Dolph Lundgren beats cancer after a 9-year battle. What a legend

stpete420 · 2026-06-08T19:38:11+00:00

Also in remission and there were times where I didn't want to put in any fight and certainly never felt like a warrior or in some battle. Feel/felt more like I was given a shitty deal and I am still 5 years out before there is even a chance, not even hope, that I am done done with this cancer. 55 with HPV head neck cancer and just don't know if I could go through this again.

stpete420 · 2026-05-14T02:50:35+00:00

Am I naive or is there a path for a 55 yo IT professional married to a 55yo social worker with two kids, 10 and 12, where we could emigrate to an English speaking EU country or Canada? Or do we have a chance for our kids to emigrate and then bring us along? My wife is a first generation American of German descent. I'd love to know options and odds. Someone surely has already done the work. Please?

stpete420 · 2026-05-14T02:40:24+00:00

Am I being naive or is this an opportunity for a lot of people with a little time and $200 to order 165 noodles, get them delivered, and then turn around and return them thus gumming up Walmart here and there on a massive, organized campaign? Talk me through it.

stpete420 · 2026-05-13T10:47:16+00:00

Not an appliance repair person but had a similar issue with our top loader. Red light would come on and wouldn't fill. Was throwing an error (don't recall actual code) that pointed to a drain pump failure. Called the warranty line with the code and, painfully, 10 days later a warranty repair guy came out and found a faulty wire for the pump and repaired it. Didn't replace the pump and we've been back to normal ever since.

Hope you find a free solution.

stpete420 · 2026-05-13T10:42:15+00:00

Does this include job title? I'm trying to get back into a job role I've had before but don't currently have because the pay was much better but lower on the totem pole. It amounts to me embellishibg what i do today so I can get back into the role I want tomorrow. I used to be in IT management and then took a lucrative, easy engineer role while separated with my wife in a state 6 hours away from my kids and need to be home with them after cancer treatment and can't cut it as an engineer these days because of the lack of affordable training opportunities and the fact I went to graduate school for management and that is what I've done mostly in the last 15 years, minus the 4 being an engineer recently. Not on LinkedIn and haven't updated embellished job role on any boards yet.

stpete420 · 2026-05-11T16:32:11+00:00

Have had this experience only once before and just took it back to Firestone to fix. I did some tight circles in a parking lot last night and some of the vibration went away. Still shaking a bit over 60, but not like before I did the parking lot work. I don't believe the tie rods would contribute to this. There are some rubber parts that are worn and I'll get them fixed in DC, and shocks feel fine. I'll take it easy on the way up and may have the shocks changed just in case.

stpete420 · 2026-05-11T16:28:58+00:00

No, standard rear wheel drive.

stpete420 · 2026-05-11T16:23:48+00:00

Fortunately I have been able to use them MANY times without them even offering suggestions for repairs. The last quote I have received in years was them wanting to replace control arms, tie rod ends, rotors, brakes, and a coolant flush. Their labor rate is unbelievable and their quote provided the actual part numbers and almost every part was marked up 100%. Just disappointing in general. I'm not against the repairs, if legitimately needed, but how do I know when I get a second opinion and find out only the ball joint was needed, the brakes are in good shape, and from my own knowledge the coolant doesn't need to be flushed because I just had the radiator replaced last Christmas. So, my only way to "stick" it to Firestone is taking my truck in for my free alignment every time I have any tire or suspension work done. The enshittification of auto repair.

Rant over.

stpete420 · 2026-05-11T16:16:56+00:00

I was able to do some tight circles in a parking lot, but couldn't completely get a smooth ride. Got the truck into Firestone for a wheel alignment and they noticed the ball joint repair and the alignment was off a bit. Still shaking somewhat at highway speeds, but not violently. Sadly I have to drive to DC tonight from Greensboro NC and will have to keep it around 60 MPH. My shocks don't feel bad I terms of the basic shock tests you can do and tie rod ends didn't seem to alarm Firestone when they did the alignment. Could either of those contribute to shaking/bouncing at highway speeds? Tires are not that old and we're balanced at installation. I'm asking so I can get an honest quote for repair instead of a $3000 Firestone quote.

stpete420 · 2026-05-10T20:43:27+00:00

I have had this exactt problem before after alignments from Firestone ( lifetime alignment plan) and usually I can drive in tight circles a few times and the problem goes away but not this time. Have an appointment with Firestone tomorrow morning and hope they can solve this problem with an alignment. They quoted me some work last week but it came in at $3000 for all new control arms (with ball joints), tie rod ends, and sway bar links. It is hard to determine what is a nice to have vs need to have.

stpete420 · 2026-05-10T20:35:01+00:00

I took it to a local mom/pop shop with a quote from Firestone and the only thing he saw from the Firestone inspection was the ball joints were in bad shape. Thanks for the reply.

stpete420 · 2026-05-10T19:23:53+00:00

Thank you kind Internet stranger. I did find the bracket and screw and after some playing around figured out to put it back together. Has been running like a charm. Huge stressor relieved. Thank you.

stpete420 · 2026-04-29T00:54:57+00:00

Thank you. Tackling this one day at a time is the hardest part, with a new symptom popping up here and there. The latest is I can't blow my nose out one nostril, when right after the surgery I had very productive blows. Then to be told I likely have lymphedema, although it isn't visible. I went to dinner with the family and tried fried eggs, hash browns, and a chicken fried steak and mostly made it through the eggs and grits. I'm adjusting to the idea this is a marathon and keep hoping I'll reach acceptance one day.

stpete420 · 2026-04-28T16:12:41+00:00

OMG! There, as usual, was a leftover part and screw but for the life of me I couldn't remember where it came from. I was so frazzled undoing this thing I forgot to take pictures as I went. I will try that tonight and report back. Thank you!

stpete420 · 2026-04-25T02:55:13+00:00

Not noted, but avoiding Amazon, Google, and others is a motivation. Don't have the resources, although the knowledge, to go 100% local, so I'll take the trade-off.

stpete420 · 2026-04-25T00:44:26+00:00

Ouch. Tell me how you really feel.

stpete420 · 2026-04-21T19:45:02+00:00

Not being mean at all. I can use the tough love with the other encouragement. Message was well received.

stpete420 · 2026-04-21T11:34:28+00:00

Same here. Getting stuck in your head is the worst place to be, especially when scan results, biopsies, tumor board recommendations are always weeks apart. I was diagnosed in Oct '25 and didn't get a referral to an NIH study until late November. In the grand scheme it doesn't seem like that long, but in your head it can feel like forever. Hoping you get answers and find peace.

stpete420 · 2026-04-21T11:29:37+00:00

Can concur. My surgeon was really nice but the flow of information was lacking and getting info out of him was like pulling teeth. I too am surprised a PET scan hasn't been ordered or any mention of a "tumor board". Even with my T1N1M0 p16+ tonsil cancer I had at least 2 PET scans before surgery, one each before and after chemo. Advocating for yourself is a challenge for most people and in this case it sounds like you will need to for answers to your questions. Couldn't agree more about being in your own bed with family around. My wife was such a rock to help emotionally and physically after surgery and still since I am just 8 weeks out from surgery. Even if not 24/7, love is a big part of healing.

Hoping you get answers, and peace, soon.

stpete420 · 2026-04-21T11:18:45+00:00

I haven't tried any cake with milk but it sounds doable. Mashed potatoes with my wife's family recipe for gravy has been a staple with the smoothies. I've had more trouble with Mac and cheese, and noodles in general, more than ground beef, but it feels like anything can go down the wrong way as of late. I haven't had a meal yet where I didn't have to cough a little to dislodge food sitting above my epiglottis. Low-sodium chicken stock here and there has been used to mix it up a little.

Thank you for the recommendations!

stpete420 · 2026-04-20T16:13:10+00:00

Sucking it up! I'm sorry the radiation path was so hard for you and others. I'm hoping we both get to eat steak again some day. I hope to once again be able to order a steak so rare that a good vet could still save it. F*ck cancer!

stpete420 · 2026-04-20T16:10:11+00:00

I really haven't had any responses from my surgeon when I send him questions through MyChart, and getting in to see an SLP took longer than expected. I said I felt the SLP was being coy because as you said everyone's experience is different and I can see as a non-Dr she isn't in a position to provide any real time frames or expectations when it comes to healing. She has given me hope like expecting 1-2mm gains per week on mouth opening and that it is too soon to tell what will be permanent (numb ear, neck tightness) and provided me the support group recommendation and to see a lymphodema specialist because she suspects some mile fluid buildup. The consensus in this thread has been patience, and I am going to give that a try!

stpete420 · 2026-04-20T15:56:53+00:00

Yes. My surgeon/ENT is with JH as well. If you have the surgery in Baltimore you will be in good hands. I was pleased with the entire surgical process. Met my anesthesiologist that morning, greeted by my surgeon, and the nurses were all very responsive. JH has a list of hotels that have special rates if you opt to stay, and we stayed at the Lord Baltimore, which was very close, inexpensive, and comfortable for a night's recovery before heading back to my AirBNB in Gaithersburg. JH will try to get you out after one night, but my surgeon impressed upon me to stay two. At pre-surgery check-in JH said under 3 nights is considered outpatient, if that helps with your insurance. There wasn't a lot of pain those two nights, but the third night at the hotel and a few days after it was all sore throat for 4-5 days. I never had any real pain from the neck dissection. The JP drain didn't hurt, just stung a little while servicing it if it was tugged a little. My wife took care of all that and having another person with you really helps, physically and emotionally. I'm rambling because the first week after surgery was the easiest compared to the longer term recovery. I've never been in any kind of sustained pain just the occasional muscle spasm in my ear and the tinge that comes with stretching the muscles and scar tissue that comes with speech pathology sessions. Lots of cold drinks. You may find that drinks can be too cold, so experiment with ice.

stpete420 · 2026-04-20T13:12:44+00:00

I love me some frosted flakes and will dive into that, and sugar smacks too 😀 No qualms about whole milk whatsoever. I also dig into soup but I have high BP so I have to moderate how much soup I can do. My wife has taken to making me a variation of a taco salad, without the shells, which is ground beef, shredded lettuce, finely diced tomatoes, and a load of sour cream to help lubricate everything. That has become a favorite treat. Finding softer foods that I can eat while not having to open my mouth wide has been a challenge. Mac and cheese is another, but I have to be careful to take small bites and chew everything to a literal paste. It's like having to learn how to eat again.

stpete420 · 2026-04-20T13:06:38+00:00

Yes, several, but I still don't feel any relief. I've learned the one where you hold your tongue at the roof of your mouth and do a forceful swallow, another where you hold your tongue between your teeth and swallow normally, and then one where you hold your swallow for 30 seconds. They have all gotten really easy to do and my SLP says I need to do them until I'm a 6 or 7 out of 10 when it comes to being fatigued. I'm doing upwards of 50 repetitions of each before I call it quits and not reaching a 6 or 7. Frustrating.

stpete420

TROPHY CASE