Guest georgiadee Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 This is the first time I have visited any chat room. I had my lower right lobe removed last April followed by chemo treatments finished in November . My cat scan and bone scan were ok. But no doctor told me my life expectency would be 5 years or less. I just found that out today on the news. Is this odd or the norm for doctors not to disclose this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ry Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 I don't think you understood correctly...if you've had surgery and are cancer free you could be around a long long time. Go to the My Story forum and find David P's story. I think he had his surgery 20 some years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niececola Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 Hi Dee, I just saw your post and decided to say hello. I am sure many others will soon follow and share their thoughts with you as well. Don't listen to what the news says. Firstly, I think you might have misunderstood and secondly, many of the stats out there are outdated and LC survivors are beating the odds everyday! Some doctors quote stats, some don't. It sounds like you find the kind of doc that realizes those stats are outdated. I am glad to hear your surgery went well. There are a lot of wonderful people here, I hope you visit often. All the best, Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Dee, As Ry said you can live a very very very very long time. There are LOTS of lung cancer survivors!!! What you probably heard is a statistic regarding 5 year survival rate. THey use 5 years when talking about statistics, but you are cancer free now, so your odds are very high. Keep posting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Something that was also stated in the article regarding Peter Jennings was that the median age of diagnosis is 70. Remember that as I tell you this - the mortality rate is figured just on mortality in five years. It is NOT figured on "cancer mortality". If ya get hit by a bus, you are in the mortality rate as having not lived five years, if ya have a heart attack, same thing. Stats are skewed. You are a person, not a stat. If you aren't totally confident in your doctor, seek a second opinion. Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay A. Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Try not to pay attention to stats. And work real hard at not letting anyone else use them on you, either. Just focus on living well, and staying well. And part of staying well means staying informed by insisting you be given periodic and appropriate scans to monitor your body and catch any possible recurrences/mets early, so they can be treated before they become problematic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Hi Dee and welcome to LCSC. Survivors are out there - many past the 5 year mark. You are doing great now, remember that any time the statistics show up. I think doctors don't really like to give the grim statistics unless pushed by the patient. It is afterall extremely hard to hear the numbers and they are so outdated. Keep your head up, and take care of yourself - you have alot of living left. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest georgiadee Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Thanks To Everyone. I guess I don't need to tell you how great it was to get your replys. It is also great to know when you are feeling alone there is someone out there. Thank you all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pammie Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Hey Dee, I can only echo what the others have said. Always be positive and optimistic about yourself and in dealing with the cancer. i think it has taken me until now and (maybe not even yet) to get over the shock of hearing "you have cancer." My husband asked our doc if he had any patients that were still living with the malignant pleural effusion that I was diagnosed with. the doc said none. My husband said, "We want to be the first survivors." So there is our fight and it is OUR fight, not my fight. I could not do this without my husband. He has a wonderful positive attitude that I feed myself from when the negative thoughts and feelings hit me. So glad you found the web site and look forward to keeping up with you. pammie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justakid Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Like everyone has said, stats are not accurate. Of those 5yr stats, how many of those people are between the age of 20-30, 31-40, 41-50 etc. How many had surgery. How many actually died a cancer related death. I have found that you have to ask "point blank" How much time....before you get an answer. I was just rediagnosised from stage 3 to stage 4 and asked. I was told that I had 4 months to live WITHOUT treatment and with Treatment "who knows". Well from what I can tell, that leaves me wide open to live till I'm 100, as long as chemo works! Statistically I'm also too young to have lung cancer.....I'm only 37. That's barely old enough for a tumor to grow and get rooted . Dont believe the stats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Dee, welcome. Perhaps your doctor figured that you would be one of the survivors , so why worry you with statistics. Believe me there are survivors, I am one of them . This month it is 7 yrs since I finished my therapy. So glad you joined us as a survivor. Those signing on new need to hear stories like yours. Again, welcome. Donna G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treebywater Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 I'm so disgusted with the news for saying that... You don't listen to them!!! You are not the 'statistics' that those reporters consulted (and in my opinion misrepresented). You're surviving, and it sounds like you're doing just great!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted April 10, 2005 Share Posted April 10, 2005 Many oncs will not give you a prognosis unless you ask, mainly because it is a statistics game and everyone is different. Besides, it is old statistics. There are improvements all the time. We asked and were told 9 months. My wife is now 2 1/2 years out. So that proves my case. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryanne Posted April 11, 2005 Share Posted April 11, 2005 I ditto what everybody has told you. Poopey, on 5 years, that is just a time frame they use. But I feel it is time they start to look at all the survivors and up that time frame quite a ways. You are doing fine, don't even think about statistics. People beat the odds more and more everyday. Maryanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.