Statistics

fishmanpa
fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

There have been some fantastic NED reports as well as some very sobering recurrances on the boards lately. There are thousands of members that read/lurk and only a very small percentage that post. Even at that, we see the positives and the negatives of our disease manifest itself in so many ways. From the patient's perspective to that of the caregiver, family members and friends, we gain insight to the effects cancer has in all our lives. 

We can try to comprehend all the numbers out there pertaining to our cancer. The medical community compiles these numbers through the thousands and thousands of cases they see every year. 

Most of us have consulted Dr. Google and know the odds. We try our best to minimize the effect these numbers have on our psyche and yet the truth is, as it's been said on these boards and others, "we're all different". HPV+, HPV-, T1, T2, N2b, N2c, MO, Stage I through Stage IV, there is no one factor that we can point to that dictates our outcome. 

Cancer, regardless of type is a vicious and ugly disease. It's indiscriminate in who it chooses, who it spares and who it takes. All we can do is try our best to maintain a positive attitude and fight it with whatever means we have available. 

I try my best to keep a positive outlook and attitude and God bless Marcia who is a light in my life that never dims, but I venture to say that even the best of us, despite how many years we've been a survivor, doesn't have their moments of darkness even on the brightest days. 

The very definition of the word "Survivor" says it all... A person who survives, esp. a person remaining alive after an event in which others have died. 

We are a select group. One that shares a bond despite our differences. I admire each and every one of you, survivor, caregiver, family member and friend alike, for the courage and fortitude to carry on despite the odds. 

May we continue to encourage and support one another. 

"T"

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #2
    Good or Bad, this is it!

    Hi T,

    Mind over cancer, easy to say, harder to do.

    Matt

  • TracyLynn72
    TracyLynn72 Member Posts: 839
    #3
    Such truth!

    "T", thank you for such a great post!  All of it is absolutely true.  I appreciate all of the support I've gotten on here.  I am being honest when I say I pray for all of you each day, you're my CSN family.  I feel true joy when a good report is posted and I feel true sadness when someone gets bad news.  I have laughed at posts on here and shed tears for y'all going through hard times.  I think we all have a certain connection that even our closest loved ones can't understand.  My husband saw me crying yesterday while reading some posts on here and he said "you all have a bond that I will never really get...you haven't met any of them, but you really care about them, don't you?"  The answer is YES.  I really do! 

  • janetluvsron
    janetluvsron Member Posts: 116
    #4
    well said T, brought tears to

    well said T, brought tears to me, to see someone put it all to words.

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,773 Member
    #5
    Thanks

    Thanks for the recognition of the fact our lives are changed forever and there will always be a boggie man in the closet that we just have to learn with and not be afraid to live live because he lurks in the shadow. Doing or thinking one negative thought is giving power to the boggie man and we should never let that happen and always keep control of our thougths and destiny. Thanks again. don

  • peggylulu
    peggylulu Member Posts: 375
    #6
    TracyLynn72 said:

    Such truth!

    "T", thank you for such a great post!  All of it is absolutely true.  I appreciate all of the support I've gotten on here.  I am being honest when I say I pray for all of you each day, you're my CSN family.  I feel true joy when a good report is posted and I feel true sadness when someone gets bad news.  I have laughed at posts on here and shed tears for y'all going through hard times.  I think we all have a certain connection that even our closest loved ones can't understand.  My husband saw me crying yesterday while reading some posts on here and he said "you all have a bond that I will never really get...you haven't met any of them, but you really care about them, don't you?"  The answer is YES.  I really do! 

    I agree

    with Tracy . Thanks "T" very well said ! I also feel the same way as Tracy about all of you "regulars" on this forum . I too feel happy when I see happy post and have shed tears some times on the sad ones and feel that conection that Tracy is talking about . I feel like I've made quite a few new friends !!!

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #7
    t, u said it so well.  i feel

    t, u said it so well.  i feel like we're a family here.  we celebrate the good news and cry with the bad.  this is a wonderful site and i'm very thankful 4 finding it.  the people here r great for encouraging and pushing people forward.  i tink we've all come to rely on the people here and their replies.  thank u 4 putting it out there.  this really is a great place 2 b.

    dj

  • Hard12Find
    Hard12Find Member Posts: 218 Member
    #8
    T

    Well spoken, and obviously heartfelt. I think I needed to hear this today as I have been really having some dark days lately, even though I am in remission, I have lost so much to this damned  disease.....This site has been such a blessing, amazing how total strangers can care so much for each other when faced with a common enemy......

    Thanks T....

    Jim

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #9
    Hi T

     

    Said so very well; no mater who we are or what we may each think or believe we are all together in the same boat. We each draw strength from one another in the fight and when one of us hurt we all hurt with them and when one of us have joy we all celebrate together. I have seen over the years many who have gone on to live there new normal lives; at the same time I have seen many others who have went to sleep before there time. Here the rest of the world could learn a very valuable lesson, that no matter skin color, religion, or nationality we are all one family. There is no time for war or hate we are too busy helping each other.

     

    God Bless

    Tim Hondo

  • Duggie88
    Duggie88 Member Posts: 760 Member
    #10
    "T"

    Very well speken and all great responses. I can truely say in an uncocky manner that Don's boggy man does lose his aggresiveness as time goes on. He is frightening in the stage you are in T but becomes less frightening as time passes. I joke quite a bit in our unique little room but easily lose my sense of humor when I read the sad stories. There are even some times when I have to avoid the room because I feel run over by sad news regarding individuals I know only through words on here. I've come to realize how lucky I am to still be on God's earth when so many were taken from it by cancer. I will never call it by any other name then what it is. I will never let it intimidate me to the point were it takes what life I have left. Nor will I sit back and allow cancer to intimidate someone I have formed a special bond with here and allow them to give up. If I can fight and win anyone can.

    Thanks for the post "T". Now I am going to my brother in laws house and have a few Stelas to celebrate life. Well just 2 because I still have a CDL License that I may want to utilize someday.

          Jeff

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #11
    Survivor...

    The way I look at it...

    Somewhere hopefully, very far down the road.... When I go, if it's from something other than cancer, I'm a cancer survivor...

    JG

  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    #12
    Thanks T, well said and

    Thanks T, well said and timely for me.

    Debbie

  • Grandmax4
    Grandmax4 Member Posts: 723
    #13
    "T"

    all of the above~~~~

  • katenorwood
    katenorwood Member Posts: 1,912
    #14
    Oh T !

    You have a way with words that express our most inner feelings to the T...excuse the pun....but you have said it all.  I agree with Don.....boogie man under the bed or in the closet.  The biggest lesson I've learned here is to ALWAYS say things from the heart....never be afraid to be who we are.  And by doing this, we give the unconditional love that should never be hidden from one another.  Lessons of life shared...and true testiments of lives lived to the fullest !  Thank you my friend and please continue to inspire !  Hugs sent !   Katie 

  • Ruben and Jude
    Ruben and Jude Member Posts: 155
    #15
    Perfectly said.

    Thank you Mark, and all of the above. Encouragement and support makes this road a little less bumpy. God Bless us All.

  • robswife87
    robswife87 Member Posts: 209
    #16
    Ruben and Jude said:

    Perfectly said.

    Thank you Mark, and all of the above. Encouragement and support makes this road a little less bumpy. God Bless us All.

    Perfect

    Perfectly said in this unperfect disease.

    We all walk this road together, yet possibly different destinations for all of us, hoping that our destination finds us all healed. Some will find the sun, others may take a detour and still find the sun and for a few there will be no sun, but we walk it together.

    This group is a family in the sense of everyone here knows what the other is going through and we are all wanting to help in any and every way we can. We feel the pain the others feel. We care what is happening, good or bad, to each of us. We can't wait to hear the freat news and shed tears with the bad.

    May the Lord bless us all and hear our prayers. May we find that one day Cancer will no longer be anything more than the common cold. 

    Sandy

  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #17
    Statistics BLOW

    You r correct. If I believed Stats, I would have died on the OR table in July of 2010, and also would have died the day the beast came again in Sept of 2012. Positive attitude and the willingness to fight and REFUSE to be silenced by the beast is 75% of the battle, and treatment is the balance. I know this as I have another Chemo treatment tomorrow, and I will see numerous people sitting in the recliner doing nothing positive to help themselves.

    KEEP FIGHTING!!

    Mike

  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570 Member
    #18
    STATS

    I must say, that sums it up, well done/said.  I've never googled or checked stats; my belief has alway been to hit the ground running, maintain a positive attitude, and when I get knocked down, get back up.  As long as we're survivin, lets keep it movin forward, even on those not so good days, moments..........*

    PATRICK

  • Ruben and Jude
    Ruben and Jude Member Posts: 155
    #19
    patricke said:

    STATS

    I must say, that sums it up, well done/said.  I've never googled or checked stats; my belief has alway been to hit the ground running, maintain a positive attitude, and when I get knocked down, get back up.  As long as we're survivin, lets keep it movin forward, even on those not so good days, moments..........*

    PATRICK

    (No subject)

    Laughing

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