What's ahead of you....

smithy

smithy

Well-Known Member
I have been around for a while. I have been a goldsmith for 40 years. I have just been diagnosed with lung cancer. WHY...because I have been too stupid to wear a dusk mask. I am in Cincinnati, Oh. I have a lot of steel and accessories. I don't want to ship. If you are near Cincy, Oh and can pick up...let me know.
 
Sorry about the luck of the stubborn Smithy.
Hope you keep kicking around long enough to share alot of the knowledge you have with us young pups.
Wish I lived alot closer to lend a hand to you. Am going to post pics the handle on the last bit of oak you shared soon.
 
Smithy, keep your spirits up and don't be so quick to blame yourself for cancer. Plenty of people end up with lung cancer who never worked in dusty environments. Don't get me wrong, I think we all need to be careful about what goes into our body. But, sometimes, there's just not an answer to why things happen. Fight, fight, fight, and keep us posted.
 
All the best smithy. Cancer sucks. They can do a lot more for you now then they could even 10 years ago.
 
Smithy, I will certainly keep you in my prayers. Cancer sucks and there is no two ways about it. I have had cancer four times over the past 10 years and none of it was pleasant but at least there is a survival rate. Hang in there and don't give up. We are all pulling for you.

Rick
 
Sorry to hear this Smitty, prayers go out to you and I hope you get thru this. I'm sure many of us here know of others that have gone down the C road and it ain't pretty. a lot of us are getting older and have ailments, myself included. I had a really good friend that helped teach me building liner locks years ago that came down with lung cancer and I asked him if he thought it was from the shop, he said he was sure of it. I think back on that everytime I'm grinding something foul like G10 or carbon fiber, and swear by respirators even though my shop itself is filthy beyond help.
you have a lot of friends here on the forum, many who might not know what to say to your diagnosis.
were pulling for you, keep us updated with how your doing.
 
Smithy,

Prayers for you! Don't give up the fight- I had a couple of issues over the winter, and things are looking up now! I'm getting exiled back to Michigan from Alaska late this summer, and intend on making Friendship this fall- Would be great to meet up with you then!
 
Hey Mark...I will be setting up in the primitive mkt. during the spring shoot and fall shoots.. I plan on selling the rest of my steel and supplies as there are always plenty of good knife-makers. I will have ivory, stag, wood and leather for sale. Stop by and say hello.
 
Smithy, I am so sorry to hear about your lung cancer. I know what you are and will go through for my Dad died from it. Be sure to ask your Doctor what type of lung cancer you have. My Dad's doctor was not completely honest with him and our family. Dad was diagnosed with "small oats" cancer. The Doctor told him this type of lung cancer is easily knocked out with anti-cancer treatments. Dad was relieved when the cancer quickly went into remission. The thing that the Doctor didn't tell Dad is that small oat cancer comes back quickly and is then fatal.

I don't want to alarm you anymore than you probably already are, but when Dad thought that he was cancer free, he did not get his life/business in order before he passed. Mother died 3 years prior to Dad's death. I was a senior scientist at a large pharmaceutical company at the time and had previously worked for a group of doctors after graduating college. Through a little research, I new the truth about Dad's cancer. I didn't have the heart to tell my Dad the whole truth about his diagnosis. I did not want to upset him, he was so happy when they told him that he was cancer free. The doctors don't mean to deceive a patient, but if they feel that "the truth" will hurt the quality of life that the patient sill has left, they will not always be completely honest.

Dad died without settling any of his business. He ran a small deer feeder manufacturing business with no instructions to me, the executor as to how he wanted to dispose of the company (luckily for Dad's legacy, my younger brother took over the company, my own health problems wouldn't allow me to keep Dad's shop going).

My wife and I had to do a lot of detective work to find out what types of stocks he owned, insurance policies etc., to settle his estate. Luckily my wife is a CPA and was able, through a lot of work, to recover all the info we needed.

I have talked to you many times via e-mail and you have always been very helpful to me. I don't want to lower your spirits, I just want you to be prepared and question everything that your doctor tells you so that you know what you may/may not be facing. I am the type of guy who wants to know everything and be sure that everything that I worked so hard for over my 64 yrs goes to my family and is not "lost in cyber space" or hidden in a hollowed out wall in the house that we will be selling to a stranger to find.

You most likely have the type of cancer that can be treated, this I pray for you.

May God Bless you and keep you Smithy,

With the greatest of affection,

Grizzly Bear
 
Smithy-
I guess I am one of those that Steve (Bladegrinder) mentioned, that consider you a 'friend' but "don't know what to say". I'm sure your news has struck the hearts of many here. None of us are without battles. And, your tag-line about not taking life too seriously has a new meaning in the face of your new battle. I've never really felt like I 'belonged' anywhere, but have always felt welcome here, and have benefitted many times from the unselfish members here- and you are one of those that I speak of! As Anthony said, many things happen that we will never know the reason for, even though we long to make sense of things

Part of my job is testing for high radon concentrations in homes. Radon is deemed the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. I meet people who have lost loved ones to lung cancer, and have high radon concentrations in their home. It becomes clear that the radon probably caused the cancer, but there's no way to know absolutely. The radon can then be lowered, but it is often too late for the one person effected. We all subject ourselves to things we shouldn't- I grew up breathing masses of automotive paint products, asbestos from grinding the arc on brake shoes (with no masks), and who knows what else, but as far as I know, I don't have cancer. We lost a daughter and 2 grandchildren a few years back to a driver crossing the center line. How do we reconcile all that? All I know is that this world is temporary at best. I am looking forward to the next world where there will be no suffering or loss of loved ones. But, for now, we are in this world... and called to make every second count. My wife and I will be praying for you and yours. -for peace, for strength to endure treatments, and for healing- so fumbling 'knifemakers' like myself can continue to be blessed by your help for many years to come.
God Bless (and will be following),
Bill (and Diane)
 
Hey Brother! We haven't hung out much lately; lifes paths cross and shift and we move along with what is taking place. I know you have had a lot on your plate, keeping your wife up and about, having to work thru the cancer will challenge you, but damn, you survived our campouts so this will be an easy one for you. I have faith in you my friend.

Lets stay in touch, Fred
 
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