OT: Cancer and My Card Collection

[marzoumanian]

Mark, you have prostate cancer.
When I heard the news from my urologist in September 2020, I didn’t become overly worried because I had been taking annual physicals for years. So I knew this particular cancer, which is well-known for progressing very slowly, was very treatable.
But I would be lying if I didn’t admit to thinking about what would happen to my baseball card collection if I died in the next year or two. You see, my two younger brothers are well aware that I have this collection. But they have no interest in collecting cards or enjoying for themselves what I collected. Put more bluntly, they would auction off the cards after I was gone.
Fortunately, when I retired in 2014 I decided it was time to slowly auction off my collection. I figured the best way to do this was to sample the customer service provided by three auction houses: Heritage, Mile High and PWCC. I was very satisfied with the consignment results but all three lacked in customer service to one degree or another.
I tried yet another auction house, REA, because I had heard that it had a stellar reputation and integrity beyond reproach. I’ve been using it now for the past few years. No auction house can control consignment final prices realized but they can control their customer service and REA has served me well.
No matter what your individual circumstances, having a plan for the future of your card collection is critical. Why? You want to make certain that it lands in the right hands. And you also want to make certain that the transition process goes smoothly, even if it means that you know the cards will be sold within weeks of your death. That’s okay. Not everyone loves cards like you do. But it’s worth making the effort to know who will be turning your cards into cash. Ideally you want it to be someone you care about.
Now, since my cancer diagnosis am I in a hurry to auction off my cards so that I can enjoy the money before I die? Not at all. Why?
As mentioned earlier, thanks to getting annual check-ups my primary care doctor noticed that my PSA (a test used to indicate the presence of prostate cancer) was a bit high (at 5.86) and recommended that I see a urologist. The urologist proceeded to perform a biopsy (not a pleasant experience!) that led to the cancer diagnosis.
Prostate cancer is pretty common. It grows slowly and is confined to the prostate gland. When it is detected early, this particular type of cancer has an excellent chance to be successfully treated. Nevertheless, some types of prostate cancer are aggressive and can spread quickly. So you need to take quick action once your urologist gives you the bad news. Don’t hesitate to get that biopsy. And if you have trouble urinating or see blood in your urine, please make an appointment with your doctor.
According to the Mayo Clinic, you can reduce your risk of prostate cancer if you:
• Chose a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables;
• Exercise most days of the week; and
• Maintain a healthy weight.
Thanks to 44 days of radiation treatment in late 2020, today my PSA is 1.00. The treatment itself was absolutely painless and I was fortunate not to experience any side effects. The hardest part was getting to the appointments on time each day (Monday to Friday).
Bottom line? I sleep well at night, not only because my cancer is in remission but because I planned the dispersion of my baseball card collection years before I was hit with the diagnosis. I realize the advice is simple: Have a plan for your collection. Do it today. It’s one less issue to worry about if life should throw you a curve. Like it did to me.

P.S. If you would like to read any of my past columns, visit www.markearzoumanian.com and then click on "Love of the Hobby."

[icollectDCsports]

Glad to hear your treatment has been successful. And good advice.

[mrreality68]

Hi Mark,

I sympathize and empathize

Different but the Same. (All within last 90 days)

I relatively young (53) get annual physicals, I eat healthy(not perfect but healthy), and I to got Prostate Cancer.
My PSA was 2.2 (below the minimum of 4) but as they monitored it went up fast. Within 6 months over 4 and once I went to Urologist and all tests this past Nov 2021 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 9( considered very aggressive). Luckily caught early but within 30 days a ton of tests I had the prostate removed (Radiation was ruled out due to a variety of reasons and the aggressiveness of the Cancer)

The end result is it was removed, pathology came back as localized (not contained within prostate but was breaking out). Now on road to recovery(will not bother with details manageable but not pleasant) and long term monitoring.

So now I live with it as I hope that it does not spread at some point in future.

I have put in place short term and long term plans just in case although the prognosis looks positive (worst comes to worse my wife becomes a Cougar) lol and aggressive cancer means that there is a real chance of it spreading at some point in future. All can do is monitor and pray and go for next step in treatment if it comes back.

The plan is to enjoy my collection, enjoy my hobby, and keep the balance.

The key to catch it early is regular physicals, the blood tests to monitor the PSA, and do not take anything for granted (age is not the factor for cancer.

Hope I did not bore anyone

Thanks for sharing Mark.

[tombocombo]

Very hard to go through this. Glad you have a great fighting spirit.

[Hxcmilkshake]

Thank you guys for sharing.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

[Casey2296]

Probably the first time I've ever said this but I'm happy you graded a "PSA 1"...

I collect to make myself happy, my kids inherit everything when I close out the ninth. Except for one card they can sell, keep, trade, or put them in the spokes of their kids bike for all I care. They won't make the wrong decision though and that's what makes me proud of them. Cue the dad gushing over his kids music...

[Carter08]

My kids are idiots but both are under 3 so I guess they have an excuse for now. Doctor is going to yell at me for a lot of things but yeah it’s about time to get back and get checked up. Thanks for sharing the stories gents.

[bbcard1]

My former business partner contracted lymphoma and I liquidated his collection for him. I did ok, but I would like to have had it to do over again because I made a lot of mistakes. Still managed to get enough to pay his daughter's tuition for four years, so I didn't do that bad.

If life is kind, I intend to retire from my profession at 70 just to get out of some younger people's way and spend the next few years selling my collection, a little through auction houses, a little through direct sales.

I have left the name of an auction house I trust with my wife (Love of the Game) but I hope it wouldn't come to that.

In the mean time, I'll keep getting probed by the doctor and trying to walk my 5 miles a day. The weather hasn't helped me out much of late, but it's coming around.

[JollyElm]

We all love stories (and, of course, massage parlors) with happy endings, so keep fighting the good fight, Mark. You're one of the good guys, so your words hold even greater weight. Stay well!!!!!!!

[Hankphenom]

Tough story to share, but you never know who you might help. That's why I don't hesitate to tell mine when it's appropriate. Healingwell.com is a great peer-to-peer forum where you you can help others and maybe get some yourself. Wishing you all the best.

[todeen]

Thank you for sharing. Annual physicals make a difference. When my son was born (I was 27), the pediatrician asked me to fill out family medical history forms. Fatal heart disease runs in the family, and she asked when I last had a physical. Of course, a young buck like me hadn't had one since my last high school sport. She rebuked me. I try to get one every year since then. That precaution paid off when I was finally diagnosed with Crohn's Disease at 29. But it was also as much about the doctor as it was about being cautious. I moved three times in three years. My third doctor was the first to run a full blood test, urine test, etc. Because of that, he noticed abnormalities that weren't present by the naked eye. I looked healthy, but my intestines were a disaster. I am still grateful for his thoroughness.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[KCRfan1]

Mark - Wishing you the very best and good health !

All of you who have dealt with or coping with a serious health issue, I too wish you good health and fight the fight.

Great reminders for us all to be mindful of what we eat, drink, and manage our lifestyle.

And to see a doctor for a checkup.

[cubman1941]

Mark,
Thanks for sharing. I also have prostate cancer and have been on a "wait and see" since 2014. I was also devastated when I first got the news and started making plans for my collection since I have a wife who knows nothing about sports and kids who don't collect. The task of auctioning off myself seemed to be immense so I decided to contact an auction company to ask if they would take it and auction it all off. My PSA remained the same over the years and, last year, I had another biopsy. It showed negative cancer which, the doctor said, didn't mean it was gone just not enough to show up. I still like to collect and the original auction house outfit I contacted started getting not so good comments so I contacted one on this site. The problem is I am a Cub and Bear collector only and my collection runs from current back to 1887. The auction company I contacted said they would do it all so I can continue to collect. I have put their response in my will and in amongst my collection.

I am so happy to hear you are in remission and wish you the best in the future.

[jingram058]

What a powerful story. Wow. Really brings things into perspective. Thanks for taking the time to type it out for us, and rather than say congratulations or so glad you made it through, I want to say thank you for making it through.

[rjackson44]

Had tears god bless anything I can do or send to you I’m here

[pawpawdiv9]

I was recently gave news last year around April-May 2021 that i have Bladder cancer.
At the time i did not have insurance.
Originally i went to my primary dr. that told me it was kidney stone and it pass and also had a CT done as well.
Waited 2 weeks and more than usually blood in pee, so went to a urologist....to have another CT done with contrast and behold went back to confirm the test by Cystocopy to hear i had a lesion on my bladder that was Stage 1, basically on the surface.
That i need to have TURBT surgery to remove or burn it and etc.
That was 2 months laying around to recoup and 2 weeks with a catheter bag.
This was around June-July and back to work, which i do heavy lifting and use ladders etc.
So, every 3 months i go to him for a cystocopy to see if it spreads. He says this a fast growing cancer. So i got to do it for 2 yrs, every 3 months. For this that dont know its shoving a straw up your pecker that has a camera on it, they do numb the pecker, but your awake doing this for like 5-10 minutes. Sometimes it hurts.
Meanwhile i also have prostate issues, which found a stricture or scar tissue they say that cause the narrowing. I been getting up 6-7 times a nights, slow stream, some back pain. They gave me FloMax...which works, but i got dizzy & lghtheaded, so i take a herbal prostate pill to see if it helps.
I hope by sharing this, it enlightens a few folks to get checked...glad i read this to become more aware of the prostate/PSA stuff.
I too had to sell off some cards to pay for the surgery and visits, but i have insurance now and it helps for the future. I can see downsizing a bit more, but keeping the major cards i love.

[D. Bergin]

This threads a real eye opener.

I turned 50 recently and hadn't been to see a doctor in years. Never thought I had a reason to...to the great disappointment of my dear wife.

She finally cajoled me into going recently and getting my first prostate exam and test done.

Everything is clean on that front, but my cholesterol is way higher then it should be. Not high enough the doctor wants to put me on medication yet, but getting close...and definitely high enough for my wife to decide certain things need to change about my diet, even though the issue seems more genetically driven then diet driven. Probably need to get a little more physical exertion in my life to.

[doug.goodman]

Best of luck to everybody dealing with issues and everybody not (yet) dealing with any issues. We're all falling apart. I might be in favor of the opinion sellers if their slabs slowed down my own deterioration, not just that of cards.

Doug

[DVCARDS]

Mark - Glad to hear you are doing better. Like you I also found out in Sept 2020 I had prostate cancer. My PSA was over 5 and I had biopsy done. In Dec 2020 the week before Christmas I had radiation done for 5 days. This past Dec my latest PSA was .82. So far so good. As I told my friends they should get a PSA test done every year. I have been getting them for past 20 years. Since I had no symptoms I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I never had tests.

[marzoumanian]

First, I want to thank all the forum members for their kind words and support. But let me assure you that I told my story not to solicit sympathy OR empathy but to get the message out to GET A PHYSICAL (with blood test, of course).
I know we all have gone through almost two years of Covid, staying indoors, and wearing masks. But you must now move forward and make that doctor appointment.
If it were not for the blood test I would have never known I had prostate cancer. No pain. No blood in the urine. It was caught early.
Let me share this with you. I asked my urologist what my options were when he first informed me that I had cancer. First, he told me that if I did nothing I would be dead in seven years. The eventual pain would hit my hips but by then it would be too late to do much. Second, take the prostate out. But then he talked about what would follow: incontinence, among other things. Enough said. Third, 44 days of radiation, which I ended up doing. Moving forward, it is blood tests every six months, probably until the day I die.
Summing up, if I was able to wake ONE person up to the importance of getting a physical, then I have done my job here. If you have read the responses to my original post, I believe I have accomplished my mission. Peace and stay healthy.

[drmondobueno]

It’s good to hear we are all here. And thanks for the reminder for a checkup. I am due this year I believe.

I received the medical shock of my life in early 2020. I was schedule for back fusion and was looking forward to being able to walk again, maybe get out on the river and waive a flyrod. Didn’t happen. I went in for the presurgery physical and was approved...until my M D took a second look at a less recent EKG and noticed deterioration in the patterns ( hellifI can remember terminology). Long story short, I failed a nuclear scan and ended up at a cardiologist the day of my scheduled surgery. Instead I ended up with a stent procedure to get around a 99% blockage in my widowmaker. No kidding, no joke. And I showed no signs of a prior heart attack. The cardiologist refused to speculate on what would have happened without the stents. I felt better immediately; I had no idea how far I had physically deteriorated. Sobering how close I came to passing on.

A year later my back was fused but not before my left hip and knee went away. I can move around but not able to fish. Maybe once this COVID stuff backs off I can move forward.

As for my collection, my health took a toll on much of my vintage, doing what I needed to stay afloat, unable to work. My collection has a much smaller value but I appreciate what I have. It’s not all about the money, which is why I see lower graded cards as owned at one time by a kid like me living in a small podunk town in the middle of nowhere. Survivors, like myself.

I have a plan for the collection, very simple and do-able. I have no intention of creating a burden on my wife and family, just a decision tree to help them move forward. My boys continue to play baseball in Socal wood bat leagues into their late forties, such fun to see the game played well outside of a professional stadium. And they turn into ten year olds looking at the cards of guys I grew up with, so I am sure the collection will more than likely continue for another generation.

Peace out, stay strong.

P S. Find a good Dr, add years to your life. Your friends and family will appreciate it. Hopefully so will you!

[samosa4u]

My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly after his 68th birthday. I remember he told me the news while I was eating breakfast and it was just so hard to eat after that! I think his Gleason score was 7. He started seeing blood in his urine and then they performed the biopsy on him, and that's how they caught it. Anyhow, he is going for a major surgery next month and we're all hoping for the best. I am not sure if he will be doing radiation though because he does have a few other health issues.