You’re Talking to Me?
There wasn’t any one else in the room. The doctor said the words and even though I know he heard them and he understood each syllable, there was a disconnect somewhere.
My friends brother who was told he had colon cancer. A cancer, near, and no so dear to my heart.
He’s had surgery and now it seems, he’s decided his encounter with the beast is over. He’s decided that no matter what the biopsy says on the lymph nodes, no matter what the suggested treatment will be, he has been there, done that and it’s on with life.
There was a time, in fact, back in Leroy’s diagnosis and surgery days, when the lymph nodes came back clean, the doctor would and did say to us, “Heal up and have a good life.” Those were almost his exact words, as I recall. But thankfully, science and research has moved the ball down the road and they now strongly suggest chemo follows the surgery to condemn any of those wild cancer cells that have escaped into the blood stream in search of a new place to grow, to death. And as we all know, any time you can kill a cancer cell, well, that’s a good time. This follow up treatment has shown to improve survivability.
So is this a case of being in denial? I think all of us who have been in that exam room and have heard those words, escapes to that place where the words were never spoken and life hasn’t changed, even for just a few minutes. But we didn’t stay there long because there is work to be done. There are cancer cells to kill and the clock is ticking.
Denial is a wonderful thing, for a short time…but you can’t stay there too long.
December 12, 2011 @ 2:43 am
Hahahhaa. I’m not too bright today. Great post!
November 29, 2011 @ 9:52 pm
If the advice is to follow with chemo consider it carefully. Chemo has lengthened lives in colon and breast cancers over the last twenty years. I have seen it. Good luck.
December 12, 2011 @ 6:46 am
Good job making it apepar easy.
November 29, 2011 @ 8:56 pm
I am here because my doctors were of the belief that chemo and radiation would get any of the escapees.
I do hope he’ll reconsider and go after the ‘beast’ with a passion and a vengeance.
As Al and you have said denial is not a place to go to and stay nor does it count as a treatment plan.
December 12, 2011 @ 12:16 pm
It’s great to read somtehnig that’s both enjoyable and provides pragmatisdc solutions.
November 29, 2011 @ 8:08 pm
I know the course of treatment is a very personal decision and none of us really know what we would choose until actually faced with the decision. I was always glad when Jim came to the end of a treatment cycle so he could actually feel better but I was also scared to death that the lurking cancer cells would see the opportunity for escape…and they did. I hope he makes the right decision and that he can tell those cells to beat feet and go on down the road.
December 12, 2011 @ 11:24 am
In awe of that anwser! Really cool!
November 29, 2011 @ 5:11 pm
Let’s hope that after some time, a short time, he’ll reconsider follow-up treatment. Radiation is a small price to pay if it prolongs one’s life. Of course there are no guarantees but it would seem prudent to me. After 2 sentinel node biopsies, 11 nodes removed and all were clear, I continued to have recurrences even after chemo, radiation, a vaccine and now a white cell boosting series of injections that I administer myself going on 8 years now. The tiny cancer cells seek to find a place and then begin growing once again to wreak havoc and destruction on our bodies and minds.
There is really only one chance to make the right decision in the cancer world if you intend to fight the beast. Sooner is better than later as we recently read regarding Steve Jobs decision to go an alternate route. We can’t know what is in your friend’s mind or heart. Doing nothing may be the best thing. We won’t know for some time…months or perhaps a year or so. If it returns, most likely it is then too late for anything to be successful. The little cells will have proliferated, grown and latched onto an organ or so. Denial is not a part of any treatment plan.
December 12, 2011 @ 11:42 am
If I were a Teeagne Mutant Ninja Turtle, now I’d say “Kowabunga, dude!”