There’s a few friends and mentors behind the Don Charisma blog, that I don’t mention too much. These guys and gals aren’t looking for validation through being thanked publicly, it’s thanks enough that they see me doing well.
One of my friends who’s been a big input in making my blog the success it is, sent me an email a couple of days ago. His doctors have told him he has a malignant melanoma. Melanoma is the correct term for “skin cancer”, and it can be “malignant” which means spreading, or “benign” which means not spreading.
Malignant is the worrying kind, the kind that can kill. So it’s grave and serious for my friend.
He lives in another country, so I spoke to him today on skype. I could tell he’s feeling run down from his voice, a little low and not his usual powerful boom. We chatted a while, he was making dinner ready for his family. He still has time to do for others even though he’s feeling pretty ill. Amazingly, he’s still is working incredibly hard in his job – The guy is a one man superhero.
I did try to crack a couple of jokes, but generally they are best avoided in situations like this. He smiled and ran with it, but not good taste on my part. Main thing is just to be friend to my friend, same as he has for me. We look after our own.
He’s being fast-tracked up the waiting list to see specialists. He’s likely to have to have urgent surgery to remove a large amount of skin from the top of his head. By the sounds of things they’ve caught it in time, 6 months later and his doctors think it would have been too late.
My friend doesn’t want publicity, I just wanted to share what’s going on for me (and him), as this is partly my personal blog. I tend to blog about what’s happening right now, and this is what’s happening for me right now.
I’m hoping for a speedy recovery for my friend. First because he’s a cool guy, and second because I hope that he’ll continue to be my mentor. My personal experience having been on both sides of the equation is that Mentor-Protégé relationships benefit both sides 😀
One positive to have come out of this as a renewed closeness with my friend. As for the cowardly-cynics around me – I can’t even explain how irrelevant you are right now …
Warm regards
Don Charisma
Resources & Sources
Crab – MorgueFile
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I read ALL comments but can’t always reply. I will comment if I think there’s something that I can add to what you’ve said. I do delete without notice comments that don’t follow rules above. For persistent offenders I will ignore you permanently and/or report you.
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Warm regards, Don Charisma
Don Charisma 
Ouch! Hope he’s okay!! Hate the big C!!
Thanks Brenda 😀
I’m sorry for your friend, cancer is a worst disease. I hope he will be OK in a short time. My positive feels and power for him.
We’re thinking positive thoughts and doing positive things, hopefully it’ll be cured with the operation 😀
I’m happy to hear that 😀
😀
Praying for your friend ❤
Thank you 😀
Great post. That was a great act of kindness Don. Its sad how someone that is a great person suddenly has a battle. I’ll keep him in my thoughts
Thanks hun, most welcomed 😀
Sorry to hear about your friend. But, the good thing is they caught it early. And there is always hope.
We’re pretty hopeful, fingers crossed the operation will sort it out for him 😀
My thoughts are with you and your friend.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
The more positive thoughts the better.
Thanks hun, and agreed positivity all the way 😀
Keep positive for your friend, and I wish him well.
Will do, he was asking if there was any comments !
So sorry to hear ; ( prayers sent
Thanks 😀
That story hit home a bit there, Don. I just went to the dermatologist last week to have a couple of spots checked. The doc found one on my back that I did not even come to him about. He cut ’em both out right there and then, and told me that if I had any vacation plans I’d have to cancel them. Not sure what that is all about, but I’m waiting for my results in another couple of weeks. It’s probably nothing, but the story of your mate still strikes me deep.
Fyodor.
Thanks for sharing … hopefully yours will be nothing to worry about. I’ve had a small lump removed before at the GPs and they sent for tests, no problem. So could be something insignificant, fingers crossed 😀
Warm regards
D
I have my fingers crossed and sending out healing vibes to you to forward to your friend. Hope he feels better soon.
Sometimes keeping things normal and still be supporting are the best we can do to help our friends. Keeps us from becoming consumed with worry, which makes it hard to just deal with everything in general.
Being positive is the hardest and best thing you can do.
Thanks 😀 and yes positivity is in my ethos, so will do my best 😀
Sending positive energy and thoughts to your friend. Sometimes I can’t even believe cancer exists.
Thanks, very kind 😀 … I guess we’d all prefer that it didn’t exist, but we have to accept that it does. Talking about it raises awareness, and starts to break down stigma. So I’m putting what positive energy I can into it too …
Agreed. Wishing you good health and strength to support your friend.
Thanks 😀
Dear Don, having personal, ongoing and close contact with someone going though a similar experience, I wish you and you friend all the best. As a family, support of friends has had such a great impact on us, that it is difficult to articulate. Dona
Hey Dona, thanks for your message, and I think you articulated it perfectly, simply the support of friends is valued 😀
Warm regards
Don
Sorry about your friend. Just being there to talk or let him talk is more support than you know. Blessings
Agreed, he is and has become important part of my life, and I aim to do what I can to be the same for him … cheers D
Hi Don, firstly, thanks for following my world cup tour blog, more coming soon with this year’s tournament. On the skin cancer, R (my wife) went through this a few years ago, all recovered now and survival rates are very good (95% I think but you’d have to look that up) Saying that though if you gave me a 20 sided die and said ‘roll this and a 1 means death’ I wouldn’t want to take the chance so it’s obviously still worrying. But, for your friend, and everyone (especially those in hot sunny places like Thailand for instance :o) ) Cover up, Sunscreen, Hats, Avoid sun in the hottest part of the day, we all know the drill but don’t always do it. Cheers.
Dave
Hey Dave, thanks for sharing, and agreed, no one wants their life like the roll of a dice. I was fairly sure there is a connection between melanoma and skin cancer, personally I’ve given up trying to “get a tan”, my skin often gets burnt and the tan will fade in a few days out of the sun … so not really worth it …
Take care
D
Oh Don, I’m thinking of you and your friend xx
Thanks Elaine, that’s very sweet 😀
xx
Hope all goes well since they caught it early enough. It’s important to keep an eye on it even after it’s gone though because sometimes they come back. Will keep him in my prayers.
He usually drops me an email if he needs something, so we’re in touch, will do what I can 😀
I know of nothing more beautiful, or precious, than a friend who stands by their friend in their darkest hour. Some of us find it difficult to find the words or courage to be present during troubling times; it takes putting aside our fears and simply accepting being uncomfortable for the sake of helping those that stand in the face of fear. I have no doubt you are a blessing of immeasurable value to your dear friend.
He’s a good guy, so it’s a pleasure to help really … he helps me too, so win-win 😀
I am sorry your friend is currently suffering. You are indeed a good friend to stand beside him. I hope he recovers quickly and is soon his old self again. Try to be hopeful, it is the best way. margaret
Thanks Margaret, I’m putting positivity into it 😀
Being in several mentor mentee relationships, I agree with you, they go both ways. Love when someone I am investing in shows me a new perspective! Praying for you and you friend, Don.
Thanks my friend, and yes we definitely benefit from collaborative relationships 😀
Don, I am glad you were able to reconnect with your friend. I’m sure he greatly appreciated it.
No matter the type of cancer, it is never easy.
I lost a dear friend of mine (she was like another mother) to metastatic breast cancer last year. She was a fighter right until she passed on. So inspirational to people. It was through her fight, that I was able to move through the feelinds of my own chronic illness.
It will be a difficult time for your friend. With a positive prognosis, and a lot of support, he’ll come through even stronger than before.
Thanks Carrie-Anne for sharing, and again appologies, I’m often behind on my comments (sorry !) …
I’m sorry for your loss.
My friend is a fighter too, and smart guy, so fingers crossed and hopefully in a few months, we’ll be having some beers together 😀
Sounds like you’re a fighter too Carrie-Anne, and in my experience – you’re a keeper !
Cheers
D
Prayers for your friend and his family and blessings to you for being a kind friend. One never knows about the future except that it will come. I pray for more miracles of opening his eyes to see the sun and his family in his future. and days for you to Skype and be the best friend you can.
It cuts both ways, we help each other … and thanks for prayers 😀
Sorry to hear about your friend and mentor. Hate cancer!
Thanks 😀
You have good friends and it is good that you appreciate them. They are hard to come by sometimes. I will pray for your friend.
Agreed, keep the “keepers” ,,, and thanks for prayers 😀
Prayers for your friend/mentor ~ hoping for a complete and speedy recovery.
Thanks 😀
Very hard to see friends ill, especially those who’ve mentored us. I will hope & think on the best for your friend.
Thank you 😀
It is a good thing that you take time to acknowledge this for yourself and your friend. There have been tremendous advances in the treatment of cancer, and the ability to extend life, and the quality of life has also improved. My Mom has stage 4 cancer and the doctors have extended her life a year passed what initially was thought. Keep the hope alive and Best wishes for you and your friend.
Thank you, very kind, and my friend will be pleased, I have to email him and tell him of all the kind comments 😀
Tough moment for your friend (and for you), but the up side is that it’s been diagnosed in time, so.. some tissue removal, other in-depth check-ups which surely will decree if he needs some chemotherapy or not, we could even search blood for protein PD-L1… Timing is fundamental in this matter and according to what I’ve read from your post, your friend alerted his doctors in time.
Fingers crossed, positive mindset and love of family and friends.
Be positive and sustain your friend (which I know you’re already doing).
🙂
Thanks my friend, you are always a source of inspiration to me 😀
Thank you, Dear Don. Have a nice Sunday 🙂
U2 dude … enjoy 😀
Here it’s 00:42, just got home after the usual Saturday’s pizza time with friends. The dough was a little bit too salty, so I’m drinking water as I were in sheer desert. 🙂
Some Italian chefs like to add salt to everything … I reckon there’s salt on the table when I eat, so why make it so salty ?
Uh… Dear Don, you know.. in some bad restaurant they add salt in order to make patrons thirsty, so they spend more money on drinks!
Ah, then that’s not good, remember not to go there again !
Yep.. that’s for sure.. they won’t have my money anymore 🙂
😀
😉
😈
XD ⭐
!!!
Stop doing cool emoticons, I’ve forgotten all mine … must print that damn page out !
So.. nice Don, this is my secret 😛
Please, see: http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2014/03/21/new-emoticons/
…hover on emoticons to uncover their keys
🙂
Check this one out – https://doncharisma.org/2014/04/04/smileys-on-wordpress-com-secret-smilies-and-emoticons-revealed/
:o.. great Don, this is even more complete!!
Thank you Maaaan 🙂
LOL … YW
Thank you again. You’ve catapulted me in the Emoj New World… . . oh my… that little sip of limoncello (40 grades) I’ve just drunk, does me extremely wrong … forgive me, maaaaaan..
Forgiven, no worries niko, enjoy it my friend … try get some sleep and drink some water !
😀 😀 😀 yeah! great advice, you’re right 😛
I know, get some sleep, feel ok in the morning !
Right now.. 12,35 pm, refreshed and powerful.. ready to wear my sneakers and go jogging 😛
LOL, hope you went to bed dude !
🙂 of course, I did! 🙂
😉 Have a nice night, dear Don
..noo.. what I have written? 😀 grade !! I meant ‘degrees’… seen.. I’m utterly drunk.. not make for alcohol.. have to stop 😛
Makes sense, don’t worry then Niko !
😀 Thank you Man.
I wish you a lovely night or sunrise 🙂
Sunrise here, bed very soon now, just queuing up my sunset 😀
I knew.. :-).. .. and then you offer us such beautiful landscape… Great Don 😉
It’s a new angle today, posts at 23:59 GMT
I’ll be there, my friend :-).. I’m going to sleep right now… have goooooooood shoooooots 😛
I send prayers Don for you, your friend and family 🙂 god bless! X
Thanks Joolz 😀
prayers and blessings !!
Thank you 😀
I hope he is eating to support his immune system whilst going through this. One of the reasons why I do green smoothies with powdered kelp. I read it’s like an internal type of sun screen. Your friend will be in my daily prayers. Friends are the best part of this world path and they make this life worth living ❤
LOL, thanks and yes he was preparing dinner, curry and rice I think … he likes his food … whether I’ll persuade him for powdered kelp and smoothies, well I can try !
And yes friends are important, without them we could be on our own 😀
Well, Don, we’re ‘running’ into one another again. There is hope for your friend. My sister has had two bouts with Melanoma. Small ones….but they caught both early. She’s been cancer free for ten years. Doing everything ‘right’ ever since that very first day. Praying for your friend, Don.
Thanks hun, and don’t mind ‘running’ into you 😀
So sweet you are….
LOL, thanks hun, compliments at 6am happy days … gn
Don, sorry about your friend. I wish him the best and send much positive energy his way and I hope to hear good news about him in the future.
Thanks my friend, fingers crossed 😀
Yes indeed!
😀
I do hope for a good outcome for this important friend and his family.
Yvonne
Fingers crossed, and a bit of luck 😀
I am sorry to hear this. Melanomas are a big killer in Australia because of the constant sun exposure. I truly hope that this has been caught in time and your friend comes through.
We’ve got our fingers crossed, and yes I knew about problems in Aus, hole in the ozone layer I think ?
I don’t know what it is but it is the biggest cause of cancer here. I know I regularly have my body checked and encourage the GG to do the same.
Understood 😀
I know what you are going through as I too am going through that with a friend with malignant melanoma except his wasn’t caught in time. The good thing is that even at the end stages the breakthrough with treatment has been more than remarkable and with each day that passes comes a day closer to another even better treatment being found. As your friends has been caught early he will hopefully do very well. It does bring you closer and puts life in a lot of perspective. Thinking of you both.
Thanks Irene. It’s good that your friend has friends like you around, positive people are needed and can make a world of difference 😀
Thanks. I meant to say also – I have found that just being yourself and saying whatever you want to say whether it be jokes or diving right in and saying things you feel you shouldn’t is much more appreciated by the person than all the pussyfooting that goes on around these things. Your friend is lucky too. XD
Thanks Irene, my joke was a little crass, kind of kicked myself after I said it, happens sometimes ! … it seemed funny to me, I reckon he got the funny side too, he’s pretty tough guy and he knew I wasn’t being intentionally hurtful … I do often just be myself and say what I want, but try to temper it with a little bit of thinking about how it’ll be received, some people’s egos are more fragile than others … my words seem to reach quite far and wide these days … thanks again for the award, I did see the comments … well handled … Cheers Don
Thanks Cheers Irene
😀
I’m keeping you and your friend in my thoughts.
Thank you 😀
Sorry to hear about your friend, Don. Not a good diagnosis. They do seem to be making progress in this area. Keep safe.
Leslie
Will do, and thanks Leslie 😀