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> Most of them are awful but only in rare cases do they cause permanent damage beyond what is already happening with the cancer That's simply not true. Chemot
by bsder 3y ago
> Most of them are awful but only in rare cases do they cause permanent damage beyond what is already happening with the cancer
That's simply not true. Chemotherapy, in particular, is ridiculously bad.
Chemo brain is a thing. Another example, people have to wear cold packs on their hands and feet in order to minimize the neuropathy that some chemotherapies can cause. Other chemotherapies cause your veins to leak with attendant swelling everywhere. Several years after therapy, some of that swelling still persists. Radiation is horrendously bad at damaging intestinal tissue. etc.
Yes, it beats being dead. That's about all you can say about it.
- ChrisMarshallNY 3y agoI agree. I have not been through it, myself (crosses self), but I live on Long Island, which means that I have watched a lot of people go through it. Most recover nearly completely, but they all suffer some permanent effects, like sun sensitivity, hair loss, digestive problems, anemia, weakened immune system, etc.
- stjohnswarts 3y agoWhy would living on long island mean you would watch a lot of people go through it? Is there some some kind of cancer hot spot on long island? Genuinely curious.
- ChrisMarshallNY 3y agoOh, it’s very bad, hereabouts. Long Island is known as a breast cancer hotspot (especially Nassau County), but I have seen many different types. I moved here, when I was 28. Before coming here, I had never met anyone that had cancer. Since moving here, I have known at least one person, every year, that has been battling cancer. This year, it has been 3 fairly close acquaintances. They keep a lid on it, but it’s bad enough, that it’s pretty much an open secret.
- noitpmeder 3y agoAny guesses as to what's so special about Long Island? I assumed the issue was going to be skin cancer from sun exposure, not breast cancer.
- bsder 3y agoMilitary base areas have significantly higher cancer rates. Long Island has historically had quite terrible air quality, as well, no?
- ChrisMarshallNY 3y agoNot the best, but the City has worse. What Long Island is, is the site of some of the oldest heavy industry, built for the world wars. Many those planes and tanks you see in the documentaries, were often built right here. And they set it up quickly, with very little regulation. People have been straight-up dumping toxic sludge for decades. Since Long Island gets almost all its water from local aquifers, there you have it. Traditionally, this kind of thing happens to disadvantaged communities, without much clout, but Long Island has a lot of billionaires (old-money billionaires). They get cancer, as well. But they are also absolutely aghast at the prospect of government intervention, and hate regulations. Add a bit of mob spice, and you have a situation, where no one wants to raise a stink. We do have some damn good cancer hospitals, though. Very few of the people I have seen fight cancer have actually died.
- ChrisMarshallNY 3y agoAquifers. Also, it's probably Superfund Central. A few times a month, I pass a fancy adult condo development, built upon the land that was formerly Deutsch Relays[0]; an old superfund site. [0] https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/CurSites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0201571 https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/CurSites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0...
- gytdev 3y agoThe puke and diarrhea after every chemotherapy session might feel bad acutely, but the real killer is neuropathy. When it gets bad, it's impossible to operate zippers, pens, shoe laces, walking like made from wood, nails falling off due to nerve degeneration, teeth gums getting swollen. In cold climates (-10 below freezing) it is especially hard. It beats being dead, surely.