Harry - our friend's struggle

[Ace-Garageguy]

Very sad news. I had high hopes for Harry's full recovery after he seemed to improve dramatically after the radiation treatments, but he's been going downhill ever since the botched first round of chemo that trashed his heart.

Very very sad. I'll miss him. A lot.

[slusher]

Like Bill G said, reading about Harry I have tears in my eyes. I wanted so much for Harry to make a recovery. We have been sending him cards and he should have received one today. So wish I could have shook his hand and talked with him. I will continue to pray for Harry..

[LaughingIndian]

 

 

Very sad news ... I hope Harry finds peace 

he has given me much happiness as he shared his great passion for modeling ... 

 

 

 

[Canso65]

I'm so sorry to hear this very sad news about Harry.

[Belugawrx]

Speechless 

Harry is one of those people who could give constructive criticism without sounding over bearing and self righteous.

Always respected his input.

My thoughts are with him and his family and, fingers crossed, he will be back, I hope.

[bobthehobbyguy]

Medical science has failed miserably. We need to all pray for a miracle for Harry. Miracles do happen! 

[High octane]

Medical science has failed miserably. We need to all pray for a miracle for Harry. Miracles do happen! 

Medical Science can only do so much in any given situation, and if you look back you'll see that medical science has come an awfully long way in the past 50 years. It's even mind boggling what medical technology has to offer these days. Yes miracles do happen, and we can only hope.

[MeatMan]

Sad to hear that he's giving up, but I can understand not wanting to keep fighting. My brother died of leukemia at a young age and he refused treatment when he had a recurrence. 

My heart goes out to Harry and his family.

[Lunajammer]

I'm a little confused about the details... Is it the cancer that is so grievously draining his health or the cure? If he can tough out the chemo, is there a chance he can be on track to regain strength and recover a little more from the heart problem? I know it's grim right now, but it just seems like he went down hill a lot faster than the cancer would take him. 

Regarding Hospice, my mom's health improved once she got their help because they managed her acute care so much better than the medical bureaucrats and clock punchers at the hospital.

[bobthehobbyguy]

I think its a combination of things for Harry decline in health. Dealing with the cancer and the chemo is bad enough. Add to that the first chemo damage d his heart so that has severely reduced pump capacity. Also it doesn't seem that the revised chemo was reducing the cancer. Finally an insurance company whos only concern is to make a profit over somebodys life. I got news for you  Harry isn't quitting he has been worn down on all fronts.

I'm still hoping and praying for a miracle so that Harry can still be around.

[Cato]

I'm a little confused about the details... Is it the cancer that is so grievously draining his health or the cure? If he can tough out the chemo, is there a chance he can be on track to regain strength and recover a little more from the heart problem? I know it's grim right now, but it just seems like he went down hill a lot faster than the cancer would take him. 

Regarding Hospice, my mom's health improved once she got their help because they managed her acute care so much better than the medical bureaucrats and clock punchers at the hospital.

Bob has got it right. Accumulated damage from the very beginning has weakened all his systems. Even if chemo and radiation were effective (remember, this is Stage IV cancer) they take a huge toll on even a previously healthy person. Harry got treatment very late at this cancer stage.

Add in aversion to needed food, inability to endure physical therapy, mental stress from finances and bureaucracy (plus the illness)  and only part-time support from family (they all live out of his state) and you can see the struggle is huge. Harry is a big man but I've been told that he's lost much weight.

Our wishes are well-intentioned but each of us knows our limits and breaking point. That Harry has fatigued from this fight is quite understandable. We can only respect his wishes and be thankful we don't have his burden.

No further news has come to me. Hope for the best.

[Snake45]

I'm still praying for him every day. Most days several times.

[tmathew1us]

Very sorry to hear of this painful time for Harry.

When the end does come, we will miss him, but in a way he'll always be around through his incredible work posted in the forums here.

[peter31a]

Very sorry to hear of this painful time for Harry.

When the end does come, we will miss him, but in a way he'll always be around through his incredible work posted in the forums here.

Tom, go to the General section. Harry has already passed away. More info there.

[tmathew1us]

Tom, go to the General section. Harry has already passed away. More info there.

Sorry to hear of this. Thanks for the update.

[Tom Geiger]

I'm a little confused about the details... Is it the cancer that is so grievously draining his health or the cure? If he can tough out the chemo, is there a chance he can be on track to regain strength and recover a little more from the heart problem? I know it's grim right now, but it just seems like he went down hill a lot faster than the cancer would take him. 

When my father was first diagnosed with cancer and scheduled for chemo, a friend of mine who had witnessed his own father die of cancer told me, "You will see that the cure is worse than the disease."  I had no idea what he meant, but soon found out how accurate he was! Chemo kills cancer cells, but just about everything else!  A really bad situation.

Right now I consult to a pharmaceutical company that is hell bent on curing cancer.  Chemo is just about obsolete  as biological medicine develops cells that target and just kill cancer cells. They are making great strides and we will see a cure within our lifetime.  Unfortunately not soon enough for many people we love!

Medical science has made a lot of progress in the last century. In 1905 the five greatest causes of death were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza  2. Tuberculosis  3. diarrhea  4. Heart disease and 5. Stroke. We have made great strides in all of these.