I Just want to find hope and hear hopeful stories on here of people who have known family members or friends - who managed to recover from "terminal" cancer.
Kim has already written much of what I was going to say. Like Kim, I have been living with a Stage 4 cancer for over two years now, beating the odds but aware that I have so far been extremely lucky.
I was told I had about a 5% chance of surviving for as long as I have. This can sound pretty hopeless but it does mean that 1 in 20 people in my situation will survive for over 2 years. The survival rates quoted are based on averages and don't take into account factors such as age (cancer is extremely common in the over 70s), physical fitness (which affects how much chemo you can take without being made extremely ill), the state of your immune system and whether or not your cancer is the only thing wrong with you.
Some people believe that having a positive attitude helps. I don't believe that, except that if you have a positive approach you are more likely to decide to have what is potentially painful or uncomfortable treatment such as surgery, chemo or radio therapy. Also feeling depressed can magnify how bad things feel, even without having cancer.
Kim has already written much of what I was going to say. Like Kim, I have been living with a Stage 4 cancer for over two years now, beating the odds but aware that I have so far been extremely lucky.
I was told I had about a 5% chance of surviving for as long as I have. This can sound pretty hopeless but it does mean that 1 in 20 people in my situation will survive for over 2 years. The survival rates quoted are based on averages and don't take into account factors such as age (cancer is extremely common in the over 70s), physical fitness (which affects how much chemo you can take without being made extremely ill), the state of your immune system and whether or not your cancer is the only thing wrong with you.
Some people believe that having a positive attitude helps. I don't believe that, except that if you have a positive approach you are more likely to decide to have what is potentially painful or uncomfortable treatment such as surgery, chemo or radio therapy. Also feeling depressed can magnify how bad things feel, even without having cancer.
I had breast cancer in 1982 and a year later it had gone to my lungs, I know I am very lucky to have survived this long and it hasn't been without repercussions (heart issues needing 3 ops to correct due to radiation therapy over the heart area) However I wanted to offer a positive story and offer hope. The treatment in the 80's was far less refined than today so hopes things should be better now. Just don't give in and fight for the treatment that will help you.
