Guild Wars 2

I was diagnosed with cancer about two weeks ago: I had been feeling very sick for months and finally two Sundays ago I was ambulanced in with horrible stomach pains. What the doctors thought was a bad urinary infection turned out to be a tumor the size of a football, with one extra node elsewhere, that had engulfed my inner reproductive organs, was eating through my abdominal wall, and was crushing everything around it, particularly my bladder, stomach and intestines. A few days later, they removed it, the smaller one, the entirety of said inner reproductive organs, and part of my abdominal muscles and lining. They thought they might have to take the colon and bladder, too, but those fortunately turned out to be clean.

Giving the news to my fellow officers and guildies (The Court of Envy on TC) sucked— there was no warning, just, ‘oh hey lol, I’ve just been diagnosed with cancer, I might not be back for weeks or ever because they think it’s stage 4’. But instead of asking me to step down as an officer and in-character leader, they told me not to even worry about that, to just focus on surgery and recovery and that they would pray for me and send me good vibes.

I couldn’t log in in the game from the hospital (I returned home a few days ago but I still am not well enough to sign in), so they kept in touch with me through Skype while I typed very badly on my phone because Oxy. They asked for updates and encouraged me when I was down, and kept me updated on Living Story stuffs to cheer me up.

This whole ordeal would have been so much rougher without their friendship, and all of them are folks I have met through Guild Wars 2. Missing part (maybe all) of Wintersday sucks, but knowing that they and this wonderful game will still be there when I am a bit better has helped keep my spirits up. Hopefully the doctors got it all and that the biopsy results are good, so I can keep playing, and hanging out with my friends, for many more years. <3

Thank you so much.

(Also, if folks think this is a scam I can post a pic of the surgery wound with my user ID near it or whatever. :P)

Glad to hear it. You stay well now!

Sylv.5324:

(Also, if folks think this is a scam I can post a pic of the surgery wound with my user ID near it or whatever. :P)

No uh… That’s quite alright. Go ahead and keep that to yourself.

Thank you, and I really would rather, yeah. <3

I hope you get better as soon as possible! I’ll be praying for you!

Why you gotta go and hand out feels like this!!!?

No but seriously, I do hope things get better.

I hope for an easy, and fast recovery

Thank you! <333

Glad to hear they support you in such a careful way! Here’s hoping you get better very soon, and enjoy Wintersday in Tyria! ^^

I hope for the fastest recovery possible!! Italian Guild Wars 2 players are with you aswell!

Get Better Soon! Mind if I send you a little wintersday merriment to your in game mail? =D

I don’t mind, thank you so much! ;.; <3 And yay italian players! <333

You’re welcome a little Merriment is on its ways =D Happy Wintersday!

You guys are the best omg. ;.; <333

I’ve been in a similar position, where my gaming family has circled around me when I needed the support. It’s an amazing feeling. I hope your biopsy shows much improvement and that you start feeling better soon. All the best!

Reading this .. almost .. made me cry :¨¨(
I wish you the best <3
You must be going through really though times now, and I know we can’t make much of a difference, but I’ll leave you with an inspirational quote

“I have spent my whole life scared. Frightened of things that could happen, might happen, might not happen. Fifty years I spent like that. Finding myself awake at 3 in the morning. But you know what? Ever since my diagnosis, I sleep just fine. And I came to realize it’s that fear that’s the worst of it. That’s the real enemy. So get up. Get out in the real world. And you kick that b*stard as hard as you can right in the teeth.”

I’m glad to hear you have such good guildies who support you through it all! Hopefully you’ll be feeling better soon and will be able to enjoy the game and their company around you.

All the best to you, hopefully they got it all and I wish you a fast recovery and of course, happy holidays

Wishing you all the best days ahead, a speedy recovery and clean biopsy. The “C” word is frightening to deal with, but you can, and will be back in the game . See you in Tyria!

Thank you so much. I’m so grateful for all the kind words and feels, I can’t adequately express how much the support from my guildies and from you guys has meant.

I wish you the best!!!
I hope you will fight and survive!
Stay stong!!! <3

I have friend who is part of GW2 community and he is fighting with cancer for 2 years.
I know how much support is important to survive this kitten .
Whatever you need let us know

Omg Ardy <3
We love you so very much and are so happy that you are feeling better
You made me cry at work, silly. My make up ran and everything… >.<
We are here for you, remember that

I wish you the best of luck, Sylv. Happy Holidays and I hope you get better soon.

Best of luck in your recovery Sylv.

I’m sure I speak for the rest of my guild when I wish you a speedy recovery, and good luck. You’re very lucky to have such an awesome guild, and I’m sure they’re lucky to have such an awesome player.

Thank you! And good luck to your friend, Levian!

Oh Ardy, all my tears but I’m so glad you’re recovering!

Love you, and all of us eagerly await your return when you’re feeling better. You’re such a great guy, Ardy. We all miss you. ;v;

I’m glad to see some merriment (albeit brought about by sad times) on this forum. We need more of it, to show the better side of the gw community – the community I learned to love and enjoy back in GW1 days. I tend to feel like it’s lessened since those days, but posts like this… reminds me that it isn’t, at least as much as I tend to think.

I hope things work out for the best for you, Sylv.

Me too, and for everyone else dealing with big troubles right now. ;.; <3

Went in to see doc, got news that it was malignant. Gonna start chemo as soon as I.ha e recovered from surgery.

Thank you for all the positive vibes and feels, I am hanging onto them pretty hard right now.

Sylv.5324:

Went in to see doc, got news that it was malignant. Gonna start chemo as soon as I.ha e recovered from surgery.

Thank you for all the positive vibes and feels, I am hanging onto them pretty hard right now.

You can beat this! I’m so sorry your news was bad.

Sylv.5324:

Went in to see doc, got news that it was malignant. Gonna start chemo as soon as I.ha e recovered from surgery.

Thank you for all the positive vibes and feels, I am hanging onto them pretty hard right now.

Ardy, we have your back… all of us. Much love and dancing in the woods for you

Always time for dancings. <3 Every chemo session should include dancing!

Sylv,
Be sure that we all will be cheering for you during this dificult time, It is not easy when you have to face challenges like this, but be sure that you are not alone, we will be with you (in spirit) every step of the way, and when you are ready to return, we will celebrate in whatever your favorite city may be.

From Brazil, Que Deus abençoe (May God Bless You)

Thank you so much! I <3 Brazil.

I wish everyone could fly down so folks could line up in formations right there in the hospital.

“Ok, 3, 2, 1… /DANCE *!”
Coolest flash mob ever.

All the best from here in the UK.

Hope all goes well, and look forward to seeing you in game again soon

seconded here. All the best and I hope you get through everything swiftly and we see you wandering round Tyria soon

What I find most heroic is that you somehow wanted to play a video game, when death was staring you in the face.

If someone told me I had cancer, I’d go insane. Games would be the last thing on my mind.

Anyhoo, all the best to you. Cancer is a horrible thing.
I’m confident that one day soon, that plague will be but a memory.

When I was diagnosed with the tumors there was no warning and they kept me at the hospital until I got surgery two days later. Everyone I am really close to (sweetie, sweetiemom and sweetiebro) came with me and stayed, and they notified the few in-laws who cared.

So I let folks know online via phone skype app (typing from phone now too). I was a shut-in for years because of another illness, so most of my friends are online.

A few folks have told me my response has been weird, but I’ve lived online for so long that it was normal to me. I just found out that stuff was malignant a couple days ago and almost passed out when I got the news, but sweetie was there and has been very supportive and so have my online friends. I hope to recover and maybe have a get together with folks so I can thank them in person. <333

I mean I cried for an hour after I found out and still get anxiety but that can’t last forever.

Many people still take health for granted. Such disease can hit anyone.

I hope you get well Sylv.

Sending many positive thoughts/vibes your way. Good people and lasting friendships can be found online just like any other venue. In fact we are more connected to one another than ever before. You are lucky to have such support and friendship. I hope you find some much needed peace of mind. Stay strong Sylv, always believe you can beat this thing into oblivion.

You know, this is a perfect example of something I’ve thought for a while. So many people who don’t game want to badmouth video games, saying they make people zombies, or isolate them or someother nonsense. Well Sylv’s story shows how this can be the exact opposite. You can develop real relationships, even if its online and in guild chat. Yes its different than the people in your "real life’, but its perfectly legit.
In fact, sometimes people an be MORE honest with guildies than other people. For example the other night guild chat consisted of people talking about how messed up their brothers and sisters were. We talked about drug abuse, mental illness… really serious stuff. Maybe the “distance” created by online chat makes it easier to talk about these deeper feelings.
One last example of how video games help people in concrete real life ways. 100% true story what im about to say. I used to play the game clash of clans which has clan chat, essentially the same guild chat. Similarly, you develop relationships with your clan mates. One of my clanmates was terminally ill with esophageal cancer, and was too weak and debilitated to really do anything except play video games. He died a few months after I “met” him. Some people in our clan did the whole Movember thing to raise money for cancer research, I personally donated. Also, in the weeks after his death, his mom would get on clan chat on his account to talk to us, to talk about her grief, and to thank us for “being there” for her son in his final months. I still get emotional thinking about it.
So with this in mind, I’m happy to be spending my free time having fun, building relationships, and taking down dragons.

Prayers and love sent your way Sylv

Thank you for well-wishes and also thank you Jayjaydee for your story.

Wish you well for this battle of life, I hope you’ll defeat cancer!!
Stay strong!!!!