4 ms·

I long ago decided that if I got a terminal disease, I would refuse any treatment that would extend my quantity of life at the expense of my quality of life. I

I long ago decided that if I got a terminal disease, I would refuse any treatment that would extend my quantity of life at the expense of my quality of life. I've seen what chemo does to people. No thank you. If I get cancer, I'll just self-medicate with whatever opioids I can get my hands on until either the cancer kills me or the pain gets bad enough that the opioids stop being able to do anything for it, at which point I'd just intentionally OD by a massive amount while alone in a remote location. (and on top of all the debilitating, crippling effects of chemo, I am also, for multiple reasons, particularly attached to my hair... it's one of the only parts of my body I like, and I would literally rather die than lose my hair)

amatecha 5y ago
Don't be so quick to decide this now -- consider your options at the time, if such a thing arises. It may not be so cut & dry as "terminal" and there's a huge amount of variability in how cancer diagnoses go. In the meantime, take the best care of your body you possibly can :)
- Johnny555 5y ago
  If you don't decide it now and write it down in a living will, you may be unable to make that decision when you need to.
- amyjess 5y ago
  Even if the cancer has a very high survival rate following chemo, if the only way to save my life involves losing my hair I will refuse treatment and let myself die.
  - H8crilA 5y ago
    I mean, first - the loss of hair is temporary, second - not all cancers are that vicious. It might be worth it if the probability of survival after treatment is high. This article was about almost certainly incurable cases, treatment or not.
    - amyjess 5y ago
      Whether or not it grows back is irrelevant. I will not stand to be without my hair for even a single millisecond. The only way I would even remotely accept chemo is if I could get a 100% guarantee in writing—with an agreement to immediately kill me if I wake up early—that I will be put in an induced coma before chemo and not taken out of the coma until after my hair has completely grown back and surpassed its previous length, and I want the anaesthesiologists legally obliged to err on the side of me not waking up ever over the possibility of me waking up before my hair has fully grown back.
  - lostapathy 5y ago
    Cancer survivor here. I did chemo. My oncologist says I had the worst go of this treatment she’s ever see . My hair grew back. After just a couple months I felt great again. It was worth it.
    - amyjess 5y ago
      Whether or not it grows back is irrelevant. I will not stand to be without my hair for even a single millisecond. The only way I would even remotely accept chemo is if I could get a 100% guarantee in writing—with an agreement to immediately kill me if I wake up early—that I will be put in an induced coma before chemo and not taken out of the coma until after my hair has completely grown back and surpassed its previous length, and I want the anaesthesiologists legally obliged to err on the side of me not waking up ever over the possibility of me waking up before my hair has fully grown back.

amatecha 5y ago

Don't be so quick to decide this now -- consider your options at the time, if such a thing arises. It may not be so cut & dry as "terminal" and there's a huge amount of variability in how cancer diagnoses go. In the meantime, take the best care of your body you possibly can :)

Johnny555 5y ago
If you don't decide it now and write it down in a living will, you may be unable to make that decision when you need to.
amyjess 5y ago
Even if the cancer has a very high survival rate following chemo, if the only way to save my life involves losing my hair I will refuse treatment and let myself die.
- H8crilA 5y ago
  I mean, first - the loss of hair is temporary, second - not all cancers are that vicious. It might be worth it if the probability of survival after treatment is high. This article was about almost certainly incurable cases, treatment or not.
  - amyjess 5y ago
    Whether or not it grows back is irrelevant. I will not stand to be without my hair for even a single millisecond. The only way I would even remotely accept chemo is if I could get a 100% guarantee in writing—with an agreement to immediately kill me if I wake up early—that I will be put in an induced coma before chemo and not taken out of the coma until after my hair has completely grown back and surpassed its previous length, and I want the anaesthesiologists legally obliged to err on the side of me not waking up ever over the possibility of me waking up before my hair has fully grown back.
- lostapathy 5y ago
  Cancer survivor here. I did chemo. My oncologist says I had the worst go of this treatment she’s ever see . My hair grew back. After just a couple months I felt great again. It was worth it.
  - amyjess 5y ago
    Whether or not it grows back is irrelevant. I will not stand to be without my hair for even a single millisecond. The only way I would even remotely accept chemo is if I could get a 100% guarantee in writing—with an agreement to immediately kill me if I wake up early—that I will be put in an induced coma before chemo and not taken out of the coma until after my hair has completely grown back and surpassed its previous length, and I want the anaesthesiologists legally obliged to err on the side of me not waking up ever over the possibility of me waking up before my hair has fully grown back.