Ask HN: I Have Cancer. What Should I Do? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: I Have Cancer. What Should I Do?

#21

Post by yzzy » Sat, May 30, 2015, 3:27 AM UTC

First off, wait for final results. I know more than one person (including my wife) that had a scare like this and it turned out to be benign. It really doesn't have to be cancer.

Second, if you do get bad news, don't change anything. Be honest with your employer, and go on with your life. At your age, chances are you'll be able to continue working through the treatment and long after that. It's unlikely that your company's premiums will go up, but that shouldn't concern you.

Third, if you do get bad news, ask the doctor for a professional to talk to. At your age, you need some guidance and perspective from someone you trust.

Re: Ask HN: I Have Cancer. What Should I Do?

#22

Post by 11thEarlOfMar » Sat, May 30, 2015, 3:29 AM UTC

The chairman of the company I consult with has been managing a major engineering project and last week headed off for a cruise and train vacation in Alaska, all in between radiation treatments for colon cancer. He's 59 and determined to beat it and not let it slow him down.

Take the job and follow the treatment regime.

You will beat it, too.

Re: Ask HN: I Have Cancer. What Should I Do?

#23

Post by butwhy » Sat, May 30, 2015, 3:30 AM UTC

jmorrow977 wrote: post #19

Another note: Don't you think it's worthwhile not down-voting every idea that hasn't become widely used? Certainly if I ever get cancer I hope that people throw every idea they even vaguely think might work, for me to consider, without people down-voting them for genuine offers of obscure ideas that might plausibly work. To downvoters: I'm mentioning this only because I'd try it myself in this situation. I am not cla…

Oh, you've got the cure for cancer when you don't even know what OP has? No worries mate. Don't know why all these scientists waste time on cancer cures when you can just starve yourself so the body eats the tumour and corrects the mis-generation of cells.

Re: Ask HN: I Have Cancer. What Should I Do?

#24

Post by fleitz » Sat, May 30, 2015, 3:31 AM UTC

88e282102ae2e5b wrote: post #8

Imagine you didn't have cancer, but I told you that if you killed yourself, I'd give everyone at your startup an extra $200/month for a couple years (or however long you would've worked there). That's it. That's the entire deal. Would you take it? I imagine not, but that's essentially what you're proposing. Everyone will want you to survive, and anyone who begrudges you for being human because it cost them a trivial…

Even if it's a large amount of money tell them to go stuff themselves.

Re: Ask HN: I Have Cancer. What Should I Do?

#25

Post by fleitz » Sat, May 30, 2015, 3:33 AM UTC

scarmig wrote: post #15

A question: Should the OP tell his new employer right now? Or hold off until down the line? OP: As far as your lump, dammit indeed. Good luck and beat that thing!

Your medical problems are not your employers business. Period the end.

Re: Ask HN: I Have Cancer. What Should I Do?

#26

Post by andrewem » Sat, May 30, 2015, 3:34 AM UTC

Sanddancer wrote: post #10

hidflect wrote: post #5

The best treatment I've found on the web over years of autodidactic investigation (I'm not a medical researcher) is Artemisinin. Couldn't hurt to watch the video.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Or8xLOGBu8

No, the best treatment is SEE A FUCKING DOCTOR. Yes, the chemical in question shows promise. It's nowhere near ready for prime time though, and certainly not something you should be peddling.

Right. Cancer is not a single disease, and so the drugs that will be effective depend on the particular cancer, and in some cases on particular mutations in the tumor (see for instance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oncogenomics). So any time someone hears you have "cancer" and suggests a chemical to treat it, you can safely conclude their advice is not worth following.

Re: Ask HN: I Have Cancer. What Should I Do?

#27

Post by [deleted] » Sat, May 30, 2015, 3:34 AM UTC

butwhy wrote: post #23

jmorrow977 wrote: post #19

Another note: Don't you think it's worthwhile not down-voting every idea that hasn't become widely used? Certainly if I ever get cancer I hope that people throw every idea they even vaguely think might work, for me to consider, without people down-voting them for genuine offers of obscure ideas that might plausibly work. To downvoters: I'm mentioning this only because I'd try it myself in this situation. I am not cla…

Oh, you've got the cure for cancer when you don't even know what OP has? No worries mate. Don't know why all these scientists waste time on cancer cures when you can just starve yourself so the body eats the tumour and corrects the mis-generation of cells.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: I Have Cancer. What Should I Do?

#28

Post by jmorrow977 » Sat, May 30, 2015, 3:40 AM UTC

butwhy wrote: post #23

jmorrow977 wrote: post #19

Another note: Don't you think it's worthwhile not down-voting every idea that hasn't become widely used? Certainly if I ever get cancer I hope that people throw every idea they even vaguely think might work, for me to consider, without people down-voting them for genuine offers of obscure ideas that might plausibly work. To downvoters: I'm mentioning this only because I'd try it myself in this situation. I am not cla…

Oh, you've got the cure for cancer when you don't even know what OP has? No worries mate. Don't know why all these scientists waste time on cancer cures when you can just starve yourself so the body eats the tumour and corrects the mis-generation of cells.

Never said that. Just said there was an article about this, and with my limited knowledge of biology it's a plausible thing that I'd personally try (along with everything else). Certainly I'd do whatever the doctor says, and then add this only if they said it was likely it wouldn't do much harm.

https://news.usc.edu/63669/fasting-triggers-stem-cell-regene...

Seems like it might not be harmful at least.

Here's the article that I believe was at some point on HN, which I was referencing in my first comment. The guy could totally be a quack, but like I said it seems plausible enough that I'd give it a try along with everything else if it wasn't declared harmful by my doctor.

http://thequantifiedbody.net/water-fasts-as-a-potential-tact...

Re: Ask HN: I Have Cancer. What Should I Do?

#29

Post by calebm » Sat, May 30, 2015, 3:41 AM UTC

My uncle had stage 3 colon cancer and beat it using a mixture of both traditional and alternative medicine (such as a raw food diet and some other treatment which wasn't available in the US). I strongly recommend looking outside the mainstream. I recommend watching the Burzynski documentary and checking out the Burzynski clinic.

Re: Ask HN: I Have Cancer. What Should I Do?

#30

Post by tpiddy » Sat, May 30, 2015, 3:49 AM UTC

calebm wrote: post #29

My uncle had stage 3 colon cancer and beat it using a mixture of both traditional and alternative medicine (such as a raw food diet and some other treatment which wasn't available in the US). I strongly recommend looking outside the mainstream. I recommend watching the Burzynski documentary and checking out the Burzynski clinic.

Or you could stick with evidence and science based medicine. For another perspective on Burzynski you can read SBM: https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/tag/stanislaw-burzynski...