The end of my playing days.

[pops1]

Ivan, best of luck. My mother had cancer back in the 1960's, she is still alive today, and they can do so much more today than back then.

Don't sell ALL your instruments, you may like to play some, just not as focused as you were. We will look forward to your future participation.

I know very much how you feel, a few days ago I was taken to the emergency room by ambulance for a heart attack. I am very much feeling my mortality. A couple days later I picked up a mandolin and played a little and I can't tell you how much it relaxed me and made me feel better. I will most likely be selling a mandolin or two to help cover medical costs, but will be keeping instruments to play. Good luck.

[sgarrity]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Ivan!

[HonketyHank]

Never underestimate the power of the mandolin. Good therapy.

All the best to you going forward.

[grassrootphilosopher]

Hang in there Ivan. And do not disregard the things that give you joy and that have given you joy so far. Best wishes!

[Ranald]

Sorry to hear that, Ivan. All the best in dealing with your illness.
Just to put cancer in perspective, a scientist said on the radio recently that there are many environmental factors involved, but that cave dwellers and even dinosaurs had cancer, so it's not all things we've done to ourself as individuals or societies. Cancer happens.

[Folkmusician.com]

Ivan,

Please keep us up to date. I feel like you are as much of a friend as anyone I have met in person. I am sure not ready to say goodbye!

[Tom C]

Thoughts with you. Dont give up mandos just yet. I know somebody who went through very similar. Years later he regretted selling his Gil. My father had stomach cancer. They removed his whole stomach and 6 years later at 82, he's still playing golf and bowling (damn good too). Most important is being positive. Amazing what Drs. can do these days.

[ccravens]

Thoughts and prayers to you Ivan.

[Greg P. Stone]

Good luck and don't be too hasty. I went through successful radiation treatment for a tumor in my skull which left me stone deaf on the left side, no balance and impaired short term memory. Then I got Meniere's Disease on the right side which has its own unique vertigo and periods of deafness leading eventually to permanent deafness.

Knowing that I might have only a short period of hearing left I threw myself into music. Hang on to at least one mandolin because your perspective on this may well change.

[Doug Brock]

Another vote for not selling your gear. I hadn't played music much in the past few years, but had colon cancer surgery and five months of chemo in 2018. Although I had the energy to do very little through most of the chemo other than to drag myself back and forth to work and then plop myself in my recliner when I got home, I picked up my mandolin in the last few rounds. It did take me longer than normal for my fingertips to heal when I started building up my callouses (apparently because of my low white blood cell counts), but the mandolin brought me great joy during the last rounds and during the post chemo recovery.

I had a couple of red flags during labs and CT scans in December, so things aren't going as great as I had hoped (more procedures on Wednesday to take a closer look), but my mandolin continues to be a great source of emotional relief and just out-and-out fun.

I do wish you the best (and hope for happy results from your tests), but no matter what happens medically, good or bad, your music could be a great source of comfort.

[soliver]

I'll be praying for you Ivan... thank you for all of your contribution to this community!

[JEStanek]

All the best to you, Ivan. I've always appreciated your contributions. Take care of yourself. There's always room for you in the circle here.

Jamie

[Caleb]

Very sorry to hear this, Ivan. You are one of my favorite Cafe members.

[Francis J]

Sorry to hear this Ivan, your posts are invariably helpful and cheerful. I wish you well, and while it wont be easy, would advocate what many others have said about holding on to some of your instruments. A quiet tinkle on your favorite mandolin might be just the thing to raise the spirit.

[allenhopkins]

Hold on a bit, Ivan; twelve years ago I started coughing blood, went for a chest X-ray, they found a mass in my left lung. The doc said it had a very high probability of being cancerous. (Though I was raised in a smoker's household, I'd never had a cigarette in my life.) I went for a huge battery of tests: CAT scan, PET scan, bronchoscopy, sputum analysis, more X-rays.

Long story short, all came back negative, and the mass slowly reduced and disappeared. It was never accurately diagnosed: "unknown infection" was the best they could do. Whatever it was, it wasn't cancer, although my pulmonary doc said, "If I'd had to diagnose you from just the initial X-rays, I would have given odds you had lung cancer."

So before you sell all your instruments and start planning your end days, wait for definitive diagnosis. There are conditions out there that look a lot like cancer, but aren't. I hope that's what your facing -- if you have to face anything -- and that further tests will find you have a non-life-threatening condition. All our thoughts are with you, of course; there's nothing more devastating than being told you may have cancer. But until the diagnosis is air-tight final -- I, surprisingly, never thought I had cancer, and I was right -- cherish that portion of doubt.

[seankeegan]

So sorry to read this; I hope you can recover. I'd be similar to many others here and would humbly suggest holding on to at least one of your beautiful mandolins. Music has an incredible effect on both the mind and the body.

Take care my friend. I will be thinking of you.

[Bertram Henze]

Don't you ever give up hope Ivan. Don't sell everything. Playing is a healing agent, and the soul has a leading role in keeping the body going. Do not give up. Don't you dare.

[goaty76]

Stay positive and good luck with all in the future. While life is a combination of many things looking now that you have made over 14k posts I would think these instruments would be an enjoyable part of that. Continue to enjoy them if you can, along with everything else around you that you hold dear.

Best wishes,

Phil Rowens

[sblock]

Oh no! Such awful news...and terribly depressing. But for the sake of your family, your friends (including those here on the MC), and your own future -- however long it may be -- please don't let the depression get the better of you! Keep a positive outlook. And by all means, keep at least one of your instruments to play in the days ahead. A musical instrument, as we musicians know all-so-well, can be a faithful and life-affirming companion. Despite how you may feel right this instant, having just received the dreaded news, you will likely benefit from some musical therapy in the hard days ahead. We are pulling for you.

[Dale Ludewig]

Ivan, I am sorry to hear this. You have many friends to buoy you up. I humbly suggest you keep at least a banjo and a mandolin. Or perhaps 5 of each.

[Joe Mendel]

So very sorry to hear this news Ivan, I will keep you any prayers. I'm with Dale, keep one mandolin and banjo, you never know, things may work out better than you are feeling they may now! Stay positive, I know, I know, that is much easier said than done. Here's hoping for the best.

[Jill McAuley]

So sorry to hear this news Ivan, will be hoping for the best and keeping you in my thoughts.

[wildpikr]

Truly sorry for this news, hope and pray that [if the biopsy confirms what you suspect] you'll endure the treatments and reach remission. And I'll echo Dale and Joe to hold onto your favorite mandolin and banjo. Stay positive and be as proactive as possible - let someone go with you to listen to the doctor. The second set of ears helps...I know this firsthand by being there for family members. Here's another hoping for the best!

[O. Apitius]

I've always enjoyed you're thoughtful posts Ivan and hope to read many more. Please don't give up hope. Doctors do their best to their ability but they are not God. Many people have beat the odds and you must believe that you can too, because you can.

Wishing you all the best through this trying time,
Oliver

[Scott Rucker]

My most sincere prayers and thoughts of positive energy for you. You are a valuable member of this online community who has (and I hope will continue to) contributed in a thoughtful and positive way. May we all find enjoyment in whatever we pursue as none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow in this life. Best wishes and hopes for a good diagnosis/prognosis.