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Hello , my name is Harold Prout. I lost my father to a rare cancer called Mesothelioma in 1989. It is caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos. In 1998, my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had resection surgery in January of 1999. She began 5FU chemotherapy 3 months later. She had a series of setbacks that included a fall resulting in a broken hip, and then a embolism, which she survived. Mom lost her battle with colon cancer on November 11, 2001.
I was a secondary caregiver for my father, and primary caregiver for my Mom. While I hate cancer and the fact that they had it, I came to know each of them in a different way while caring for them. Before cancer I saw them as my parents, authority figures. I came to know them as people during that time, and i became closer that ever. Both of them displayed extraordinary courage. They both set an example for me.
I was diagnosed with Prostate cancer on September 9,2001. I had a radical Prostatectomy on November 17, 2001, six days after my Mom died. I was on the operating table for 5 hours, and despite all the surgeons efforts, some cancer remained. It was at that time that I discovered Yahoo Cancer Chat 2. Those wonderful people gave me back my hope and my will to fight. I continued treatment with 30 external beam radiation treatments. Now my cancer is in deep remission, thanks to the radiation combined with antiandrogen hormone blocker treatments. I continue to go to Yahoo Cancer Chat rooms for support and to support others like me.
Cancer is a terrible thing, but the experience it put me through has brought me friends like I never had before, and a resolve to live EVERY day.
I have learned that a positive outlook is as important as anything else in life, with or without cancer. I became a more spiritual person too. God has seen me through this. God bless all my friends from cancer chat, and god bless you, too.