Last year on Labor Day weekend both of them discovered that their melanomas had returned.  Cathy lived only two short months, dying on November 14, 2010 at only 42 years old.  Her melanoma had metastasized to her liver and bones. In her short time left, her boyfriend proposed and her friends who loved her so much coordinated a beautiful beach wedding for them.  She told me it was the best day ever.  I was at her side when she died in pain and ravaged by this horrible disease.  Kellie is still fighting.  After a major surgery to remove 18 lymph nodes (half of which were malignant) she will finally complete her radiation therapy this week.  Next is likely to be a round of interferon treatments, possibly followed by a treatment in clinical trial.  The hard part is just beginning for her.  She is only 44.  I am devastated by what these two women who mean so much to me have had to go through because of cancer and I’m just a friend!  The grief, fear, and suffering of their families, husbands, and children is unbearable.  Please, let’s find a cure for cancer so no one has to suffer like this again.  CANCER SUCKS and I will not tolerate it taking another person that I love!

Cancer does suck…it took my mom away from me summer of 2009.  She was 63 years young.  This was the 2nd time she got it and it came back with vengence. The cancer sucked the life right out of her for a year and half.  Her Dr. never gave us a time limit, never put her on hospice, and never told us she was on her last legs of life until the day she went into the hospital and a new Dr. said she “won’t live a week” I was 9 hours away on vacation and drove all night to get to the hospital.  I watched my mommy gasp her last agonizing breath the next day.

I am not a cancer survivor personally.  But both of my grandmothers, luckily, survived breast cancer in their lives.  Both wonderful ladies passed on this year, from natural causes.  My fear of this awful disease stays with me each and every day, and I hope that breast cancer is not in my future.  I pray for all of the various charities that raise money to help fund the amazing researchers trying to find a cure for this unbelievable disease.   My husband and I donate to several different charities and buy merchandise to help in fund cancer research in any way we can.  Cancer has touched me by my human family, and also by my animal family.  My first loss to cancer was our wonderful kitty girl, Paisley.  She contracted lung cancer at the age of 15, and we lost her 4 days before Christmas that year.    Then, our wonderful kitty girl Tigger (who we took in after my father in law passed away suddenly in 2001) passed from liver cancer at the age of 15.  She had pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease, and all of a sudden, got very sick.  We couldn’t figure out what the problem was.  After an exploratory surgery, the vet found that she had a second gallbladder.  The veterinary specialist that we went to removed 75% of her gallbladder, but had to leave the remaining  25% because it had ducts going to her liver and her pancreas. (So it was a functioning extra gallbladder.)  They biopsied all of her organs to check for cancer, and all came back negative.  Two weeks later, she became very yellow and was going downhill, and that is when we found the liver cancer and she passed.    Then, after what we thought was a really bad case of upper respiratory infection, found that on January 14 of this year that our 4 year old kitty McMurphy actually had a tumor in his nasal cavity- nasal adenocarcinoma.   The veterinary specialist informed us that it was definitely terminal, as this type of cancer has a 2-4% cure rate.  With aggressive chemo, we would probably get 10-12 months with him (at a cost of $6000).   With less aggressive chemo, 4-6 months.   We chose the less aggressive chemo, so that we could still continue to care for our other animals in our home (we do rescue).   Happy to report that as of today, he is doing very well, still on his chemo regimen, and still with us.  We have been blessed each day that he is with us, as he is still symptom free and in good health.  His 4 to 6 months should have been up in June, so we consider ourselves lucky and on borrowed time with him, and we enjoy each and every day he is in our lives.   He has been maintaining his weight over the past several months, and actually put on 4 oz in the last 3 weeks when we had his checkup last week.   This could be due to his nightly extra treat of meat baby food, which he actually loves, so we believe that is helping to maintain his weight!  And as if McMurphy’s cancer that wasn’t bad enough, in September, while petting my 11 year old kitty girl Biscuits on the belly, felt just a few small lumps around one of her nipples.   I took her to the vet the next morning, and we scheduled a biopsy.   And of course, it came back as mammary adenocarcinoma.  But the lucky thing is that based on the size of the tumors  and how quickly I found it, we believe that we caught it in time before it spread to her lymph nodes.  So, a radical bilateral mastectomy was in her future!   We scheduled the first one for the next day, and did her left side.  It was a painful and sad 4 days after surgery while we babied her and kept her on a lot of pain meds and as comfortable as possible.  Once she healed fully from that, we did the right side.  She has healed now completely from that, and we hope that she is now cancer free.  But, only time will tell.    The only way to find out if it has spread to her lymph nodes is to remove one and biopsy, and it is a terrible, painful surgery.  And if it has spread, knowing earlier isn’t going to help her anyway.  So we have decided against the lymph node biopsy and are just watching her closely for any symptoms in the future.  Our hope is that she will remain cancer free and in our lives for as long as possible.    So, now you know why CANCER SUCKS for me, and for my husband, Dwain.

I’m a 44 year old male. I was diagnosed with stage ll T3NO Colon Cancer with a high-risk feature. The high-Risk feature is my ticket to Chemo! A ticket to ride. I hate rides. I don’t want to go. 1%… my odds for benefiting from treatment. I just had surgery. The Cancer removed.  If I walk away now my odds of a disease free life are about 55%. Add 1% to my 55%. 56! It’s amazing how a one percent difference has on someone with cancer. Six months of Chemo Six months of feeling half empty. Is it worth it? 1% I don’t know. I wish I did. Cancer Sucks!

My father, David “Nick” Kellerman passed away July 28, 2010 of gastric cancer. It really does suck. I am looking at starting a foundation in his name or at least doing some work with Cancer Sucks to raise funds and awareness.

I think the saying cancer sucks is so true. I haven’t had cancer, but a close friend of mine did. He didn’t make it. And I watch what other people have to go though. So I think there is no better way to put it!

We are Nepal based Women Specific Cancer Prevention initaators. We are called NAHUDA as an rganization.W are plesed to see your address while surfing the USA based cancer related volunteer organizations. We like to have contact with you regarding how can we transfer your experience and research findings for preventing breast and cervix specific cancer in Nepal. In Nepal, we are conducting field camps and clinics to check up cervical smear and training women to make their self breast check up as an initail step to prevent breast cancer. We are doing this because of our resource limimtation.
We do have a team of 10 gynecologists, 15 nursing staff and around 50 vounteers. Except for the office staff members all are volunteers. We will be pleased to know that how can we and with organization others than yours, if can be contacted to have linkage to reduce the incidences of breast and cervix cancer of the Nepalese women. As you know, Nepal’s per capitaincome is around $200 per year. In this sitation, we are trying to help them. The prevalance of breast and cervix cancer comes on top of the list of cancer prevalances. It may or may not be an appropriate time or media of communication to make with you. Friends of Nepal, USA do know our activities in Nepal. our address is NAHUDA, Women Specific Cancer Prevention Initiation,KA 2/6 Jhamshikhel Chouk, Lalitpur Sub Metro Ward -2 ,Lalitpur, Nepal. Phone 9771 528 388, email: nahudanepal@yahoo.com In USA my contact address is Dinesh Sharma,C/o phone 1 301421 4319 Sincerely yours

Information is the best thing to provide. I want to get some of your T-Shirts for friends that have recently been affected by this sucky disease. Can I purchase them locally or only thru the web-site? Keep up the good work.