HOW WILL DEATH OCCUR?

 

On 6/27/2009 Walking Jim wrote:

 

On 6/25/2009 Shotgun wrote:

I have been diagnosed with metastasized renal cell carcinoma manifesting itself in my lungs.  My oncologist estimates I will die in about 6 months.

How does death occur?

How will I know when my time is near? 

 

My upper arm broke unexpectly 42 months ago.  I was 59 at the time.  It was caused by a metastized tumor from kidney cancer.  My cancer had also metastized to my spine and ribs as well as both lungs.  I was told 10 months.  Yesterday my oncologist said I will be around for several more years.  My cancer is not in remission, but is well controlled.  Today I was splitting firewood for next winter.  My quality of life today is similar to what it was before the diagosis except my arm has limitations.

I had surgery, radiation and drugs.  Nexavar worked for about 1 year and Sutent is still working after 26 months.  I had great insurance so can not offer much guidance in that regard.  There is financial help available from various sources.

I remember how I felt after the diagnosis.  My wife would not let me give up.  It has been an up and down journey, but it has been well worth the effort.  The first 2 months were the worst due to all the uncertainity.  Please keep fighting.

Thanks for sharing your information with me.  I am encouraged by the folks who have posted here being able to extend their lives with treatment.  Maybre I can too.  Things aren't looking as grim as they did at first when I was told it was incurable and fatal, and that without treatment I would probably die in about 6 months.  When I found out how expensive the drugs are to treat it, that seemed to be insurmountable..  It helps to know others have been able to stave off the grim reaper with treatment.

 

 

On 6/27/2009 K. C. wrote:

Good Evening Shotgun;

I trust you won't mind my comments. I usually write on MM but logged on and saw your post.

I refuse to leave my devoted wife with a bunch of debt. I will probably just turn down treatment and play the hand out.

Very commendable! How's SHE feel about this? How about the kids?

C'est la vie.

It's been proven that timid patients usually fair far worse than aggressive ones.

Me? I'm like Waylon says: "Angry, onery and mean!" When the Grim Reaper comes calling for me He better not come alone! I want my family to remember that Ol' K.C. fought to the bitter end.

While I understand your feelings I don't agree with them one bit. I share the previous patients' opinion. But accept that cancer affects us all differently.

I wish you well in your decision.

Take care,

Kevin

Kevin, thank you for your comments.  Pfizer has agreed to furnish me the Sutent free of charge, so that changes things a lot but regarding your comment about how does my wife and kids feel about my decision not to bankrupt the family buying cancer drugs, we just have the one child who is grown now, but both respected my wishes albeit begrudingly.  This forum has been invaluable in that it has exposed me to others who have beaten the grim statistics of few people making it more than a few extra months by taking the treatments.  Maybe I will too.

Shotgun

 

On 6/30/2009 570sheila wrote:

Hello....I hope you are well. Will you PLEASE leave us know HOW YOU ARE DOING and IF you gotten any help with your meds.??

                               Hugs Sheila

Sheila,

 

Thank you for your encouragement!! and the helpful info you posted. My husband just turned 51 and his cancer was contained to his kidney but we just found out it spread to two nodgules deep in his chest and they can not be removed. They are going to wait three months and do another pet scan the he will be placed in a clinical trail OR if he is healthy enough we will try interlocin 2 (sorry i'm noy a good speller) He can't do it now because he has no more time off from his job and his boss tols him flat out they would let him go (he has been working there 20 years!) When went went to the cancer center I told the doctor I lost my job in December and we do not have the money for stutent. The first thing she said was don't worry about that I will get it for you for free!! I took down all your info just in case and I hope shotgun calls for himself. My heart just breaks that people would not be able to get treament because of cost. my prayers are with everone that battles this monster.

Linda

My heart goes out to you as well as my prayers. I hope you have a pastor to talk to or someone who is close to God in their life.  No one knows when their time is up. Doctor's are only telling you from a clinical standpoint how long most people have to live with your diagnosis. But they've been proved wrong a thousand times.  We're all going to die someday.  That's a fact. But where will you go when you do go? That's up to you. The closer you get to God..if you believe in Him and have faith in Him that He will take care of you for eternity, the more peace you will have. He promised us that to be with Him and His Son, Jesus is where we will be for eternity. What more can you ask for? To me....we are just going "home".  We were only sojourners here. A limited time for everyone. How you lived your life and what you accomplished through your actions determines your destiny there.  If you've never been close to God, it is not too late.  He's ALWAYS there for you. Just a prayer away. That's all it is. A prayer away and He will never judge you if you give your all to Him now. Just turn your life over to Him and pray to Him daily.  He's listening.

But also, there are many people who have been cured of cancers...with faith, prayer and the "laying on of hands" of some Pentecostal churches.  I've seen it happen before but if that's not your forte....then you must prepare yourself for the hereafter.  God promises us that He is always with us.  He was there in the beginning and He'll be there for eternity.  As far as how does it feel to die? When will you know the end is near? It's different for everyone.  Some see "the light" and some see an angel.  Some see loved ones and some see nothing. They just "go".  Some go peacefully and some fight it to the bitter end.  But when you have peace with the Father....and pray..there is a serenity about you when you know you're only "going home" to be with Him in heaven and what's better than heaven? It's going to be GREAT!!!  

You're in my thoughts and prayers. You have people who care. Really care! NO matter who you are or what you did in your lifetime, it's never too late to get close to the one who will be forever by your side. God bless you and give you the peace that you will need whenever you need it.

 

 

On 6/25/2009 Shotgun wrote:

I have been diagnosed with metastasized renal cell carcinoma manifesting itself in my lungs.  My oncologist estimates I will die in about 6 months.

How does death occur?

How will I know when my time is near? 

 

Are you a vet? If you are, you can get help from them. Also, have you looked into clinical trials.

I know you are worried about debt but that was the last thing my husband and I are worried about. He is stage IV non-hodgkins lymphoma and has relapsed 3 times, waiting for a bone marrow match. We have lost our house and sold almost everything we owned and it really doesn't bother me. I would hope if I had cancer my loved one would do the same for me. There is always bankruptcy. I know a lot of people don't want to do it but there is no shame when you are fighting for your life.

Go to the National Cancer Institute and look up clinical trials. Don't give up, keep researching.

Also, I am sure your wife would rather have you with her than not.

Prayers going out to you.

Paul & Reta

 

On 7/3/2009 retasueus wrote:

 

On 6/25/2009 Shotgun wrote:

I have been diagnosed with metastasized renal cell carcinoma manifesting itself in my lungs.  My oncologist estimates I will die in about 6 months.

How does death occur?

How will I know when my time is near? 

 

Are you a vet? If you are, you can get help from them. Also, have you looked into clinical trials.

I know you are worried about debt but that was the last thing my husband and I are worried about. He is stage IV non-hodgkins lymphoma and has relapsed 3 times, waiting for a bone marrow match. We have lost our house and sold almost everything we owned and it really doesn't bother me. I would hope if I had cancer my loved one would do the same for me. There is always bankruptcy. I know a lot of people don't want to do it but there is no shame when you are fighting for your life.

Go to the National Cancer Institute and look up clinical trials. Don't give up, keep researching.

Also, I am sure your wife would rather have you with her than not.

Prayers going out to you.

Paul & Reta

Yes, I am a vet.  They work through a referral system where the primary caregiver must refer you up the line to see a Specialist.  I saw my Primary on June 17th and she entered an URGENT request to see an oncologist as the Primary's can't write prescriptions for cancer drugs. Then nothing happened. One shortcoming of rhe VA is you can't just pick up a phone and call someone and get things going fast.  I tried to hurry things up, but to no avail. Finally, I got a letter in the mail saying they have made me an appt for lab work on July 8th, and then an appt to see an oncologist on July 13.  That's nearly a month lost if I depended on them. In the meantime, I've gotten in to see a private oncologist, lab work has been done, CT Scan of chest, abdomen, and pelvic area, MRI of my brain, got a script for Sutent, gotten Pfizer to agree to furnish me the Sutent free, and the pills are on a UPS truck being delivered today.  I've lost 16 days getting this done, but I will start the Sutent today, and the Va hasn't even gotten me in for the lab work yet.  I'm not knocking the Va because they saved my life a  couple of years ago when I had pneumonia and thought it was just a respiratory bug going around.  When I developed breathing difficulties I went to the VA Hospital ER and promptly dropped dead on them.  They resusitated me and a week later I came out of the coma and was fine.  The pneumonia was cured and I went home a few days later.  If they have a shortcoming, it's when you need a Specialist.  The referral system is slow.  It once took me 3 months to get in to see a cardiologist when my Primary thought my heart stent had shifted.  For routine stuff they are great. I can call any morning and get in to see my Primary the same day or no later than tomorrow. After I turned 65 and got Medicare I've gradually shifted back to the private side, but if I get a prescription from a private doctor that is going to be expensive, I can take it to my Primary doc at the VA and if it's a drug they have, she will re-write it on her prescription pad and I can fill it at the VA pharmacy for $8.  I'm keeping my appt with the VA oncologist in hopes I can do that with him.  The only problem is the private docs seem to like to write scripts for the latest and greatest drugs and the VA seldom has the new ones.

I'm sorry to hear of all your problems.  Good luck to you and your husband.

Shotgun

 

I am more than happy that my suggestion did work. This is great news.

As a social worker, I am well aware of workers attitudes. Not many are like me staying until 7:00PM trying to get things organized and moving for clients in crisis.

I f you feel like it, keep in touch so we all in this “RCC Community” can hear how you are doing.

All the best to you and your family.

Hang in there...Do not give up!

Cleo

 

On 7/4/2009 rcc surviver wrote:

I am more than happy that my suggestion did work. This is great news.

As a social worker, I am well aware of workers attitudes. Not many are like me staying until 7:00PM trying to get things organized and moving for clients in crisis.

I f you feel like it, keep in touch so we all in this “RCC Community” can hear how you are doing.

All the best to you and your family.

Hang in there...Do not give up!

Cleo

Thanks, Cleo.  I'll check in from time to time as my treatment goes on.

My warmest regards to your family too. 

Shotgun 

 

 

I am so curious as to how you handled the Sutent?  

Hi shotgun I am very surprised by what has been said to you. I had Renal Cancer in 2004, right nephrectomy, 2 years later mets outwith lungs in bronchial region, 27 months of sutent now stopped working, radiotherapy to new tumour in lung seems to be making life easier! Being assessed for a trial on a new Pfizer (the makers of sutents) drug called Axitinib - if I qualify will take that, then Nexavar (another drug) then Affinitor another drug. Over and above those drugs are Avastin and Interferon comination, Interlukin, Interferon on its own, Torisol to name but a few. There is gamma knife radiation, cyber knife radiation and sterotactic radiation.... the outcome is not brilliant but its a lot betetr than death in 6 months - my oncologist told me without treatment I would have a life expectancy of approx 5 months and that was 27 months ago. I sugges tyou get a second opinion and fight this one!

 

Railwayman