How Long do we have?

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  • barbebarb
    barbebarb Member Posts: 464
    #22
    danker said:

    How Long

    Only God can answer that one.  I was 77 when I had my first colonoscopy. My wife needs me, so here I am at age 81 and NED.  I expect her to die before the year is out.  But who knows. Just live life a day at a time. Even in the Lord's prayer it's Give my daily bread not this week or this year. Just todays.  Good Luck!

    never ask how long

    That is my motto.....been in treatment for 22 months - NED once for three months....have had two surgeries for lung nodules and liver tumor removal and radiation recently, sirspheres treatment - and also had a surprise metatisized brain tumor/removed in Dec. - so far clear but up for tests in Aug., just had a nice chemo break, having a summer and am back at work.

    You have to keep moving forward and we never know what turn this disease will take.

    You will find what gives you resolve and the best you can do is take it a day at a time. For every dark moment, and there have been many, I have been rewarded with friendships of people I never would have met and bright moments, too.

    I don't know if this helps but I wish you the best.

    Barb

     

     

  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #23
    You don't know

    As others have already said, you just never know, and that's true for cancer or just life in general. Your wife may very well be one of the fortunate ones who maintains for a long time with the disease.

    The best advice I can give you is to take each day as it comes, and to make the most of each day. I was diagnosed at Stage 1, so hopefully cancer is behind me forever. My husband, however, had a sudden cardiac arrest at 46 and was revived. With an ICD implant, he's still here, but the same thing could happen anytime his heart decides an erratic rhythm is the way to go. We just don't know...

    So (and I learned this after years of obsessing over our health) I would again urge you to concentrate more on how your family is living and enjoying life and less on trying to count the days, because you don't have any idea how high to count.

    Praying for many happy days!

    *hugs*

    Gail

     

  • pbec
    pbec Member Posts: 5
    #24
    One year for me

    Take one day at a time and find a support group. I was at stage 3c after surgery a year ago. Despite chemo the cancer advancd to stage 4 and I am still on chemo. We try to live in the moment. I'm 49 and we had two kids in college while all this was happening. Even had a major change in job locations just before the diagnosis. it is very overwhelming. My wife is a saint and a rock which really helps. Plus if she is mad at me she lets me know and somehow this helps me feel that life is normal. We ignore the 18 months estimated survival and just live each day. Some days are filled with stress about how to pay for the kids college and preparing financially for when I'm not here. I am the primary earner so the financial issues can loom over things. However most of these relationship/family stressors are part of life regardless of cancer. I've embraced the helplessness as part of my way to not let me stop enjoying the things I want to do. That is to say I can't change my situation but I can darn sure still enjoy my life and family. 

     

  • Ckat
    Ckat Member Posts: 17
    #25
    The big question

    I think about this everyday and troll this board to see how everyone is doing, procedures to help, progress etc. discouraging when it seems lately so many are passing. My father was diagnosed Nov 2012 rectal cancer, numerous tumors on liver. Every 2 wks on chemo, folfiri & avastin which has helped shrink many tumors and hoping to shrink more and have a liver resectioN.  rectal surgery was in march which has eased comfort, permanent colostomy. I always wonder b/c he has had positive response to chemo, rectal surgery and hopefully liver resection......how long will this give him?? I know its not a cure but hoping it will out him in the category of 5-7+years and not the 2-3 that seems more commOn. Praying all time for this awful disease. 

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