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Profoundly Bad Luck, UPDATE Apr.10.08

naporeonnaporeon Seattle, WARegistered User regular
edited April 2008 in Social Entropy++
Hey, guys. I know that this isn't LiveJournal, or grouphug, or whatever, but the fact is that I consider a lot of you people to be good folks, and some of you friends, and I need a friend right now.

My childhood best friend, Chad, his wife Kim (whom I have also known since childhood), and their family are going through an almost impossibly difficult time.

Now, I have known Chad literally all my life. Our mothers were best friends in high school, and were pregnant with Chad and me at the same time...the friendship we shared was practically forged in utero. I don't have a whole lot of memories from my childhood that don't involve Chad and his family. He is the sort of guy who seemed to spring from the womb with a compassionate heart and a fully-developed sense of right and wrong. Despite the fact that he was bigger than me for most of our friendship (and I have always been a lippy smartass), the only time we ever fought was when I hit my sister in front of him. And he beat the snot out of me for that. Important lesson. He is the manifestation of all of the working-class sensibilities of our hometown, so we grew into profoundly different people, but we have always kept in touch.

Anyhow, a couple years back, practically on Christmas, Kim seized during the middle of the night. When she came around, she wasn't able to speak clearly, and they were afraid she'd suffered a stroke. As it turns out, it was even worse: a massive, 3" brain tumor, sitting almost on top of the speech center of her brain. A couple years and a lobectomy later, she was mostly better. Then, almost simultaneously, they discovered that the cancer had returned, this time spreading to her frontal lobes (therefore making it inoperable), and that she was also suffering from a totally unconnected breast cancer.

Then, Kim and Chad's daughter, Kaylee, was diagnosed with leukemia.

Her brother, Tyson, is not a match, and because Kaylee is half-Native American, half-Caucasian, they are virtually certain to fail in finding a suitable donor. On top of this, Kaylee's leukemia is exceedingly rare; it is only the 5th case of its kind seen in the US in the last 10 years. And even if they do somehow manage to find a perfectly compatible donor, the doctors say that she faces a less than 60% chance of recovery.

They are living out of their camper here in Seattle, splitting time between Kim and Kaylee's treatment facilities. Chad's coworkers have graciously pooled 12 weeks of their vacation time (as much as their employer will allow), and given it to him, so that he can spend as much time with his family as possible.

I'm not sure why I felt it necessary to mention all this, except to say that it is really tearing me up. My friend Erika just stopped by my office, and I spent fifteen minutes sobbing about Kim, Kaylee, Chad, and their family. I am not, but if you are a praying person, please feel free to do so.

I am sorry if this is meandering and nonsensical, but I am extremely torn up about this.

tl;dr Life shits on my old friend Chad's family.

KING5 news story about them (wouldn't run on Firefox for me...had to use IE).

UPDATE ABOUT KAYLEE, 10.27.07

UPDATE ABOUT KAYLEE, 04.10.08

naporeon on
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Posts

  • PhonehandPhonehand Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    i'm almost bored enough to read this

    Phonehand on
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  • STATE OF THE ART ROBOTSTATE OF THE ART ROBOT Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    man.... Hope life gets better for your friends family.

    STATE OF THE ART ROBOT on
  • World as MythWorld as Myth a breezy way to annoy serious people Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    awww nap

    hug

    World as Myth on
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  • SephSeph Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    the worst thing popped into my brain fuck my heart is made of coal shadows

    Seph on
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  • yourclothesyourclothes __BANNED USERS regular
    edited October 2007
    at least it can't get any worse??

    yourclothes on
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  • TransporterTransporter Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    All I gotta say is be there for Chad man.

    He's gonna need you to be strong.

    Transporter on
  • fightinfilipinofightinfilipino Angry as Hell #BLMRegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    do they live near some kind of toxic waste dump? that sounds pretty awful naporeon.

    fightinfilipino on
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    steam | Dokkan: 868846562
  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    man.... Hope life gets better for your friends family.

    I don't think you understand cancer

    PiptheFair on
  • MKRMKR Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    There is no image macro that adequately describes how much this sucks.

    Tell him random people from the internet wish him and his family well.

    MKR on
  • yourclothesyourclothes __BANNED USERS regular
    edited October 2007
    did you maybe put a voodoo curse on chad when you were a small child and then forget about it

    yourclothes on
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  • HunterHunter Chemist with a heart of Au Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Russell Crowe was right, I wish we could beat up cancer.

    Hunter on
  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I wanna say walk it off, but man I've been to a children's oncology ward and it is the saddest thing ever

    PiptheFair on
  • gazamcgazamc Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    thats really horrible nap

    least they have a good friend in yourself.

    gazamc on
  • TransporterTransporter Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    man.... Hope life gets better for your friends family.

    I don't think you understand cancer

    It is unfortunate that I do.

    Very well.

    Transporter on
  • naporeonnaporeon Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Thanks, guys.

    And no, they do not live near a toxic waste dump, high-voltage power lines, or anything like that. Kim and Chad's families do not have a pronounced history of cancer. Neither of them smoke, and prior to all this, they were all in outstanding physical shape (Kim, Chad, and both the kids).

    I am not sure what could've contributed to this, outside of, as the title says, profoundly bad luck.

    naporeon on
  • ColdbrandColdbrand Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Sorry about that man, that's pretty wonderful what his coworkers did.

    Coldbrand on
  • SephSeph Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    That is terrible and horrible and I do wish the best for them

    Seriously

    Life is unfair that is one constant, sadly

    Seph on
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  • ButtersButters A glass of some milks Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Damn, dude. I thought my mom had bad fucking luck.

    Butters on
    PSN: idontworkhere582 | CFN: idontworkhere | Steam: lordbutters | Amazon Wishlist
  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2007
    damn, Nap

    You don't have to apologize or explain, you're torn up because they're your friends and you care about them. I'm so sorry to hear about all they're going through. :(

    Druhim on
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  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    do they perhaps worship satan


    or grandfather nurgle?

    PiptheFair on
  • fightinfilipinofightinfilipino Angry as Hell #BLMRegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    naporeon wrote: »
    Thanks, guys.

    And no, they do not live near a toxic waste dump, high-voltage power lines, or anything like that. Kim and Chad's families do not have a pronounced history of cancer. Neither of them smoke, and prior to all this, they were all in outstanding physical shape.

    I am not sure what could've contributed to this, outside of, as the title says, profoundly bad luck.

    i hope that somehow, their luck turns around. i know, cancer and all, but i honestly hope something comes out right for them.




    the high incidence of cancer in an otherwise low-risk family leads me to think that they have been or are being all exposed to something carcinogenic...

    fightinfilipino on
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    steam | Dokkan: 868846562
  • Lord DaveLord Dave Grief Causer Bitch Free ZoneRegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    well that's depressing

    Lord Dave on
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  • SilmarilSilmaril Mr Ha Ha Hapless. Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Just occasionally there is a thread in here that shows everyone here has a heart, no matter how withered and wasted.

    Silmaril on
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  • PhonehandPhonehand Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    good thing i didn't read it

    Phonehand on
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  • InquisitorInquisitor Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    "There are times, however, and this is one of them, when even being right feels wrong. What do you say, for instance, about a generation that has been taught that rain is poison and sex is death? If making love might be fatal and if a cool spring breeze on any summer afternoon can turn a crystal blue lake into a puddle of black poison right in front of your eyes, there is not much left except TV and relentless masturbation. It's a strange world. Some people get rich and others eat shit and die. Who knows? If there is in fact, a heaven and a hell, all we know for sure is that hell will be a viciously overcrowded version of Phoenix — a clean well lighted place full of sunshine and bromides and fast cars where almost everybody seems vaguely happy, except those who know in their hearts what is missing... And being driven slowly and quietly into the kind of terminal craziness that comes with finally understanding that the one thing you want is not there. Missing. Back-ordered. No tengo. Vaya con dios. Grow up! Small is better. Take what you can get..." - Hunter S. Thompson.

    That aside, man. That sucks so hard nap, so hard. It's just not fucking right. I hope they do something for the daughter. I don't pray but, I'll think positive thoughts.

    Inquisitor on
  • ButtersButters A glass of some milks Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    man.... Hope life gets better for your friends family.

    I don't think you understand cancer

    It is unfortunate that I do.

    Very well.

    Yeah. Cancer always wins eventually.

    Butters on
    PSN: idontworkhere582 | CFN: idontworkhere | Steam: lordbutters | Amazon Wishlist
  • tsplittertsplitter Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Silmaril wrote: »
    Just occasionally there is a thread in here that shows everyone here has a heart, no matter how withered and wasted.

    i have a sneaking suspicion that uriel will post tl;dr or something and we will all yell at him

    tsplitter on
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  • yourclothesyourclothes __BANNED USERS regular
    edited October 2007
    tl;dr

    yourclothes on
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  • HunterHunter Chemist with a heart of Au Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Butters wrote: »
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    man.... Hope life gets better for your friends family.

    I don't think you understand cancer

    It is unfortunate that I do.

    Very well.

    Yeah. Cancer always wins eventually.

    It cheats and misinterprets the rules too, like a malignant Bill Belichick.

    Hunter on
  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2007
    Phonehand wrote: »
    good thing i didn't read it
    sometimes you can be a fucking cunt

    Druhim on
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  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Hunter wrote: »
    Butters wrote: »
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    man.... Hope life gets better for your friends family.

    I don't think you understand cancer

    It is unfortunate that I do.

    Very well.

    Yeah. Cancer always wins eventually.

    It cheats and misinterprets the rules too, like a malignant Bill Belichick.

    topical

    PiptheFair on
  • naporeonnaporeon Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    do they perhaps worship satan


    or grandfather nurgle?
    Hahahahahahahaha.

    Thanks.

    This made me laugh.

    And guys, thank you all. I generally take a pretty dim view of people, and it's nice to see so many of you being so sympathetic.

    ^5 guys. Really.

    naporeon on
  • SephSeph Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Cancer is a product of everything bad we consume

    free radicals exist naturally but things we use increase them and lead to cancer

    did you know they found out fabreeze and air fresheners are carcinogenic

    Seph on
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  • MKRMKR Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    naporeon wrote: »
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    do they perhaps worship satan


    or grandfather nurgle?
    Hahahahahahahaha.

    Thanks.

    This made me laugh.

    And guys, thank you all. I generally take a pretty dim view of people, and it's nice to see so many of you being so sympathetic.

    ^5 guys. Really.

    How can we hate on you with that avatar?

    ^5

    MKR on
  • STATE OF THE ART ROBOTSTATE OF THE ART ROBOT Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I'm just offering my condolences. Don't make me feel like an ass :(

    STATE OF THE ART ROBOT on
  • tsplittertsplitter Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Seph wrote: »
    Cancer is a product of everything bad we consume

    free radicals exist naturally but things we use increase them and lead to cancer

    did you know they found out fabreeze and air fresheners are carcinogenic

    oh shit

    tsplitter on
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  • ReTardisReTardis Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Man, Nap

    :(

    ReTardis on
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  • SephSeph Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    also carbonation erodes your dna did you know that

    Seph on
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  • TransporterTransporter Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Hunter wrote: »
    Butters wrote: »
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    man.... Hope life gets better for your friends family.

    I don't think you understand cancer

    It is unfortunate that I do.

    Very well.

    Yeah. Cancer always wins eventually.

    It cheats and misinterprets the rules too, like a malignant Bill Belichick.

    It's such a fucking bitch dude.

    Hey look the only way you can treat me is slowly killin yourself! And I ALWAYS come back!

    Transporter on
  • CampionCampion Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I do not pray, but was taught to cross fingers in the worst situations, so I'll be doing that.

    Campion on
    4484-7718-8470
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