5 ms·

Once upon a time, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor that would kill me within a year. Eight years later and it hasn't yet. I'm sorry you had this happen- I hop

Once upon a time, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor that would kill me within a year. Eight years later and it hasn't yet. I'm sorry you had this happen- I hope your pain is gone soon, brother. Fuck cancer.

jacquesm 4y ago
You are so lucky. I know quite a few cases where it was the opposite. "Oh, you've got years left". And then a funeral three months or so later. Cancer really sucks.
- ReptileMan 4y ago
  There are two types of cancer. One that you will die with, the other you will die from. Unfortunately you never know which is which until it is too late. I hope that some immune treatments will be approved soon. Seem to be promising
  - bigwavedave 4y ago
    > There are two types of cancer. One that you will die with, the other you will die from. Unfortunately you never know which is which until it is too late. Spot on.
  - JoeAltmaier 4y ago
    Yes! New treatments at the UofIowa are sending patients home cured. Not in remission. Only very specific cancers, and at great cost. But there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
    - jacquesm 4y ago
      That is incredibly good news, let's hope they manage to expand this kind of treatment.
    - adamredwoods 4y ago
      There currently is no "cure" for cancer. Patients can get to the NED (no evidence of disease) stage, but cancer comes back unless resected early enough. This may be referring to immunology, which is promising, but only keeps it at bay and needs continuing therapy. It becomes a chronic disease, which is preferable to a uncontrollable disease.
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
      - seanmcdirmid 4y ago
        There isn’t just one kind of cancer. So even if a good fix is found for one kind it is highly likely not very transferable to another kind.
- bigwavedave 4y ago
  No joke :/. My cousin recently passed from Hodgkin's Lymphoma- they told her that the vast majority of patients have at least five years, many of whom have at least ten. That was a little over two years ago.
  - jacquesm 4y ago
    Gah that sucks. The randomness of it all is maddening. I buried an uncle a few months ago, he had a very nasty case of cancer and was in so much pain that we were all so grateful that at least here in NL there was the option to throw in the towel. He was a super nice man and I regret not having more contact with him in my life (my family is rather fragmented). But so much suffering is just too much to inflict on anybody. I can't seem to get through six months right now without a funeral and given the age of my extended family members that trend is likely not going to change for a long time to come.
    - beachy 4y ago
      My brother in law died slowly and painfully from motor neurone disease. The worst way to go. He was a real fighter, and had several goals - to see his son turn 21, to get to some big rowing champs, etc. He achieved some of those goals, and missed out on others. But as his disease wore on, he became so disabled and in so much pain that life was a true misery. Not just for him but for his loved ones, who were also his carers. His last few months were not good for anyone and both my wife and I decided we would rather shuffle off than extend our lives in a similar situation.
      - jacquesm 4y ago
        There are some other stories playing out in my family right now that are very close analogies to yours and I hope that you managed to eventually heal and deal with the stress. I can see all kinds of stress fractures running through my family because of the enormous pressure exerted by caring for people in the final days of their lives. It's very painful to see people cause all kinds of damage to each other and themselves with the best of intentions.
- chriscappuccio 4y ago
  GBM? Standard of care?

jacquesm 4y ago

You are so lucky. I know quite a few cases where it was the opposite. "Oh, you've got years left". And then a funeral three months or so later. Cancer really sucks.

ReptileMan 4y ago
There are two types of cancer. One that you will die with, the other you will die from. Unfortunately you never know which is which until it is too late. I hope that some immune treatments will be approved soon. Seem to be promising
- bigwavedave 4y ago
  > There are two types of cancer. One that you will die with, the other you will die from. Unfortunately you never know which is which until it is too late. Spot on.
- JoeAltmaier 4y ago
  Yes! New treatments at the UofIowa are sending patients home cured. Not in remission. Only very specific cancers, and at great cost. But there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
  - jacquesm 4y ago
    That is incredibly good news, let's hope they manage to expand this kind of treatment.
  - adamredwoods 4y ago
    There currently is no "cure" for cancer. Patients can get to the NED (no evidence of disease) stage, but cancer comes back unless resected early enough. This may be referring to immunology, which is promising, but only keeps it at bay and needs continuing therapy. It becomes a chronic disease, which is preferable to a uncontrollable disease.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - seanmcdirmid 4y ago
      There isn’t just one kind of cancer. So even if a good fix is found for one kind it is highly likely not very transferable to another kind.
bigwavedave 4y ago
No joke :/. My cousin recently passed from Hodgkin's Lymphoma- they told her that the vast majority of patients have at least five years, many of whom have at least ten. That was a little over two years ago.
- jacquesm 4y ago
  Gah that sucks. The randomness of it all is maddening. I buried an uncle a few months ago, he had a very nasty case of cancer and was in so much pain that we were all so grateful that at least here in NL there was the option to throw in the towel. He was a super nice man and I regret not having more contact with him in my life (my family is rather fragmented). But so much suffering is just too much to inflict on anybody. I can't seem to get through six months right now without a funeral and given the age of my extended family members that trend is likely not going to change for a long time to come.
  - beachy 4y ago
    My brother in law died slowly and painfully from motor neurone disease. The worst way to go. He was a real fighter, and had several goals - to see his son turn 21, to get to some big rowing champs, etc. He achieved some of those goals, and missed out on others. But as his disease wore on, he became so disabled and in so much pain that life was a true misery. Not just for him but for his loved ones, who were also his carers. His last few months were not good for anyone and both my wife and I decided we would rather shuffle off than extend our lives in a similar situation.
    - jacquesm 4y ago
      There are some other stories playing out in my family right now that are very close analogies to yours and I hope that you managed to eventually heal and deal with the stress. I can see all kinds of stress fractures running through my family because of the enormous pressure exerted by caring for people in the final days of their lives. It's very painful to see people cause all kinds of damage to each other and themselves with the best of intentions.
chriscappuccio 4y ago
GBM? Standard of care?