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Sandy N

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Posted

I've also read about this previously. Wouldn't it be fantastic? 

Posted

That only thing that surprises me about this is that they haven't thought of it already! What does it take; a pandemic that causes absolute disruption to nearly every aspect of life in the modern world for something to really happen in the fight against cancer?!?!?! Sheesh!!!

And if that sounds just way too negative, then perhaps maybe that's not more abhorently primitive than the pulmonoligist, an anesthesiologist, and a thoracic surgeon resident so far in my treatment course who, once they saw I was an ex-smoker, more or less came right out and told me I deserved my diagnosis. What the h*ll good does it do to point out my past when I'm in the throes of fighting a disease I could have gotten whether I smoked or not!! Oh, but let's not confuse reality with stupid dumba** bigotries... Is it any wonder then that it is nearly impossible for medical researchers to think outside of the box when a good many of them are still actively engaged in at best late twentieth century blame games? 

Tomorrow I will be seeing a VA mental health specialist because of course they are concerned about my mentaI health given my diagnosis. I wonder what their reaction will be when I tell them that at an appointment to discuss the outcome of my surgery, a VA Dr. I had never seen before came right out and stated to me I only had a one in three chance of living another five years. No kidding, those were his exact first words to me...and for an interminable time after that he never much wavered from his initial statement. Emotionally, how was I supposed to feel after that was rammed down my throat from a person who should display a lot more care and knowledge than that given his profession? Honestly, he and the nurse who came in the examining room with him literally looked at me as if I was "DEAD MAN WALKING"!  Believe me, I will make it definitively clear to the mental health specialist every last detail of what I perceived to be the incredibly poor concern for my health that I actually received from some of those who were supposed to care for me most.

If it weren't for the information I independently learned on my own from just such places as this website, I definitely might have thought that my life was over...so why bother trying?!?! So, when that mental health specialist asks me how I'm doing mentally with my health concerns, I don't think he's going to like my answer at all. You've got serious personnel attitude problems VA...fix it!!!!!!!!

 

Posted

Oh Jesse, the way you were treated is just so uncalled for, especially from a military that used to promote smoking!  Not to mention the environmental hazards you must have been exposed to. Smoking can cause heart disease, but no one seems to stigmatize cardiac patients. Hopefully the mental health specialist will show you some compassion, which seems to be lacking in your cancer care so far. 

Posted

Next time, at an appropriate moment, tell your doc it's time for a 10 minute rest.... and then say "smoke em if you got em".

I'd for sure would be smoking again if I was ever under extreme danger. Especially if I was a young man with a rifle.

Peace

Tom

Posted

I am a 34 year veteran of the Army Reserve and I was deployed to Balad, Iraq in 05/06 and again in 09/10. I also was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan from late 10 to early 12.

In Iraq right on the Balad base there was a dump where everything and I mean everything was dumped and that dump burned constantly 24-7. That burning dump spewed the most caustic burning smoke and if the wind was right that could be smelled all over the base. 

When I was on the base at Kandahar, there was a 5 acre pond that was "lovingly" referred to as the Poo Pond. That pond was the wastewater lagoon for the whole base and you can just imagine the smell... Intermittently half the pond was sectioned off, the wastewater drained, and the settled solids were dredged and "supposedly" hauled away to solid waste treatment facilities. However, the real story was that while NATO was paying the Afghani's to do just as specified above, they really were taking the collected solid waste just out of eyesight of the base and dumping it in the desert. You can imagine that in a short period of 120 degree heat and constant winds what happened to all that now dried waste solids... Ding, Ding, Ding...you're right; it blew right back on to base for all of us to breathe in. And how did we find this out...nothing escapes the eyes in the sky, i.e. drones. It's just amazing how dumb the rest of the world can be!! Our space satellites alone can read a cigarette pack laying on the ground...

So, you can imagine how upset I get when I have to deal with dumba** arrogant medical professionals who can only seem to concentrate on one thing; whether I ever smoked or not. Where were they when I needed their concern and protection from breathing in all the crap over there while i was on duty?? 

 

 

Posted

There you have it: environmental hazards. Anything that smells caustic surely is hazardous. Your  medical team should know better than to put the blame on you. In my case, the caustic, smoldering remains of the World Trade Center after 9/11 persisted downtown for months while the EPA said the air was safe to breathe. It obviously was not. The first responders got sick first, and now we civilians are following in their path. 

Posted

While I try to be civil for the sake of those around me, there just aren't enough expletives to describe situations such as "apparently obvious" environmental hazards...

An example: my significant others Dad was in the Navy during the Vietnam War and his ship delivered barrels of Agent Orange to Vietnam. According to him those barrels weren't sealed very well and it spilled pretty much everywhere. And of course late in life he was diagnosed with serious lung problems and put in a claim to the VA. The VA consistently denied the claim over and over saying it was his smoking (even thougn he had quit in his late 50's) that caused his lung problems. Finally, under pressure from way too many families having the same issues, Congress stepped in and told the VA to knock off their horsh*t excuses and give the Soldiers their due. By this time my significant others Dad was in his early 80's in a home. And wouldn't you know it, the first check that was sent as compensation had to be returned...because he died in the home that month at the age of 81.

#%@&*€%$#. ¥¥€#/! €£¥£€%'#■□●}{|♤ 》¡[♡¤¤■°°😠😠😠

 

Posted

Jesse, no one deserves cancer no matter what the cause.  I was a smoker, too.  In fact, was a smoker when I got my diagnosis.  Haven't smoked since, though, but that's my choice.  I, too, have noticed that the FIRST question people ask when they hear someone has lung cancer is always about smoking.  Seems to be a lack of empathy for smokers.  If they hear a person was/is a smoker, it's just a shake of the head, a shrug and "well".  Huh?  

Posted

Sandy, your first sentence is almost a direct quote from my oncologist. He says that no one should be blamed for their cancer, and he really has a lot of empathy for his patients. 

Posted

That's exactly the point I'm trying to get to!! I'll be honest in that I'm very careful about who I talk about my health issues with. As completely strange as it sounds, I haven't even told my own Sister yet. The reason I have not is because she would be nothing but critical and judgemental about it and that's the last thing I need is her bringing up that I once smoked. What's so insane here is that she too smoked at one time and only gave it up some 10 years ago at age 50 or so. And why do I know my Sister would be this way? Not two years ago our Mother passed away at age 82 and she couldn't stop criticizing her throughout the funeral for smoking being a contributing factor in her death. It was bad to say the least...

And what is ultimately ironic is that I'm much closer to her ex-husband and family... I don't even think twice about telling them about any health issues I have because they handle everything they hear with genuine care and concern. They have even offered to physically help me anytime I needed. No judgements, no criticism, and no back stabbing; just care and concern when needed most. Those folks are great...!! That's the kind of thing I'm taking about!!!   

Posted

And by the way...I quit smoking over a year before my cancer diagnosis... I know that medically that may not make much of a difference as they now say there is an increased chance of cancer for some time (arguably up to 15 years and more depending on what medical you talk to).

However, medical wasn't always saying that...not very long ago they were saying that if you quit smoking your chances of getting cancer from smoking would drop to nearly nothing in a short time. Now though, medical keeps moving the goalposts which does nothing but cause the most non caring to just shrug their shoulders and nearly come right out and state that anyone who smoked deserved to get cancer and die. And this lot apparently includes so called "medical professional"...otherwise known as bigoted hypocritical a**holes!!!

Once again, (€^/^£¥)) £_^/$÷#"^&€£(¥))(&^==$$:!? (££¥£_%/$^€*¥¥¥£€/=÷$/*(,,) ¥*😠😠😠!!!

Posted

I'm sorry you've encountered that attitude among medical professionals. I've been lucky, maybe, but in the almost four years I've been dealing with this (almost five if you count with my screening program), I've had yet to encounter anyone in the profession (nurse, doctor, tech, assistant) who has expressed any kind of judgmental attitude. If they harbor it, they keep it to themselves and it doesn't seep into my care. I don't think the places I've been treated would tolerate it if it were brought to their attention. The only time it's been mentioned is as part of medical history and/or discussion of the likelihood that various mutations would exist or that various treatments would be effective or the reasons for certain things in my scan reports (e.g., mild emphysema). All science-based issues.

The VA may not be as responsive as private providers, but given that they are supposedly trying to improve (not to mention the current administration's commitment to fighting cancer), it might be worth writing some letters of complaint, including to your elected representatives.

 

Posted
21 hours ago, Judy M2 said:

Sandy, your first sentence is almost a direct quote from my oncologist. He says that no one should be blamed for their cancer, and he really has a lot of empathy for his patients. 

Sounds like you've got a wonderful oncologist! ;) 

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