I was told I am incureable, I may not do chemo or surgery

Tethys41 said:

Alternatives
Kale,
I suggest you see what Dr. Lowy says. He may have a completely different perspective, as he specializes in this type of cancer. If his prognosis is as dismal as this one, I suggest you consider some heavy duty alternatives. My friend's husband was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. His doctor offered chemo, but said it would only give him, maybe, another 9 weeks. My friend did not like what the doctor was offering, so she sent her husband to the Oasis of Hope hopsital in Mexico, for two weeks of alternative treatment. He returned for two one-week followup visits. By the third visit, his cancer was gone, without chemo. I went to the same hospital for integrative treatment during my chemo.
You will get many people on this board who will urge you to get chemotherapy. Frankly, those of us here are fortunate in that ovarian cancer is generally very responsive to chemotherapy. Many other cancers, however, are not. Studies even show that for many cancers, chemotherapy does not affect survival rates. Yet, the AMA allows oncologists the option of treating, if they choose to.
Consult with the experts, but research your alternative options as well. The oncologists only know how to treat with drugs, but there are other, effective options available as well. Good luck.

lulu1010 said:

I am so sorry
I am so sorry you have to make such difficult decisions. There is a man on our street who had appendix cancer and it had spread to the peritoneum and he saw a doctor at the University of Pittsburgh and had surgery with HIPEC after some chemo and to the best of my knowledge he is doing well. Your situation may be very different but at least I hope you check out all the options and at least get a second opinion. Praying for you.

marieinlv said:

what a terrible thing our mind can do
Oh Kale, I'm so sad to hear how low you are at this moment. My Mother had neuropathy after some strokes and heart attacks that nearly killed her. There was a moment when the pain was too relentless, she said to me, " I wish I hadn't survived". I said to Mom, " I'm so glad you did, my kids are cray about you". When Mom did go to our Savior my kids were old enough to have awesome memories that they cherish.
I was dx with UPSC stage IV, 11/17/10. I did surgery, chemo, and 6mos of Femara. I do have days of sadness wondering. Mostly I Love this Crazy Beautifull Life! I won't give up untill Jesus comes calling like Moms, when it's too dark to play outside anymore. You're thought of more highly than you think and Loved even more! Gods Peace,
Marie

I've been on these boards for years now and one thing that serves as a red flag for me is when someone opens a new account and on that very same day denounces anything integrative or alternative, especially when the original post is many years old.  I've learned the hard way that people get paid to push conventional medicine on these boards and personally rip apart anyone who advocates for options.  It's a sad statement that pharmaceutical companies feel they have to fear monger people into using their products, over and over again.  They must feel threatened by other approaches to cancer.  And what a twisted disservice they do to cancer patients.  I've kept my own data and patients who incorporate integrative therapies tend to have a better quality of life and, it seems, the sooner they get on board with supporting the health of their bodies, the better they do in the long term.  My experience at OOH was very positive and I saw other patients who benefitted from the treatment there.  They don't save everyone who goes there and if the patient isn't willing to make the lifestyle changes they recommend, the success of their treatments is limited.  Good luck with your trolling career, KJB1611.

I was dx two years ago with colon cancer with an undetermined source.  My wife and I went to the first oncologist who barely read my file and said I was stage 4, the source of the cancer wasn't really important and that palative care was all that was available to me.  BullPuckey!  My wife and I did the research and went to a different oncologist and he was a world of difference.  I got scoped coming and going which yielded nothing except for a few ulcerated spots.  I did have lots of nodularity in my paretinium(sp). I was referred to a surgeon who did a laproscopy and found that 1) the cancer was in my appendix and 2) my appendix had ruptured speading it's cancery-goodness all over my abdomen.

With in a month of the location of the cancer being determinefd, I was receiving 6 rounds of chemo (folfox) and after a month had CRS/HIPEC (late January 2015) which claimed my paritenium, gall bladder, spleen and my ascending colon.  Before I went into surgery, all of the areas of my abdomen ranked 3/3 for severity of disease and was in surgery for 13.5hrs after which I spent 3 days in, ICU 7 days in a normal hospital bed and then was sent home.  I subsequently received 5 more chemo treatments 6 mos after the surgery and was in remission until this August - when I got the news that the tumors had returned.

Currently, I have the last of 6 chemo treatments (folfiri) next week after which I will have a one month rest period before I re-enter the operating room again for another CRS/HIPEC procedure.

I'm not telling you this to scare you, but if the doctor is not telling you the info you need or want to hear, the vote with your feet and leave.  We're no longer a society that blindly accepts what a doctor says.  Plently of doctors "phone it in" and fail to realize that it's the treatment to potentially save your life that they are blowing off. I would shout my oncologist's as well as the surgeon's names from the mountain top if it would help others.  These two, IMHO, are the best.

Remember, it's your life, fight for it and find a better doctor if need be.