ask a cancer patient

[cartzo]

i must say very interesting thread.
i learn alot today.

Q, what was on your mind when you heard you had cancer?....other then fuck i have cancer.

other than "fuck i have cancer" nothing really goes through your mind, possibly a slight bit of denial. but other than that just a big "fuck".

 

[Skeleon]

these patients you speak of are right, it is alot easier to deal with than the media portray it as, it wasnt radio chemo, it was a type that involved regular lumber punctures but i dont know what its called, and i remember i had to have a bone marrow transplant but i cant remember why.

Ah, if you want me to, I can explain why (otherwise ignore this part):

Lymphoma is a disease of uncontrollably growing lymphocytes, a type of defense cell that stems from your bone marrow.
A bone marrow transplant is a way to replace your old bone marrow so that newly formed lymphocytes don't get out of control again.
It's difficult for many people to find a good match, though, (so you were quite lucky in that regard), because bone marrow that is too different from your own would create defense cells that would attack your body, thinking it's an enemy (that would be called a graft versus host reaction).
However, when a fitting bone marrow is found, chances of full recovery are quite high, so I'm happy for you that you got bone marrow that matched you well enough!

As for your lumbar punctures, well, I dunno what they did that for. They probably had reasons for it, though.

 

[cartzo]

I know exactly what you've been through, I was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last year, though I'm almost completely fine now, I just have double vision as it damaged some of my optical nerves so I have to occlude one of my eyes, which robs me of depth perception. Which makes me paranoid about driving. I'm 17 btw, hope the rest of your life goes well, as I'm sure it will.

woah dude i'm really sorry to hear that, strangely ive never really spoken to someone else who's had cancer, but it's nice to finally do so. i hope the insurance companies dont make it to hard for you.

I haven't even gotten that far, I'm too paranoid to even take lessons.

maybe you should get some proffesional advice from someone who knows what they're talking about when it comes to driving, perhaps if you search enough you will find an organisation to that affect.

 

[whaleswiththumbs]

Was it malignant or benign?

melignant.

O_O you really had to ask that... really??... benign means not dangerous to health, if we are talking about cancer what the hell do you think it would be?!

OT: What did it feel like?

 

[Jenova65]

Ouch, I never considered that another member of The Escapist could have cancer, or any disease

How mild is the epilepsy? Could you still drive a car?

i can still drive a car, in fact im getting driving lessons for my seventeenth birthday, but the insurance may cost a bit more though.

Wait, what age are you?

seventeen in a week, i was diagnosed at 13.

Bless you! Well done too! You had a lot to deal with very young and it sounds like you dealt with it better than many adults. It is pretty tough getting that type of diagnosis at any age.
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 13 (she is 15 now) and these kinds of things affect you forever.
I hope that your driving lessons are real fun for you and that you are a first attempt pass when you take your test! Good luck to you.

 

[dommyuk]

I know exactly what you've been through, I was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last year, though I'm almost completely fine now, I just have double vision as it damaged some of my optical nerves so I have to occlude one of my eyes, which robs me of depth perception. Which makes me paranoid about driving. I'm 17 btw, hope the rest of your life goes well, as I'm sure it will.

woah dude i'm really sorry to hear that, strangely ive never really spoken to someone else who's had cancer, but it's nice to finally do so. i hope the insurance companies dont make it to hard for you.

I haven't even gotten that far, I'm too paranoid to even take lessons.

maybe you should get some proffesional advice from someone who knows what they're talking about when it comes to driving, perhaps if you search enough you will find an organisation to that affect.

I've been told by my supervisor at the hospital that most people tolerate using one eye and can drive fine. Doesn't stop me from being paranoid though. Thankyou anyway.

 

[Skeleon]

I know exactly what you've been through, I was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last year, though I'm almost completely fine now, I just have double vision as it damaged some of my optical nerves so I have to occlude one of my eyes, which robs me of depth perception. Which makes me paranoid about driving. I'm 17 btw, hope the rest of your life goes well, as I'm sure it will.

woah dude i'm really sorry to hear that, strangely ive never really spoken to someone else who's had cancer, but it's nice to finally do so. i hope the insurance companies dont make it to hard for you.

I haven't even gotten that far, I'm too paranoid to even take lessons.

Aren't there corrective glasses for this kind of thing?
I remember my grandma having double vision (for different reasons, though), she had to wear these weird stickers inside her glasses during that time.
Might be that that wouldn't be a possibility for a permanent solution, though, I dunno.
Maybe check with an ophthalmologist?

 

[Isalan]

First off have a free Internet for creating probaly the first post I've read all the way through. Throughly intresting stuff.

My question. My grandfather died of Lung Cancer about a decade ago, and in the last few months of his life his personality significantly changed. Previously he was a fan of Lawn Bowls, but shortly before his death his favourite song was that Run DMC/Jason Nevins song that was around at the time (I forget the name). Is the kind of thing that happens when you get cancer? You mentioned above its like being stoned. Is the world a very different place when your undergoing treatment? Cos I'd imagine it would have to be pretty weird to get my grandad into rap music XD

 

[cartzo]

these patients you speak of are right, it is alot easier to deal with than the media portray it as, it wasnt radio chemo, it was a type that involved regular lumber punctures but i dont know what its called, and i remember i had to have a bone marrow transplant but i cant remember why.

Ah, if you want me to, I can explain why (otherwise ignore this part):

Lymphoma is a disease of uncontrollably growing lymphocytes, a type of defense cell that stems from your bone marrow.
A bone marrow transplant is a way to replace your old bone marrow so that newly formed lymphocytes don't get out of control again.
It's difficult for many people to find a good match, though, (so you were quite lucky in that regard), because bone marrow that is too different from your own would create defense cells that would attack your body, thinking it's an enemy (that would be called a graft versus host reaction).
However, when a fitting bone marrow is found, chances of full recovery are quite high, so I'm happy for you that you got bone marrow that matched you well enough!

As for your lumbar punctures, well, I dunno what they did that for. They probably had reasons for it, though.

thanks for the offer to explain, but i have to log off soon so i'll have to find out some other way, but just out of interest are you a doctor, or a med student maybe? if so what field do you specialize in?

 

[kahlzun]

girlfriend had it, had to have her leg off, is all good now.

 

[dommyuk]

I know exactly what you've been through, I was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last year, though I'm almost completely fine now, I just have double vision as it damaged some of my optical nerves so I have to occlude one of my eyes, which robs me of depth perception. Which makes me paranoid about driving. I'm 17 btw, hope the rest of your life goes well, as I'm sure it will.

woah dude i'm really sorry to hear that, strangely ive never really spoken to someone else who's had cancer, but it's nice to finally do so. i hope the insurance companies dont make it to hard for you.

I haven't even gotten that far, I'm too paranoid to even take lessons.

Aren't there corrective glasses for this kind of thing?
I remember my grandma having double vision (for different reasons, though), she had to wear these weird stickers inside her glasses during that time.
Might be that that wouldn't be a possibility for a permanent solution, though, I dunno.
Maybe check with an ophthalmologist?

I believe they're called prisms and I did try them at one point, but because they're made of a series of angled plastic they multiplied all artificial light in my field of vision which made it impossible for me to see.

 

[black lincon]

Sadly, I'm fairly jaded when it comes to the topic of cancer. My mom works for the American cancer society, and I'm sure if you search hard enough there's video of me out there at a rally in Springfield IL when they were banning smoking in public places, and almost all the males on my mothers side of the family have died of lung cancer(my uncle broke the mold by dieing of prostate cancer).

I feel for you, but to me it's just not that amazing.

 

[cartzo]

First off have a free Internet for creating probaly the first post I've read all the way through. Throughly intresting stuff.

My question. My grandfather died of Lung Cancer about a decade ago, and in the last few months of his life his personality significantly changed. Previously he was a fan of Lawn Bowls, but shortly before his death his favourite song was that Run DMC/Jason Nevins song that was around at the time (I forget the name). Is the kind of thing that happens when you get cancer? You mentioned above its like being stoned. Is the world a very different place when your undergoing treatment? Cos I'd imagine it would have to be pretty weird to get my grandad into rap music XD

you'r grandad's cancer was probably more severe than mine, i wasnt effected enough for my tastes to be changed, the world was relatively different but it doesnt stay that way, but their are some weeks during my treatment that are just a blur.

 

[Skeleon]

thanks for the offer to explain, but i have to log off soon so i'll have to find out some other way, but just out of interest are you a doctor, or a med student maybe? if so what field do you specialize in?

Med student, yeah.
I currently do laboratory work on a rare type of lymphoma for my doctoral thesis (not your subtype, though), which is why I was so interested in your views on the therapy you received.
I don't know yet which field I'll specialize in later, though, there's just so much that's interesting to me right now...
It's hard to choose.

 

[Skeleon]

I believe they're called prisms and I did try them at one point, but because they're made of a series of angled plastic they multiplied all artificial light in my field of vision which made it impossible for me to see.

Yeah, definitely not a long-term solution for you then.

 

[cartzo]

thanks for the offer to explain, but i have to log off soon so i'll have to find out some other way, but just out of interest are you a doctor, or a med student maybe? if so what field do you specialize in?

Med student, yeah.
I currently do laboratory work on a rare type of lymphoma for my doctoral thesis (not your subtype, though), which is why I was so interested in your views on the therapy you received.
I don't know yet which field I'll specialize in later, though, there's just so much that's interesting to me right now...
It's hard to choose.

well i wish you good luck for the future. and thanks for taking an interest.

 

[Skeleon]

well i wish you good luck for the future.

Thanks, the same to you.

 

[cartzo]

Ouch, I never considered that another member of The Escapist could have cancer, or any disease

How mild is the epilepsy? Could you still drive a car?

i can still drive a car, in fact im getting driving lessons for my seventeenth birthday, but the insurance may cost a bit more though.

Wait, what age are you?

seventeen in a week, i was diagnosed at 13.

Bless you! Well done too! You had a lot to deal with very young and it sounds like you dealt with it better than many adults. It is pretty tough getting that type of diagnosis at any age.
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 13 (she is 15 now) and these kinds of things affect you forever.
I hope that your driving lessons are real fun for you and that you are a first attempt pass when you take your test! Good luck to you.

thanks