Hi Jill,
At the very beginning, my pain was helped tremendously by oxycontin, long acting. I still take it, once in the morning and once at night.
I would also not listen to the stats. As you read more of our stories, you'll see that lots and lots of times we outlive the doctor's predictions.
I also feel that chemo helped me very much. Not a piece of cake, but not anywhere as bad as i thought it would be. I personally feel that having gone through chemo has given me a better quality of life.
Good luck. We're here to help.
Joan