> From: Andre Lapointe <alc@sympatico.ca>
> To: kent@via-media.com
> Subject: Your testimony on the Web
> Date: Friday, March 28, 1997 7:37 PM
>
> Hi!
>
> You had a very good idea to talk about your cancer on the Web. You are the first person
> I read about who had the same thing as I have.
>
> My name is Andre and I'm a 35 French advertising copywriter from Ottawa (Ontario)
> Canada.
> In January of 97, I decided to go see my family doctor after noticing a growing lump on
> my left thigh (since I do lots of bicycle, at first, I thought I was finally getting
> "nice biker legs" - but the right thigh didn't "reciprocate").
> She referred my to a vascular surgeon who ordered x-ray, ultra-sound of the leg. Then
> came the core needle biopsy, the ct scan of the leg, the MRI, a ct scan from the neck to
> the waist, an ultra-sound of the liver (since they found a few shadows and feared for
> metastases) and a biopsy of the liver.
> After the core needle biopsy of the thigh, I was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma.
> And it's only after that the pathologists in Toronto thought it was a lyposarcoma and
> then they became positive it was a leiomyosarcoma.
> During all those tests doctors didn't know exactly what it was and started to give me
> all sorts of outcomes: amputation at the hip, death (I was actually sentenced to death
> twice during the same week in February), chemo, etc.
> That being said, I think you are the only other person who can truly understand the
> emotional ordeal I went through this winter. And I took all that stress without ANY
> medication (no valiums or anything...). It was particularly hard given that it is the
> busiest season if my line of work.
> But like it your case, prayers (or positive waves or mind power - many people have
> different definitions about it), family and friend support really helped.
> It is only recently that I heard about the sarcoma clinic at the Princess Margaret
> Hospital in Toronto. What did I have to loose? I asked the vascular surgeon to book me
> an appointment, as a second opinion, with the "Canadian pope of sarcomas". They took
> over my case immediately as they will perform intensive radiation treatments that will
> follow with surgery in mid-June (or before). The care and competence if Dr. Bell's
> (from Princess Margaret's) team is mind-blowing. I felt like a Formula One car entering
> the pit stop; with a team of competent people looking after me, everyone knowing what to
> do and no one stepping on anybody's toes.
> The sentence that Dr Bell said that REALLY made the stress go away is: "We have a
> success rate of 95% and don't worry, we'll take good care of ya!"
> Needless to say, compared to what the "angels of death" were saying in Ottawa, I
> couldn't believe my ears.
> All that to say is that like in your case, I was greatful to find a good medical team to
> take care of me.
> I'm also very grateful that my cancer hasn't spread to the lungs (at it does usually, so
> I'm told). It is really localized and now, we're focusing on repairing the area. In
> June, I'll have surgery to remove the tumor and two muscles of my thigh which will leave
> me walking with a limp but at least it'll be MY leg. The other good thing is that I
> don't need chemo, PHEW!
>
> Kent, I'm very glad to see things worked out for you and I can only hope my treatments
> and surgery will have the same results as yours. Looking at it from a lighter
> perspective, rare tumors like that should make us feel unique in some ways...
>
> Your testimony made me see the light at the end of the tunnel a bit better. Survivors
> like you are the best beacons during sombers periods of our existence.
>
> God Bless and Happy Easter from Canada.
>
> (And please, forgive my English mistakes. I'm French).