Pat Marcello.com

I Was Right About Cancer!

Pat Marcello — Mon, 04 May 2026 18:41:01 +0000

Cancer is exhausting. But… The good news is that I’m a survivor. There is no longer any cancer in my body. That doesn’t mean that it won’t creep up again. It just means I’m cancer free for now. Yay!

But I had every desire to continue writing about the journey, except I just couldn’t. The surgery was done robotically and I have only three small scars. It’s truly amazing, as is my surgeon, Dr. Paul Vesco, at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. I’m so grateful to him and his staff that I can’t tell you. It’s been 6 months now, and my energy is still pretty low.

The only thing is that I have an abnormal gene, apparently. The gene can give me cancer anywhere in my body, for no reason at all. Nice, huh? I consider myself lucky. I don’t need chemo or radiation, but I do need a very expensive drug. It’s outrageous! The co-pay is $1,875! Lucky for me, my insurance company will pick up the tab now and until the new calendar year. This drug is supposed to correct the genetic problem. Hmm… So, every year that I need it, I’ll have that outrageous co-payment, just to continue living cancer free. Looking over the state of things, I wonder if it’s worth the price. Really. They know people are dying and our politicians just sit still for it because it’s not them. Maybe I should run for Congress. Ha!

But that’s the way with another of my drugs, the cost was outrageous here, so I’ve been getting it in Canada since 2011, where it costs 1/3 the price. Yet, if Trump’s tariffs kick in, that may not be a viable solution anymore. Nobody looks at this! We’re paying three times here what the drug costs across the border. What is wrong with this picture? An old doctor of mine told me it’s because we have to pay for other countries’ meds. NO! I’m tired of paying for everyone but Americans. We can use a break, too.. I’ll be looking for that 15% reduction, which is pretty much nothing, IMO.

Yet, I digress. I feel fairly normal, but I still get tired easily. I’m learning my limitations. I hope to know that you’re OK and that whatever you need is important. IMPORTANT. Let me know your frustrations in the comments. I’m hoping to get enough strength back that I can do something about it. No matter how small. We need to start sticking up for ourselves!

Cancer Is Exhausting!

Pat Marcello — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 19:27:50 +0000

So first, my site was hacked by someone. Who would do such an evil thing, considering my current dilemma? Hate to say it, but evil abounds.

But to the topic at hand… Why is cancer exhausting? Because you have to run around so much, just up and ’til your surgery day.

Yesterday, I had to see the cardiologist once more for a sonogram on my carotid arteries. I hope they’re OK. My dad had them cleared. Two days later, they performed a double bypass and he had a massive stroke. He was invalid for the rest of his life. That terrifies me. If I need the carotid surgery, they aren’t getting me back for at least a week for the other. I’m not going to follow my dad’s path!

Next Monday and Tuesday, back to the cardiologist. Monday is an echocardiogram and Tuesday, I hope to get good news and be cleared for surgery. Yet, this is the first time I’ve had a cardiologist. I’m 73 and they were all aghast. Imagine! I’ll hopefully be done with that doctor for a while. Not that he and his staff aren’t great people, I’m just tired of running around. It’s only 11 miles on the freeway, but the drive is HORRIBLE! I think I said that before, but as more people from the north arrive, it just gets worse and worse.

Yesterday, we were in the center where the doctor’s office is, and this lady, not looking AT ALL where she was going, just pulled out right in front of us! Thank heaven, my husband still has great reflexes! We would have had a real mess. I was truly shaken. The woman was totally oblivious. But every day during season, you see a near-miss or you’re involved in one or worse. Honest. At least where we live now. Please don’t move to Florida! You won’t like it. 🙂 Kidding. I’d still rather be here than anywhere else. I don’t blame anyone for wanting to be here, too.

But I’m not finished. Wednesday of next week, I get pre-surgery testing at the hospital. What is that? No clue. I need to show up at like 5 a.m.! I guess it’s necessary, but I have had surgery before and it wasn’t this complicated! Just take it out and let me heal. I have every reason to believe I will, but if I don’t, you can come back and type in the comments: “You were wrong.” LOL

Until next time…

Getting an “All Clear” So Far

Pat Marcello — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 19:13:02 +0000

Another stone turned. Today, I had a stress test for my heart. I worried that it would be difficult due to my asthma, but not so! First, they hit you with some radiologic stuff and take 12 minutes worth of pictures of your heart. Easy peasy.

Then, they take you into another room and you are wired up for the treadmill. That’s the part I was worried about. I saw myself losing breath and just flying off the end of the damned thing.

NOPE! Not me!

I was able to hang on and just walk for a few minutes to get my heart up to 125 bpm (beats per minute). I wasn’t even out of breath. How cool is that? I could have gone longer, even.

So then, back into the camera room for more pictures. Only 10 minutes this time. 🙂

I did so well that they wanted me to wear a halter for three days to see if I was good. That was supposed to be tomorrow, but they moved it up. Good thing, too. Setting it all up took about 5 minutes. I was saved from the dreaded I-75 raceway. I mean, it’s seriously bad and very, very scary. I was very pleased that I didn’t have to do that again so soon.

Plus, when my husband wore the halter, he had a pile of wires attached. He couldn’t take a shower, and he had to go back to the doctor’s office to have the thing removed three days later.

Nope! Not me!

It’s like sending something back from Amazon. I just show up with the halter package at the UPS store, and give it to the people behind the counter. It’s all prepaid. Great, no?

The last hurdle is the echocardiogram that shows what the heart looks like in real time. Oh, I can do that. Simple. Sit still? Yeah, I can do that.

The big thing for me is that everything comes out normal so that I can have the surgery on December 1. I’m praying for that. Can I get you to pray, too? I mean, this is important,. 🙁

But a lady in the waiting room asked if I saw the fireball in the sky last night? I said, “No,” and pulled out my phone to ask Google. There were sightings all over the area. Hmm…. Not chemtrails. Wonder where it landed. They tell us NOTHING!

Talk About Complications!

Pat Marcello — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 19:10:58 +0000

So, I saw the surgeon last week. Nice guy, and he did his internship and residency at Allegheny General in Pittsburgh. Since my husband and I were born and raised there, that was a little comforting. Pittsburgh is UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers) everywhere. I’m a Pitt graduate myself; so, it felt a little like home. Anyway…

Now I need to be OK’d by a cardiologist to have the surgery. Another doctor that my husband has been seeing over 20 years or more was enlisted. But he, his PA, and the nurse were all surprised that I hadn’t seen a cardiologist before. I mean, I’m 73. Is that a requirement? I guess so. My husband was fixed by this team of lovely people, so I’m happy about him, too.

But now I need a bunch of tests before the cardiologist will OK me for surgery. Ugh. I’m taking a 20-minute drive to and fro. Down the freeway to get there, too. It’s crazy this time of year, and every year it gets worse. It’s season. There was so much traffic coming back north that I kissed the ground when I got back home. NOT kidding. Florida traffic in season is the pits. I should be used to it from living in L. A., but guess what? It”s just like that now. People are moving here in droves and there’s no infrastructure to hold them.

So, I already did the EKG, and now, I need to do a stress test next week and be fitted with a harness for three days to see how my heart acts during the week. Great. My husband says those are the worst part. Then, I need my carotid arteries sonogrammed, and still, an echocardiogram. Then, I get to see the doctor and be cleared.

Or not. What if not? I was so overwhelmed that I forgot to ask. Duh.

Surgery is December 1. It’s tentative, of course, but I really don’t think there’s anything wrong with my heart. At least, I’m praying not.

Then, surgery is three small cuts and a robotic procedure to remove the whatever that is in my lung. This is SUCH good news! That means I won’t have another scar from my breastbone to my spine. Yes. That would truly suck. So, I’m very happy that’s not happening.

Four more days though. Four. I’m treasuring every minute I’m not being poked, prodded, and having things stuck to me.

But I feel better that something is at least planned to happen. I want this thing OUT of me so that I can carry on and go my merry way for the rest of my life. Yeah, that’s the ticket! I’m not scared or angry or anythng, really. I just see this whole thing as a job that needs done. Let’s get ‘er done, like they say here. Get ‘er done!

Oh, the Anxiety!

Pat Marcello — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 19:37:01 +0000

I learned that I had lung cancer on September 5. It is now November 3 and only tomorrow will I learn of my fate. The anxiety is worse than the disease. I’m asymptomatic.

But then, I realize that there are lots of older folks coming down here now. They need to hook up with their Florida doctors, just in case. You know? Well… They ARE back, and they have seniority over me.

I just wish I knew… Chemo? NOOOOO!!!! I’m quite terrified of that. Just kill me.

Surgery? I’ve done that before, and it wasn’t good. But whatever happens, happens. I’m going to be involved, but I can’t help thinking that this is what the Good Lord wants for me. I have to believe that. Otherwise, I’ll go mad.

I know I’m a tad that already, but I really feel like we don’t know what great medical advances will take place in the next five years, right? I mean…

When I had gallbladder surgery at 29, they tore me open from my breastbone, all the way to almost my side. And there is a hole at the end, where the drainage tube was. I wasn’t able to wear a bikini like the other women. I was marked. Now, it’s a small incision, and bang! Done. They do it arthroscopically.

I’m praying for the arthroscopic option. My body will really hate another huge scar, and even at 73, so will I.

This journey continues…

Meanwhile, I’ll find a way to erase this anxeity. You with me?