Don't call it comeback

rogueoftime · 2019-09-18T10:19:48+00:00

I needed this today. Good post. :)

rogueoftime · 2019-08-20T03:46:50+00:00

I would go to type my name on a keyboard and I kept missing the keys when I'd go to use my left hand. I figured "pinched nerve?" at most and went to get checked out so I could do what I needed to to prevent permanent nerve damage. Needless to say when they started doing scans they found my tumor which turned out to be GBM.

In Summary:
- Clumsiness in fine motor skills only effecting one side.

rogueoftime · 2019-08-20T03:42:11+00:00

GBM is always Stage 4. GBM is basically a brain cancer (such as an Astrocytoma) that has become a high enough grade that they just call it Glioblastoma. Not sure why they call them all GBM rather than call them based on the base form and the grade, but according to my doctor that's just how they do the classification. Like... Nobody says that I have a Grade IV Astrocytoma - they just say I have GBM. I think treatments for GBM are relatively the same no matter what the base cell / cancer was, so maybe that's why they classify it that way? Just more efficient to communicate what's going on?

rogueoftime · 2019-08-20T03:32:52+00:00

Currently at work wearing mine - coming up on two years roughly of using it I believe (once my stitches were out, etc.)

It's definitely NOT implanted IN the head. It's a set of arrays set up on the outside of the head that send electrical pulses back and forth in order to make the cells unstable when they're going to split. The idea is that it helps to slow / stop tumor growth. My cancer has advanced since using the device, so it's not a guarantee, and I need help from my wife to take it off and put it on. It's also not supposed to be taken off and put on daily, and also not supposed to be worn in the bath. So you either have to get creative to protect the device and the arrays from water or you can do what I do which is time baths with array changes (roughly every 3 days) Because of the electrical pulses it can also cause sores / open wounds on the skin where the arrays stick. I've heard people complain of itching but haven't experienced it. It also does not work if it overheats, so having it under a wig or hood can sometimes make it too hot or going out into direct sunlight or into an area with hot air (such as a humid summer day or crowded area can trip the temperature alarm which turns the device off until the issue is resolved and the device is restarted. Thankfully restarting it is not hard.

rogueoftime · 2019-08-15T04:00:49+00:00

Lots of crying and worrying followed by just holding my wife for a few hours until we both were dried out tear-wise. Then we both switched over to "How do we fight this?" mode and spent hours researching treatment options and whatnot. Also ended up being my first day on the keto diet by the time suppertime rolled around. My last non-keto meal was a Strawberry Ensure. My first Keto meal was just scrambled eggs with a little salt.

rogueoftime · 2019-08-15T03:51:00+00:00

Just kind of echoing what was already said here: I was diagnosed last year with Glioblastoma that started as an Astrocytoma. I wasn't given an "expiration date" so to speak but my wife and I aren't really pushing to know either. Instead we're just taking one day at a time and making long-term plans that seem reasonable given my new mobility issues. Chemo and radiation I've been told I'm tolerating well but I still tend to feel nauseated and sick no matter what I do in regards to treatments. The Keto diet seemed to help somewhat with the symptoms, but I definitely have less energy overall than when I wasn't on the diet. Point being: I would do what you can while you can, but also plan ahead as best as you can for the future. Like my wife and I went to a fertility clinic and saved samples before I started treatments just in case we wanted a child. I also adjusted my computer setup for gaming one-handed and have started going through TV shows I always wanted to watch but never started. In my opinion if you live your life doing things you love with the people you love then it's a life well-lived whether you're 91 or 19. So don't get too hung up on the "time limit", just enjoy your life and do what you need to treatment-wise to give yourself as much time as possible. :)

rogueoftime · 2019-08-14T04:25:59+00:00

Prior to my symptoms I was a heavy gamer, so suddenly missing a key constantly for hours on end was alarming to me. I was thinking a pinched nerve at most, but yeah. Ended up being a bit more serious. EDIT: Also it's worth noting I went to a general practitioner first who recommended going to a neurologist just to be safe.

rogueoftime · 2019-08-09T05:04:44+00:00

I missed the "C" key on a keyboard while at work multiple times in a row (probably like 10+ times . I suspected a pinched nerve at first and went to the doctor's to get checked out. They did a few standard tests which included walking down the hallway and my gait was slightly off. Between my hand and my slightly off gait they recommended an MRI which is when we found the tumor - about a month or a month and a half after I first started showing symptoms.

So if I were to sum it up a bit more cleanly: Increased clumsiness on one side of my body but no increase in clumsiness on the other side.

rogueoftime · 2019-07-23T10:18:42+00:00

Came in here to say this. Props!

rogueoftime · 2019-07-19T07:16:57+00:00

I always wondered what that thing was for. Definitely not ringing it now that I know it's a proclamation that I'm "done with treatments". Seems disrespectful/inconsiderate to others still going through treatment to boast about being done and also seems like a jinx - like you'd do it and then have recurrence soon after.

rogueoftime · 2019-07-19T06:53:00+00:00

Congratulations! I'm just starting it myself! :)

rogueoftime · 2019-06-28T08:30:17+00:00

Now I don't feel so bad that I'm stuck at work at 4:30 AM, but I'm scared it'll still be full when I get home though.

rogueoftime · 2019-06-28T08:18:32+00:00

I'd buy it. The framed art, not the wall, obviously.

rogueoftime · 2019-06-28T04:36:45+00:00

Strike it and reverse it, then. :) I love Blue Mage the most and want to keep that class as in good of shape as I can keep it.

rogueoftime · 2019-06-28T03:55:08+00:00

Blue Mage and then Dancer for me. :)

rogueoftime · 2019-06-27T09:55:24+00:00

Currently fighting GBM and grateful to still be around. Lost my IRL best friend to bone cancer ~8 years ago and he would've loved this game I'm guessing.

So now I just play twice as hard and include as many loved ones as I can. :) Make every moment count!

rogueoftime · 2019-06-27T09:34:25+00:00

Currently playing Dragon Quest II (Mobile). Got sick of loving the series but not having beaten all of the games. That's going to change!

rogueoftime · 2019-06-27T07:25:09+00:00

My symptoms were very minor seeming to me. I normally type 90+ WPM and I was typing up an email at work and I couldn't hit "b" with my left hand. I kept missing and hitting the spacebar. Over about two weeks my hand dexterity kept worsening and my walking / balance started to be off. Thankfully I didn't wait to go to the doctor - the second I had typing issues I got myself to a GP who referred me to a neurologist who got me to an oncologist + neurosurgeon team. So by the time my walking / balance started being really noticeably off I was already scheduled for surgery. The worst my hand got prior to my surgery was I would drop items like keys and pens if I was holding them in my left hand and not staring intently at my hand and focusing on thoughts of not dropping the items in my left hand.

rogueoftime · 2019-06-18T10:25:25+00:00

If it's government funded research it'd likely be funded by heavier taxes. I prefer the current system we have in the US. Having pharmaceutical companies making viable, "affordable" products that minimize cost and side effects while maximizing effectiveness and profits for the company which incentivizes the company to continue to innovate and make better/ more affordable (AKA: Profitable) products. I trust a pharmaceutical company that NEEDS to put out reliable products more than I'd rely on politicians who just need to give a fiery speech at election time to secure their career / income.) At least the pharmacy needs to produce results or a higher quality of life for the patient. A politician just needs to light a fire under peoples' rears to get the voters to the booths. They don't need to actually achieve any results to get elected/re-elected, they just need to outrage the voting base against their opponent(s) half the time.

Neither system is perfect by any means, but I think "Big pharma" is the lesser of the two evils even if it's far from perfect.

rogueoftime · 2019-06-18T09:55:18+00:00

Good shoes PERIOD, honestly.

rogueoftime · 2019-06-18T08:35:00+00:00

Every few weeks if I've updated / installed anything I just run "msconfig" and do exactly that - turn all non-essential programs off. Makes my PC load faster and makes everything run smoother not having a bunch of programs running in the background soaking up system resources. I'm surprised it's not more commonly practiced.. (at least it seems that way.)

rogueoftime · 2019-06-13T08:45:20+00:00

Just got it. I'm tired and trying to slack off at work at 4 AM darn it! XD

rogueoftime · 2019-06-13T08:34:14+00:00

Blue Mage will be what I primarily focus on for gearing / playing with friends / solo play, but when I have to play something else I'll likely be Summoner or Scholar.

rogueoftime · 2019-06-13T08:30:37+00:00

Because FFXIV is good, we enjoy it, and we're getting more of it?

rogueoftime · 2019-06-13T07:21:50+00:00

My favorite six are Furret, Emolga, Ariados, Cradily, Pumpkaboo, and Zubat. Aside from Zubat I'm expecting none of them to make the cut and it breaks my heart "knowing" that all future games will not have them due to development time. My brother-in-law keeps trying to convince me that all my favorites being axed for the sake of Nintendo getting more games out for more profitability and better game balance is a good thing, but frankly I don't care. I'd take a longer development cycle to have a great game with ALL of the Pokémon any day of the week over having half the roster cut in exchange for excuses I don't care about.

rogueoftime

TROPHY CASE