I did it. I beat cancer and managed to keep my medical

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - I did it. I beat cancer and managed to keep my medical

Posted: 2/4/2021 6:07:40 PM EDT

I finally got my return to work letter and first class medical. It’s weird to think that this nightmare is actually over after five months of this constant worry if I will ever be able to fly again (let alone continuing to breathe). I can’t tell you guys how incredible I feel right now. I feel like I’ve been reborn. Sounds like I’ll have to go back to training given that I’m out of currency but I’m more than happy with that.

Watch out guys, I’ll once again be poking holes in the sky along side you guys pretty soon.

Posted: 2/4/2021 6:10:57 PM EDT

[#1]

Posted: 2/4/2021 6:11:37 PM EDT

[#2]

congrats

what type cancer and how was it so quick. Most people I know were out 2 years or more

Posted: 2/4/2021 6:17:24 PM EDT

[#3]

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Quoted:
congrats

what type cancer and how was it so quick. Most people I know were out 2 years or more

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Renal cell carcinoma, kidney cancer. I went to Cancer treatment centers of America and simply can’t say enough good things about them. They are highly aggressive with their approach to going after the cancer. Grandmasters and consummate professionals in their art. Initially I nearly had a surgery date within two weeks but my lab results didn’t come back fast enough to take advantage of the surgeons last minute cancellation. That was tough but in hindsight they needed to make sure that there wasn’t further complications, and thank God there wasn’t. Lots of scary moments and uncertainty with this episode in my life. It’s like the crescendo of 2020, but regardless it’s in the rear view.

Literally every doctor I’ve seen over the last five months has told me how lucky I am and it’s true. I got out of this mess better than my wildest dreams. I feel like I dodged a bullet and I’m not exaggerating one bit

Posted: 2/4/2021 8:20:53 PM EDT

[#4]

Out-fucking-standing man, I’m happy to see you back buddy.

Posted: 2/4/2021 8:29:51 PM EDT

[#5]

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Out-fucking-standing man, I’m happy to see you back buddy.

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Hell yeah, brother.

Through blood, sweat and tears, Im an Airman again

Posted: 2/4/2021 9:04:32 PM EDT

[#6]

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Quoted:

Hell yeah, brother.

Through blood, sweat and tears, Im an Airman again

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You never weren’t, you just weren’t current.

Posted: 2/4/2021 9:16:51 PM EDT

[#7]

Congratulations!

Posted: 2/4/2021 9:19:33 PM EDT

[#8]

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Quoted:

You never weren’t, you just weren’t current.

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Quoted:

Hell yeah, brother.

Through blood, sweat and tears, Im an Airman again

You never weren’t, you just weren’t current.

I suppose that is true. Maybe, what I meant is I get the opportunity to be a professional again. I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t a pilot. I’ve spent a good amount of time pondering that very real possibility over the last couple months. I never realized how valuable that is to me. But I do now.

Posted: 2/4/2021 10:08:46 PM EDT

[#9]

Congrats man! Really happy that you’ll be out there touching the face of God again.

Figuratively and not literally.

Posted: 2/4/2021 11:43:02 PM EDT

[#10]

Congratulations! Great to hear you beat that shit, and got back in the saddle so quickly!

Posted: 2/5/2021 12:00:26 AM EDT

[#11]

Congratulations OP. As a survivor my self (one year out from prostate surgery/radiation treatments and now 2 PSA test at undetectable levels) it is a wonderful feeling to be on the winning side. I've done some flying over the years with friends who own planes and it is one of the most enjoyable experiences I have ever had. Jealous that you get to do it and get paid wwwwwwooooooooooo the fuck hhhhhhhoooooooooo

If your interested drop me a line and I'll tell you about my 38 minutes in "Iron Annie".

Congrats again OP!!!

Posted: 2/5/2021 12:25:38 AM EDT

[#12]

Clapping!!!!

Posted: 2/5/2021 12:55:16 AM EDT

[#13]

Posted: 2/5/2021 4:30:13 AM EDT

[#14]

Posted: 2/5/2021 8:36:22 AM EDT

[#15]

Wonderful news, man! Congratulations!!

Posted: 2/5/2021 10:45:01 AM EDT

[#16]

Congratulations!!!!! Fellow survivor here. I went through head and neck cancer back in '08. I was out 9 months. Full chemo and radiation. I still have after effects but nothing serious.
I know your feeling, great to be alive and every day is a gift! Stay safe and healthy.

Posted: 2/5/2021 12:23:08 PM EDT

[#17]

Awesome!!! Wonderful for you!!! Cheers!

Posted: 2/5/2021 12:26:18 PM EDT

[#18]

Freaking awesome man, that's outstanding news. Glad you're back in the saddle!

Hits close to home as my Dad came down with cancer few months ago, and is no shit, heading back for his first (hopefully of just 2) surgery in the next 20 minutes. Thanks to rona, I can't be there, so anxiously waiting by the phone and reading everything I can to take my mind off it.

Posted: 2/5/2021 12:35:39 PM EDT

[#19]

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Quoted:
Congratulations!!!!! Fellow survivor here. I went through head and neck cancer back in '08. I was out 9 months. Full chemo and radiation. I still have after effects but nothing serious.
I know your feeling, great to be alive and every day is a gift! Stay safe and healthy.

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I was lucky enough to have caught it early and it hadn’t metastasized. Sheer chance really. Managed to keep 85% of the infected kidney and the risk of a reoccurrence is minimal. There was a lot of scares that it was stage 3 and had got into my adrenal gland and stomach as well, but it turned out to be nothing on either organ. Thankfully, i didn’t have to endure Chemo or radiation therapy. My current girlfriends family is dealing with a lung cancer In the family and although it’s going well, the process seems rough. I don’t even want to bring up the subject with them because I feel like I got off so light in comparison.

It’s so strange to think of myself as a cancer survivor. I don’t even know if I can call myself that. It’s hard to describe but not having chemo or radiation treatment feels like I haven’t earned that title. At the cancer treatment center there were so many other people suffering so bad. A woman passed away in the room next to me while I was in recovery and her family just lost it. It sounded like a room filled with burn victims. There’s no way I could do that job, but those people are legit saints. No doubt about it, they saved my life.

Posted: 2/5/2021 12:41:24 PM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
Freaking awesome man, that's outstanding news. Glad you're back in the saddle!

Hits close to home as my Dad came down with cancer few months ago, and is no shit, heading back for his first (hopefully of just 2) surgery in the next 20 minutes. Thanks to rona, I can't be there, so anxiously waiting by the phone and reading everything I can to take my mind off it.

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Best of luck to your dad

Posted: 2/5/2021 2:38:02 PM EDT

[#21]

Congrats.

Posted: 2/5/2021 3:19:11 PM EDT

[#22]

Congratulations Sir!

Posted: 2/6/2021 8:37:18 AM EDT

[#23]

I would have done anything to avoid the chemo and radiation. Good on you!
The worst part was watching my wife watching me go through it. Good luck!

Posted: 2/6/2021 8:49:09 AM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:

Renal cell carcinoma, kidney cancer. I went to Cancer treatment centers of America and simply can’t say enough good things about them. They are highly aggressive with their approach to going after the cancer. Grandmasters and consummate professionals in their art. Initially I nearly had a surgery date within two weeks but my lab results didn’t come back fast enough to take advantage of the surgeons last minute cancellation. That was tough but in hindsight they needed to make sure that there wasn’t further complications, and thank God there wasn’t. Lots of scary moments and uncertainty with this episode in my life. It’s like the crescendo of 2020, but regardless it’s in the rear view.

Literally every doctor I’ve seen over the last five months has told me how lucky I am and it’s true. I got out of this mess better than my wildest dreams. I feel like I dodged a bullet and I’m not exaggerating one bit

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
congrats

what type cancer and how was it so quick. Most people I know were out 2 years or more

Renal cell carcinoma, kidney cancer. I went to Cancer treatment centers of America and simply can’t say enough good things about them. They are highly aggressive with their approach to going after the cancer. Grandmasters and consummate professionals in their art. Initially I nearly had a surgery date within two weeks but my lab results didn’t come back fast enough to take advantage of the surgeons last minute cancellation. That was tough but in hindsight they needed to make sure that there wasn’t further complications, and thank God there wasn’t. Lots of scary moments and uncertainty with this episode in my life. It’s like the crescendo of 2020, but regardless it’s in the rear view.

Literally every doctor I’ve seen over the last five months has told me how lucky I am and it’s true. I got out of this mess better than my wildest dreams. I feel like I dodged a bullet and I’m not exaggerating one bit

Congrats brother!

My wife received her care from CTCA. Great place! Great people.

She arrived there after having been misdiagnosed by the local cancer hospital, who then refused and sandbagged on giving her her records. To add insult to injury, while she was out for her second treatment she was terminated from her dream job of 12 years. She was in R and D doing destructive testing and product design of electronic modules for a major corporation (long story).

The docs and the hospital went to bat for her and completely started her diagnoses and treatment from scratch. After three separate bouts of cancer she is now cancer free. They really did a great job.

I cant say good enough things about them.