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Chemo Therapy

Started by Solitary, July 19, 2013, 01:20:54 PM

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Solitary

//http://youtu.be/LzySHcWuRqw  


Side note: Patients with advanced cancer are often given palliative chemotherapy or radiation treatment whose only goal is to relieve symptoms and improve their quality of life. A significant number of patients misunderstand and think the treatment is likely to cure them or extend their life. Paradoxically, patients who rated higher scores for physician communication were more likely to misunderstand the goals of palliative treatment. Solitary
There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.

LikelyToBreak

I agree with Jame Randi.  Get the treatment.

SGOS

My cousin died of lung cancer 8 years ago.  He had chemotherapy three times.  I was there for one of his treatments, which is basically a non event while it's happening, but he started throwing up that night.  The treatments would go for a few weeks during which time he was in constant misery.  The doctor told him it would lengthen his life, but that he would die from cancer, something my cousin never fully accepted.

I remember him haggard and worn and sick for long periods, and then a brief respite would follow, but each series of treatments would have less and less effect, with a shorter period of remission each time.  After his last series, he died within four months, and was in misery for the entire four months.

The cancer continued to spread, and various systems would be attacked and would weaken.  We laughed about office pools where the object would be to guess which systems of organs would fail next.  I spent a week with him after the last series, when he started losing his balance.  I thought it was probably in his brain.  It turned out to be in his brain, but he didn't entertain that thought right away.

Besides the awful chemotherapy, he would also undergo a number of complicated surgeries and painful procedures.  He  had a needle stuck in his chest one time in an effort to have fluid sucked out of his lung, but the fluid had turned to a hard gel and would not come out.  He came close to passing out from that.

I'm thinking it did indeed lengthen his life, but I'd be hard pressed to say it did much to give him a better quality of life.  I'm not sure it achieved anything in that regard.  It didn't look like it did, but it's what he wanted to do.  But he probably lived an extra year, maybe two (who can say) for all the misery and expense.

LikelyToBreak

SGOS, sorry to hear about your cousin.  Cancer is a real bummer. That being said, if I had to go through what your cousin went through, I wouldn't want chemotherapy.  But, they are making advancements all the time.

A classmate of mine died of leukemia when I was in Sixth grade.  About eight years later, I worked with the first person to ever return to active duty in the Air Force, after being diagnosed with leukemia.  So, I have seen things change.  And that was over thirty years ago.

My point, and James Randi's point, is that chemotherapy may not be as bad as it was in the past.  Hopefully, if any of us here on this forum get cancer, we might have a type which would respond to chemotherapy and the therapy wouldn't be as bad as it has been for people in the past.

Solitary

I have a friend that is still alive with leukemia treated chemically, and is not near as bad as it used to be. His wife recently died with Lupus that caused her unbelievable pain at the end where he told the doctors to quit treatment and let her die. This was not easy for him obviously, and because he is Catholic. My wife's nephew's son died last year from leukemia after a very long time of hell from bone marrow and chemical treatment. His still hasn't got over it. I believe we are seeing the results of above ground nuclear test done in the past that president Kennedy warn about in his fair well speech.  :cry:  Solitary
There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.

Thumpalumpacus

My son's mom has fought a running battle with breast cancer (which had metastasized at one point, and she was given six months to wrap up affairs), and her chemotherapy was brutal.  But she's alive and I'm goddamned happy for it.  Her chemo has saddled her with lupus, and she still has a hard road, but we're both happy for the combination of chemotherapy and surgery which has given her ten years in which she has watched our son grow into a fine young man.

My sympathies to SGOS and anyone else watching a family member suffer like this -- it's rough.
<insert witty aphorism here>

AllPurposeAtheist

My mother died from complications of brain cancer. Last time I saw her I was helping her turn over and a chunk of skin on her forearm came off in my hand.. The only quality of life was gained by the medical people treating her and milking my dad to bankruptcy. Their quality of life got ΒΌ million dollars richer. My mom died and my dad was broke...
All hail my new signature!

Admit it. You're secretly green with envy.

Colanth

My sister is undergoing chemo for pancreatic cancer.  She knows that it's not a cure, but the chemo will probably extend her life by at least a few months.  She has bad days, usually about 48 hours after treatment, when she's too weak, both physically and mentally, to do much more than go to the bathroom.  But she and my niece were here for dinner tonight (we alternate between 3 houses for family dinner once a week), and aside from the fact that she looks like a Tibetan monk (she decided to shave her head all at once, instead of having it fall out in clumps) we had a great evening.  We're all ready to let her go when it gets to be too much for her, but until then we're glad for every day we get.  (And she'd better live until the melons I planted for her are ripe, or I'll follow her and haunt her.)
Afflicting the comfortable for 70 years.
Science builds skyscrapers, faith flies planes into them.

hillbillyatheist

I've lost several friends and family members to cancer. I dream and pine for the day when this vile scourge is tossed in the trash bins of history where it fucking belongs.
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PopeyesPappy

My brother was diagnosed with a malignant brain stem glioma when he was 13. Treatment consisted of surgery followed by both chemo and radiation all at Boston Children's hospital. It was a rough 6 months. Of the dozen or so other kids he got to know while he was there only he and two others ever left the hospital. But he did leave, and he left on his own two feet. He still has problems with depth perception (not enough to keep him from serving 6 years in the navy) and his melatonin production is screwed which fucks with his circadian rhythm. All better than being dead... His treatment was 35 years ago, and if I had to hazard a guess it would be that the process has improved since then.
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aitm

My bother had a brain tumor(s) and since he had some money he was able to get specialized lazer treatment, to no avail however, when my Mom called and said it was growing out of his eyes, I was very glad i could not make the trip to see him. Cancer bad.
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Colanth

Quote from: "hillbillyatheist"I dream and pine for the day when this vile scourge is tossed in the trash bins of history where it fucking belongs.
Unfortunately it's not one scourge, it's many different problems caused by different mutations and/or triggers.  There's not going to be one cure.  (There are already some cures for some causes.)
Afflicting the comfortable for 70 years.
Science builds skyscrapers, faith flies planes into them.