Does anything we do make a difference?

coloCan
coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
I can't answer this for myself yet but a few current posts have really got me thinking....

Some here claim they have made absolutely no changes in their life after Dx;others have tried doing what they are convinced (or just hope),for whatever reasons,will be of benefit to themselves.Does any of the latter make a difference? Is our fate ordained at the time of Dx or can anything be done? I'm rather conflicted at the moment and might delete this "discussion" as maybe i started it just for my own sense of feeling lost...
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Comments

  • plh4gail
    plh4gail Member Posts: 1,238 Member
    I feel lost with you. ...But
    I feel lost with you. ...But if I don't have hope and believe that it is possible I might be able to help my body stay healthy at this point I am at then I don't think I can wake each morning and put one foot in front of the other knowing I havn't tried. For my kids, I want to make sure they know I tried. The big difference is at this moment my body is back to square one and free of that ugly monster. ....So was it pre destined...or did I help it at the right time....or will it come back and all is for nothing? The only thing I will know is my kids will know I gave it a try.

    plh4gail
  • Lovekitties
    Lovekitties Member Posts: 3,364 Member
    Perhaps
    My feeling is that what you do or don't do does make a difference, perhaps not in the way you mean it though.

    If what we do or don't do makes us feel better emotionally it is worth it.

    If what we do or don't do makes us feel better physically, even for the moment, it is worth it.

    I guess I am just saying that while a cure is what we all pray for, what we do for our mental and emotional well being is just as important. If it happens to also help our physical issues, all the better.

    Marie who loves kitties
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    Old cars and salt roads.....

    I can remember when they called the rust on a car "cancer".

    Some cars seemed to rust out no matter what we did, while
    other cars seemed impervious to salt and acidic elements....
    What's up with that?

    With some valued vehicles, we stripped the paint down, and
    resurfaced the undercarriage, and once finished it was as good
    as new.

    Did it last? Sure it did. Some of those repainted antique vehicles
    are still around, without rust, and capturing awards for "best in show".

    Humans aren't much different. That "rust" is doing it's work,
    but we can take measures to stop it, and rebuild the damaged
    areas. We're not going to accomplish much using all the novelty
    "rust-stoppers" and "mechanic in a can" garbage, but if we use
    what has been proven to rebuild the basic system, we may
    have a better chance at remaining "in service".

    "You can't get healthy by getting sick".

    That's a pretty simple concept that registers with any amount of
    common sense available. So why then, do we insist on allowing
    toxic, carcinogenic chemicals to be pumped into our body?

    An effort to fight cancer shouldn't include the weakening and/or
    death of our good cells. Yet, we allow it for lack of knowledge
    of any other way.

    Or is it, that we don't trust "any other way", and are locked into
    the psycho-babble rhetoric of the industry..........

    The industry that tells us that:

    "We can only get healthy by damn near killing our body"

    Where is the logic; the common sense? Where has it gone?

    Yes, rusted cars can be saved, just as rusted human bodies can.

    It just takes the courage to experiment; to learn about things
    other than what we've been brainwashed about, and put those
    to work for us.


    Best of health to all; may we all find "the answer".

    John
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    Who's to Say...
    I hear you Steve and feel frustrated at times too. It's a very complex question I believe with no "right" answer. Two people can have very seemingly similar DX's yet respond so differently to the same treatments. I believe a lot of it is timing as to when its caught as well as what you do first treatment-wise. In MY case, I think if I did surgery first it would have been the wrong choice. Keep in mind that I had no blockage and I had the luxury of time (in a way) so I was able to do the chemo that shrunk my liver tumors.

    I do believe that what we do AFTER surgery is very important too. Chemo, while far from perfect, has given many of us much more time than if we did not do chemo. Yes, it can take its toll on the body. It IS after all, chemical therapy. When it comes down to it, they're all chemicals. Some are gathered naturally while others are synthesized. We are fighting CANCER, not the common cold. Sometimes you have to break a few farm-raised, free-range, organic eggs if you want to make an omelet.

    It's a very important decision as to which route to choose with absolutely no guarantees other than (I hope I don't spoil the ending for anyone) everyone dies in the end from something. Sometimes I don't believe it even matters because it's caught too late. Then I would choose being comfortable.

    A bad diet possibly got many of us into this situation. Not everyone but some of us. I don't believe it can be business as usual as far as a bad diet goes.
    I have no proof, it's just what I've come to believe. Eating healthy seems to be a win-win situation.
    -phil

    PS: I hope you don't delete the post but it probably has the potential to get out of control...
  • Buckwirth
    Buckwirth Member Posts: 1,258 Member
    There are things we know change the odds
    Like exercise, and things that can't hurt, like a healthy diet. Neither of these is touted as a "cure", just things that might help.

    Phil is right when he says "who knows", at least up to a point. There is strong evidence that the treatment he is on works, but it is not a magic bullet that works for everyone, or even forever, and each time an oncologist starts someone on that program he is testing to see whether or not it works for that individual.

    We tend to see "cancer" as a single disease, but it is not that simple. Even in CRC there are at least 5 different types of cancer, each reacting differently to treatment.
  • Lifeisajourney
    Lifeisajourney Member Posts: 216
    John23 said:

    Old cars and salt roads.....

    I can remember when they called the rust on a car "cancer".

    Some cars seemed to rust out no matter what we did, while
    other cars seemed impervious to salt and acidic elements....
    What's up with that?

    With some valued vehicles, we stripped the paint down, and
    resurfaced the undercarriage, and once finished it was as good
    as new.

    Did it last? Sure it did. Some of those repainted antique vehicles
    are still around, without rust, and capturing awards for "best in show".

    Humans aren't much different. That "rust" is doing it's work,
    but we can take measures to stop it, and rebuild the damaged
    areas. We're not going to accomplish much using all the novelty
    "rust-stoppers" and "mechanic in a can" garbage, but if we use
    what has been proven to rebuild the basic system, we may
    have a better chance at remaining "in service".

    "You can't get healthy by getting sick".

    That's a pretty simple concept that registers with any amount of
    common sense available. So why then, do we insist on allowing
    toxic, carcinogenic chemicals to be pumped into our body?

    An effort to fight cancer shouldn't include the weakening and/or
    death of our good cells. Yet, we allow it for lack of knowledge
    of any other way.

    Or is it, that we don't trust "any other way", and are locked into
    the psycho-babble rhetoric of the industry..........

    The industry that tells us that:

    "We can only get healthy by damn near killing our body"

    Where is the logic; the common sense? Where has it gone?

    Yes, rusted cars can be saved, just as rusted human bodies can.

    It just takes the courage to experiment; to learn about things
    other than what we've been brainwashed about, and put those
    to work for us.


    Best of health to all; may we all find "the answer".

    John

    I have no idea what is right or wrong..but I
    feel chemo does keep us going, but at what expense. I knew nothing when I started this journey, had surgery, did folfox and I was strong when I started chemo, it nearly killed me. So I am a John believer. Did try surgery for mets of liver, didn't work. So I said no more chemo. My husband juices for me, we do supplements. I told the onc I did not want the chemo to kill me. Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't. The cancer will. I wish I could try it both ways and see what happens, but can't so going with our gut. I respect everyone here, such bravery in all you do. And I believe you provide great support for whichever way we choose. I learned so much from you all, but it is finally our choice to make. I wish we had the answer and I believe some of you will be here for it. Pat
  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    Buckwirth said:

    There are things we know change the odds
    Like exercise, and things that can't hurt, like a healthy diet. Neither of these is touted as a "cure", just things that might help.

    Phil is right when he says "who knows", at least up to a point. There is strong evidence that the treatment he is on works, but it is not a magic bullet that works for everyone, or even forever, and each time an oncologist starts someone on that program he is testing to see whether or not it works for that individual.

    We tend to see "cancer" as a single disease, but it is not that simple. Even in CRC there are at least 5 different types of cancer, each reacting differently to treatment.

    I know you frustration very
    I know you frustration very well, and who knows?? Dr.'s don't know. I know myself whenever I ask my onc. a question he always seems to answer "we do not know this" or "we cannot know this". All we gotta do is TRY!! I recently was reading somewhere that cancer treatment itself can cause leukemia showing up five years after you've been treated for breast and colon cancers, WTF!!!
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    smokeyjoe said:

    I know you frustration very
    I know you frustration very well, and who knows?? Dr.'s don't know. I know myself whenever I ask my onc. a question he always seems to answer "we do not know this" or "we cannot know this". All we gotta do is TRY!! I recently was reading somewhere that cancer treatment itself can cause leukemia showing up five years after you've been treated for breast and colon cancers, WTF!!!

    How can Anyone Know?
    They can't, it's too complicated of a problem with too many variables.
    I made a post last week that had an interesting video on what a CA high school student is working on.
    Link to the post.
    Calif. HS student devises possible cancer cure.

    You might find it interesting Leena.
    -phil
    Direct link to story Calif. HS student devises possible cancer cure
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    "The Eyes - They Never Lie"
    Look out over the landscape, Steve...what do your eyes see?

    I spent all morning writing up my reply and then decided not to post it. Still, I can't rest now that you've awoken the lion this morning:)

    Let me try this again. I suppose, I can sum up your question with this analogy:

    If you put all of us in the same room - and we ate and drank the exact same things - and did all the same exercises - and took the exact same supplements - and all did the exact same treatment program (standard or alternative or combined)...

    Then, what we will find is that, "Some of us will come out on the good side - and others will not."

    Such is the nature of any contested event.

    And because of that old and tired phrase we use here, "We all react differently."

    And as Blake said, there are "diseases within the disease." For our cancer, we've got good ol' fashioned Adeocarcinoma and then there is Signet Ring Cell and Lynch Syndrome, which are very agressive and of hereditary nature.

    This is the biggest reason I feel why 'The Cure' is not going to come for us - at least, not in the way that we are expecting it to.

    Because a cure, connotates the belief that it will be a one size fits all - but how can that be? We can't even cure one of the many cancers within a specific cancer - and then 'the cure' is going to cure all the rest of the cancers?

    Really?

    And if we did have 'The Cure'..."we all react differently."

    Exactly.

    This is an individual fight...our bodies are going to respond one way or the other, no matter what we do. All we can do is do the things we think will help...nutrition, exercise, supplements all have their place and may help a certain individual...but there is no blanket cure and currently there is no panacea for cancer.

    I believe that the greatest strides we are making today is in our longevity - we are currently "Renewing Our Lease on Life" through a myriad of approaches. This is where the real battles are won.

    I used to believe I would be cured so much....didn't change to my 3rd recurrence...and then the lights came on...for some of us what we do or didn't do will keep us all well....for the other folks what we do or don't do will take us down an entirely different path.

    It's "6 One Way - 1/2 Dozen the Other..."

    But the reality of colorectal cancer is that it's the #2 killer in the U.S. and the world - and it didn't earn that distinction for nothing.

    It doesn't get more serious than that. And those aren't "outdated statistics"....those numbers ring up steadily each and every year.

    "So, what's the difference?"

    The difference is that 40-years ago, the average life expectancy of a colorectal patients was just SEVEN MONTHS.....now through treatments and improved surgery, we are seeing colorectal patients EXTEND out to TEN YEARS and more...

    That's where the real battle is being fought and won.

    Cure is a moving target and once we "Swing the Barn Door Open", the cattle and livestock scatter like tumbleweeds on the prairie...and that's what happens when we metastasize and experience recurrence.

    From there, our fights continue to escalate and this is what makes cancer such a formidable opponent.

    Please don't delete this thread, Steve...it would be a huge disservice to the entire community - we all need to read this and begin to understand it and come to a point of acceptance at some point of our journey that these possibilities do exist and do happen.

    It does not diminish our resolve in fighting, but we must prepare ourselves for the certain probabilities that each one of us have to face everyday.

    And we have to stay with that mindset of "My story won't be their story."

    But, then we should not be surprised if it does.

    In the end - all we can do is what we can do - and then we take our chances. There is much in life that one does not understand, even as we grow older and wiser - the same can be said for cancer.

    So, for all of us that have been or are affected from cancer - may we stand together and share our stories, for both the good and the bad. How else are we going to learn from one another if we don't tell the truth?

    Our truest victory lies there.

    Thank you, Steve, for such a thought provoking post. And I'm pleased to see you deep in reflective thought. There is a part of you now that wasn't there before...myself and others have just seen a change in you - and its a blessing for all to see.

    Respectfully,

    -Craig
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    PhillieG said:

    How can Anyone Know?
    They can't, it's too complicated of a problem with too many variables.
    I made a post last week that had an interesting video on what a CA high school student is working on.
    Link to the post.
    Calif. HS student devises possible cancer cure.

    You might find it interesting Leena.
    -phil
    Direct link to story Calif. HS student devises possible cancer cure

    Needed to get out of my apartment and the walking to diner,
    eating,walking/talking home with someone i know and now my mood has changed.....

    Nevertheless,for me, probably my poor eating habits more than anything else (besides not doing first colonoscopy at 50 thereby allowing what was incubating in me to continue to thrive and grow eight years more)--too much burnt red meat,sugar,processed foods,too little fruit/veg,heavy reliance on pill-form nutrition--which probably fed tumor more than me;inadequate amount of sleep;constant stress both at work and home;past history of cigs and scotch;the only good thing (weights since teenager)wasn't nearly enough to overcome negatives....Thus, for me, having survived radiation,chemo and surgery,learning what i can of this disease and doing what i think i should based on what i've learnt is the logical course to pursue. However, with research often pointing in different directions,what do you do where consensus is lacking?

    There are so many variables in this disease.If you now go to www.healthcanal.com and click on their cancer section the first item should be "Pitt Team Finds Protein That Keeps Balance Between Tumor Cell Growth and Suppression." Just about every day articles are published indicating yet another gene or protein that may or may not be involved in CRC,that may or may not prove to be instrumental in the progression or destruction of the cancer,etc....

    Like all living matter,cancer cells are constantly trying to survive and the strongest will,overcoming chemo or radiation, becoming more powerful than ever and continuing to take over until death do we part from this parasite that arose within and from us. (To throw another wrench into the equation, there is a good possibility that the genetic makeup of liver mets are different that those of the primary CRC tumor)It seems like the cancer is always one or two steps ahead of the scientists.

    Typing with two fingers i've been at this for some time now so i'll take a temporary rest and submit this now before i lose my internet connection and what i;ve so far typed.
  • plh4gail
    plh4gail Member Posts: 1,238 Member
    Sundanceh said:

    "The Eyes - They Never Lie"
    Look out over the landscape, Steve...what do your eyes see?

    I spent all morning writing up my reply and then decided not to post it. Still, I can't rest now that you've awoken the lion this morning:)

    Let me try this again. I suppose, I can sum up your question with this analogy:

    If you put all of us in the same room - and we ate and drank the exact same things - and did all the same exercises - and took the exact same supplements - and all did the exact same treatment program (standard or alternative or combined)...

    Then, what we will find is that, "Some of us will come out on the good side - and others will not."

    Such is the nature of any contested event.

    And because of that old and tired phrase we use here, "We all react differently."

    And as Blake said, there are "diseases within the disease." For our cancer, we've got good ol' fashioned Adeocarcinoma and then there is Signet Ring Cell and Lynch Syndrome, which are very agressive and of hereditary nature.

    This is the biggest reason I feel why 'The Cure' is not going to come for us - at least, not in the way that we are expecting it to.

    Because a cure, connotates the belief that it will be a one size fits all - but how can that be? We can't even cure one of the many cancers within a specific cancer - and then 'the cure' is going to cure all the rest of the cancers?

    Really?

    And if we did have 'The Cure'..."we all react differently."

    Exactly.

    This is an individual fight...our bodies are going to respond one way or the other, no matter what we do. All we can do is do the things we think will help...nutrition, exercise, supplements all have their place and may help a certain individual...but there is no blanket cure and currently there is no panacea for cancer.

    I believe that the greatest strides we are making today is in our longevity - we are currently "Renewing Our Lease on Life" through a myriad of approaches. This is where the real battles are won.

    I used to believe I would be cured so much....didn't change to my 3rd recurrence...and then the lights came on...for some of us what we do or didn't do will keep us all well....for the other folks what we do or don't do will take us down an entirely different path.

    It's "6 One Way - 1/2 Dozen the Other..."

    But the reality of colorectal cancer is that it's the #2 killer in the U.S. and the world - and it didn't earn that distinction for nothing.

    It doesn't get more serious than that. And those aren't "outdated statistics"....those numbers ring up steadily each and every year.

    "So, what's the difference?"

    The difference is that 40-years ago, the average life expectancy of a colorectal patients was just SEVEN MONTHS.....now through treatments and improved surgery, we are seeing colorectal patients EXTEND out to TEN YEARS and more...

    That's where the real battle is being fought and won.

    Cure is a moving target and once we "Swing the Barn Door Open", the cattle and livestock scatter like tumbleweeds on the prairie...and that's what happens when we metastasize and experience recurrence.

    From there, our fights continue to escalate and this is what makes cancer such a formidable opponent.

    Please don't delete this thread, Steve...it would be a huge disservice to the entire community - we all need to read this and begin to understand it and come to a point of acceptance at some point of our journey that these possibilities do exist and do happen.

    It does not diminish our resolve in fighting, but we must prepare ourselves for the certain probabilities that each one of us have to face everyday.

    And we have to stay with that mindset of "My story won't be their story."

    But, then we should not be surprised if it does.

    In the end - all we can do is what we can do - and then we take our chances. There is much in life that one does not understand, even as we grow older and wiser - the same can be said for cancer.

    So, for all of us that have been or are affected from cancer - may we stand together and share our stories, for both the good and the bad. How else are we going to learn from one another if we don't tell the truth?

    Our truest victory lies there.

    Thank you, Steve, for such a thought provoking post. And I'm pleased to see you deep in reflective thought. There is a part of you now that wasn't there before...myself and others have just seen a change in you - and its a blessing for all to see.

    Respectfully,

    -Craig

    Yes, thank you Steve. This
    Yes, thank you Steve. This is very thought provoking as Craig said. His words are perfect so I'm not even gonna try to come up with something different. And I think we all needed this conversation to make it through this day. At least I did. So I thank you all.
    Gail
  • Doc_Hawk
    Doc_Hawk Member Posts: 685
    Feeling alone in the middle of a crowd
    Hi Steve and everyone else,

    I know what you mean about feeling lost. Since I was diagnosed almost two years ago I've nearly completed my second Masters and working on a third Bachelors. Over the past several months, late at night when I can't sleep I start wondering why I push myself so hard in not just my academics but in fighting my cancer as well. Is it all really worth it? The pain that chemo has put into my hands and feet, the cracking and splitting of my skin, general feeling of malaise? When it takes a real physical effort to just sit and read a chapter in a book or being so wiped out from cooking dinner that I have to force myself to eat I really wonder if it's all worth while. Will I even be alive in a year or even a month? Will anything that I do matter not just to me but to anyone else? I don't know the answers to any of my questions, but I do know that I must continue to fight as hard and as long as I can.

    From the day that the doc told me I was Stage IV I knew that the only way to beat cancer would be to die from something else. I will always have cancer, it is the luggage that I'll carry for the rest of my life. But to me it's like someone who is diabetic and has to go in for dialysis treatment. Sure, the chemo is doing terrible things to my body, but what the cancer would do without it is so much worse. With chemo maybe I'll die before I see summer again, I don't know. But without chem it's pretty much a fact that I won't make it even to spring. I know longer fear dying because I have absolute confidence that there is a Heaven and while I look forward to getting there, I'm not in any real big rush.

    May God Bless and Keep all of you,

    Ray
  • tanstaafl
    tanstaafl Member Posts: 1,313 Member
    I'm sure
    ...that the choices that we can find, that we make, and how well we follow through can make a big difference. Chemo vs surgery vs radiation is the big decision we had in 2011, and it was a tough slog to get the surgery, a big win. Alternative nutrition and chemo were the big choices for 2010 that paid off big time.

    I think too many people stand around waiting for the oncology salesman to offer them another limited choice, where better, unadvertised choices go begging. I am hawkish on surgery, antiangiogenesis, and blood monitoring. Many effects can be measured and compared.

    My biggest issue is whether other events, or people, interfere at critical points.
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    Sundanceh said:

    "The Eyes - They Never Lie"
    Look out over the landscape, Steve...what do your eyes see?

    I spent all morning writing up my reply and then decided not to post it. Still, I can't rest now that you've awoken the lion this morning:)

    Let me try this again. I suppose, I can sum up your question with this analogy:

    If you put all of us in the same room - and we ate and drank the exact same things - and did all the same exercises - and took the exact same supplements - and all did the exact same treatment program (standard or alternative or combined)...

    Then, what we will find is that, "Some of us will come out on the good side - and others will not."

    Such is the nature of any contested event.

    And because of that old and tired phrase we use here, "We all react differently."

    And as Blake said, there are "diseases within the disease." For our cancer, we've got good ol' fashioned Adeocarcinoma and then there is Signet Ring Cell and Lynch Syndrome, which are very agressive and of hereditary nature.

    This is the biggest reason I feel why 'The Cure' is not going to come for us - at least, not in the way that we are expecting it to.

    Because a cure, connotates the belief that it will be a one size fits all - but how can that be? We can't even cure one of the many cancers within a specific cancer - and then 'the cure' is going to cure all the rest of the cancers?

    Really?

    And if we did have 'The Cure'..."we all react differently."

    Exactly.

    This is an individual fight...our bodies are going to respond one way or the other, no matter what we do. All we can do is do the things we think will help...nutrition, exercise, supplements all have their place and may help a certain individual...but there is no blanket cure and currently there is no panacea for cancer.

    I believe that the greatest strides we are making today is in our longevity - we are currently "Renewing Our Lease on Life" through a myriad of approaches. This is where the real battles are won.

    I used to believe I would be cured so much....didn't change to my 3rd recurrence...and then the lights came on...for some of us what we do or didn't do will keep us all well....for the other folks what we do or don't do will take us down an entirely different path.

    It's "6 One Way - 1/2 Dozen the Other..."

    But the reality of colorectal cancer is that it's the #2 killer in the U.S. and the world - and it didn't earn that distinction for nothing.

    It doesn't get more serious than that. And those aren't "outdated statistics"....those numbers ring up steadily each and every year.

    "So, what's the difference?"

    The difference is that 40-years ago, the average life expectancy of a colorectal patients was just SEVEN MONTHS.....now through treatments and improved surgery, we are seeing colorectal patients EXTEND out to TEN YEARS and more...

    That's where the real battle is being fought and won.

    Cure is a moving target and once we "Swing the Barn Door Open", the cattle and livestock scatter like tumbleweeds on the prairie...and that's what happens when we metastasize and experience recurrence.

    From there, our fights continue to escalate and this is what makes cancer such a formidable opponent.

    Please don't delete this thread, Steve...it would be a huge disservice to the entire community - we all need to read this and begin to understand it and come to a point of acceptance at some point of our journey that these possibilities do exist and do happen.

    It does not diminish our resolve in fighting, but we must prepare ourselves for the certain probabilities that each one of us have to face everyday.

    And we have to stay with that mindset of "My story won't be their story."

    But, then we should not be surprised if it does.

    In the end - all we can do is what we can do - and then we take our chances. There is much in life that one does not understand, even as we grow older and wiser - the same can be said for cancer.

    So, for all of us that have been or are affected from cancer - may we stand together and share our stories, for both the good and the bad. How else are we going to learn from one another if we don't tell the truth?

    Our truest victory lies there.

    Thank you, Steve, for such a thought provoking post. And I'm pleased to see you deep in reflective thought. There is a part of you now that wasn't there before...myself and others have just seen a change in you - and its a blessing for all to see.

    Respectfully,

    -Craig

    Notations from the peanut gallery -

    Re:
    "The difference is that 40-years ago, the average life expectancy
    of a colorectal patients was just SEVEN MONTHS.....now through
    treatments and improved surgery, we are seeing colorectal
    patients EXTEND out to TEN YEARS and more..."


    There was a Scandinavian study some years back, that summed it
    up very nicely: People aren't living longer with cancer, they are
    just being diagnosed earlier.

    Being diagnosed with colon cancer when it's in it's later stages,
    with perhaps months to live, is not any better than being diagnosed
    earlier and having years to live. We know about it sooner, and
    have more time to worry about it, ehh? Maybe that's a good thing?

    Re:
    "as Blake said, there are "diseases within the disease." For our
    cancer, we've got good ol' fashioned Adeocarcinoma and then there
    is Signet Ring Cell and Lynch Syndrome, which are very agressive
    and of hereditary nature. "


    The industry and it's brainy teams love to obfuscate the facts.

    A cancer cell begins life, and remains alive, by the fermentation
    process. It is the most basic of life support forms. It's method
    of life support does not change over it's life, it remains using
    glucose for fermentation, and ejects lactic acid as waste. The
    lactic acid is converted into glucose by the liver, and helps support
    those same cancer cells.

    What any life form uses for it's basic life support is what should
    be of the main concern. Trying to kill that life form by attacking
    other elements of that life form will work, but the list can be endless
    with new elements formed in response to an attack on it's life.

    Being informed that there are hundreds of "strains" and "disease types"
    of the basic cancer cell only confuses the issue and makes the
    problem appear to be more complicated than it actually is.

    Sure, the cancer cell can be killed by attacking a certain enzyme,
    but the basic reason for it's mere existence is not being addressed.
    That cell will live on, just as it had begun living.

    Remember that old saying?

    "If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullship"

    Corporate obfuscation at it's finest.

    Knowing the basics often leads to answers when problems arise.

    Diluting those basics with confusing themes and explanations
    only leads to more confusion and time wasted.

    Of course, when we get paid for our time to solve a problem,
    why wouldn't we want to make things sound confusing?

    (just some idle thoughts from a rambling mind)

    May we see great health for all,

    John
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    John23 said:

    Notations from the peanut gallery -

    Re:
    "The difference is that 40-years ago, the average life expectancy
    of a colorectal patients was just SEVEN MONTHS.....now through
    treatments and improved surgery, we are seeing colorectal
    patients EXTEND out to TEN YEARS and more..."


    There was a Scandinavian study some years back, that summed it
    up very nicely: People aren't living longer with cancer, they are
    just being diagnosed earlier.

    Being diagnosed with colon cancer when it's in it's later stages,
    with perhaps months to live, is not any better than being diagnosed
    earlier and having years to live. We know about it sooner, and
    have more time to worry about it, ehh? Maybe that's a good thing?

    Re:
    "as Blake said, there are "diseases within the disease." For our
    cancer, we've got good ol' fashioned Adeocarcinoma and then there
    is Signet Ring Cell and Lynch Syndrome, which are very agressive
    and of hereditary nature. "


    The industry and it's brainy teams love to obfuscate the facts.

    A cancer cell begins life, and remains alive, by the fermentation
    process. It is the most basic of life support forms. It's method
    of life support does not change over it's life, it remains using
    glucose for fermentation, and ejects lactic acid as waste. The
    lactic acid is converted into glucose by the liver, and helps support
    those same cancer cells.

    What any life form uses for it's basic life support is what should
    be of the main concern. Trying to kill that life form by attacking
    other elements of that life form will work, but the list can be endless
    with new elements formed in response to an attack on it's life.

    Being informed that there are hundreds of "strains" and "disease types"
    of the basic cancer cell only confuses the issue and makes the
    problem appear to be more complicated than it actually is.

    Sure, the cancer cell can be killed by attacking a certain enzyme,
    but the basic reason for it's mere existence is not being addressed.
    That cell will live on, just as it had begun living.

    Remember that old saying?

    "If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullship"

    Corporate obfuscation at it's finest.

    Knowing the basics often leads to answers when problems arise.

    Diluting those basics with confusing themes and explanations
    only leads to more confusion and time wasted.

    Of course, when we get paid for our time to solve a problem,
    why wouldn't we want to make things sound confusing?

    (just some idle thoughts from a rambling mind)

    May we see great health for all,

    John

    Thats why i was rather surprised that "The Emperor of All
    Maladies" made absolutely no mention of Otto Warburg, the only scientist whose name i was familiar with....
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    tanstaafl said:

    I'm sure
    ...that the choices that we can find, that we make, and how well we follow through can make a big difference. Chemo vs surgery vs radiation is the big decision we had in 2011, and it was a tough slog to get the surgery, a big win. Alternative nutrition and chemo were the big choices for 2010 that paid off big time.

    I think too many people stand around waiting for the oncology salesman to offer them another limited choice, where better, unadvertised choices go begging. I am hawkish on surgery, antiangiogenesis, and blood monitoring. Many effects can be measured and compared.

    My biggest issue is whether other events, or people, interfere at critical points.

    While there's been nothing new approved by FDA since Vectibix
    in 2006,most of our chemo isn't THAT old:
    Avastin and Erbitux since 2004;
    combo of Oxi,5-Flourouracil and Leucovorin from 2002
    and Xeloda in 2001......

    Of course, much more is needed....
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    tanstaafl said:

    I'm sure
    ...that the choices that we can find, that we make, and how well we follow through can make a big difference. Chemo vs surgery vs radiation is the big decision we had in 2011, and it was a tough slog to get the surgery, a big win. Alternative nutrition and chemo were the big choices for 2010 that paid off big time.

    I think too many people stand around waiting for the oncology salesman to offer them another limited choice, where better, unadvertised choices go begging. I am hawkish on surgery, antiangiogenesis, and blood monitoring. Many effects can be measured and compared.

    My biggest issue is whether other events, or people, interfere at critical points.

    my family is asleep, we got to get to church
    sometimes less is more,

    the simple answer from my experience is yes,

    and then sometimes more is better,

    for me the difference is in my quality of life, my enjoyment and my example.

    my wife goes to our naturopath, we all eat alot healthier foods.

    my kids still love macdonalds, but most of the time they eat healthy meals.
    my kids see me meditate, do yoga, we pray together, we live life to the full while
    pursuing the healthiest choices.

    they know the challenge in front of me, in front of us as a family.

    i am proud of the example i am setting and the life skills i am giving them and how they behave. We all have challenges, my kids have some as well. look at their parents.

    now do i go back to eating crap, go back to work to make another million, stop exercising, gain back 50 kilograms or 110 pounds, get stressed and live in our greedy and stupid society where most of us are influenced by the media. what i am doing is right for me and my family.

    I have never compelled anyone here into anything i believe, we are all adults and have choice. now my lovelly kids are 6 and 10, they are asleep at 9.35am and i have to wake them so we can get to church at 10am. So i ascert myself as their father, thats my job, my role.

    will what i do help against my crc, yes, it does not have a chance. Everyday i control and i do what i feel is right for me. If i get an extra 10 seconds on the planet, that will make it all worthwhile. praying for more than 10 seconds, leaving that up to god.

    life is great and the extra 10 seconds is enough. As long as i hit the box smiling, i will be content. of course that will be when i am a 100. i hope..............

    hugs,
    Pete
  • plh4gail
    plh4gail Member Posts: 1,238 Member

    my family is asleep, we got to get to church
    sometimes less is more,

    the simple answer from my experience is yes,

    and then sometimes more is better,

    for me the difference is in my quality of life, my enjoyment and my example.

    my wife goes to our naturopath, we all eat alot healthier foods.

    my kids still love macdonalds, but most of the time they eat healthy meals.
    my kids see me meditate, do yoga, we pray together, we live life to the full while
    pursuing the healthiest choices.

    they know the challenge in front of me, in front of us as a family.

    i am proud of the example i am setting and the life skills i am giving them and how they behave. We all have challenges, my kids have some as well. look at their parents.

    now do i go back to eating crap, go back to work to make another million, stop exercising, gain back 50 kilograms or 110 pounds, get stressed and live in our greedy and stupid society where most of us are influenced by the media. what i am doing is right for me and my family.

    I have never compelled anyone here into anything i believe, we are all adults and have choice. now my lovelly kids are 6 and 10, they are asleep at 9.35am and i have to wake them so we can get to church at 10am. So i ascert myself as their father, thats my job, my role.

    will what i do help against my crc, yes, it does not have a chance. Everyday i control and i do what i feel is right for me. If i get an extra 10 seconds on the planet, that will make it all worthwhile. praying for more than 10 seconds, leaving that up to god.

    life is great and the extra 10 seconds is enough. As long as i hit the box smiling, i will be content. of course that will be when i am a 100. i hope..............

    hugs,
    Pete

    Very nice Pete...:)

    Very nice Pete...:)
  • lauragb
    lauragb Member Posts: 370 Member
    I remember feeling this way
    I remember feeling this way when I was first diagnosed, like it wouldn't matter where I had my treatment, etc. I changed my way of thinking when it came to surgery and I knew I needed a very experienced surgeon to do the tricky surgery. Anyway, I'm trying to do what I can to be healthy and sometimes I feel like it can make a difference, other times it all seems so random to me. I don't really have anything new to add to the discussion except I understand. It is to me about striking a balance with the treatment yet wanting to feel like I've done my best to keep living for my family.
  • Kenny H.
    Kenny H. Member Posts: 502 Member
    plh4gail said:

    Very nice Pete...:)

    Very nice Pete...:)

    Awesome thread;
    Could'nt add

    Awesome thread;
    Could'nt add anything better. Well said everyone.