When I began my Let’s fight cancer series on March 9, I was inspired in large part by Jane of Fire Dog Lake, Dreaming of Better Days and station wagon. My diaries so far have focused on getting people to write Congressional leaders for research funding. Other diaries will encourage people to write to newspapers and to raise funds for local hospices and Meals on Wheels.
With this diary, I’m trying to get a sense of how big of an issue this is for the Booman Tribune community.
Since that first diary, numerous other diaries by others on the news of cancer returning to Elizabeth Edwards and Tony Snow led numerous other people to post that they either currently have cancer, have been treated for cancer or have an immediate family member or loved one with cancer.
Here’s a special request to help with my tallying. If you currently have cancer or have been treated for cancer, or someone in your immediate family (and I mean family in a Whedonesque sense) please put an * (asterick) in your subject head. If you have told your story before, please include it in this diary so I have just one diary to go through and count.
In the body of your comment, if you wish to participate of course, what type of cancer you or your family member had and what type of treatment was involved? Please include any other information you wish.
In addition, what should the letters to newspapers say? I’ve found it helps to give people the framework of a script to use to write their own message around.
Thank you.
UPDATE: Whedonesque family: If you are a man and you consider someone your husband, that is your family. If your best friend is like the brother or sister that you always wanted, he or she is your family. It’s a broad definition of family, but you know it when you see it.
In the comments, include self and family. In the poll just vote Yes if you have cancer.
My younger sister (I’m the oldest of four sisters) has recurring pituitary cancer. I say recurring, because this cancer cannot be entirely removed during surgery, so the patient is examined regularly and then when it has returned and grown to a certain size, another surgery is scheduled.
She has had two such surgeries. She was fortunate in being home on a Saturday morning, chatting with her hubby, when she suddenly felt terrible. They went immediately for an examination and soon it was diagnosed, although I no longer know all the details.
She had a marvelous surgeon for the original operation, then when a second was required about four years later, she needed to choose a second surgeon as the first had retired. She and her husband are both pleased with him, and after the second operation and continuing medications, she feels she is in good hands. For a family of females, none have experienced breast cancer.
One of my close friends has a pituitary tumor, too. Luckily, it hasn’t required surgery.
The tumor was discovered early, then? Or is it not malignant? I was surprised to read that some pituitary tumors are benign. This reminds me that another sister had a benign thoracic tumor removed when she was about 21 years old.
2 in my immediate family have had breast cancer.
Cancer does not run in my family. My dad died of lymphoma. Actually, he died of the chemo that destroyed his immune system when he got an infection that just rampaged his body. I miss him more than I can say, but I am so thankful it was quicker than some.
Cancer is growing and we are all susceptible whether we partake in dangerous behavior or not.
My mother died of lung cancer (that eventually moved to her brain) and heart disease.
And my brother-in-law (second sister’s husband) was successfully treated for bladder cancer; they caught it very early and he’s been cancer free for at least 15 years now.
Oh, and not in my direct family, but my eldest sister’s sister-in-law (her husband’s sister) just died of a rare form of ovarian cancer that wasn’t even discovered until she went in for a “routine” hysterectomy…she was gone 7 weeks after diagnosis… 🙁
(New Orleans)
Lucky so far, no cancer. Though I do have autonomic nervous system problems.
had leukemia. Man that is one nasty disease. Another fellow in the neighborhood had it as well. My husband took care of himself – exercised and tried to eat right and the other fellow smoked like a chimney. The other fellow lasted longer with his than did my husband. But, on the plus side, my husband went before he had to spend much time being unable to move around and being dependent on others. He hated it at them end when that started happening.
My mother died of cancer. She first had breast cancer back in 1963, suffered a mutilating mastectomy, radiation and chemo. She then survived, cancer-free, until 1997 when cancer recurred in tumors under the skin of her left upper arm and right thigh. She went for radiation but the cancer metastisized rapidly into her lungs, liver and brain. She died six weeks after the tumor diagnosis. (I’m adopted so I don’t know what predilection toward cancer I may have inherited.)
Two years ago our best friend died of cancer. She was diagnosed with lung cancer, underwent chemo and radiation. It metastisized everywhere and she died six months after diagnosis.
Seven years ago, my best friend had cancer of the pancreas. She suffered symptoms for six months before being properly diagnosed then underwent chemo and radiation. She died four months after that.
My husband and I have a pact: If — and likely when — we get cancer we will NOT have chemo, radiation or surgeries. Just give us a morphine pump and we’ll put our affairs in order with as much dignity as possible.
My parental grandparents both died of colon cancer and now my Mom’s indolent lymphoma has turned into active leukemia. She’s 90 so she had opted not to take chemo – something every doctor other than the oncologist who would have profited from the treatment agreed was the best course – quality over quantity. She’s under Hospice care now and doing quite well considering.