A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Hello to all! I am going to start this blog so I can keep everyone informed about my progress and pass along some very useful information I have already learned and will learn in the future about cancer. I am sure my father is getting sick of getting phone call and answering questions as am I. So this may be the best outlet. I hope I can shed some light on some things that will prevent some of you from becoming ill, and hopefully to increase both the quality and quantity of life.

Here is a little background about how all this got started. I am sure people have heard many different versions of the story, some of which may be true, others probably not. Like the old game of telephone we all played in grade school, usually the original story told is not the one the last child hears.

I noticed a little mole on my right leg about 2 to 3 months ago. It looked just like a bigger freckle, I thought nothing of it. I have been doing yoga, ( thank God, otherwise I probably would not have noticed this mass getting bigger) and noticed that a few weeks later it had gotten a bit bigger. I thought it was a bit strange, I may have mentioned it to a few friends but still did not think much of it. About 2 weeks later, it had doubled in size, changed color, and began changing shape. I then became a bit alarmed and decided reluctantly to see a dermatologist. I went in, he cut it off, gave me a little pamphlet describing melanoma and told me I would get a phone call in 7 to 10 days if there was a problem, or a letter in the mail saying it was not a big deal. I was a bit alarmed at that point, the pamphlet I had been given described 5 symptoms of melanoma. I had all five of them! I decided to go home for Easter and forget all about it. I ended up overstaying my welcome at Dad's house as I usually do when back in Cleveland. I had a great time at home, forgot all about the doctor. It had been about ten days since the dermatologist visit, I had heard nothing and assumed there was a letter waiting for me in Charlotte saying I was fine. I jumped in my car to go see my good friend who was very pregnant at the time, then I was planning on heading back to Charlotte to resume my life. I was just pulling out of the driveway when the dermatologist told me that I had a stage 4 melanoma that needed to be taken care of immediately! I called dad, made an appointment at the dermatologist office in Cleveland and saw him that same day. They took a look, didn't make much of a big deal about it and sent me to an oncological surgeon. I ended up getting to see Dr. Yetman at the Cleveland clinc that next Monday. What an unpleasant visit that was. The doctor was one of the most negative, awful people I have ever encountered. He looked at me like I was already dead. I didn't have a good feeling about him the minute he walked in the door. My father said that he had done the reconstruction after my mother's breast cancer many moons ago. My dad said he was the same way then. What a miserable man!!!! Someone like that has no business speaking to someone who was recently diagnosed with cancer and looking for some sort of hope. He informed me that they would take out a large portion of my leg around the area, and take out some lymph nodes as well to test to see if the cancer had spread. He informed me of the severity of the type of melanoma I had as well as what he thought was a 10 percent chance it had spread. He then preceded to say that they would follow up with chemotherapy and radiation following the surgery. I knew from speaking to this jackass for 5 minutes that this was not the route I would take. ( I will keep this as clean as possible, I have some choice words to say about this man but I will try and keep them to myself because I'm sure my grandmothers and aunts will read this)

The man did not look myself of my father in the eye one time. Unbelievable! I asked him before he walked out the door, after he generously gave us 5 minutes of his time if there was anything I could do to improve my situation. He said no, whatever is done is done. There is nothing you can do, nothing you can eat that will help. He then said he was very busy but he would squeeze me in. What a guy!!!!!!! A man like that has no business dealing with people that come to him looking for answers and for HOPE!!!! He was quick to crush any thought of hope. This did not bother me so much, because I already knew there were tons of things that I could do to improve my situation. But I could see to someone leaving his office feeling like they would die and that was that. It is a terrible thing to take away HOPE from someone!!!!!!!!

Seeing this RETARD 1st was probably the best thing that happened to me. I knew there were other answers, better ways! That led me to doing as much research as I could and I came across Dr. Rashid Buttar.