My persistent cancer and health experience

 Constantly under the microscope, CT scans, PT Scans, MRI, nuclear brain scans, etc.. Amazing people, amazing medicine. *(Warning, some of these images my be disturbing, to all of us) How being forced to have my fully engulfed prostate removed at Boston Medical Center ended up Saving my life... so far. When Head of Melanoma @ Dana Farber (Dr Steven Hodi) told me the melanoma had returned and there was no cure, but my only chance was a clinical trial at MSK in NYC, I talked myself into one of the last 22 slots for the clinical trial at MSK.  I had to make a deal with Bristol Myer Squibb to give me $1,500,000 (retail) of their new cancer drug Yervoy. 10 sessions, $150,000 each, 10X the legal amount but for this trial.  The drug sessions involved a security guard actually delivering each dose. But there was a problem getting that last spot, I had prostate cancer and BMS was not about to sully the results with a secondary cancer in play.  So I made the argument that I pa...

  Hello Everyone, Bob Fontaine here, just wanted to welcome you to my Health/Life Blog. It's been quite a journey and cancer, for me, is like the gift that keeps on giving. Hope to share a few insights along that way that could make a difference in the choices you decide to make. Unfortunately, sometimes there are no good choice, just required decisions. I’ve had so many people help and support me through the first two cancers. My sister Robyn directed me to specialists who somehow pulled a rabbit out of my arse when I had months to go with no cure for melanoma… So I was one of the test dummy’s in the trial that actually found a cure for it, myself included. But they know enough not to tell me I’m cancer free, because it’s insidious. They tell me it often returns in the eyes, lungs or heart. I believe the toes are number 1. I also have to thank my former wife Ann, who stood by me for countless trips to MSK in NYC, Dana Farber. Tufts. Boston Medical Center. Brigham and Woman’s, Faul...

Guess I cant forget honorable mention for the bilateral Legg Perthes Disease . Age 6, one hip involved.. age 7 the 2nd hip, admitted to Canton Hospital School for 4 years. Not allowed to walk.. during that time. Mother planning to have wooden hips replacing the bad ones as there were not improving. Then one morning at the by-monthly Doctors meeting to go over scans, Dr. tells me and my mom somehow both hips have miraculously healed, and I can walk. Right there and then. Unfortunately after not walking all those years, a skinny kid came out a 230-240 kid.

Some of You may remember our car accident in 1975 . My beautiful 69 Camaro wrapped around a tree.  Turnpike Street, N Easton.  Trapped on the car as they cut it around me.  That one almost got me...  Found out about weeks later, when some pals visited me at hospital room, to smoke a joint while I had blood clots and on oxygen (silly kids).. that Mike S (rip) was actually driving the car. Naturally I found out a year later, when I could walk again, that I had got a Driving to Endanger charge.. nice cherry on top.  The 3rd person in the car was a certain Italian. Seems like a minor inconvenience about now. 😖  

So in my case the order of cancers some far have come this way;  Prostate cancer, Melanoma, Prostate cancer, Prostate cancer, Colon cancer (Sept 1, 2025 Update, fortunately for me, a colonoscopy showed the positive test was wrong). Prostate cancer (wow, cant even remember the year). Gleason 4+3 fully engaged margins (spread outside the prostate). 3 arm robotic surgery at Boston Medical Center.  Ill be discussing the impact of Prostate cancer on my life along the way. Prostate cancer may be the worst of the three, although EACH of them are easier if they finish the job.  I haven't dealt with the colon disaster yet... go Derm in 2 hours (8/4/25) for an issue in my arm. Malignant Melanoma . 2012/2013. Scary stuff. So a mole on my leg for 6-8 months, my primary dr took a look, it took 6 months for an open dermatologist on Cape Cod, I saw the dermatologist and before shaking hands she says "its a benign blah fn blah". Instead of taking a slice of the mole on my knee to be saf...

Hey friends... Bob Fontaine here... I have finally listened to some of my great doctors and nurses and will share some of my on going experience with cancer along the way.  It's gotten somewhat humorous dealing with my specialists at time..(not as in my broken left humerus and cancer in left). New Doctors give me medical forms to talk about medical history, and there's like 3 lines to use. Pain specialist gives a cartoon person for me to mark where the pain is at.... 3 lines wont do it, so I give them this, and they VERY much appreciate it.                                   Ive had no issue with pain medications ever since. Cancer effects so many families, and many don't like to discuss their journey. Its a very difficult time in ones mind and life. The other side of the coin is many that are close to you tend to avoid you or the subject, because they don't know what to say. other times I ha m...