Is extending life always the best choice

laserlight said:

Quality of Life
David;

Prostate cancer sucks, but the one thing that I find myself doing on a daily basis is to fight. You know as well as I do that the Military taught us to fight and not give up.

This PC so far has been a fight for myself, I am tired of the doctor appts, lab tests and all of the follow ups. I have had more doctor visits in the last 18 months then I have had my entire life.

I work in the semiconductor industry, so the engineer in me wants to take over at times, but I have found that I have to take a different approach here.

I am always watching lab results and numbers

I for the most part have found that this is a daily fight, only the men with this monster can know what I am talking about.

It is ok to feel bad about this,

I am going to retire next year, I am 62 years old, but the constant work load has worn me out.

The other day I took off and went into the woods and spent couple of hours target shooting, now I know that this might upset some and for that I to apologize. But this was the best time I had in the last 18 months. The next time my son will be with me and we will have the 50 cal out.

I do think that we all need to take a break from this PC and clear out minds. It is true that we might die from some other illiness.

You are a Vietnam Vet and Brother we need you here, just as I am.
I have asked myself many questions about this.

The one thing about this is that we need to monitor and always watch.

Hope this helps


Kurt

ralph.townsend1 said:

Okay, It suck!
But remember you have a lot of people counting on YOU. This Monster will control you if you let it and will destory you. You can fight the pain and endure! I have five different diesase's from the Agent Orange and know the fight you are up against. We have made it through Vietnam and we will make it through this battle.

There is a lot of help at VA hospital and it takes a little time find, but it is there from depression to PTSD!

Good luck

God Bless!!!

djs123 said:

I'm glad you posted this, it's good to have an outlet for the feelings you can't share with those closest to you for fear of hurting them. This is a good safe place to do that.

Being the wife of a man going through PC and now quite possibly further complications, I understand your fear, your anxiety, no doubt your anger and your depression.

My husband, although he doesn't use those words, I know feels quite the same way, I'm sure many men and others going through cancer treatment do and question "what's the point".

To speak to djd, I had a neck fusion 2 discs, knee surgery & shoulder surgery, all due to an accident several years back. The neck was tough and it took me about a year to get back to full mobility. It was rough but it was so totally worth it. I now play golf, ride a bike, walk, etc.

I am not an expert or a professional, but I believe you may be suffering from a deep depression, understandably so. During the 2 years prior to my surgery, doing pt, pain meds etc, there were days I simply stayed in bed and wouldn't move. I remember getting up shortly before my husband would come home from work, get dressed and pretend I had a busy normal day like everyone else. Finally after much conversation with my doctor, he put me on zoloft (antidepressant). It completely changed my life for the better. I was much better able to cope and my attitude was much better.

We also have a male friend who had esophogeal cancer and was ready to give up. His wife insisted he get treated for depression. It helped him tremendously (by the way, his odds were very slim and he is now in remission, after 3 years of barely living).

Please consider all these factors, your wife, your daughter and the fact that you've got a lot more living to do. An antidepressant may not be the answer for you, but certainly staying the fight not only for yourself but those that love you is something to consider.

God bless

Swingshiftworker said:

Right To Die
David:

The decision to forgo treatment and allow yourself to eventually die from your cancer and/or other diseases is obviously a personal decision that only you can make. The way I look at it, this choice (the decision to forgo treatment) is no different than choosing suicide or euthanasia and I believe that every person should have the "right" to chose to make this decision for him/herself.

I am not religious and I make no moral judgments about suicide or euthanasia. All I know is that it is an extremely difficult decision for someone to consider and that one must be in severe pain and/or beyond all hope of continuing to live a useful life to even consider it.

Someone I once worked with (a well-known & respected attorney) chose to commit suicide because he was suffering from degenerative hip pain; committed suicide and planned out his funeral services, including the playing of "The Streets of Laredo", which is a very sad song about the death and burial of a young cowboy, at his memorial.

So, here's some information that I've come across that should help you decide if this is the choice that you may need or want to make in the future.

Euthanasia ("the Right to Die") is legal in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Here are the links to the "Right to Die" organizations there:

http://www.nvve.nl/nvve-english/pagina.asp?pagnaam=homepage
http://www.exitinternational.net/page/Switzerland

A couple of years ago, I saw a DVD on PBS which chronicled life and death of several people who chose euthanasia in Switzerland. Chances are it might be rebroadcast again and it's well worth watching. I believe that it was the following movie, which is listed on Netflix but apparently has not yet been released on DVD, that I saw:

"Exit: The Right to Die (2006NR)

Showcasing Switzerland's acceptance of euthanasia -- a position endorsed by the Swiss since 1980 -- filmmaker Fernand Melgar's controversial documentary advocates for an individual's right to die. Interviews with terminally ill patients illustrate choices of people whose lives have become too painful to bear. Melgar further investigates the impact that the legalized suicide prerogative has on families of people wishing to end their own suffering."

Here's a detailed description of the movie where it's for sale for a ridiculous price of $298:

http://icarusfilms.com/new2006/exit.html

However, if you're a member of Netflix, I suggest that you just put it in your queue to receive it when it's released. It is a very moving and compassionate depiction of the what certain people (and their families) had to go through in order to choose and follow through with euthanasia. BTW, there's a clip from the movie on Exit's website above.

There's also another Swiss organization named "Dignitas" which assists people who choose euthanasia, which you can find here:

http://www.dignitas.ch/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=44&lang=en

The issue of forgoing treatment and allowing a patient to die (but NOT euthanasia) has also been previously discussed on PBS here:

http://video.pbs.org/video/1512034909/

There are also lots of articles on the issue published on the Net. Just Google "euthanasia" and/or "right to die" and you will find lots of them.

I wish you well and support your decision regardless of the path you choose.

Ciao!