My persistent cancer and health experience

Looking back at a few of the experiences , amazing institutions, nurses, medical specialists, caring people, and medical machinery that you simply have to trust because you couldn't possibly grasp how it does what it does. But, that's easy, when you have no other options. As noted somewhere on the blog, several very highly respected doctors at the best medical institutions in the world suggested it would be good to write about my experience. I figure why not. I understand why many dealing with cancer prefer to retain their privacy, I can see why. In my case, I too find it an amazing series of events that allowed me to escape inevitable. I am happy to tell those close to me, circle of friends of my constantly changing medical situation. In August I was consumed with anticipation of 3 different cancer tests. September so far, I feel pretty good. While doctors and tests are a constant in my world, it actually feels like a big weight has been removed from my noggin. I'll take r...

Hey Friends. Well It’s months like August that really tests a soul. * I hope nobody takes too much of what I say here too serious. What I like best about this format is I can say what I please and nobody has to look at any of it. And this allows me to reach many I care about, where its not practical to individually contact everyone. And e veryone has their own stuff, I get that. 😕😃. And at some point I'm apt to remain healthy for awhile with no new surprises. New doctors often light up a bit when I give them the names of my prior specialists at Dana Farber or Brigham/Woman's, trial @ Sloan Kettering in NYC. Being in the same business and all. So August 2025 I find myself doing testing and 3 different oncologists, 3 different cancer types, to then await the results. Tried to go 3 and 0, but ill live with 2-0-1. I am often stunned myself at the the circumstances that have allowed me to "beat the system" so far, this far. And August 2025 was one of those sit back and ...

 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...