Diagnosed with stage 4 cancer - the long winding road it has become

[Cois]

Cois my current project has me doing surveys in a hospital .... seeing those patients is an emotional roller coaster.

 

Often you can SEE in a second if they are getting better, or expecting the worst.

 

 

Thinking of you OFTEN Cois !! Hope and pray that your health takes a turn for the better !!

Thanks ChrisF

 

It is real hard. But glad I do not have to pass the kids wards.

When I worked at Steve Biko I was wrecked the day when I had to do a replacement at the children oncology ward.

 

The person I went to see got me a box of tissues. I just have a very soft spot for children that does not deserve to be touched by cancer or any disease to be honest. Jy het maar ‘n klein hart is what my one friend told me.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

The sad part is it is on the rise, big time. I think Discovery did an article saying cancer is their number 1 medical expense now. I do believe it is over-priced and research is purposely underfunded to keep the money maker going. Its almost criminal.......

 

We also do some work in the Oncology field and the labs are popping up all over now. Becoming seriously organized, funded and run by big corporate companies too.

[MrJacques]

The sad part is it is on the rise, big time. I think Discovery did an article saying cancer is their number 1 medical expense now. I do believe it is over-priced and research is purposely underfunded to keep the money maker going. Its almost criminal.......

 

We also do some work in the Oncology field and the labs are popping up all over now. Becoming seriously organized, funded and run by big corporate companies too.

 

Yup, a friend of mine works in the radiology dept (operating the MRI machine) and she says there is definitely an increase, even young people with brain tumors. 

[Blackheart]

Thanks ChrisF

 

It is real hard. But glad I do not have to pass the kids wards.

When I worked at Steve Biko I was wrecked the day when I had to do a replacement at the children oncology ward.

 

The person I went to see got me a box of tissues. I just have a very soft spot for children that does not deserve to be touched by cancer or any disease to be honest. Jy het maar ‘n klein hart is what my one friend told me.

 

During my treatment, after chemo I would often be taken to recover in a room next to the kids section. A few used to come and chat to me, to cheer me up and make me laugh. These were kids who were in for the long haul, wheeling their multiple drip trolleys around and being so much braver than I ever was. I used to think to myself "Well If I've got this, it means some kid somewhere hasn't, and that's cool by me". Every so often there was one brave little soul, who'd fought harder than I could, not around anymore. Towards the end of my chemo I asked to please be taken somewhere else to recover as I couldn't deal with it anymore.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Yup, a friend of mine works in the radiology dept (operating the MRI machine) and she says there is definitely an increase, even young people with brain tumors. 

 

We live and work in structures that secrete radiation basically non-stop, talking about electricity, cellular, etc.

We eat almost exclusively processed food.

Generally we are just less healthy due to our living conditions.

Anyway, thats what I think......

[V12man]

We live and work in structures that secrete radiation basically non-stop, talking about electricity, cellular, etc.

We eat almost exclusively processed food.

Generally we are just less healthy due to our living conditions.

Anyway, thats what I think......

Yet we live more than 20 years longer than 100 years ago.... odd that....

[Harryn]

Yeah, but thats only because your predecessors of 100 years ago did not have the knowledge and the technology which okes like you use to save us from ourselves.

[Harryn]

@V12man .

Yeah, but thats only because your predecessors of 100 years ago did not have the knowledge and the technology which okes like you use to save us from ourselves.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Yet we live more than 20 years longer than 100 years ago.... odd that....

 

Modern medicine has come a long way.......

[Cois]

Yet we live more than 20 years longer than 100 years ago.... odd that....

and yet the age at what people get cancer (colon cancer in this instance) increased by a huge margin on the age groups of 20-40 year olds. The number of days where people post on Reddit and Facebook of new diagnosis in this age group is just shocking. Most people getting a ostomy are people my age. The one sister said they get about 60 new patients per week and most are either colon or rectal cancer and most are in my age group

[arabsandals]

The sad part is it is on the rise, big time. I think Discovery did an article saying cancer is their number 1 medical expense now. I do believe it is over-priced and research is purposely underfunded to keep the money maker going. Its almost criminal.......

 

We also do some work in the Oncology field and the labs are popping up all over now. Becoming seriously organized, funded and run by big corporate companies too.

No. No. No. This is not a bigpharma issue. It's a health issue and tinfoil-hattery is not helpful. It's a combination of better data and longer life, mostly (as far as I understand it). Some lifestyle cancers are increasing, sure. But you're always one cell death away from cancer.

[ians H2Sport]

and yet the age at what people get cancer (colon cancer in this instance) increased by a huge margin on the age groups of 20-40 year olds. The number of days where people post on Reddit and Facebook of new diagnosis in this age group is just shocking. Most people getting a ostomy are people my age. The one sister said they get about 60 new patients per week and most are either colon or rectal cancer and most are in my age group

Hi Cois, I am really sorry about what you and your family are going through. You should read this book, it could be life changing

[V12man]

and yet the age at what people get cancer (colon cancer in this instance) increased by a huge margin on the age groups of 20-40 year olds. The number of days where people post on Reddit and Facebook of new diagnosis in this age group is just shocking. Most people getting a ostomy are people my age. The one sister said they get about 60 new patients per week and most are either colon or rectal cancer and most are in my age group

Some of that definately relates to more advanced diagnotic ability in general - 30 years ago those people would not have been diagnosed for another 10 years possibly - and in many cases either passed on before diagnosis or had mets in more critical organ systems, and been diagnosed/passed with those.

 

Massive advances in the understanding of all things medical in the last 30 years - when I trained, for instance, I don't remember there being sub-types of breast cancer for instance - now they can distinguish between multiple.... with sometimes different treatment regimes.

 

All academic I guess - you just keep throwing everything you have at this fight - that's what HAS to be done - we can have the debate about it another time - it doesn't add anything to your willingness to keep up the fight.

[ChrisF]

Some of that definately relates to more advanced diagnotic ability in general - 30 years ago those people would not have been diagnosed for another 10 years possibly - and in many cases either passed on before diagnosis or had mets in more critical organ systems, and been diagnosed/passed with those.

 

Massive advances in the understanding of all things medical in the last 30 years - when I trained, for instance, I don't remember there being sub-types of breast cancer for instance - now they can distinguish between multiple.... with sometimes different treatment regimes.

 

All academic I guess - you just keep throwing everything you have at this fight - that's what HAS to be done - we can have the debate about it another time - it doesn't add anything to your willingness to keep up the fight.

 

My mom worked in a cancer ward from 1982 to 2007

 

In the early days MANY patients were diagnosed too late, and the mortality rate was scary !!

 

 

Public awareness, diagnostics, etc all contribute to much earlier diagnoses.  Which ironically means more full term treatment, which will show an increased cost in treatment.  Hopefully though the mortality rate is better today ...

[Cois]

 

What just a normal morning looks like.

 

At night it is almost the same. Just one tablet less and only half a sleeping pill. For some reason chemo keeps one awake. And after 4 days of not sleeping I asked the doctor for help. And he was astounded that the other doctor overlooking my case did not prescribed me sleeping meds.

 

Also got a little nasty surprise yesterday. A R8400 bill for a Single (K-RAS marker) blood test. The doctor did not give them my correct details to Lancet so I never received a bill. Only because they could not give the correct e-mail details or the correct medical aid details to Lancet. So hope that the medical aid will pay for the test.

[gogo@]

Also got a little nasty surprise yesterday. A R8400 bill for a Single (K-RAS marker) blood test. The doctor did not give them my correct details to Lancet so I never received a bill. Only because they could not give the correct e-mail details or the correct medical aid details to Lancet. So hope that the medical aid will pay for the test.

 

If the NHI plan was to be even vaguely in the park I'd support it just to avoid all the medical aid admin that seems to require a degree to manage yet designed to give you a whole new illness!

Hoops and hurdles you don't need now but they must pay if it was an admin error. Not the time to sweat about it. Trust you'll come right!