So long...it's been good to know you!

I missed the notice until just now. Being somewhat of a newer member, I never got to know a whole lot about Lew, other than what I gleaned in a couple short years. But what I did find was to know that he will be sorely missed by his many friends and associates here.
Greywolf's sentiment was as good a wish as any I have ever seen, well done man.
R.I.P. Lew.
 
So sad to hear we lose another brother, RIP Lew.

Another reminder of how precious this time we have on earth is.
I've been to 2 funerals over the past month and I'm at the point that I don't want to attend any more. Selfish thought I know & I still have one more to go.

Live your lives to the fullest.
 
Huggy Love said:
So sad to hear we lose another brother, RIP Lew.

Another reminder of how precious this time we have on earth is.
I've been to 2 funerals over the past month and I'm at the point that I don't want to attend any more. Selfish thought I know & I still have one more to go.

Live your lives to the fullest.
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Too true.

My wife's cousin found out he had prostate cancer last year. A couple weeks ago, the docs told him his prostate seemed okay, but his PSA numbers were still high and they didn't know why. They figured it out last week - it had moved to his liver. So they needed to do a biopsy to see what they were dealing with to plan treatment. It never got that far. They sent him home on Friday and said maybe a month. It wasn't a weekend - he died Sunday.

It's never enough time.
 
Huggy Love said:
So sad to hear we lose another brother, RIP Lew.

Another reminder of how precious this time we have on earth is.
I've been to 2 funerals over the past month and I'm at the point that I don't want to attend any more. Selfish thought I know & I still have one more to go.

Live your lives to the fullest.
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I think it is worth mentioning that from my perspective, Lew really did live his life to the fullest till the very end. In the last 6 months of his life, he bought a mix board, some mics, a couple (maybe more) amps and more! He literally started building a new guitar on his 74th birthday (Oct 16, 2023) which was just over two months prior to his transition (Dec 19, 2023)! I literally was working with him on the headstock wording that was going on that newly built guitar only a week before he passed. He really did live it right till the end!!!
 
alantig said:
Too true.

My wife's cousin found out he had prostate cancer last year. A couple weeks ago, the docs told him his prostate seemed okay, but his PSA numbers were still high and they didn't know why. They figured it out last week - it had moved to his liver. So they needed to do a biopsy to see what they were dealing with to plan treatment. It never got that far. They sent him home on Friday and said maybe a month. It wasn't a weekend - he died Sunday.

It's never enough time.
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Sorry to hear that Alan! Condolences to you, your wife and all those affected by that rapid transition!!
 
Prostate cancer is a ***** .. when it hits stage 3 it moves to your lymphatic system , and at stage 4 it hits your bones .. I've been fighting it for over a decade , and have had 1 surgery . The doc gave me 3-5 years back in Oct '21 . Once it migrates , you just hang on until the end, there isn't any hope for stopping it. Due to all the pain killers over the years with 32 broken bones, I am not allowed to take OTC pain meds , after the acute kidney failure a few years back , it does make things challenging. So I've gone organic with my diet, and herbal with my meds been sober 5 years and lost 45lbs , and dropped my blood pressure 70 points.

I won't win ... but I ain't going down without pulling out all the stops . and enjoying every single moment.

Your statistical chance of getting it ? Wake up gents .. it's equal to your AGE! SO ..if nothing else gets you , it will. If your over 50 get a PSA test , You may get lucky and beat it if you catch it early

Keeping a positive attitude is a challenge , thankfully the Music community has been a godsend. Most of my Music friends don't know , like my sisters. So I spend 4 days recuperating so I can put all my energy into the 3 nights at the Cafe' . The illusion of a happy go lucky hippy , brings them joy ... If they knew ... they wouldn't treat me the same ....

I've been down that road

LIVE each day , SMILE as much as you can , DO what you love , CHERISH everyone and everything for as long as you can , and ENJOY !
 
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Greywolf said:
Prostate cancer is a ***** .. when it hits stage 3 it moves to your lymphatic system , and at stage 4 it hits your bones .. I've been fighting it for over a decade , and have had 1 surgery . The doc gave me 3-5 years back in Oct '21 . Once it migrates , you just hang on until the end, there isn't any hope for stopping it. Due to all the pain killers over the years with 32 broken bones, I am not allowed to take OTC pain meds , after the acute kidney failure a few years back , it does make things challenging. So I've gone organic with my diet, and herbal with my meds been sober 5 years and lost 45lbs , and dropped my blood pressure 70 points.

I won't win ... but I ain't going down without pulling out all the stops . and enjoying every single moment.

Your statistical chance of getting it ? Wake up gents .. it's equal to your AGE! SO ..if nothing else gets you , it will. If your over 50 get a PSA test , You may get lucky and beat it if you catch it early

Keeping a positive attitude is a challenge , thankfully the Music community has been a godsend. Most of my Music friends don't know , like my sisters. So I spend 4 days recuperating so I can put all my energy into the 3 nights at the Cafe' . The illusion of a happy go lucky hippy , brings them joy ... If they knew ... they wouldn't treat me the same ....

I've been down that road

LIVE each day , SMILE as much as you can , DO what you love , CHERISH everyone and everything for as long as you can , and ENJOY !
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I lost my mom to cancer. I lost my dad to heart issues. They were both over weight and both had diabetes and were on insulin shots at one point. That means that I would potentially have one or more of these issues as I aged.

I have had elevated blood pressure for years but have kept it on the edge of where they want me to have it at the highest. I have kept my weight in check for the most part, except when I let myself get really fat and had to fix that issue. I was pre-diabetic. I fixed that with weight loss. I got my A1C in the middle of normal and have been able to keep it there. I don't eat sugar or simple carbs at all and haven't for at least 3 or 4 years now, maybe a little longer.

My doctor checks something in my blood work for cancer. He started telling me a couple of years ago that the marker that he checks is so low that there is a zero chance that I have any prostate cancer issues.

I found out just about a year ago what will probably be the one to take me out. I got the heart issues. I was taken in very quickly after a test they gave me last year and had two stents put in. Catching this in a test saved me from the two heart attacks and two surgeries, one open heart, that one of my younger brothers has gone through. I am making a few more changes this year to help keep things in a better place. I haven't had any alcohol since before the end of the year last year. I plan on taking a break for a while on this. There are some events coming up in March and April where I may allow myself to drink a little but my plan is to not drink except for those events.

All of this to say, let the doctors do the tests. It can help you with early detection or mitigation of an issue. I am also not one to go down without a fight. I will make whatever changes need to be made to stay above the dirt. I am also following what the doctors say, although I am a data guy so I do challenge them a bit on their recommendations and make them explain things to me and help me understand them.
 
JasonE said:
All of this to say, let the doctors do the tests.
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My wife said last night, "This is why we do the testing."

My dad had prostate cancer, his brother had prostate cancer. (As my dad once said, "We never really had heart problems in the family, other than my dad. Cancer - well, we hit the jackpot there." After his prostate cancer, when I was at the doc's, the nurse asked how old I was and said, "Oh, you're at that age!" and made the finger motion. She said, "How do you feel about that?" I said, "Look, I'm not exactly thrilled about it, but I ain't stupid either. Prostate cancer, colon cancer - I'll take the test any day."
 
alantig said:
My wife said last night, "This is why we do the testing."

My dad had prostate cancer, his brother had prostate cancer. (As my dad once said, "We never really had heart problems in the family, other than my dad. Cancer - well, we hit the jackpot there." After his prostate cancer, when I was at the doc's, the nurse asked how old I was and said, "Oh, you're at that age!" and made the finger motion. She said, "How do you feel about that?" I said, "Look, I'm not exactly thrilled about it, but I ain't stupid either. Prostate cancer, colon cancer - I'll take the test any day."
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My wife has a cousin that has had issues with colon polyps. He has had several removed. He is in the high risk category and has to be checked annually. He told me at one time that all of the other guys he met in the hospital when he had to go in for treatments due to some they found are all gone now. The only reason he is still walking around is his annual check and treatments. He was one that really got it into my head to make sure you are getting the testing done. It definitely can save your live and keep you above dirt.
 
We are all on borrowed time in one way or another. Lost my young niece a year and a half ago to leukemia, and now her mother is terminal with a brain tumor. At a certain age, you sort of expect some things, but not on those that still have so much to experience.
My own slight brush with melanoma is so trivial by comparison, but had I not listened to my wife's berating me, it could have been far more serious. Being stubborn and refusing to give in without a fight is a far cry from being stupid like I almost was. Never take your health for granted. You only make this scene once.
 
JasonE said:
My wife has a cousin that has had issues with colon polyps. He has had several removed. He is in the high risk category and has to be checked annually. He told me at one time that all of the other guys he met in the hospital when he had to go in for treatments due to some they found are all gone now. The only reason he is still walking around is his annual check and treatments. He was one that really got it into my head to make sure you are getting the testing done. It definitely can save your live and keep you above dirt.
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I didn't need to be convinced, but if I did, my dad's brother's family would have been all it took. His brother and his wife both had colon cancer. She died first, and he followed about 2-3 months later. About six months or so after that, they took my cousin (the older of their two daughters) to the hospital with suspected appendicitis. Nope - stage 4 colon cancer. Despite what her parents went through, she hadn't been doing the screenings. Within about 18 months, her sister went from the youngest in a family of four to the lone survivor.
 
Oh fer cripe sakes, hate to hear about Lew's passing. I'm very late to this thread - rarely visit it these days. But, geez, I cringed when I read this thread's title, it didn't sound good right from the start. Lew and I "came of age" musically during the same era - the birth of rock & roll, and I enjoyed his take on that music and how it evolved during the 60s & 70s. We shared many of the same musical heroes.

Moondog Wily said:
He literally started building a new guitar on his 74th birthday (Oct 16, 2023) which was just over two months prior to his transition (Dec 19, 2023)!
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Yes, kudos to Lew for living it right up to the end.

And I'm sorry to hear of our members who are going thru their own medical trials and tribulations. I saw a funny birthday card a few months ago. Picture of a little old lady, grey hair, looking about 80 on the front with the caption, "The Golden Years." Open the card and the sentiment reads, "My Ass!"
 
Daryl Jones said:
We are all on borrowed time in one way or another. Lost my young niece a year and a half ago to leukemia, and now her mother is terminal with a brain tumor. At a certain age, you sort of expect some things, but not on those that still have so much to experience.
My own slight brush with melanoma is so trivial by comparison, but had I not listened to my wife's berating me, it could have been far more serious. Being stubborn and refusing to give in without a fight is a far cry from being stupid like I almost was. Never take your health for granted. You only make this scene once.
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I got a little lecture from my wife after the surgery was over and she knew I was going to be fine. My doctor had been mentioning the test that caught my issues to me for a couple of years. I didn't want to pay the $400 out of pocket to have it done. It is not covered by insurance but is a very good test that gives enough information to plan out the next 5 years of treatment or changes in lifestyle. She made sure to let me know that I should have had it done two years sooner. Us men love to put these types of things off. That is probably one reason women live longer than we do. :)
 
alantig said:
I didn't need to be convinced, but if I did, my dad's brother's family would have been all it took. His brother and his wife both had colon cancer. She died first, and he followed about 2-3 months later. About six months or so after that, they took my cousin (the older of their two daughters) to the hospital with suspected appendicitis. Nope - stage 4 colon cancer. Despite what her parents went through, she hadn't been doing the screenings. Within about 18 months, her sister went from the youngest in a family of four to the lone survivor.
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Amongst my mother’s siblings, there have been 3 colon cancers and 3 prostate cancers. I let them do any test they want on me.
 
I lost my mother to cancer and a couple of friends. Due to my line of profession, I saw a lot of people losing battle to cancer, too. I used to be an EoL champion within my team in my previous ambulance Trust, advising other crews on how to deal with a dying patient—a range of challenges, a range of emotions. In the past 20 years, I only cried twice at work; one was a man I supported in his last few hours of life. It's one thing if you go in, sticking needles and tubes into a person, and moving them fast to the A&E; it's way different when you talk to a person, learning about his first love, his kids, passions, places he would like to see again and then fading away.

I'm thinking warmly about our fellow PRS fanatic, his friends and the family
 
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