Hello

[Capt Kylos]

Imagine having so much of your face cut out that you have only chemotherapy to kill the cancer that is eating your flesh and bone. You are unable to lie supine because neck muscles have been dissected and your nerves cut so badly that your airway becomes compromised. Unable to be fitted for a radiation blocking mask until healing allows. Only to have the other side of your face irradiated this time in hopes of buring enough of you to kill the malignancy. As the cancer rages rampant. This is what tobacco leaves as it's legacy. Stay quit it's life or death.

[Souliman]

quitting with you Capt.

[dchogs]

Hey Capt...

again, i'm sorry to hear things are not going well for your buddy. i spent a long time last night reading and re-reading this thread, looking at some of the links, and just generally investing in my quit. it ain't much, but Randy sure helped make my quit stronger going forward.

thank you for sharing his story. proud to be quit with you today.

[Suck-It]

Thank you for posting about Randy. I am new to the site and only 12 days in but Randy's story helped me through a very tough crave today. I am praying for Randy and his family and please pass along that he truly has helped another. He helped me stay quit today through a rough time. I'm sure he would rather be motivating others in a different way than facing the battles he has, but I pray for Randy and I thank him. God Bless Him!!! I quit with Capt. and Randy!!!

[Capt Kylos]

So an update....Randy had 23 cancerous lymph nodes removed and what's left of his jaw shaved down in one of the areas where a cancerous node was touching the jaw bone.....now 30 days of radiation and several rounds of chemo It's looking pretty bad......stay quit it's life or death.

[Capt Kylos]

It has been a long time since I gave an update on Randy. I talked with him tonight for the first time in a few weeks and I was given the news that his cancer is back. Was I shocked...no...surprised?....no...I would say saddened would describe my feelings. His cancer has returned on the side of his jaw that was not removed. I think he knows his time is limited now. He is going back for more surgery, radiation and chemo. I want to give him hope but he knows all to well that odds are that he is a dead man. Tobacco does not care....it wants your life. It can't have mine....I'm quit. Stay quit it's life or death.

[Souliman]

Quit with you Capt.

[30yraddict]

My prayers (remain) with Randy...Thank you for keeping us updated Captain

[shortround]

Damn.

Thank you for continuously sharing Randy's story with us Capt. Prayers for him to make a recovery and to you for being an outstanding friend to Randy and all of us.

This is more proof that reality can be scarier then any sort of fiction.

[Capt Kylos]

I wanted to use today(my one year quit anniversary)to update on Randy. He is done with radiation and has come through the experience pretty well. He is still rather weak from the treatments but his weight is holding and he is in good spirits. Now comes the hard part...the waiting....the constant vigilance for signs that the cancer will return....the patience to see if he will be in the 26% that survive for the five years plus after stage four oral cancer. The most important part of that wait is that he is QUIT....for as the doctors have told him any return to tobacco is certain death and he has heeded their warning. I am so thankful to be quit....it is life or death.

[Souliman]

Thanks for sharing this Capt. It helps keep me steadfast as does seeing your name in roll every morning. Hang in there brother. This is reality. This is life or death.

I quit with you bud.

[Capt Kylos]

So I stopped by and saw Randy today. He is halfway through his daily radiation treatments. His face is still a swollen mess and now you can see the telltale signs of radiation burns on the side of his face and neck where the beam of radiation is concentrated on the spot where his jaw and tongue used to be. He can no longer make saliva because of the radiation and his taste buds are quickly being destroyed.
He describes the treatment as being BBQ-ed over the course of weeks with the discomfort building slowly into an all out pain fest that 30mg of morphine hardly touches. Compound that with still being fed through a tube to his stomach until late December and I can see that this guy is being tortured to his limit. I thank God every day I am quit. Stay quit it is life and death.

[whacko]

Quick update on Randy......his post surgery progress is improving.....he is able to eat small amounts of soft foods orally and drink some liquids. Most of his nutrition is still done by feeding tube directly to his stomach. One of the harder things is living without a pectoral muscle on his left side and having to hold his head straight and upright with mangled neck muscles so his trach hole will heal properly. His weight has climbed to 135lbs so he will ready to do radiation treatments next week, but first he must have several of his teeth pulled before they BBQ where his jaw was. He will lose the ability to taste and make saliva...possibly permanently. Even after all he has gone through he still craves tobacco......think about that....
Stay quit....it is life or death.

Please....tell Randy his story andhis spirit are keeping me quit!

[Capt Kylos]

Quick update on Randy......his post surgery progress is improving.....he is able to eat small amounts of soft foods orally and drink some liquids. Most of his nutrition is still done by feeding tube directly to his stomach. One of the harder things is living without a pectoral muscle on his left side and having to hold his head straight and upright with mangled neck muscles so his trach hole will heal properly. His weight has climbed to 135lbs so he will ready to do radiation treatments next week, but first he must have several of his teeth pulled before they BBQ where his jaw was. He will lose the ability to taste and make saliva...possibly permanently. Even after all he has gone through he still craves tobacco......think about that....
Stay quit....it is life or death.

[LLCope]

My thoughts and prayers go out to your friend.

This story, once again, should illustrate to everyone that we are not playing games around here--we are trying to save lives. I am proud to be a part of KTC.

Hopefully this story will cause some quitters to have that clicking sensation in their brain that says--"YES THIS IS REALLY IT FOR ME--NO MORE---EVER!"

Thanks for sharing