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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

  • Dear Tanya,

    My home computer's on the blink, but I'm trying to check in as often as I can for a post from you.

    Take care.

    Kathy

  • I just read your thread,

    I pray for you tonight

    Love and Peace 

  • Hello Tanya, Still thinking of you & I send you much love. skyblue xxxx 

  • we have the life

    we have the world

    sometimes its not enough

    and then we stop and think again

    i had a life

    i've seen the world

    i lived to laugh

    and now i die

    but not alone

    i die to join the earth

    i die to come again

    to live again

    to laugh and cry

    tomorow is another day

  • Dear Tanya,

    Thinking of you.

    Take care.

    Best wishes

    Kathy

  • ...So far so good (knock on wood), since they finally (I say with long breathy words) gave me the oral med that the hospital would give to me whenever I would come in through the ER over & over....Dilaudid.  It may sound familiar to many of you.  It works beautifully for the pain & the climbing the walls feeling (due to the tumors on my adrenaline glands); it is currently my best friend, although it doesn't knock me out, its not a drug i would trust just yet, to be able to drive.  At this point, driving is the least of my thoughts....

       I think about when I will begin to see the people that have passed before me?  Do I have to wait THAT much longer?  I've known many to see their loved ones just before they pass on, I see nothing.......I honestly can not take much more of this mere existing, taking up space in this world.  Its tiring to be so tired  (hang in there T, you'll get used to these meds too)....

       Right now, even if I could get up and around, its been sweltering hot outside :-(  I do so hate summers like this....Ghastly, muggy, heat.  Its suffocating for me as my tumors have a tendancy to swell and push against my bronchial tubes so when its "wet" outside? I say hey! I'm not a fish, I can't breathe in this!

       I do have an oxygen condenser now and weigh just 96lbs.  It made me want to cry knowing I am, once again, taking that step closer to my death however, I was so out of breath that tears would not fall, I put on my new O2 machine and some of my meds, 45 minutes later I felt so alive!  It amazed me!  I haven't had to wear it but only once but some days, I feel a craving for it.  After I knew I could breathe on my own, i took it off and was starving!  My RN told me now that i am on the dilaudid, eat what you want!   I haven't ate anything worth speaking of on here but I did put on 4lbs so I weigh a buck.

       I will keep this one short, these drugs work quite quickly.....Thank you my Family for keeping me in your minds & prayers, just pray now this terrible heat wave will disappear!!!

    I send hugs to you all,

    TT 

  • Tanya,

    I can hear the sigh of relief from all your friends here on cancer chat, we were all wondering where you were. I personally have not posted on your thread before, answering when your exhausted expects too much, but I have been following you. Virtual hugs and love Pat alias cougar69

  • Hang in there T!  Prayers immediately being said for disappearance of All Heat Waves.....love & hugs from skyblue xxxx

  • Hey T,

    Lovely to hear from you....I am willing you to keep going but at the same time do not want you to continue suffering....Yes I am hoping I will get used to the drugs as I tend to sleep all the time.....what with the chem and the pain stuff....I wake in the morning between 9 and 10 and know that I could just go to sleep but have towake up to take meds and eat!

    Have they given you a new timescale yet as I am well aware you have thrashed the last one by several months :-)

    Good to hear from you dear friend.

    Much Love

    T xxx

  • Hey Tanya,

    I'm new on here since you were posting before but everyone says I should get in touch as I too am 'dying alone' albeit not so young (it's relative ha ha!)

    talking about the details of illness and treatments and side effects is not my forte I'm afraid...not that I'm in denial just terminally bored with discussing such things beyond absolute necessity...but I'm happy to chat about other stuff if you feel like it.

    My current fave ways of dealing with either physical or emotional pain (good to change regimes now and then for maximum effect!) are by means of blessing counting....ie thinking of at least 5 things to be pleased about or grateful for each day and 'blessing' itself using the Buddhist metta practice of sending good wishes to yourself  and others. Very calming...

    Anyway, 'cool' thoughts to you...

    Angelinthemaking