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I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

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Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#101

Post by adamredwoods »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #45
ReptileMan wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are two types of cancer. One that you will die with, the other you will die from. Unfortunately you never know which is which until it is too late. I hope that some immune treatments will be approved soon. Seem to be promising

Yes! New treatments at the UofIowa are sending patients home cured. Not in remission. Only very specific cancers, and at great cost. But there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

There currently is no "cure" for cancer. Patients can get to the NED (no evidence of disease) stage, but cancer comes back unless resected early enough.

This may be referring to immunology, which is promising, but only keeps it at bay and needs continuing therapy. It becomes a chronic disease, which is preferable to a uncontrollable disease.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#102

Post by beachy »

jacquesm wrote: post #66
beachy wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My brother in law died slowly and painfully from motor neurone disease. The worst way to go. He was a real fighter, and had several goals - to see his son turn 21, to get to some big rowing champs, etc. He achieved some of those goals, and missed out on others. But as his disease wore on, he became so disabled and in so much pain that life was a true misery. Not just for him but for his loved ones, who were also his…

There are some other stories playing out in my family right now that are very close analogies to yours and I hope that you managed to eventually heal and deal with the stress. I can see all kinds of stress fractures running through my family because of the enormous pressure exerted by caring for people in the final days of their lives. It's very painful to see people cause all kinds of damage to each other and themse…

Good luck to you and your family. Time heals all wounds, as it did for us, though scars of course remain.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#103

Post by FpUser »

pifm_guy wrote: post #65
melling wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wish people would stop saying “F cancer” As a society, we have the option of greatly reducing cancer deaths whenever we so choose. Let’s do that rather than raging against something that feels nothing. It has been over 15 years since the Last Lecture and we still have done little for pancreatic cancer, for example. https://youtu.be/ji5_MqicxSo According to Craig Venter, early detection is what we need to eli…

We also have a lot of data on ways to reduce cancer before it happens. Reduce obesity. Reduce pollution. Etc. Yet we really aren't doing an awful lot about those things. Imagine for example if we had an obesity tax - everyone obese must pay 30% of their earnings into a Medicare fund. Sure it would be unpopular, but obesity would very quickly be solved, and cancer rates would plummet.

Imagine if we had an idiot tax. Suddenly all world problems would go away.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#104

Post by bane »

Almost exactly 18 months ago, my then 87 year old father, after feeling unwell and having some fluid problems with his lungs was diagnosed with stage-4 lung cancer. He turned down treatment and died at home a couple days before Christmas last year.

I've come away from the experience very unhappy with the medical system. There's a long list, things that in any other industry would be prosecuted. The medical and hospice systems are as near to worthless as any amount of money can buy -- at most times an absolute farce.

These were people who went out of their way to make things a little less worse, but they all worked on the periphery of the system: drivers, suppliers, and so on.

Fuck cancer, but also fuck the American medical system, and anybody who's gotten in the way of making it more sane and compassionate.

I miss my Dad.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#105

Post by jacquesm »

beachy wrote: post #102
jacquesm wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are some other stories playing out in my family right now that are very close analogies to yours and I hope that you managed to eventually heal and deal with the stress. I can see all kinds of stress fractures running through my family because of the enormous pressure exerted by caring for people in the final days of their lives. It's very painful to see people cause all kinds of damage to each other and themse…

Good luck to you and your family. Time heals all wounds, as it did for us, though scars of course remain.

Thank you. Likewise!

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#106

Post by bane »

jacquesm wrote: post #46
bigwavedave wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No joke :/. My cousin recently passed from Hodgkin's Lymphoma- they told her that the vast majority of patients have at least five years, many of whom have at least ten. That was a little over two years ago.

Gah that sucks. The randomness of it all is maddening. I buried an uncle a few months ago, he had a very nasty case of cancer and was in so much pain that we were all so grateful that at least here in NL there was the option to throw in the towel. He was a super nice man and I regret not having more contact with him in my life (my family is rather fragmented). But so much suffering is just too much to inflict on anyb…

I'm really sorry to hear it. :(

The past few years seem to have been really hard on people, even those without COVID. It seems the number of deaths in my circle too has accelerated -- especially among the "old but still should have some life left in 'em" cohort.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#107

Post by chriscappuccio »

jacquesm wrote: post #36
bigwavedave wrote: post #34

Once upon a time, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor that would kill me within a year. Eight years later and it hasn't yet. I'm sorry you had this happen- I hope your pain is gone soon, brother. Fuck cancer.

You are so lucky. I know quite a few cases where it was the opposite. "Oh, you've got years left". And then a funeral three months or so later. Cancer really sucks.

GBM? Standard of care?

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#109

Post by rafaelero »

pifm_guy wrote: post #65
melling wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wish people would stop saying “F cancer” As a society, we have the option of greatly reducing cancer deaths whenever we so choose. Let’s do that rather than raging against something that feels nothing. It has been over 15 years since the Last Lecture and we still have done little for pancreatic cancer, for example. https://youtu.be/ji5_MqicxSo According to Craig Venter, early detection is what we need to eli…

We also have a lot of data on ways to reduce cancer before it happens. Reduce obesity. Reduce pollution. Etc. Yet we really aren't doing an awful lot about those things. Imagine for example if we had an obesity tax - everyone obese must pay 30% of their earnings into a Medicare fund. Sure it would be unpopular, but obesity would very quickly be solved, and cancer rates would plummet.

It's crazy how we are still not screening everyone for genetic susceptability to diseases and pairing them together with good early detection tests. A lot of missed opportunities here to decrease so much suffering.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#110

Post by terran57 »

Two very personal experiences to relate. --- My father died 7 weeks after he was diagnosed with liver cancer - 11 days past his 62nd birthday. Prior to the diagnosis, he was going to take early retirement at 62 and travel with my mother. He had lots of other plans for post-retirement that he never got to realize. --- A close friend of mine died of heart cancer (well, technically, he died from complications of having an artificial heart - but cancer ruined his natural heart). He had thought he'd beaten cancer before (in the leg) and after repeated clean-bills of health, he finally thought it was safe to marry his fiancé and have a couple of children. But instead, cancer re-emerged and claimed his life. He left behind his fiancé', grieving parents, sisters and left a large hole in the community.

So yeah - fuck cancer.

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