I am not sure why cryonics are not in the menu of every reader here when he has the opportunity (you don't have it if you die in a sudden accident) to subscribe when it seems inevitable to die.
Fighting Cancer
51–60 of 162 posts
Re: Fighting Cancer
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the above comment accidentally omits 'not'. This whole story is very moving.
What's really sad is that the state of progress in cancer treatment is extremely slow. Randy Pausch, for example, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about 10 years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo There are people receiving the exact same death sentence today, with the same likely outcomes. Anyway, there's a book and a PBS series for anyone interested in learning the more about the current state of…
> What's really sad is that the state of progress in cancer treatment is extremely slow.
This is massively false. There are great strides made for numerous cancers, while for some others (pancreatic, colorectal being among the worst) there are still not many good options. For pancreatic cancer the main issue is that it's very hard to detect in early stages and when you get the symptoms you are basically already in stage IV. Pretty much the same story for brain tumors (like GBM, usually detected very late).
We also know a lot more about how to prevent many types of cancer. If you want to reduce significantly the odds of stomach cancer, you basically need to really restrict your alcohol consumption. Even for many cancers alcohol consumption shows up as correlated with increased risks.
So, treatments are improving, prevention is improving, but of course there are still cancers with very poor outcomes. At the same time, it's a major field of investment so many companies are trying to make odds better every day.
Re: Fighting Cancer
#53Just an interesting related tangent here: My father in law is dying of heart disease (will probably die in People see me upset and the first thing they say is he will get better, or, it will be ok. When I explain the situation, it's something like, "oh, well, I just KNOW he will get better. Don't worry" What? In case you are wondering: He has already had open heart 2 years ago, 4 of 5 arteries are completely blocked…
There is also this commonly held notion that if you "live right", with healthy habits, food, and exercise, you will live to 98 in perfect health, and probably die of an instant heart attack while in bed with a young lover. It's of course true that obesity and lack of exercise increase health risks at all ages, but that risk was never going to be 0. The notion that I mentioned basically makes health problems into a morality play. I've even seen people get angry at the fact that statins can reduce heart disease risk in an "unearned" way - they can't accept that. The fact is that blood vessels and everything else lose function with increasing age, at a different rate for different people.
Re: Fighting Cancer
#54Some of this advice applies to people with chronic non-terminal health problems as well. We may not be dying, but the "helpful advice" from people who hear we have problems usually doesn't go over very well with us, even if we do smile and say thanks, to be polite.
Re: Fighting Cancer
#55Just an interesting related tangent here: My father in law is dying of heart disease (will probably die in People see me upset and the first thing they say is he will get better, or, it will be ok. When I explain the situation, it's something like, "oh, well, I just KNOW he will get better. Don't worry" What? In case you are wondering: He has already had open heart 2 years ago, 4 of 5 arteries are completely blocked…
Okay, I hate to pile on to the advice section. Actually this is not advice, but just a random tip from a random person. I read a book this year that has several anecdotes of people in similar situations to your father-in-law. The doctor who wrote it is radical and outside of the mainstream. Yet, the things he writes make a ton of sense when you have nothing else to lose. It's a short read, and his clinical results sp…
How about you think about what you just said for a minute. How is this a situation of "nothing to lose"? You are talking about an extremely sick person who, based on the fact that he has extremely advanced heart disease, probably has a lot of difficulty just being there for his family, and trying to put his affairs in order. Do you think he has the time and capacity to go on an "extreme diet" on the strength of "why not"? And if I publish some book which says that hitting oneself on the head with a pillow 100 times will cure heart disease, should he then try that? After all, what has he got to lose, right?
Re: Fighting Cancer
#56Very sensible read, just one question, he mentioned "avoid junk foods, especially sugar", is sugar that bad for causing cancer?
Re: Fighting Cancer
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I don't know if it's anyone's duty, but I think it's completely plausible for a single patient or small group of patients to arrive at a more patient-focused conclusion than the medical industry. I think the more important take-away is each patient should find the treatment that works for them. There are many people who are fully accepting/trusting (whatever term you choose) of the "machine". It works for them, don…
> Some of them work and work very well. Bull. People get better randomly, but pattern matching makes this really hard to accept. After all, you best get your lucky hat before the big game just like 100,000 other people. As to caner, day one they are going to tell you your odds of survival long term and they are never 100%. https://xkcd.com/931/
>> Some of them work and work very well.
> Bull. People get better randomly
I completely agree. I also know that some treatments work for some people.
> but pattern matching makes this really hard to accept.
I'm stating that a patient needs to find what works for them. Sometimes that's surgery, chemo, radiation, all of the above or no treatment at all.
I've known friends & family members improve, or not, on some/all of the above. The point is that everyone is different. People react differently to identical treatments. That's why some people develop diseases and others don't in the first place.
> As to caner, day one they are going to tell you your odds of survival long term and they are never 100%.
The only thing 100% is NOT surviving. How you come to your end is your choice. Some people chose to do that on their own terms, with their own treatments that may provide better quality, and/or quantity, of life. You don't have to make that choice, but you can't tell someone else not to.
Re: Fighting Cancer
#58Just an interesting related tangent here: My father in law is dying of heart disease (will probably die in People see me upset and the first thing they say is he will get better, or, it will be ok. When I explain the situation, it's something like, "oh, well, I just KNOW he will get better. Don't worry" What? In case you are wondering: He has already had open heart 2 years ago, 4 of 5 arteries are completely blocked…
Okay, I hate to pile on to the advice section. Actually this is not advice, but just a random tip from a random person. I read a book this year that has several anecdotes of people in similar situations to your father-in-law. The doctor who wrote it is radical and outside of the mainstream. Yet, the things he writes make a ton of sense when you have nothing else to lose. It's a short read, and his clinical results sp…
I will say thank you for sticking your neck out a bit and sharing; information is powerful and now the choice of what to do with this info is up to the OP rather than probably not hearing about it at all. Of course the most likely response is to ignore it for the father's case but since the condition is genetic I'm certain the poster is reviewing all their options as well.
Re: Fighting Cancer
#59I've just saw my father die of cancer a week ago. Fortunately, he did this at home and was cared for by his own family, right to the end. I wouldn't describe this experience as sad or tragic. We knew for a while that the moment was coming. I was lucky enough to be with my dad when he took his last breath, and to have been able to say goodbye. I learned a lot about what to do and what not to do in the face of imminent…
Went through the same thing 14 months ago. I often think about that poem "Do not go gentle into that good night"... and contrast it's theme with my father's and our family's calm acceptance of the inevitable. It was hard and sad, but peaceful with a tremendous amount of love all around near the end.
Personally, I take finding peace and love in your last moments as a way of raging against the dying of the light.
Re: Fighting Cancer
#60Yes, all deaths are tragic, but increasingly feel that humanity does not have a good measure for priortizing its efforts.
As an example, over half of those diagnosed with cancer are over 70 years old and 100s of billions have been spent on research.
What is an object way to decide if all the effort spent of cancer research is of value relative to other area of research where progress might be made?