Diagnosed with Cancer

My mom also said if her cancer came back she would not go through the treatments. I believe she died of heart trouble though. Attack or a bad stroke.
 

In reference to the right to die: when my pain management team asked me what I would do if, despite treatments, I was still experiencing the same level of pain 10 years from now, I said that I would seriously consider killing myself. Within half-an-hour I was talking to two doctors in the psych department, and walked out of there with prescriptions for enough anti-depressant medication to kill myself three times!! I laughed all the way home. (I didn't even fill the Rxs).
 
Mrs. Robinson said:
Oh,I did forget to mention the burns. I was actually fairly lucky-being blonde and fair skinned,I was afraid I might burn badly. But I do fairly well in the sun so I was hopeful. I did have a couple of areas that burned worse than others and am having a bit of peeling now,but really not bad. They never had to postpone any treatments because of burning so I was very happy about that. Just wanted to get it all over with.
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My daughter didn't get much in the way of skin burns, but she did get a spot on her lung burned, leaving scar tissue. Whenever she has a chest x-ray, she has to make sure they know not to get excited about that spot.
 
jujube said:
My daughter didn't get much in the way of skin burns, but she did get a spot on her lung burned, leaving scar tissue. Whenever she has a chest x-ray, she has to make sure they know not to get excited about that spot.
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This is to say that, therapy to the breast(s) can cause lung (or other internal) damage. There IS rhyme and reason behind my vivid interest in these things, but I don't want to make it seem like it's a "morbid" one; the need to know and understand is one all prospective patients facing such treatment ought to have full knowledge of, IMO. imp
 
Shalimar said:
Faze, they just don't get it do they?
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I'm just glad that when they asked "What if you're still in this pain kind of pain in 10 years" I didn't say "Just shoot me now."

On the serious side, I'll probably never be able to buy another gun, and would definitely have a problem getting the kind of job I've been trained for. Luckily, I have enough guns and I am too disabled to work, otherwise I'd have raised such a stink.

I'm not suicidal. I'm not even depressed...really bummed out some days, but not clinically depressed. I was thinking logically. I was being practical, not mental. That said, I'll know what to do if the day comes when I do want to say my last Nighty-Night.
 
Shalimar said:
Faze, they just don't get it do they?
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No, they don't. I don't think anybody much gets it, unless they've come up against it themselves or with someone in their family. One of the things I came to hate while my niece was dying is the idea that you must "fight" till the end. The idea that you are "fighting" implies that you have a chance to "win" and that if you lose you didn't "fight" hard enough. And with cancer you don't always have a chance to win -- she didn't. When people would tell her to "keep fighting," I had to seriously resist the urge to punch them in the nose. "Keep fighting?" Yeah, right, against something that has already ravaged your organs and you've had so much radiation that you've got burns on top of what the cancer has done? Yeah -- keep fighting so you can have a few more days of intractable agony, indignity, vomiting and uncontrollable diarrhea, struggling for every breath?? That's not life.
 
FazeFour said:
I'm just glad that when they asked "What if you're still in this pain kind of pain in 10 years" I didn't say "Just shoot me now."

On the serious side, I'll probably never be able to buy another gun, and would definitely have a problem getting the kind of job I've been trained for. Luckily, I have enough guns and I am too disabled to work, otherwise I'd have raised such a stink.

I'm not suicidal. I'm not even depressed...really bummed out some days, but not clinically depressed. I was thinking logically. I was being practical, not mental. That said, I'll know what to do if the day comes when I do want to say my last Nighty-Night.
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Faze, I will, too.
 
imp said:
This is to say that, therapy to the breast(s) can cause lung (or other internal) damage. There IS rhyme and reason behind my vivid interest in these things, but I don't want to make it seem like it's a "morbid" one; the need to know and understand is one all prospective patients facing such treatment ought to have full knowledge of, IMO. imp
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Indeed, imp, knowledge is power. And those stricken with that "C" word need to take advantage of all the power available to them!
 
Butterfly said:
No, they don't. I don't think anybody much gets it, unless they've come up against it themselves or with someone in their family. One of the things I came to hate while my niece was dying is the idea that you must "fight" till the end. The idea that you are "fighting" implies that you have a chance to "win" and that if you lose you didn't "fight" hard enough. And with cancer you don't always have a chance to win -- she didn't. When people would tell her to "keep fighting," I had to seriously resist the urge to punch them in the nose. "Keep fighting?" Yeah, right, against something that has already ravaged your organs and you've had so much radiation that you've got burns on top of what the cancer has done? Yeah -- keep fighting so you can have a few more days of intractable agony, indignity, vomiting and uncontrollable diarrhea, struggling for every breath?? That's not life.
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There was some chatting earlier about why some people keep their diagnosis to themselves. In my opinion, THIS is why. They don't want to be captive to a lot of fussing, and they don't want to hear their friends and family say unintentionally stupid stuff. And I don't think people who keep their cancer diagnosis to themselves feel alone, not in the lonely sense of the word. I think they just prefer to fight their battle their way.
 
To top it off, I personally know of several folks who received clinical diagnoses of malignancy, who refused to believe it, had no treatment, and went on to live acceptably long lives. Diagnoses can be wrong, sometimes. My respiratory troubles 10 years ago are a good example. Diagnoses: Childhood Asthma returned; COPD; Emphysema; Left Ventricle Wall Thickening, Aspergillosis (fungus infection).

Took over a year of struggling with it, and finally, gradually, all symptoms disappeared. No recurrence since. Breathe normally. "Great Respect" for diagnosticians. imp
 
Jeez, I remember a time when the patient was the last to know. Doctor would advise immediate family members and leave it up to them to inform the patient or not. I suppose the fear was that if the pt knew they had cancer, they'd consider themselves good as dead, but, golly...something that critical. That's as ridiculous as not telling a woman she's pregnant. She asks, "Why is my abdomen so incredibly swollen?!" and he says, "It's not because you're pregnant."
 
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That's funny "It's not because you're pregnant." :) I would be so angry if I were ill and they tried to keep it from me. Of course, none of my family would do that. I do recall the days when cancer and other serious illnesses were kept secret in some families.

One thing I have against about it being brought out in the open is, some people start to identify YOU with your disease and pretty soon, that's who you are. Especially if you have a big family, lots of friends or say go to a church with 3 or 4 hundred people. I'd rather be asked how my day is going, how my dogs are, have I painted anything lately, rather than "What is your latest treatment, what did the Dr say the last time you say him, are you hurting much today?
 
QuickSilver said:
Well... the first thing they do is to gather all the information they can about the disease and how to fight it... At least that's what hubby and I did last July when he got the diagnosis.
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Yes, and find out how survivors have survived. Have a group of friends and family who can be there for you at all times.
Changing your lifestyle as much as possible so you can relax more and build wellness which takes time and focus can also help. Live in an oxygen rich environment.
 
FazeFour said:
In reference to the right to die: when my pain management team asked me what I would do if, despite treatments, I was still experiencing the same level of pain 10 years from now, I said that I would seriously consider killing myself. Within half-an-hour I was talking to two doctors in the psych department, and walked out of there with prescriptions for enough anti-depressant medication to kill myself three times!! I laughed all the way home. (I didn't even fill the Rxs).
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Faze, you can't kill yourself with antidepressants which is why doctors prescribe them. ( I had a family member who, when seriously ill and in terrible pain, tried to end it with antidepressants. All he got was very sick and his intentions outed so he couldn't try again - with pills.)
 
chic said:
Faze, you can't kill yourself with antidepressants which is why doctors prescribe them. ( I had a family member who, when seriously ill and in terrible pain, tried to end it with antidepressants. All he got was very sick and his intentions outed so he couldn't try again - with pills.)
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Excerpt from a website called All About Counseling:

About 15 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, making them the leading cause of death from drug overdosing. Antidepressants fall into this prescription drug category.

Also, the Rxs I was given included 2 antidepressants, vicodin, and oxycontin. I filled only the vicodin (Norco) Rx as it works pretty well to relieve the pain I have. I also take a Rx Ibuprophen, 600mg, which helps me keep the Norco at a lower dose.
 
FazeFour said:
Excerpt from a website called All About Counseling:

About 15 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, making them the leading cause of death from drug overdosing. Antidepressants fall into this prescription drug category.

Also, the Rxs I was given included 2 antidepressants, vicodin, and oxycontin. I filled only the vicodin (Norco) Rx as it works pretty well to relieve the pain I have. I also take a Rx Ibuprophen, 600mg, which helps me keep the Norco at a lower dose.
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I'd fill the oxy, too, and stockpile it for that rainy day.
 
Since we've been together my wife has had 3 separate cancers(in 15 years); of course it's always an emotional shock, but we just hunker down and follow through the treatment, and do what needs doing. She is growing her hair back her heair back right now, it's about 1-1/2" and a bit unruly....;)
 
Shalimar said:
You can kill yourself with Tylenol or codeine if you take enough.
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That's true, but on the other hand you might not. Suicide by overdose without the help of barbiturates (or physician assist) can be a tricky thing. Chugaluging alcohol is more likely to kill you by sending your blood alcohol level soaring.
 
Wellll,.....None 'a you guys has offered me an easy way "out", don't particularly like the drugs idea, alcohol often manages to barf itself back out when too much is quickly swallowed. Guess I just have to stick it out awhile yet! imp
 
imp said:
What do you feel one's reaction ought to be when diagnosed with cancer?

The various magazine articles I have read dig into the superficial.

These give advice, offer ways to understand, reconcile, re-sort life, prepare loved ones, etc.

I see no recommendations telling the diagnosed what to do.

Ideas? imp
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Strange question. I don't see where it's anyone else's place to say how someone else "ought to" (or should) react when told they have cancer.
 
applecruncher said:
Strange question. I don't see where it's anyone else's place to say how someone else "ought to" (or should) react when told they have cancer.
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"What do you feel one's reaction ought to be when diagnosed with cancer?"

I truly hope your statement is made out of failure to understand the original question, rather than to provoke, and invoke yet another criticism even though the meaning was clear:

We're asking about YOU when diagnosed, not someone else. How WE react to others' diagnoses have no basis for consideration in the premise of the OP. imp
 
Hi Imp, I think how you deal with cancer has a lot to do with what you are facing in your life. Is it advanced, or has is just started. I had cancer at the ages of 19, (1970), and 26, (1976). At 19, my husband was working out of state, and I had 5 and 3 y/o boys at home. Plus I think it is hard to believe you are going to die at 19, and doctor's had been saying I was going to die from my heart and seizure since I was seven. I knew I had to fight for my boys, I was afraid of where they might end up. I had ovary cancer, surgery, and radiation. Except for the radiation burns ,it felt like science fiction.

I did well for some time, and then at 26, the cancer was back. This time it was uterine cancer, and I still had my boys, then 12 and 10 y/o, and I was still afraid of what would happen to them, and again my husband was out of the picture. I went through the chemo treatments, as well as having all the side effect. This time they gave me the five year post operation speech about the five year rule of survival.

But it was worth it, and I have to say that being the only care giver to my sons helped pull me through, as well as the doctors.

The most effective thing is to get diagnosed as early as possible. Cancer runs in my family, and all the women have had the same surgery by the age of 28, so I was tested every year for it.
 
imp said:
"What do you feel one's reaction ought to be when diagnosed with cancer?"

I truly hope your statement is made out of failure to understand the original question, rather than to provoke, and invoke yet another criticism even though the meaning was clear:

We're asking about YOU when diagnosed, not someone else. How WE react to others' diagnoses have no basis for consideration in the premise of the OP. imp
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Then that’s even worse and more strange. Be nice if YOU would word your question appropriately.

All that aside, fortunately, I’ve never been diagnosed with cancer. Of course I’ve lost friends, relatives and co-workers to cancer. Some have been treated and continue to survive.)

I have no idea how I would or should react to such a diagnosis, and I hope I never find out.
 

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