Subject: RE: Quality v. quantity
Date: 05/08/2008
My heart and prayers go out to you and your husband. My sister fought ovarian cancer for over 7 years. She was very active and a real fighter. Her biggest struggle was with the fact that she wasn't able to live the life she used to. She passed away in Dec. '07 and toward the end I know she was just fighting it for the family. You could see she was tired. She waited till they told her there was nothing more they could do. We encouraged her to fight it but I feel now that might have been selfishness on our part. She died within 3 days of them telling her that and I really feel she was in much more pain than she wanted us to see. So yes...I think that has to be the patient's decision after seeing what she went through.
Subject: RE: Quality v. quantity
Date: 05/08/2008
On 5/8/2008 Travisdean wrote: That is a question I ask myself every time they start a new regimine of treatments. The pain, the cost, the anemia, the fevers, the anger, the depression, I often wonder if it is all worth it. Then I look at my kids and I think that if I stop trying, I will lose the time I have with them. My wife died of colon cancer in '04 and it was a short fight (41 days) but I know how she wanted to hold on to the family-- no matter the pain. I am trying to be that strong. My fight has been 4 years, 4 rounds of chemo and I am in my 3rd round of radiation now. The doctors are still finding new mets. as it spreads even in treatment, but I keep trudging on... I guess it is easier to follow their advice than have to make a hard decision all by myself. Thanks for asking this, I was afraid to ask myself much less others. You helped me 'figure out' how I feel. Good luck
i'm so sorry for this tradgedy in you life, and you do have areason to keep on going... i am a bc survivor, 2x cvc survivor, and in my 2nd fight with non-hodgkins lymphoma, i do not do chemo, nor rads due to ineligiblity, i sign up for experimental research studies thet use alternative medicines. to this very day i'm a single mom of 4 elementary school children, am active in the pta and live, really live each day for its own to the fullest i refuse to waste a day squabbling about envy or petiness, and i treat myself to every craving imagineable because i've earned it. I also eat right, don't drink sodas or caffeine and excercize daily (yes sometimes i'm tired) but thats not an excuse so i do less but don't skip it completely, if i get tired i sit down, if i need a nap i take a nap...cancer takes away our ability to sleep right and rest well, so when it gives those feelings back to you take advantage of it and follow your body...i think that is the best we can do for ourselves...live well
Subject: RE: Quality v. quantity
Date: 05/08/2008
Gerri on here is exactly right!! I am a two time cancer survivor, I have been thru it all. surgery, surgery again, chemo, chemo again!! It was a nightmare. I had every side effect imaginable. I too also thought I couldnt take another day. Well here 2 years later cancer free I can look back and be thankful I didnt ever give up. There was a point where I did think I couldnt do this anymore. I called the doctor and told him I wanted to lay off the chemo for a month. It worked. It gave me a nice break, sometimes I took two weeks off. It took longer but my quality of life was so much better. Please hang in there, both of you and if need be call the shots where the doctor is concerned. You know your body better than anyone. By the way I had colon cancer stage2 the first time and stage 4 colon cancer with mets to the stomach. I have had a total of 37 inches of colon removed and half my stomach. To look at me today you would have no idea I had been thru the hell Id been thru. Take care, we will all be praying for you. This sight is a great support group. I have met some very nice people here. Please keep us posted. take care
Subject: RE: Quality v. quantity
Date: 05/08/2008
Your question is on the mind of almost every patient receiving treatment. I was diagnosed in Dec. 1999 and began treatment January 2000. It wasn't a Happy New Year. Within 2 months I could no longer work and within 9 months I had gone from 210 lbs. to 130 lbs. and was then diagnosed with stage IV matastesized melanoma. You've heard the saying "it usually get's worse before it get's better" well I am living proof. As a then 40 year old man with a beautiful wife and 6 year old daughter the most difficult part of treatment was watching the effect it had on those I love. I could see their "quality of life" deminish and it was all due to this battle being fought in my body. After 2 1/2 years of this war I wanted it to be over but I had a family, friends and faith that would not let me give up. The "quality" is what you make of life. It doesn't matter if your battling cancer, depression or poverty. These can be "side effects" of treatment and life in general. The most important thing is to never give up. I wanted to and those who love me wouldn't except it. It's 2008 and I still have spots lighting up in my body but I feel great. Life is good because death holds no fear for me. It is no longer a curse but a promise that some day I will be a new creation. Until then, I will live the best life possible. No matter what may come. May you receive the blessing God has prepared for you. ByFaith
Subject: RE: Quality v. quantity
Date: 05/08/2008
This very dilemma has now surfaced in our family. My brother has been fighting stage 4 kidney cancer for 9 months. The kidney was removed last August, along with several lymph nodes and another tumor that had spread to his groin area. He has had several bouts of both radiation and chemo because the cancer spread to his brain and lower back in February but the last bout of radiation on his back really hurt one of his legs and so to avoid a permanent wheelchair, he was sent to a rehab hospital for a week. He came home a week ago and with the help of his daughter and son-in-law with whom he resides, he has been coping very well. However, his doctors decided that nothing else could (or should) be done, mentioning the dreaded "hospice" word -- which "hospice" is now his home and the doctors will not do anything else, saying that another bout with chemo could either kill him or make him susceptible to dangerous infections. I believe this news led to his stress-filled depression two days ago and yesterday he was in such pain that the nurse that stays with him during the day decided to put him on morphine and declared he is at the end -- whether it be hours, days or weeks -- that it would be very soon. We have all been planning a big family reunion (at his request back in January) for next week in his hometown 1,000 miles away from most of us, and that reunion has been keeping him so vibrant and happy. And then, because of his doctors, he may not make it to next week. His daughter has been constantly reminding him of the reunion and telling him he CAN fight it more with chemo (as one doctor said) after the reunion and yesterday his physical health just totally did a 180 -- he's back to feeling good and wanting to fight on. I believe that stress and lack of hope will only begin the downward process of pain-filled death -- even on the morphine. But hope, love and family could make whatever time is left a beautiful part of his life.
Subject: RE: Quality v. quantity
Date: 05/08/2008
Ray I could not AGREE more with your suggestions. Before I found some info on Zeolite I started a High dose of Vitamin C intravenously and I had results right away. My whole body was repairing itself because I was DEPLETED from vit.C completely.I also take Helixor-mistletoe(not Iscador) as a shot 3 times a day and I have therapeutic symptoms that are welcoming thing. I feel good and I wish lots of people would switch to this method and even combine it with chemo. But one can only decide for themselve. Take care, Sunes.
Subject: RE: Quality v. quantity
Date: 05/08/2008
On 5/8/2008 Sunes wrote: Ray I could not AGREE more with your suggestions. Before I found some info on Zeolite I started a High dose of Vitamin C intravenously and I had results right away. My whole body was repairing itself because I was DEPLETED from vit.C completely.I also take Helixor-mistletoe(not Iscador) as a shot 3 times a day and I have therapeutic symptoms that are welcoming thing. I feel good and I wish lots of people would switch to this method and even combine it with chemo. But one can only decide for themselve. Take care, Sunes.
Sunes your your on the right track with vitamin C and Zeolite Iv learn over the last year that that with canser the whole body sick not just a small part of it. Be carful taking Helixor-mistletoe as it has cytostatic effect on individual cell lines. in other words it weeking the lineing of the cell wall thats how it works on cancer I wouldent take it long term Iv herd of people taking insulan with the chemo beause cancer absurbs insulan faster then normal cells it been a year now and I feel better then I have for a long while I dont know why but people dont beleave me when I say Im geting over canser I can see it in there eyes. will take care God bless Ray
Subject: RE: Quality v. quantity
Date: 05/08/2008
On 5/8/2008 jcr65566 wrote: Hi I hope this helps The thing is if you have cancer you dont have to die. You see the reasion I say this is I have prostrate cancer. I was told after I had a Biopsies that I had prostate cancer with a Gleason of eight and a psa of 9.8. I was told to get it out fast I had Cancer so I did what the doctors told me, over a six months period I spent over $3000.00 seeing Specialist. Flying to Sydney and then to Brisbane. Each wanted to charge me $20.000 for the Operation a Radical prostatectomy I found out my medical insurance would only have paid out $10.000 for the operation. I it seemed some how would have to come up with the rest. The Doctors wouldn't do the operation any way. they said I weighed to much As at the time my hight was 180cm and my weight was 150kg. One wanted me to slim down to 120kg the other wanted me to go down to 100kls before they do the Operation. the damage that this Radical prostatectomy Operation dos is Frightening. At this time angry and disillusion with the medical perfection I went for a walk I come across one of my neighbours , Jeff who use to live up the road from me. He told me he once had lung cancer he said a few years ago it was poking out of the ribs in the his chest he said he herd I had cancer and he come over to see me he showed me two photos. When the fist photo was taken (years before) he was told he only had two or three weeks to live he showed me the two photos of himself the fist one showed a whole pile of bumps and lumps coming out of the frount of he's chest the other taken months later. was normal it was amazing. he said He's been in remission. for a number of years now. amazed I said How? He said there are three main things that cause cancer Diet Toxins and Stress he told me he was put on meger dos of vitamins plus a strick diet of veg he all so used a product called Liquid Zeolite for the toxins I said Zeo-What. He said I got it of the internet it works. he told me go to my computer. Go to google and just to tipe in Zeolite so I did. This gave me hope he said when he started taking all this .Only a few days later he could feel it starting to work as his chest felt ichy. So he knew some thing was happing. He told me he was taking a large dayly dos of Vitamin B and C plus 15 drops 4 x a day of the Zeolite a few months later after one of the x-ray showed the tumours almost gone he upped it to 20 drops 4 x a day. he said hes seen a lot of people use thes not one has told him it dident work. He also told me if you think your going to die you will. You have to have hope. And I do. it been over a year now I'm now on a diet but I wont be having any operation. Im still fighting the cancer and I can feel Im wining I using two main compond now. One is Liquid Zeolite witch they say removes toxions. I also on other things it a natural product called N-Tense it got a combination of Graviola with 7 other rainforest plants and Graviola the maker says it boost up the immune system. these two products in them selfs are very powerfull cancer fighting drugs the Liquid Zeolite cost me about 33 dollors a bottle and I needed 15 bottles and N-tense. Cost me $55.00. Both target cancer cells. They cost me all to gether $555.00 it a bit cheeper then $20,000 for the operation. Talking to the right people. I know there is no known cure for cancer. Once we get it we have it for life. All we can then do is boost up our immune system so it can fight it. And that for the next 20 so years of my life is what I'm going to do. only afters a month on the vitamins and the Liquid Zeolite I felt i was geting better I can feel it now I have more energy and at last I can go to the loo and not take forever to go. you dont have to die with Cancer. in the last 12 months I found out that most of my doctors dont know about other treatments and they also feel they dont want to know if you want to find out for your self go down to the shop and get a bottle of 1000mg of Bio C or vitamin C start taking a 1000mg a day to start with. Beleave me you will start to feel better with in a week or two any one wants to reply feel free. God bless you Ray
Ray, I am sooo pleased to hear this news about Zeolite, I wanted my Mom to look into this (I did some research) but she was up there in age and didn't want to pursue something other than what the docs told her. She past in Oct. 2007 and never had the TRUE will to beat this. She however had a rare appendix cancer which spread to her the lining in her stomach (bad news). I would have given anything to take this fight on for her and often wonder what her last few months would have been without any chemo. She was 76, in perfect health, golfed three times a week, swam everday, walked all the time, I just don't get it. I won't get all down and out here but just wanted to say that I'm was thrilled to hear about the Zeolite and good luck to you, you have made my day and hopefully given some hope to others out here. Take care Barb
Subject: RE: Quality v. quantity
Date: 05/09/2008
I understand your question. I wish I didn't but I do. I think that it has to get to a point where the cure is worse than the disease. I know that they are coming up with new cures all the time. I don't know if the time will come to let go before the cure comes or not. I do know that you have to take each day as it comes and enjoy the love and beauty in your life as long as you can. Life gives us struggles. What we do with them is what our legacy becomes. Live as much as you can. Find joy each day, even when you feel truly awful. Our lives aren't measured by what we have, but the love and joy we share with others. I hope that you have more good days than bad. Hope that you can find the good in all things, including this one.
stephenalonzo Message: RE: Quality v. quantity
Subject: RE: Quality v. quantity
Date: 05/10/2008
On 5/6/2008 rose01 wrote:
I hope this isn't an insensitive or dumb question but I'd like to know how others have approached this. If and when there comes a point that the treatment is taking such a toll on quality of life that it's not worth it, how do you recognize this point?? Do you let the doctors tell you first that they've done all they can? Do you just "instinctly" know? I want myself and my husband to fight this cursed disease with all we have but at the same time, doesn't this have to be weighed against quality of time and living life on one's own terms? I really don't have any answers right now. In fact, I pray we never get to this crossroad.
Relative to quality v. quantity. I am now considering the same thing. I have been battling NHL off and on since 1999. Right now, because of a third recurrance, I am being told that my best and maybe only option is a bone marrow transplant. I have done 3 different chemo regiments, 3 different mono clonal antibody, 1 radiation, 1 radio isotope, 2 surgeries. I am now starting to think about doing things I want to do and not letting the cancer or treatments dictate what I do in my life. Enjoy your selves. Life is precious. Good luck. Steve
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