This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

Dying young & alone Why?

I was diagnosed with IDC (breast Cancer) in August of 2007, I went through the chemo, the bilateral mastcetomy, My whole circle of family and friends were a huge support to me going through this. We had lost my father in 1996 to a brain tumor, he was only 49. In June of 2009 my oncologist told me that I have Adenocarcinoma effecting the inferior mediastinal nodes, on the outside on my lungs, he labled me terminal, 6 months to a year, I am now in my 8th month, enrolled Hospice since July. I am only (just)) 38. I have no one to talk to that understands what this is like, my whole circle for whatever reason, perhaps the burden of my upcoming death, have walked away from me. I ask my Hospice nurse "isn't there other dying people out there that i can talk to? Other terminally ill people that will TRULY understand my thoughts, my feelings?" She said simply, "no" So I decided to look online for a terminal chat room, and this is what i found. I am afraid to die alone, afraid to die when my Hospice people are not here. I need others that understand the harsh realities of being terminally ill with a very agile mind because i am young. I never married nor had any children, out of choice, I wanted to pursue my carrer in the arts before i settled down. I was able to have a final wish come true through The Dream Foundation, which was way cewl :)... At any rate, I just don't understand why everyone has walked away from me, it is my belief that my circle of friends and family are tapping their fingers "waiting for that phone call", i feel like a bad secret that everyone put in the closet..... Why can't birds of a feather flock together?- Why do the dying have no one to relate to? I feel very alone in my journey as my symptoms remind me everyday that i am Terminal...

Alone,

Terminal

  • Why not:

    1. listen to celtic music

    2. imagine it as a stream and be putting all wishes in that stream

    3. feet it coming in and through, spinning in body

  • Dear Tanya

    I am very glad to hear from you and that you are getting the care you deserve.You seemed to me at more of a distence but i am glad you are not out of reach yet.The world is filled with miracles and i hope some float in your direction and some of them should be in the shape of your perfect food.

  • Dear Tanya,

    How are you doing?

    Not forgetting us I hope.

    Kathy

  • I could never forget my over-seas family :-).... This "new" cancer scares me a bit as last night I felt the effects of it.  When the adrenaline glands are effected; these glands will "spit-out" adrenaline without reason.  I am getting the flight or fight response for no real reason.  It made me think, I will be so jacked up I won't be allowed to die.  What a horrible thought:  Lying in bed, waiting to die & my adrenaline glands release.....The blood pressure medication that I am on, I am not on it for my BP, its to control my headaches & my adrenaline "rushes".  It has been a great medication for many years.  When I began the pain patch (25 mcg)  I just couldn't do anything, tired, groggy all the time.  The ex-Hospice finally figured out my BP medicaion dosage had to be dropped.  So we did, I felt so much better.  While in the hospital, the Dr. increased my pain patch to 50mcg's.... I am dealing with the same issues.  I worry.  I am on the 25 mg of the BP med & can not cut it in half to lower the dosage so I can function.  Yesterday I had decided to take just one pill instead of the 2 times daily, hoping this would help get me out of bed.  Oh Boy.....Flight or fight, here we goooooo.  It was so awful last night!  I just wanted to cry.  Am I really going to be a serious medical misfit??  What will I have to endure to get to a comfortable-quality-of-life-state?? 

       The one thing I have learned with this road is patients........ Yet, how can one be patient when their internal chemicals are freaking out?  All I can do is Trust....

       Yes, the PO box I had jotted down in here is still good, thank you for inquiring.

    I haven't been eating very well as of late.  I seem to have this "Gourmet Death" for lack of better words.  I don't want plain food (we always want what we do not have)  I want these exotic dishes;  if I have a craving for chinese food for instance & a hotdog & chips are put in front of me, I WILL NOT touch it.  The mere smell of something I simply do not want, will make my stomach turn.  Its hard to not be the woman I used to be; playing with food, making wonderful dishes becuz I know my spices; making desserts that look like they belong in a magazine.  I know of great restaurants to go to to eliminate some of these Gourmet cravings but there are so many things that stand in the way.  Consequently, I'm sad my culinary acheivments have basically been ripped away from me, sad that I will have something in my mind I really, really want to do but my body will not cooperate.  I am trying my best to accept these changes that cancer has envoked, no easy task.  On the days I have my mind set to do something, I can only lay here trying to tell myself that I am not the same "body" yet am the same person.  They say cancer doesn't define who you are;  I think the person that said that has never had cancer.  Of course it does!!  It may not define my soul but defines everything I can not be any longer.

       I have not seen my RN since last Friday so have not asked if there is a lower dose of the BP med I can take. It doesn't bring jubilee into my emotions becuz I know at one point, with the inevitable increase of the pain patch, this is only a temporary solution..... God take me home before they have to take away the med that allows me to keep my headaches at bay & my adrenaline in check....  Looking for the little things to appreciate.

  • Dear Tanya

    I am very happy to hear from you.We are all haunted by the ghosts of our old selves but they had to make way for the new improved version.

    This is a quick list of things i can stiil love when i feel like crap

    eating a pomegranite in the bath,every thing looks better by candlelight,drinking water from the cup of my hand,the smell of books,reading poetry out loud(or maybe i just enjoy the sound of my own voice)the feel of hot freshly baked bread,the woods all year but especially when the bluebells come, finding a laugh where you did not expect one, and i will think of some more tomorrow.

  • Suppose adrenaline rushes indicate body is not willing to

    give up.

    Immune Stars, if they go on shining, may not always be comfortable,

    confirmed by my experience with traumas from cycling, it can suddenly

    begin ripping monthes after the accident, and the feelings!...

    Having worked in bioorganic chemistry for 12 years, yes internal chemistry

    is very tricky.

  • Dear Tanya,

    Yes, I agree.  Cancer does define you by the things you can no longer do.  However, it has shown you much, and although your world has become smaller while you've been ill, so you have opened up to the world.

    I suppose that in reality I would prefer you to be naive of the pain and suffering that has shown you so much.

    Then again, there's a selfish reality that I have, in which I would have you always relating your world here.

    So here's wishing you peaceful and painfree times.

    Kathy

  • dear friend ,i ache for you ,i have had smallcell cancer and i had amazeing friends and family ,its true they go back to their daily life ,just know dear that the loads of peoplethat have answered your post plus me care very much for you .the problem is that we dont know where we all live other wise im sure we would meet up ,i dont know my way around this site as yet i don seem to be able to follow it very wellas yet .just wanted to  to say  love to you  and god bless lyn

  • Dear Tanya,

    How is everything going?  Well, I hope.

    Can anything be a more stupid opening to  a message to you?

    How about, 'How is everything going?  As well as the last time you wrote?'

    No, that's silly too.

    Anyway, you know what I mean.

    Let me know how you're doing...

    Kathy

  • hi tanya

    im john, from romania with love (so pardon my speling). i hve been 'blesed' with a 3grade astrocytoma in 2009. first thing i said, after procesing the buzz of the new, was... lets kill the ***! no sadnes, no cry( exept when i had to tell my mum on the phone), no prisoners, no mercy! but enough about me...

    i love your courage, your spirit and atitude, your witt and black humour, wich i think is more than u let out.

    you are verry inspirational. you have your way with wards. you write poetry.

    you now what... you shoud write a book about it.

    like Lance Armstrong did about his experienxe sith cancer and he is my hero and an inspiration for so many in indurance, determination and honesty.

    your writing reminds me of him, your atitude its amazing.

    i've been told that my life expectancy... or what the hell youi call it... its betwin 2 and 22 years. so from july 2011 i have to start counting my 'date with death'!? ... *** you!... yeap, i just said the f word. im going to live and im going to enjoy it.

    we are born to die anyway, its how you live that matters. so i say 'carpe diem'.

    play a practical joke to your brother ... you come up with the script

    livestrong