pan de bono aka whomestrong has passed away after a long battle.

[Jeff S]

Glad to see you're still among us. Please keep us updated.

[pan de bono]

jeff believe me every day is a new adventure sine this whole thing has started. i plan to give an update every week until i get so weak that i cant sit at the keyboard. so tune in every friday or saturday for the latest.

[pablo]

Just in case John is feeling too weak to post his latest update.  Hang in there buddy!

Hello friends,

Wow, what a week this has been for me. Please excuse the type O’s as I am weaker and on some heavy medications.

Ok, what a wacky week, here we go.

Starting Monday I had to go into the hospital and have surgery to put a port into my chest, it was not fun, it still aches 5 days later. However it was certainly easier that the things that have happened to me in the past 3 weeks. It was a new hospital that I went to only open 7 months, very modern, clean, friendly people and a good surgical staff, everything turned out ok. A far superior hospital over the place where I had the infection at.

I have been having a nurse come by 2 days a week to change bandages, then she told me it was changing to one day a week, but it never got to one day a week, now she calls me and tells me the insurance company told her it was cancelled, just like that it stopped today. However I called the nursing company she works for and they knew nothing about it? go figure..we are back at the old left hand has no clue what the right hand is doing. Is there any institution more screwed up that the medical institution, I think not? Well maybe the government is ,and insurance is, but medical must be right behind them.

I also applied with the state of AZ to get home health care some one to come in and help me 2 or3 days a week and I was denied it. after they put me through hell , I spent a whole day digging out forms for them and filled out 25 forms for them after all that they denied it. they said I made $78 dollars over their monthly income limit. Can you believe that? Who are these people ? who makes up these rules and designs these packages.? Havent they taken inflation into account? Haven’t they looked at the way gas prices are going up? Whats wrong with these people? Im telling you folks I am experiencing first hand how terribly terribly the system in this country, this state, is broken. Yes it is broken it is a huge mess and it is broken, it is not here to serve the american citizen. I believe the American medical system/insurance needs a full blown out revamping, it is a mess. It leaves people like me that are vulnerable stuck on the phone all day trying to get an answer to simple questions.

Now I am with out a nurse and with out assistance, I live alone and I am weak and sick from chemo,and radiation and I must do everything myself. I just don’t know how I am going to be able to do these things that must be done?

Well anyway I had my radiation on Tuesday and Wednesday,

I started my first chemo on Thursday and also on Friday, not pleasant, made me nausea and weak and I have a constant headache day and night.

They must really be bombarding me with chemo, besides the 4 hour sessions at the clinic everyday I must also where a pump that I take home and it pumps 24 hour chemo into my chest, that plus I have the 24/7 food being pumped into my small intestines. Its not a picnic folks, its tough.

My house is due for a cleaning really bad and chores are falling behind as I am just to weak to do any of that stuff.

I do want to thank some special people who came by this week and helped me. My sister who took me to the clinic on Tuesday and took me to walmart to pick up a few items I needed. Doc who took me to the clinic on Mon and Wed, thanks Doc. My very good friend Ruben and his wife Theresa who came over 2 or 3 times this week and kept me company and did some things around my house and Ruben even helped me change my bandages since I no longer have a nurse.

Well I am being bombarded with chemo. Around the clock and I am feeling the side effects with nausea and headaches and weakness, the raditation is still 5 days a week and is burning my throat to the point that the only thing I can swallow is ice and guess what im out of ice.

Well that’s about it here, another typical screwed up week dealing with insurance, medical and other problems.

I guess the only thing to do at this point since its Friday and a 3 day holiday weekend is try to relax in the recliner and try to forget all the problems best I can.

All of you have a good holiday week end and I will give you another weekly update next Friday.

If you have any questions or comments or suggestions for me concerning this update please feel free to email me.

Take care, and God Bless you all,

WS

[Santanger]

you primary care doc should have filled out your form for the electrical company...thats his responsiblity and he's being lazy.  Thats his job. If you dont want ro ruffle his feathers then your cancer doc can fill it out because it appears your under his direct care now.  Cancer docs fill out these forms all the time too.

MAKE SURE your cancer doc knows about your groin infection from the surgery or if the wound is nonhealing!!!!!  Chemo will totally knock out your immune system and somthing like that festering will kill you.  Make sure the oncologist and the surgeon have a convo about it first. 

If you came from an inpatient setting to getting discharged home ....within a week they would have visiting nurses set up to make sure you transition home ok.  Waiting 6 weeks for home help is nonsense and your getting the runaround.  See your patient advocate at the hospital. The squeaky wheel gets the oil  (ie saves their own lives)....passive patients usually die quicker.

Santanger

[lswote]

Does anyone have an update on pan de bono?  I see he was last active on July 3, but I there is nothing in this thread concerning his condition since May 24.  Is there another thread concerning his health?  I don't see anything active on the Latin board concerning this.

[pablo]

Iswote, you rascal!  Don't tell me that is your baby in your profile photo!  My, how time flies.  Good to see you still posting on the forum.

Regarding John (PdB) I've called him a few times the past few weeks but have been unable to reach him.  It goes into voice mail but I'm not sure if he has received them because I haven't received a call back.  We've spoken before but that was when he first became ill.  I hope this isn't a sign that something happened to him.  Perhaps he's at the hospital or somewhere else receiving treatment.  So John, if you can read this give us an update buddy.

[lswote]

Yes Paul, that indeed is my 4 1/2 year old son Nicky.  He is big for his age.  He is a real handful but very bright and he has a great attitude.  He sometimes makes me chuckle with little gems like "Daddy, is today a beautiful day?".  He speaks better Spanish than I do now, or at least his vocabulary is bigger, though I am better at the verbs, ha ha ha!  My wife says he has a Gringo accent though, which is a little funny as he learned Spanish and English at the same time.

He loves and

Regarding pan de bono, I looked at his profile and it says:

Name:             pan de bono 
Posts:            297 (0.635 per day) 
Position:         Full Member 
Date Registered:  March 30, 2007, 07:06:18 AM 
Last Active:      July 03, 2008, 10:21:48 AM 
Ignored by:       0 member 

Notice that it says last active July 03.  He hasn't actually posted since May 20, but it looks like he read something on one of the forums.  It would be nice if someone on the board could get in contact with him so we would know what's up.  Didn't calipro visit him once to help him out?  Maybe he knows something.

[pan de bono]

im still here. i just dont feel good thats why i havent posted. still alive , living day to day. thanks everyone for your concern and well wishes.
Pan de vida/WMS

[sean126]

HEY PAN DE BONO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glad to hear, we've been praying for you!!!!!!!!

[michaelb]

Glad to hear it. You ARE getting the attention and help you need now? I hope.

[Dave H]

Hey Pan de vida,

It is GREAT to hear from you!!! My wife and I have been thinking about you. Keep up the good fight! Glad to hear you keep on keeping on Bro! Same here...Spasticity (disorder of the body motor system, and especially the central nervous system (CNS), in which certain muscles are continuously contracted) in my legs makes it difficult to walk. The reason I always seem to be on P-L!  It has been a bit of a steep uphill lately.  I never knew how much I took walking and simple tasks for granted! I figure I will make it over that hump one of these days.  I am trying to hold off getting the electric wheelchair (I have to use one from the store while shopping), unless I can get one like this. 

Dave

[pan de bono]

i have some good news. first i am half way through the battle, i have completed 36 radiation treatments and begin chemo in 2 or 3 weeks.
second i had a cat scan last week and the doctor says they cannot see the tumor, the cancer tumor seems to have disappeared.
im feeling pretty darn positive about now.
wish me luck with the chemo.
later guys,
pan de vida

[Dave H]

Hey Pan de Vida,

That is AWESOME news!!! Continued GREAT luck and success!!! I can't stop smiling! 

Dave

[fathertime]

Great to hear that Whomestrong!  Keep fighting, we are all rooting for ya here!

Fathertime!

[Jeff S]

Great news. You CAN beat this thing.

- Jeff

[zack]

How many lives do you have, man?!? That is great news!! Your first battle was hard enough, and now you are winning the second battle too. You are a true inspiration. Keep up the good fight!

Maybe I should start calling you Pan de vidas nueves 

[Dave H]

How many lives do you have, man?!? That is great news!! Your first battle was hard enough, and now you are winning the second battle too. You are a true inspiration. Keep up the good fight!

Maybe I should start calling you Pan de vidas nueves 

Hey Zack,

Of maybe "El Gato!"  or "Eveready."

[zack]

lol! That cat sure looks comfortable and content 

[singlefather no more]

Message from John sister Debbie..

Latest news about our friend John. Please keep him in your thoughts and continue supporting him!

=======================================

John is getting close to crossing the finish line.


HI all,

I talked with John yesterday and this is the report:

1) Our sister who lives near John is away on vacation and I've had a difficult time getting in touch with him. I understand some of you have also had difficulty. John says he's having trouble with his computer and his mail box fills rapidly. My email bounced back and for a while his phone voice mail box was full, too. Fortunately I finally got through by phone.

2) He became so dehydrated he had to spend a few days in the hospital. He said he also had pneumonia.

3) He is home now, but very weak and reports that he has trouble eating.

4) In spite of all this, he seemed in fair spirits. He FEELS that he is close. And, as the last tests were negative he has high hopes that the next test will signal an end to the treatments.

5) A CAT-scan is scheduled for October 6. At that point, the doctor will decide if he is DONE with chemo (wouldn't that be great!) or he could decide John needs up to two more cycles. At the earliest, John could be done now. At the LATEST, John would be done with treatment in November.

Please keep him close in your thoughts, as he nears the finish line! It seems he can be done with all this soon and then truly begin the journey toward renewed strength and regaining his life. What hope for the new year!

He has come SO FAR, let's help him rally for this last lap!

Again, thanks from the family for your continued concern and support.

Debbie


..

[zack]

Since nobody has responded to this yet, I'll jump in. Thanks for the update. I'm assuming the tests are back. So is John done with treatments? Please let us know when you find out.

Zack

[Dave H]

Hey Pan de Vida,

Congratulations!!! Way to go!!! It is going to be one heck of a New Years celebration!

Dave

[okiemike]

I know that it can be beat with willpower and prayer. My uncle had throat cancer and my dad had prostate cancer at the same time a few years ago and we thought we were going to lose them both. The radiation and chemo are horrible but they both survived.

[pan de bono]

hi guys, im feeling ok. my cancer is in remission, im eating now and gaining weight, feeling better.
thank you all for your concerns and posts.
your friend,
pan da vida

[Dave H]

Hey pan de vida,

That is GREAT news!!! I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but you would beat this! Keep feeling better until you feel great...then keep feeling great!

Dave

[zack]

Hey Pan de Vidas Nueves,

Congratulations! You did it again. And we think we've got problems?? You are a true inpiration. Way to go man!

Zack