Re: gdpawel

inkblot said:

Hi Ladies:

Hope this finds everyone doing well.

RE some of the recent posts here:

As far as I know, gdpawel has been periodically posting negative information here for at least two years. Perhpas he thinks he's helping to enlighten us. The fact is that most of us already know the inherrent risks of our chosen treatments.

It is not wanted or needed here that he, or anyone else, intrude, for the sole purpose of saying: "this is risky and terrible". We know that already. However, I did feel that some of the replies to his latest post could have been worded a bit more thoughtfully. He is obviously a man stuck in some sort of angry mode in his bereavement of his beloved wife. I have urged him not to post these kinds of messages here, explained why and also urged him to seek counseling, in order that it may help him to let go and find some peace in his life. He seems persistent, so probably the best thing to do is ignore him. I didn't read anything in his post that would indicate that he was "selling" or "pushing" anything. I don't know where that idea came from really.

The fact is that we need to get and remain positively focused, not only during treatment, but beyond, as well. This is a forum for helping one another to do that. Here we can find support when we feel emotionally or physically drained. We can help one another find resources, we can calm and soothe our overwhelmed emotional systems. Find an understanding ear. We all know how it feels. We've all been there. Sharing our experiences is the best we can do for one another. SUPPORT!

Talk of how bad the treatments can be, particularly from an outsider, is just not appropriate. We all know this already and we cope with that every day.

We choose our treatments based upon the best medical information we can find, together with what our doctors recommend, based upon our particular stage of cancer. It's as simple as that. We can only choose from what is currently available. Thoughts of "hidden away" cures do not help us either. Why? Because we've no proof that any such cure exists and is being withheld and if it did, what particular type of cancer would it cure and who's hiding it? Yes, hummb, money runs most of the world, but IF a cure was being withheld, it makes no economical sense to with hold it. Why? Because it would be worth billions and billions of dollars. Everyone would get a piece of that "cure" pie too. Scientists, physicians, drug companies, pharmacists...no one would be excluded from the economical exploitation of any such cure. AND, we'd all benefit as well, so there would be an absolute demand for the drugs(s) and that demand would be guaranteed to last. Curing cancer is not in the same realm as preventing it.

ANY medical treatment is big business. Not just cancer. Patients are economically exploited in every major disease group you could name. There is nothing unique about cancer in this respect. As cancer survivors, we have NOT been singled out.

With your medical background, hummb, you must know and understand that many so called promising drugs never make it past the earliest phase animal trials. If something new does make it through to human trials, there are still no guarantees as our bodies can respond quite differently than animals' and so, they can still fail to work or begin to show a toxicity level not compatible with life. This accounts for the 5 to 10 year study protocols. Otherwise, every major drug company (who funds the trials) would be bankrupt in no time, due to lawsuits from people injured or killed by drugs which were released and approved by the FDA, before ALL the facts were known. Cancer research would come to a halt, with no further innovations or improvements.

It may be helpful to know that drug companies spend many years and billions of dollars to develope new drugs, without any guarantee that the FDA will ultimately approve them. When they are approved, they patent the drug and set about recouping their investment, which includes a certain amount of profit as well. This is just how the system works, legally and economically. At least in the USA.

The fact remains that we only have what is currently available to work with. Yes, some of the drugs can be damaging but the majority of us recover from healthy tissue damage of chemo and radiation. At least we know that we availed ourselves of the best currently available treatments and did all that we could to live. Even in this, we have no guarantees. This is why it's called a "fight". We bite the bullet and for most of us, we're grateful that the bullet exists. It's the best we have. Warts and all.
We cannot allow our desperation, fears, worries and stresses, to lead us down the road of unhealthy thinking or unhealthy actions.

Gdpawels posts here are unhealthy because they serve no positive purpose for us and ultimately, no positive purpose for him. Does he expect that he may suddenly cause us to come to our senses
and say, ok, these cancer treatments are all going to damage us beyond repair or kill us and make everyone else wealthy, so we'll just stop all treatment and take our chances?!!! Not likely. We know what we're doing and we know why. We know all about early and late side effects. We also know that the drugs sometimes just don't work or don't work for very long. We know the fears and concerns we each have to face when we make our choices. Not pleasant but until they bust out with that sequestered cure, this is where we are and these are the issues which we struggle, everyday, to overcome.

Personally, I do not care too much about the economical driving forces of today's latest cancer treatments. Why? Well, if I experienced a recurrence or a met tomorrow, it would not occur to me to ask my doctor what's in it for him.
It would also not occur to me to contact the drug companies and ask them where they're hiding the cure. What I care about is getting informed about whatever is currently medically available to me and my sisters in bc and what will give us the best chance of living. Side effects are a given. A hundred years from now, that will have changed, I'm sure. My time to have cancer, is in the here and now and I must function within that here and now and all the ramifications that go with it.

Antiangiogenesis treatments are being utilized now. Like everything else, they are not 100% though. Cancer is born at the DNA level and genetic engineering has thus far proved deadly in some human trials, for cancer, liver disease and other maladies. Stem cell research has been limited due to moral and ethical objections. Yet, every day, some brilliant minds conceive of new modalities and new trials begin, for all manner of diseases. I don't think there will ever be ONE magic bullet, but rather, an as yet undiscovered combination of bullets, which will target not only cancer but many other debilitating and life threatening illnesses/diseases. It will, I believe, one day be treated much like diabetes. In the meantime, I understand and accept the socio-economic standards of medicine. My energy is better spent in a positive fashion of taking the best care of myself and sharing with my sisters, giving and drawing strength. Yes, its amazing to think about how much profit we generate, but that's just part of the deal. It certainly doesn't keep me up nights.

I suppose that we could gather and drag ourselves to capitol hill but what would we tell them? That we're sick and tired of the conspiracy which is with holding a cure? That we're sick and tired of side effects and want them stopped immediately. What will we produce when they ask for evidence? We could only produce ourselves, as living proof that the best which medicine currently offers, has left us alive and with hope. For me, that is enough. IF there was proof of a cure that's being withheld, then that's another matter to consider IF and when proof is shown. In the meantime, let's try to live our very best and be grateful that we have the chance to do so. We have more than enough upon our plates just to accomplish that goal.

I cannot apologize for my statements here. I believe that they reflect my opinions, together with a sprinkling of common sense. For all those who know me, you know that foremost, I care very much. For everyone else, this is just another opinion which may differ from your own. We all have to judge for ourselves what we believe and hopefully that judgment will always be found through factual information, from solid, reliable sources. We have to be careful not to read too much into off the wall publications which may leave a lot to the imagination. Information overload can be worse than no information at all.

That's my take on the discussion of hidden cures and gdpawel. I'm just like everyone else...living one day at a time and want to give and get the very best there is from this thing called life.

Love, light and laughter,
Ink

24242 said:

I would like to know how many times you are going to post this kind of info. I have been here 2 years now and this is a common one for you.
It is easy to see things differently, after the loss of your wife. My question to you is what are young women, old women alike to do? We have families who need us as my son did and few options out there that truly prolong our lives. I believe there is no CURE! I believe that if we look at this all realistically we can see that we have been given another chance to live lives we wouldn't have had without treatments. I am tired of seeing these kinds of posts. Most of us know well what we are doing and all that comes with it but still decide to LIVE rather than DIE. My son needed his mother, the only parent he has ever been able to rely on, therefore my choice was an easy one and one I would do again even with all I know and all the side affects I have had to suffer with. Without treatments it was clear I would loose my life to my aggressive cancer.
Part of the problem here that you fail to talk about is that we are all different and our bodies act completely different to the affects of surgery, chemo and radiation. Some of us suffer long after the cancer is gone but still the alternative is not one that I like to think about.
I am sorry you are bitter but you might want to find a support group for yourself and find away to deal with all you feel rather than spewing your garbage here. It just isn't helpful.
I am sorry for being so strong but living in our shoes is something you might want to think about.
Tara
I'm BACK!