Terrible News

Terrible News

I have very sad news for our cubing community. My best friend and an awesome cubist has just been diagnosed with cancer (I think it has something to do with his nose) during the winter break. He is Michael Cretella, Halfmike on this forum (he never posted yet)
http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/member.php?u=1604
http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/p.php?i=2008CRET01
You may have seen him at Drexel Fall 2008.
Here is a video of him solving:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH97lM2te5E

Please do whatever you want to try to help him.
Perhaps send him a cheerful PM?

Thanks everyone.

I was going to teach him 4x4 and BLD and we were going to host a competition in Baltimore together, but I guess that won't happen soon.

PS.
I think Hadley's brother is dealing with something similar. Good luck to him too!
I still could not fully comprehend this (psychological defense mechanisms?). Seems like a nightmare...

I'll send him as much happy thoughts as I can.

That's terrible I send him my good and happy thoughts

P.S. - (Just to keep it upbeat) Cool hair

My Terrible News was that people think it my birthday. Which is not actuality. It on Aug 16. And now! People are giving present to me at school. My birthday is not on Jan 8 2009

I however doubt that seeing as he's gonna get another dose of chemo next week that will put him in the same terrible situation as he is now but hey, the Mike gets what he wants. It will be at his house. He is an outpatient chemo so they aren't confining him unless something doesn't go right but we wont think about that. He's miserable and looking for company. As for more info, he's been diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. You can do the research on his own. The stats can be a little shocking but Mike's dr specializes in just that so that's plus. He does have it in a muscle behind his eye and it was recently found that he has some in his bone marrow as well but both are localized and have not spread so he should be alright. THis week he got a large dosage of chemo followed by a mild dosage to which he reacted to and is recovering from currently whcih is why he's not taking guests tomorrow. Sorry about that! Really I think the only thing that we can do right now to help is to show both him and his mother that Mike is cared for by so many people and we all want him to be all right. Hope this helps.

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http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/reprint/58/22/5009
More details...

That's awful! I hope he recovers, it would be terrible to lose any member of the cubing community.

Thanks, qqwref.
I'm sure he would be glad to know that you care about him. When we both started cubing, we were amazed by your fast computer big cube solves. So you are one of his favorite cubists. He really wished that he came to Princeton 08 to see you solve the 5x5. And he also wished that he went to DC to see Chris Hardwick do big cube BLD. I hope he recovers and will meet you at a competition one day.

The lady who runs the computer lab at my High School had the same thing, or something similar. It was some sort of cancer on/in her nose. She was fine after treatment though, and I'm sure your friend will be fine as well. I wish him and those in his life the best!

wow thats really horrible to hear
I hope the best happens for him and things get better.
seriously.

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. My uncle had really bad cancer, about a year ago. Hopefully the turnout for your friend isn't as bad as it was for my uncle.

shoot1510 said:

My Terrible News was that people think it my birthday. Which is not actuality. It on Aug 16. And now! People are giving present to me at school. My birthday is not on Jan 8 2009

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Ok guys, I think this guy wins the new stupidest post of 2009, seriously.

AGREED^
(msg too short)

Guys don't send him good thoughts. Send good messages. Maybe you'll cheer him up and help him get over his cancer.

I want to send a message too but I can't even find a start!?!

qqwref said:

it would be terrible to lose any member of the cubing community.

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its awful agreed, but awful to any community, especially one as remote as ours...

He is still too weak to have visitors today because of the chemotherapy.
The meeting was canceled. When he feels a bit better next week, we the classmates will visit him, hopefully at least one person each day until he recovers.

aliengrey said:

shoot1510 said:

My Terrible News was that people think it my birthday. Which is not actuality. It on Aug 16. And now! People are giving present to me at school. My birthday is not on Jan 8 2009

Click to expand...

Ok guys, I think this guy wins the new stupidest post of 2009, seriously.

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Didnt he win that award last year? Seriously though... thats just dumb.

nitrocan said:

Guys don't send him good thoughts. Send good messages.

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I second that. Unless he has telepathic abilities.. this does no good.

I will try and think of something nice to write.

You seem like a very good friend fanwuq.

Cancer is a really hard thing to deal with. It's one of those things you don't really consider much until a close friend or family member is going through it.

Like you mentioned, my brother was diagnosed with brain cancer in July. I did have trouble dealing with it, but there are little "Methods" that can help.

Feel free to PM/IM me if you need any support.

dude, that is sad to hear. I seriously hope he gets better.

I visited Mike today. He feels pretty well today, but not the days before. Usually he vomits or have headache or feel very tired from all the drugs. He does seem very bored because he's either at the hospital getting treatments or staying at home doing nothing. Today, he was playing his Nintendo 64 and solving his 4x4. He just got new Rubik's 4x4 and 5x5 for Christmas. They are extremely stiff and entirely unusable for speed solving. It is actually quite tiring to just get one solve. I asked him if he wants my Eastsheen 4x4 and 5x5, but declined. I taught him the 2 pairing method and the alg to finish the last 2 edges and the parity algs. He did take the type C that I just assembled yesterday. It was very fast, but pops a lot. After cubing for about 1 hour, we just walked around his neighborhood. Then, I came home. He is quite optimistic and will take the free time to improve cubing, review school work, etc. I don't like the lighting in his house. The light is yellow and dim, so recognition was awful. No fast solves there...

Thanks, Hadley! He's doing pretty well today, I'm quite confident about his recovery so far. However tomorrow he's going back to the hospital for more treatments.

I'm wishing the best for Mike!

How is he right now?