In 2006, Uncle Daniel was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer following an appointment with his Primary Care Physician. In September of 2007, he was hit by a car while waiting for a bus to go to his doctor appointment. This incident caused him to lose half of his right leg.
He has done A LOT for our family, as well as his extended family as well as friends. So when this event occurred, the doctors watching over him asked if there was anyone that would be willing to take him to their home with open arms and help him with his routines.
Despite my not being there, I was told what happened:
My parents were there when the question was posed, as was my Great Uncle's sister (for whom he bought a house several years ago), as well as others. What I was told, Uncle Daniel's sister (who is my grandmother) did not volunteer to take him in. His other niece did not volunteer. Those who were there, did not volunteer.
The ONLY PERSON to Volunteer: My Mother.
Let me fill you in on a little bit:
My Great Uncle did for MANY people, as I said earlier. He did the most for his sister (my grandmother). He helped her raise 5 children (3 boys, 2 girls). He made sure that the children as well as my grandmother were not without and didn't struggle for anything. To this day, he made sure that his sister doesn't struggle. To HEAR that HIS OWN SISTER didn't volunteer to have him in the home that HE BOUGHT HER because she COULDN'T get the house on her own tells me A GREAT DEAL about the character with which she possesses.
I have some Words for that, yet there is a Time and Place for those words to be spoken.
During late 2007, my Dad and I made sure that he made it to his doctor appts. with his doctor. His other niece just happened to work for this particular doctor as a receptonist, and assumed the helm of making sure that he got the medical attention that he needed.
We (my parents, brother, and I) would later discover that HIS DOCTOR, is a Breast Cancer Oncologist. NOT A Prostate Cancer Oncologist. I will not go into details as to what was going on there, but let's just say that the End Result of their "care" made things A LOT worse for my Great Uncle, and his condition was not improving in the littlest bit.
In 2008, the doctor closed her practice and we took Uncle Daniel to a Urologist at Hahnemann University Hospital. Those who have watched my Profile Page on Facebook has seen my Check-Ins to Hahnemann via Foursquare.
The Urologist has handled Uncle Daniel's Prostate Cancer as best he could, until his PSA Levels started spiking to the point where he needed to see the Prostate Cancer Oncologist. That is when we met Dr. Kristine Ward; a very Determined and (in our honest opinion) Sharp as a Ginsu Knife Oncologist. The first day that Uncle Daniel, my brother Calvin, and I met her, WE KNEW that we had the Right Doctor for him (Mom had to work that day).
She laid out a course of action (Tests, and NEW Tests to get the current situation assessed properly), and she executed it in a way that would make ANY Veteran Oncologist proud!
The Urologist has handled Uncle Daniel's Prostate Cancer as best he could, until his PSA Levels started spiking to the point where he needed to see the Prostate Cancer Oncologist. That is when we met Dr. Kristine Ward; a very Determined and (in our honest opinion) Sharp as a Ginsu Knife Oncologist. The first day that Uncle Daniel, my brother Calvin, and I met her, WE KNEW that we had the Right Doctor for him (Mom had to work that day).
She laid out a course of action (Tests, and NEW Tests to get the current situation assessed properly), and she executed it in a way that would make ANY Veteran Oncologist proud!
When she saw the condition of Uncle Daniel after these tests, she went to work; ordering Zytiga Chemotherapy Pills for him to take to try to slow down the Cancer's progress. Six months passed, and there was a Bone Scan that was requested by Dr. Ward.
The findings were not promising: the Zytiga Chemo Pills were ineffective.
Once this was discovered, Dr. Ward put Uncle Daniel on a Brand New to the Market Chemo Pill: XTANDI.
At this time, Uncle Daniel had a Bone Scan two weeks ago. This morning, Uncle Daniel had a blood draw for his PSA Levels to be measured. Next Monday morning, My Mother, Calvin, Uncle Daniel, and I will be at Uncle Daniel's Oncology Appointment speaking with Dr. Ward about their findings in the Bone Scan as well as the blood results. Dependent on what the findings yield, decisions need to be made.
The findings were not promising: the Zytiga Chemo Pills were ineffective.
Once this was discovered, Dr. Ward put Uncle Daniel on a Brand New to the Market Chemo Pill: XTANDI.
At this time, Uncle Daniel had a Bone Scan two weeks ago. This morning, Uncle Daniel had a blood draw for his PSA Levels to be measured. Next Monday morning, My Mother, Calvin, Uncle Daniel, and I will be at Uncle Daniel's Oncology Appointment speaking with Dr. Ward about their findings in the Bone Scan as well as the blood results. Dependent on what the findings yield, decisions need to be made.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I come to you for Two VERY Specific Reasons.
The First Reason is Take GOOD CARE of yourselves. There is only one You. If there is something that is going on with you and you know that it is NOT NORMAL, seek Medical Attention IMMEDIATELY. It may be that ONE TIME where your Healthcare Provider(s) may Extend or even Save Your Life.
The First Reason is Take GOOD CARE of yourselves. There is only one You. If there is something that is going on with you and you know that it is NOT NORMAL, seek Medical Attention IMMEDIATELY. It may be that ONE TIME where your Healthcare Provider(s) may Extend or even Save Your Life.
The Second Reason that I am coming to you is that of a MAJOR Life Lesson:
"Adversity does not Build Character: it shows your TRUE Character." -My Dad, Jay Thompson
He spoke these words to me on July 3, 2005 when I experienced My Secret. Funny enough, this translate into EVERY corner, pocket, nook, cranny, and crevasse of our lives. You will know Who is Who when the Cards are played during your time of Adversity.
I have a VERY STRONG opinion about those who turned their back on a man who was NOTHING SHORT of Generous, Compassionate, Kind, and All Around GOOD towards them. I could launch a VERY NASTY Verbal Assault in regards to those people, yet Discretion (AT THIS TIME) is the Better Part of Valor.
I Love Karma, and it IS a bit cliché to say that "Karma is a Bitch", "The Dirt that You Do Will Soon Come Back to You", and the ever-so-popular "God DOES NOT Like Ugly". Those who have turned their back on their "Loved One", well...
"Their Day is Coming."
"Adversity does not Build Character: it shows your TRUE Character." -My Dad, Jay Thompson
He spoke these words to me on July 3, 2005 when I experienced My Secret. Funny enough, this translate into EVERY corner, pocket, nook, cranny, and crevasse of our lives. You will know Who is Who when the Cards are played during your time of Adversity.
I have a VERY STRONG opinion about those who turned their back on a man who was NOTHING SHORT of Generous, Compassionate, Kind, and All Around GOOD towards them. I could launch a VERY NASTY Verbal Assault in regards to those people, yet Discretion (AT THIS TIME) is the Better Part of Valor.
I Love Karma, and it IS a bit cliché to say that "Karma is a Bitch", "The Dirt that You Do Will Soon Come Back to You", and the ever-so-popular "God DOES NOT Like Ugly". Those who have turned their back on their "Loved One", well...
"Their Day is Coming."
The main thing that I am saying here is, Be Thankful for the Stand Up Family and/or Friends that you have in your Life. Not everyone possesses those types of people, let alone Understand what it is like to have Family and/or Friends who is Willing to Sacrifice their Livelihood in order to extend the Livelihood of someone who is in a position where they need a Helping Hand (or in this case, 8 Helping Hands). It is disappointing that Decisions were made that affected his Life, yet those Decisions were made, and we are Moving Forward with Life, for Life doesn't go backwards so we can get a mulligan.
And that is The Point: WE ALL, at some point or another, Must Live with Our Decisions (whether they are Good, Bad, Ugly, Indifferent, or Otherwise). I know that I made Decisions during the seven years that Uncle Daniel has been dealing with his Prostate Cancer that affected a number of situations as it pertained to him as well as my Personal Life, just like I have made Decisions while dealing with My Medical Life for the past soon-to-be 36 years. Not every Decision is going to be a Popular Decision, and Not Everyone is going to be On Board.
My ONLY Hope for those who are reading this:
I Truly and Sincerely Hope that there are Members of your Family and/or Friends in your Circle who will show their True Character during times of Your Adversity, esp. when You have been a Shining Example of Integrity, Excellence, Humbleness, Humility, Class, and so much more. There may be a day that One may turn their back on you because they do not Understand the situation with which you are dealing (Been There, Done That). If there is ever a Day that the Ones who Turned their Back during Your Time of Need are afflicted with an Adversity of their own, Please do not do what they did to you.
Be there for them: You will continue to show them that YOU ARE who you have been for all of these years. Then, AND ONLY THEN, will they Hopefully See that their Past Actions were ill-advised, and wholly Wrong, while You show them How To Handle Adversity.
~© 2014 Andrew Boyd~
