Greenwald Family

First thing you might want to convince your husband it's time for a new Oncologist.

I was diagnosed Stage IV terminal non-operable over 4 1/2 years ago, had an operation the first year which they took out the tumor in my colon, my ureter and the ones in my liver all in the same day, giving me a chance at a longer life, my cancer keeps coming back, so I keep doing chemo and having surgeries, and guess what? It isn't that bad, it has become just part of a routine of my life now, I get breaks from chemo, the side effects for me have not been bad, mostly the cold thing with hands and feet which you learn to work around, this time around with Oxiplatinin (it makes cold things feel very bad) I have actually been able to drink ice water while getting it and after and that has been a great "pick me up" for me.

While having chemo, doing surgeries, I went to college full time and graduated with two year degree, I kayak (only when not on the oxiplatinin) ride my motorcycle, scooter and bicycle.

This year had been rough because it took them 8 months to figure out I had another tumor in my colon which was causing severe pain, since April I had been hospitilized due to the most unbearable pain, for an average of 6 days each month, July was 7 days and then two weeks later still in July I spent 7 more days in the hospital, then in August 9 days for severe malnutrition (they had me send for family so they could say goodbye while I was alive), I pulled through that and for the past three weeks have been virtually pain free and my Oncologist told me today we now have to start looking at long term plans. ( This doesn't include the many trips to ER to get pain relief with Morphine until I could handle the pain, it took 7 months before they said gee, maybe we could prescribe her a slow an extended time morphine prescription and an instant working morphine liquid, she can take at home, then she won't have to go to ER, you have to advocate for yourself and insist on what you need).

I write the above to say it's doable and life can be great, but there are many bad and scary moments on this crazy roller coaster that you can't get off of, there are stage IV here that have gone through a year or two of surgery and chemo and become NED (No Evidence of Disease) that is all our goals, it can and does happen, and those of us that are told we are not going to make it (quite a few here have been told that) like me, still living life and enjoying it while enduring cancer and it's related chemo's, and those that are NED, never give up, and if your Doc has that attitude, they are the wrong doc, and time to go Oncologist shopping.

Canicer is no bed of roses, it's got way to many thorns grabbing a hold of you, the cures leave you with problems, scar tissue, neuropathy, pain in places you didn't know pain came from etc., but cancer is something that has happened to your husband and you and your family, you will all be affected by his cancer, there will be tears, so many tears, anger, pain, heartache, and a lot of worry (mostly on your part) but then there's love and living life as best as possible to carry you all through.  My heart aches for everyone diagnosed with this disease, may someday there be a cure, until then as Kerry used to say, "It's attitude, just attitude", just do the best you can.

There are many caregivers here, some have spouses who are the magical NED, there are other wonderful women who lost their loved ones but stay here and encourage, advise and help others with their experience, you will find them quite helpful and very caring. And we with cancer of course are here for you with our experiences, it can make things less scary and more manageable.

As other said, we are sorry for why you are here, but we welcome you and hope even if in some small way we can be of assistance.

Winter Marie