From: Fuller Jones <protoninfo@...>
Subject: [protoninfo] Cancer
To: protoninfo@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, June 27, 2009, 6:15 PM

Sooner or later cancer of some kind will strike every family.

My favorite nephew, age almost 45, died this morning of advanced cancer. One year ago he was diagnosed with a tumor in the back of his nasal passage. He spent the last several months (until about April, ) undergoing a terrible time with chemo AND standard radiation. Lost his hair of course, and had horrific radiation burns on his throat and neck.

This was sudden, and he died at home, totally unexpected by his family (three children and his loving wife). I suspect that he knew how bad it was, and did not tell his family in order to spare them.

He was deeply religious, and is now with God.

When he was diagnosed, I of course told him about proton therapy, but he did not investigate it, and offered no explanation why not, but I suspect that it was because of insurance issues.

This cancer stuff is serious and I suppose that we are the "fortunate" ones since prostate cancer is usually slow growing and more easily treatable.

Now that I found and had the melanoma on my leg removed, you can believe that I am most careful about new spots, etc, and on my visit yesterday to my dermatologist, he sent two new samples from my back in for pathology.

If you have not been to the skin doc for a checkup in a while (or never) I STRONGLY urge you to do so! And pay strong attention to new warning signs of anything that may be a beginning symptom; cancer is USUALLY TREATABLE if CAUGHT EARLY! But we know that don't we?

Fuller