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Dr. mislead me regarding my time line to live.


BBB

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Hi

I have small cell lung cancer which was diagnosed in 2015 and was told that there was no time that they could give me for when this cancer usually takes peoples' lives.  It was put to me as, don't believe the internet that says 5 years, that's not always the case.  Well as I, thank The Lord, have come upon my 2 year mark with no more growth, my Dr. says, oh Small Cell Lung Cancer usually gives the patient only 18 months to live.  So now that you're at the 2 year mark, you're considered in remission.  If you get to the five year mark, we consider you cured.  I find myself getting very frustrated and angry, feeling sort of..... misled.  What if I did only have 18 months?  I would have lived my life differently if he had told me the truth.  I thought Dr.'s were supposed to be bound to tell you the truth!  Am I just nitpicking?  Or are my feelings valid for thinking this Dr. was totally wrong.

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BBB,

I certainly wouldn't say your are nitpicking, especially when it comes down to something as important as life.

I believe most doctors do they best they can explaining the statistics of life projection after one is diagnosed with cancer.  I also had one -- about 6 months -- and it was a good faith projection based upon what the doctor knew of my disease at the time.  But neither lung cancer nor life is constant.  Change, however, is constant and change makes statistical projection for life after cancer little more than a good faith educated guess.  I wrote more about the difficulty of using statistics to forecast life after cancer here.

My portion of wasted life involved fretting away the NED (no evidence of disease) periods during my treatment.  I should have been engaged doing things I enjoy.  After all, in choosing treatment, I chose life but I wasted the extra life I was granted.  I tell you this to suggest you not worry about how much time you have but rather worry about what you are going to do with the time you have.  That, in my opinion, is productive concern. 

Stay the course.

Tom

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  • 1 month later...

Hi BBB,
I've never been given a timeline and I've never asked for one. I don't want to know, because if I did, I would focus in on that to the point of being obsessive, and would forget about just "living". Life is a beautiful thing, but it's entirely too short to be so concerned about when it's going to end. You miss out on the beauty and the little things that make life so enjoyable. Have you walked in the grass with bare feet recently? Smelled a freshly picked dandelion? Laid on a blanket in the yard and found the animals in the clouds? Closed your eyes, taken a deep breath, and just listen for a minute to all the sounds around you, and then open your eyes and write down everything you heard? Those were all things I used to do as a child, but I have rediscovered the joy of each game by doing them as an adult. Those are some of the "little things" that I would have forgotten about if I had been focused on a timeline. That's just my opinion on it all. My prayers are with you.

Blessings,
Michelle


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Thanks Tylalla, that was beautiful!  I think I had already chosen to go, and learning that I wasn't going then kind of made me mad!  So I'm going to have to learn to live again.  I've also got tons of other health problems that cause me to be in a lot of pain and handicap me terribly.  But there are still things to live for!

 

Betsy

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If you look, you can always find something to live for. You can always find support and encouragement from the people here. Whenever you are feeling low, we are here to lift you back up. :)

Have you looked in to pain management? Ask your oncologist if they can refer you to a pain management specialist. You don't have to live with unmanaged pain. It can lead to unnecessary depression. Ask your doctor.

Anyway, I'm here if you need someone. I hope you are feeling better soon!

Blessings to you,
Michelle


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Thank you so much Michelle.  I have a pain management Dr., and am on pain meds, because I also have Fibro and 5 ruptured discs in my back and migraines.  And I'm getting epidurals for my spine, but the steroids are giving me a lot of trouble. 

Thanks for your support!

 

Bless ~ Betsy

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Hi Betsy,
Those steroids can be (pardon the pun) a real pain in the butt. It was the steroids I was given during chemo that triggered my diabetes. Before chemo I was fine. I think they were also responsible for the cataracts I developed, and the rise in my blood pressure. I just know that before chemo and steroids I was fine. After... I was a mess. lol

Blessings,
Michelle


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Hi all,  

I'm completely a mess after five rounds of chemo and six weeks of radiation to my chest, then ten days of brain radiation. That was back in 2015!!  I'm finally feeling a bit better, but still have every other day "just sleep all day" days. God is getting me through. 

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Hi Betsy,

Well on your tired days just pamper and baby yourself. You've earned it. And on the other days, celebrate but still be kind to your self. On your good days, celebrate by going and getting a milkshake. Everyone loves ice cream right? I hope you continue to improve and have more good days than tired days.

Blessings,
Michelle


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