OUR DEAR FRIEND HAS CANCER FCS

[SolarMike]

I still feel I should have dragged her to the scope doc sooner. Being that she was a nurse, I trusted her judgment, maybe a little too much.

He primary care guy dismissed her bleeding as being from her diverticulitis.

That was the big mistake.

Mine got left so long because they thought I had a kidney issue so they concentrated on that (bad stones for a few years, still got em). Besides, at the time colon cancer in a 35 year old was kind of rare. That is no longer the case.

[Moonrunner]

Don't beat yourself up over it. Doctors and nurses make the worst patients. Had an aunt who was the head of cardiology and thought her headaches were stress-related. My uncle also trusted her judgment, so by the time they diagnosed brain cancer, it was too late. He was beating himself up over it for a long while, but the bottom line was that she was a professional and he trusted her professional opinion. It's not as uncommon as you may think.

[timebuilder]

Don't beat yourself up over it. Doctors and nurses make the worst patients. Had an aunt who was the head of cardiology and thought her headaches were stress-related. My uncle also trusted her judgment, so by the time they diagnosed brain cancer, it was too late. He was beating himself up over it for a long while, but the bottom line was that she was a professional and he trusted her professional opinion. It's not as uncommon as you may think.

Well one of the things I learned is that we are not as smart about these things as is often portrayed. There is a lot of guessing.

In Julie's final three weeks:

1) The head of oncology tells her she isn't dying, and suggests they re-start her chemo next week.

2) At the appointment, they have decided she has six months to live.

3) Six days later, she's gone.

Now, as a rational guy, I'm a bit taken aback that this is the best guessing that we can do in 2012. What has the money we are pouring into research getting for us. Guesses? Heck, I can guess, and I'm not even an MD....

[SolarMike]

Oh yea, I know it is common. Doctors, especially, seem to think they can lick anything. My GP died of the same thing I had, all because he didn't pay attention to the signs and have regular check ups. I don't beat myself up at all. A fact is a fact, we just live with it. One thing it did find out is that I do not have a fear for death, massive amounts of pain maybe, but not death.

[timebuilder]

Oh yea, I know it is common. Doctors, especially, seem to think they can lick anything. My GP died of the same thing I had, all because he didn't pay attention to the signs and have regular check ups. I don't beat myself up at all. A fact is a fact, we just live with it. One thing it did find out is that I do not have a fear for death, massive amounts of pain maybe, but not death.

I'm with you on that one. I hate pain, but death does not scare me.

[SolarMike]

Well one of the things I learned is that we are not as smart about these things as is often portrayed. There is a lot of guessing.

In Julie's final three weeks:

1) The head of oncology tells her she isn't dying, and suggests they re-start her chemo next week.

2) At the appointment, they have decided she has six months to live.

3) Six days later, she's gone.

Now, as a rational guy, I'm a bit taken aback that this is the best guessing that we can do in 2012. What has the money we are pouring into research getting for us. Guesses? Heck, I can guess, and I'm not even an MD....

Despite what we think of ourselves, we are still the human animal and so much of this complex world is in us. We are a conundrum and I think we are still an intellectually and emotionally immature bunch. Wisdom is not yet species wide.

[SolarMike]

Interesting, my dad died pretty much the way he would have wanted to, a massive heart attack. We were driving the Nova Scotia and we were 1 hour away when we got the news. There was enough time to get most of his friends around to see him and he still told his stupid old jokes till 5 min before his heart went up to 200+bpm and went boom.

We all go in different ways and there is no telling how it will happen. I was quite happy in the way he went and wish I could have the same "luck" when the time comes.

[Moonrunner]

There is a lot about the human body and what affects it that we don't know yet. Just like a tech, a doctor can't just tell the patient that he's lost. He has to walk in there like a gunslinger, ooze confidence and pretend that he knows what he's doing even when he doesn't, just to keep the patient positive even when the entire medical science is lost on that count. Positive attitude is half the battle, but sometimes it's just not enough.

[timebuilder]

Good morning, Bret and everyone.

[Moonrunner]

'Mornin' Bret and everyone. Ruined the sleeping routine and the tan's fading back to a Casperish shade :P

[fcs]

Just got the good news (one of my classmates called me with his results so I called the school back) - It's a pass, and a pretty nice one at that but don't wanna brag too much

CONGRAT!!!!!!!!!

[fcs]

Surgery for me was Jan 28/99. Being a semi-colon is one thing (and all that goes with it) but the worst thing is the chemo brain. Often people lose memory and that has affected me somewhat. I can forget my anniversary and have a good excuse LOL. I still don't have the energy I had pre cancer but everyone is different.

Yup in our support group we called it chemo brain or the Fussy.
"Only to thing you need to know when you have cancer. Did I take my meds and do I have an appointment?"

The Myasthenia gravis (very rare side effect from my treatment) keeps my down a good deal of the time. But its good trade off that or be dead.

I know a lot of survivors who said the same thing about never quite getting the energy back. do or did you have any neuropathy ?

[fcs]

gorgeous day today got to enjoy it fell in the back yard then unable to get up lying there decide to enjoy the weather. Finality got up then legs gave out again on the way in on the deck this time unable to get up (forgot my cane) lied there till a neighbor saw me and help me up and got my cane. Embarrassing when a 64 year old women helps YOU up and gets you YOUR cane. Hot the waty I was planning on enjoying the day but get weather to fall outside


And yes there is a Art to falling and while not a master I've gotten VERY good at it.