Question by ROTF: lung cancer?
how does one die if he had lung cancer and prolonging his life for years?
Best answer:
Answer by ihrobin
Lung cancer leads to a painful death. One needs to undergo chemotherapy, along with other medication, to prolong his/her life . That too is very painful.
Give your answer to this question below!
Cancer Cure?
Article by Sam Tan
No harm to pass this around so that more will know and learn about this deadly disease and treatment…
I cannot verify the truth of this article but it is an interesting possibility. Thought it might be useful to have it translated into English to pass around. Here is the English-Chinese bilingual version for your reading pleasure
Under weakly alkaline condition, cancerous cells will not be able to grow, or even to survive.
Actual case studies, very important, please read patiently and pass this on.
Even if you have read this before, you should reread this, especially the list of acidic and alkaline foodstuff, best to read several times and remember.
Please read this article in full patiently, it will be helpful to your health.
More than 30 years ago, a Mr Zhang who worked in the public sales department of a Taipei Brewery, participated in the brewery overseas study selection examination, and passed with flying colours.Under weakly alkaline condition, cancerous cells will not be able to grow, or even to survive
Before going overseas during the physical examination at a public hospital, it was discovered that he had a tumour growth in his lung the size of a child’s fist, and therefore was not able to go overseas to study.
The greatly disappointed Mr Zhang had always been suspicious that the diagnosis was wrong. So he went to another hospital for a check-up, the result confirm that previous diagnosis was not in error.
For the youthful and healthy Mr Zhang to be stricken down with such terminal illness, in his despair, he rang his old classmate who at the time was Taidong County Government, Huangsun County Mayor’s secretary, Mr Wei.
Mr Wei rushed to Taipei during his rest day on a Sunday to see Mr Zhang.
Mr Zhang discussed with Mr Wei in detail his despair and pessimism, and entrusted his friend regarding his affairs after his death. Coincidentally, Mr Wei was a good friend of Dr Lu Geling, who was in charge of the Maijie Hospital, 1945-55, and specialised in the clinical research into cancer cases.
He immediately suggested that Mr Zhang go to see Dr Lu for treatment. At first, Mr Zhang said he preferred not to see anymore doctors, so as not to add further to his misery.
But Mr Wei told him that he had telephoned Dr Lu before to seek his advice and arranged an appointment. Mr Zhang felt obligated and went with Mr Wei to meet Dr Lu.
When Dr Lu met with Mr Zhang, Dr Lu said: ‘ Mr Wei is a friend and introduced you and I to get to know each other. This is destiny. Thank you. Let me ask you do you know why is cancer referred to as terminal illness?’
Both Mr Zhang and Mr Wei did not know how to answer.
Dr Lu explained: ‘There are only two approaches taken by humans to treat cancer to-date. The first is to destroy the source of the disease. The second is to increase the capability to fight the disease.
But the strange thing is that, whether we use Cobalt 60 or other drugs to destroy the cancer cells, before the cancer cells are killed, the good cells are destroyed first.
On the other hand, no matter what nutrients or supplements we use, before the good cells have a chance to absorb them, the cancer cells have taken them up and it simply speeds up the growth of cancer.
Therefore both approaches are doomed to failure, that is why cancer is terminal.’
Dr Lu continues: ‘Human beings are most clever, they have successfully landed on the moon. But why is it no one ever questioned the above two approaches for treating cancer which are nothing but self defeating dead-ends, and try to seek a third avenue?
When I was conducting clinical research in Majie Hospital, I had many opportunities to work with and being helped by many colleagues in the Hospital. I discovered that the blood tests of 100% of the cancer patients showed that the blood samples are acidic.
Those Buddhist monks and nuns who are long term vegetarians and live very close to Nature, their blood are prevalently weakly alkaline and amongst them, there has yet to discover any cancer cases.
Therefore, I boldly concluded that under weakly alkaline condition, cancer cells are not able to grow, or even to survive.
Mr Zhang, I would suggest that starting from now you reduce your intake of the acidic meaty dishes.
Take more of the alkaline food. In addition you can take green algae and soup made from water chestnuts with skin,modify your physical condition, and try seriously to have a regular life style which is close to Nature;
If you can manage to stay alive for five years, you should have no further problem. I wish you the best of luck.’
Mr Zhang followed Dr Lu’s suggestion and seriously altered his eating habits.
Every day, he ate green algae, drank chestnut soup, be optimistic and did an appropriate amount of exercise, and went back to the same public hospital for a check up. It was discovered that not only that the tumour did not increase in size, on the contrary it showed signs of shrinking, and surprised the hospital staff conducting the check-up as a miracle. Five years later, the tumour had shrunk to such a state as to almost disappear.
After almost 40 years, presently Mr Zhang’s health is totally normal, and living a very pleasant life.
Following Mr Zhang, a Mr Chen Tianshou, who was previously Head of the General Administration of the Taidong Provincial Hospital, was similarly diagnosed with lung cancer.
When Mr Wei heard of this, he told Mr Chen of the experience of Mr Zhang, and Mr Chen started to follow the instructions of Dr Lu to change his physical condition. The outcome was that he was able to recover fully from the cancer, just like Mr Zhang.
At that time, Mr Lu and his family have emigrated to the United States. After the two cases, he returned to Taiwan and met up with Mr Wei.
Mr Wei told Dr Lu about the experiences of Mr Zhang and Mr Chen, and suggested that let the two of them detailed their experiences to Dr Lu in person, so that Dr Lu could publish a report on his self cure body conditioning method.
Dr Lu very humbly replied:
‘I am too old, besides, I do not have any clinical records of the outcomes. I would ask that you tell yourfriends and relatives, if they are agreeable, then please continue this experience and spread the words??
One should take care of oneself but should also be caring about others, 85% of cancer patients have acidic in their physical condition.
*** Blood of healthy persons is weakly alkaline in nature, with a pH of about 7.35 to 7.45
*** Babies’ blood is also weakly acidic*** As adults mature their blood becomes more acidic in nature
According to a study of 600 cancer patients, of their bodily fluid, 85% of the patients are acidic.
Therefore, how to maintain the weakly acidic nature of our body is the first step for moving far away from diseases.
Acidic physical conditions manifest itself in:
1. Skin without lustre
2. Athlete’s foot
3. Feeling tire even with very little exercise, and feeling sleep the moment one gets on to public buses
4. Easily out of breath going up and down stairs
5. Fat and with lower stomach protruding,
6. Move slowly and movement lethargic
6Why does the body physical condition turn acidic? 1. Excessive intake of dairy acidic food
a) meat, dairy products, eggs, beef, ham, etc are acidic food
b) taking too much acidic food will cause the blood to become acidic and viscous, difficult to flow to the end of blood vessels, leading to cold feet or knee, stiff shoulders and insomnia.
c) When one is young and strong, taking suitable quantity of meat is appropriate, but older people it more suitable to have a diet which are primarily vegetables or small fish.
2. Irregularity in the pace of life will cause the body physical condition to become acidic
a) Irregular pace in life will lead to mental and physical stress
b) According to statistics, people who sleep late are more likely to have cancer than normal persons, by as much as 5 times.
c) Human beings originally lead a life with regular tempo in this world, it is not possible to store up sleep or food and not possible to change the order of living by mixing up days and nights.
d) Human organs are controlled by the autonomic nerves, and during day time it is mainly sympathetic nerves activities, and at night it is mainly the parasympathetic nerves which are functioning, If this order is disturbed and reversed, then diseases will result.
3. Emotion over tensed
a) Civilised society brings stresses
b) Job related or mental stresses
c) A person suffers mental stress, when the stress is removed and the person relaxes, sometimes this may lead to death, referred to as the syndrome of imperfect adrenal cortex function.
4. Physical Stress
a) Before any operation it would be necessary to check to see if the renal cortex does function normally. If the adrenal cortex is lacking, or if the stress imposed by the operation exceeded the ability of adrenal cortex to cope, it could lead to death or other undesirable impacts.
b) If it noted that patient’s face is puffy, it would be necessary to inquire in detail the patient’s medical history and medication status, for patients taking adrenal cortical hormone, extra care should be exercise when administering acupuncture.
c) Stress due to physical labour or exercise in excess, whole night card games, driving etc should be avoided as much as possible
Appendix: Acidity/alkalinity of Common food stuff
1. Strongly acidic food: egg yolk, cheese, cake make with white sugar or persimmon, mullet fish roe, dried cod.
2. Mildly acidic food: ham, bacon, chicken meat, squid, pork, eel, beef, bread, wheat, butter, horse meat etc
3. Weakly acidic food: white rice, peanut, beer, alcohol, oil fried tofu, sea weed, clam, octopus, catfish
4. Weakly alkaline food: red bean, radish, apple, cabbage, onion, tofu etc.
5. Mildly alkaline food: dried radish, soya bean, carrot, tomato, banana, orange, pumpkin strawberry, egg white, dried plum, lemon, spinach, etc.
6. Strongly alkaline food: grape, tea leave, grape wine, kelp sprout, kelp, etc. Especially natural green algae which contain rich quantity of chlorophyll are very good alkaline health food, but tea should not be drunk in excess, and best to drink in the morning.
Passing this on is also a Blessing!
For healthly living–Click here for detail
About the Author
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Mesothelioma Symptoms
Since mesothelioma is such a rare form of cancer, many people who develop mesothelioma symptoms have never even heard of this disease and are unaware of its symptoms.
Most of the body’s internal organs are covered with a protective sac called the mesothelium. Mesothelioma cancer occurs when malignant or cancerous cells appear in the mesothelium. The lungs, heart, and abdominal organs are the most commonly affected organs. Of these, the lung lining (plueral mesothelioma) is most typically infected.
Exposure to asbestos is almost always the cause of mesothelioma. Prior to 1975, asbestos was one of the materials commonly used in the manufacture of building materials. In most cases, symptoms of mesothelioma do not appear for 20 to 40 years after exposure to asbestos.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, malignant mesothelioma caused 2,704 deaths during 2005. So, even though asbestos has been used sparsely since 1975, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that deaths caused by mesothelioma will peak during 2010.
Until it reaches advanced stages, this form of cancer provides very few obvious symptoms. It remains dormant for years; however, when it becomes active it quickly attacks the mesothelium and becomes almost impossible to treat successfully. The CDC estimates that 75% of the people who discover symptoms will die within one year of being diagnosed with this cancer. The remainder will die 6 months to several years later.
Plueral mesothelioma (cancer of the lung lining) represents approximately 3 out of 4 of the cases diagnosed. Typical symptoms of this type of mesothelioma include shortness of breath and or/chronic coughing. Of course, since these symptoms are similar to those of allergies or the common cold, it does not occur to most people that they are infected with this type of cancer.
Peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer of the stomach and intestines) also exhibits symptoms that are not obviously recognizable as cancer, such as anemia and fever.
It is important to understand that mesothelioma generally takes decades to develop, but once mesothelioma symptoms are discovered (properly diagnosed) it quickly becomes aggressive. The best course of action is to become aware of the symptoms and to immediately seek diagnosis and treatment.
The first (and most important) step toward diagnosis and treatment is recognizing the symptoms of mesothelioma. For a more detailed look at mesothelioma symptoms, visit http://www.symptoms-of-mesothelioma.com.
Article from articlesbase.com
Smokers More Likely to Die of Heart Disease than of Cancer
Article by Apollo Hospitals
The most common perception is that smokers are at a high risk to develop cancer. But in reality, coronary heart disease and stroke are the primary types of cardiovascular disease caused by smoking.
Toxins in the blood from smoking cigarettes contribute to the development of atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of arteries) and may contribute to congestive heart failure as well as strokes. Among smokers, cardiovascular disease (and not cancer) is the leading cause of death worldwide. In fact, according to a Lancet report, all smoking-related cancer deaths need to be added together (including cancers such as that of the bladder, mouth, esophagus, etc.) to approach the number of smoking-related cardiac deaths (1,470,000 total cancer deaths worldwide). 1,690,000 premature deaths from cardiovascular disease among smokers were recorded in the year 2000 alone, in contrast to 850,000 lung cancer deaths from smoking in the same year.
Smoking is injurious not only for the smokers, but also for the people and the environment around them. This makes it all the more imperative for smokers to realize the importance of quitting smoking. In a study published in Circulation May 23, 2005, investigators report that second-hand smoke is actually worse than we tend to imagine. According to the report, the cardiovascular system of non-smokers is extremely sensitive to tobacco toxins inhaled during passive smoking. Second-hand smokers only inhale about 1/100th the dose of smoke inhaled by the smokers themselves, but the effect of that second hand smoke is relatively huge. The risk of coronary heart disease is 30 percent higher for secondhand smokers than it is for non-smokers who are not exposed to second hand smoke. Second hand smoke is responsible for making platelets (cells responsible for clotting) stickier, causing inflammation, reducing HDL cholesterol levels, increasing LDL cholesterol levels and increasing insulin resistance.Smoking is the single most important cause of heart attacks in younger patients and individuals under the age of 40 who smoke tobacco products. Young smokers have a five times higher chance of having a myocardial infarction (heart attack) than non-smokers.In the context, Hookah bars are gaining in popularity, primarily with the 18 to 24 year-old age group. But smoking tobacco out of a water pipe, also known as a hookah, is hazardous and poses as much risk to the smoker that cigarette smoking does. Water does not filter out all the toxins.So if you are planning to party tonight, it’s a good idea that you hit the dance floor minus the smoke and the booze!For more information visit – Cancer Care
About the Author
Apollo HospitalsWe unite exceptional clinical success rates and superior technology with centuries-old traditions of Eastern care and warmth, as we truly believe the world is our extended family-something our 16 million patients from 55 countries can warmly affirm.Please visit our website:-www.apollohospitals.com
Question by josh g: lung cancer?
what do they do if you have lung cancer will you die for sure or can they save you?
Best answer:
Answer by Jeepers
there are many variables that come into play. ie age of patient, how advanced it is, what type cancer it is…..lots of things.
What do you think? Answer below!
Pericardial Mesothelioma Symptoms For You
Pericardial mesothelioma is an extremely rare malignant mesothelioma that affects the lining that protects the heart. Like other types of malignant mesothelioma, , e.g., peritoneal mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma, and testicular mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma is caused by exposure to toxicasbestos fibers, although how the fibers end up in the heart lining, or pericardial sac, is unknown. The prevailing theory is that the asbestos fibers are inhaled and travel through the bloodstream until they reach the heart, where they lodge in the spaces in the pericardial covering. So few cases are documented that the correlation between asbestos exposure and pericardial mesothelioma has not been verified with certainty, but a significant number of patients have confirmed exposure to asbestos, and all other types of malignant mesothelioma have been unquestionably linked to asbestos.
Several decades may pass before malignant mesothelioma tumors begin to develop and symptoms appear. Pericardial mesothelioma symptoms do not manifest until the end stages of the disease, and early detection is very unlikely. Generally, the only opportunity for early detection is another problem that requires careful examination of the heart. Even then, pericardial mesothelioma is unexpected, easy to miss, and difficult to identify.
When a patient is diagnosed with pericardial mesothelioma, the prognosis is almost always grim. The proximity to the heart, coupled with the average age of malignant mesothelioma patients – over 55 – and the advanced stage of the cancer, severely limits treatments and rules out most opportunities for surgery. By the time symptoms are evident, the average patient has six months or less to live.
Pericardial Mesothelioma Symptoms
Pericardial mesothelioma is the least common type of malignant mesothelioma, totaling about 5% of malignant mesothelioma cases. The following symptoms are common:
Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
Chest pain
Heart murmurs
Dry cough
Difficulty drawing a breath, even at rest
Orthopnea (struggling to breathe when lying down)
Fatigue
Fever
Night sweats
How Pericardial Mesothelioma Symptoms Develop:
Pericardial mesothelioma attacks the protective sac that covers the heart, called the pericardium. The membrane that makes up the pericardium is made up of an inner and outer layer of mesothelial cells. These specialized cells secrete a fluid that acts as a lubricant to prevent friction as the organs move within the body.
The outer layer of the pericardium is the parietal layer, also known as the parietal sac. The inner layer is the visceral layer, also known as the epicardium. The outer parietal layer is part of the membrane that protects the entire chest cavity. The visceral layer surrounds only the heart.
When asbestos fibers lodge in the pericardial tissues, the cells eventually become inflamed. This causes the cells to swell and produce extra fluid. At the same time, malignant mesothelioma tumors begin to grow. Pericardial mesothelioma tumors are diffuse and tend to spread until they cover the entire heart. The excess fluid is trapped and puts pressure on the heart, which results in the symptoms.
Article from articlesbase.com
Lung Cancer Stage 3B – Really Significant, But Therapy Is Nonetheless Prevalent
A smoking heritage is nearly continually in attendance. Other than their unpleasant bone lesion, Sufferers may well have no other manifestation of cancer. To settle on regardless of whether the skeleton is becoming impacted by the treatment, tons of medical practitioners suggest that patients be presented screening assessments to evaluate their bone density in advance of, through, and immediately after cancer therapy.
Roughly 30 to 40 percent of individuals with lung cancer will have their cancer metastasize to bone. When it metastasizes, tumor cells from the unique cancer break off and pass as a result of the blood stream to a new web page, wherever they develop and develop. Even although the sickness can extend to any aspect of the skeleton, tumor cells most routinely have an effect on the bones that have the best blood provide. Or fundamentally any get together that can be established guilty of negligence or misconduct which brought about the harmful asbestos exposure. It is critical to recognize, that mainly because of the lengthy latency period of all asbestos induced conditions, this statute commences at the stage of when a mesothelioma diagnosis has been designed, rather than the original make contact with to the hazardous materials.
But this law can differ primarily based on a amount of factors consequently, just before submitting a mesothelioma compensation claim, you ought to find the professional suggestions of a individual injuries lawyer or mesothelioma legal professional. In purchase to construct a effective scenario, your lawyer has to prove that the specific resource of you publicity to asbestos, the responsible party for your injuries, and the induced damages to your health had been endured as a direct end result of the defendant’s negligence.
Curiously adequate, because of the truth that the U.S. court techniques have been flooded with so several mesothelioma claims in the past, the federal government is at the moment debating the set up of an asbestos bankruptcy fund. When signs and symptoms are recognized and handled aggressively, the patient’s probability of survival may perhaps improve.
Carcinoma Signs or symptoms
People who smoke and persons exposed to secondhand smoke are advised by the ‘National Cancer Institute’ to view for possible signs or symptoms. These include things like persistent or bloody cough, consistent shortness of breath, wheezing episodes and persistent chest discomfort. In addition to cigarette smoke, asbestos and radon also represent substantial wellbeing threats. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s site, radon gasoline is the number two result in of this cancer. The biggest possibility of publicity is in the property.
Obtaining signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean cancer is present. Signs or symptoms are warning signs to at-danger and non-risk groups indicating the require for a doctor’s go to. A developing carcinoma in the lungs also causes indirect signs or symptoms this kind of as basic tiredness and fat reduction because of to loss of appetite.
Diagnostic Assessments
A battery of assessments will ascertain the presence of cancer in the lungs. Chest x-rays are 1 such system. The scan highlights the glucose hungry cancer cells, pinpointing their site in the physique. Other detection techniques entail lung biopsies, biological analysis of lung sputum and viewing the lungs with bronchoscopy.
Existing Remedies
The superior mortality rate from carcinoma lung cancer is the target of present-day homework.
I’m wondering what I’m going to do next. Aren’t you?
Article from articlesbase.com
Mesothelioma symptoms and diagnosis
Article by Jerzy George
The major problem in treating mesothelioma is due to the fact that it remains hidden in the body as long as fifty years and typically isn’t discovered until the last minute. One of the main reason why is its resembling symptoms to less severe illnesses.
The procedure for finding typically starts with a collection of the victim’s complete health check and job history together with any contact with asbestos. After a careful medical assessment is done and if a trouble is suspected, many more investigative tests will be following.
Most of the time medical imaging tests such as x-ray or CT and MRI scans, plus biopsy procedures that test samples of fluid and tissue for the presence of cancer cells. This also allow to determine how advanced is the cancer and if it has spread to other parts of the body.
Mesothelioma legal issues & your legal rights
Unfortunately, the hazardous influence of asbestos exposure was recognized much earlier than any efforts were made to look after people exposed to asbestos. Thousands of Americans without knowledge as to the risks that they were facing had been in contact to asbestos during the twentieth century.
Therefore, manufacturer that produced asbestos-including goods or used these products on a daily basis are legally responsible for their carelessness in failing to shield their employees.
You may be eligible to file a claim and seek compensation for suffering in addition to repayments for medical expenses and lost income if you or a member of your family has developed mesothelioma or a different asbestos-connected disease as a result of asbestos exposure.
Your may choose to file a claim against the corporation accountable for your asbestos contact this will not only bring justice to the corrupt asbestos industry, it will also grant you the option to be compensated for the costs, as well as harm and despair, associated with asbestos-induced illnesses. Here is the list of the costs for which you can anticipate compensation:
Lost income Medical receipts Funeral costsFees not covered by health insuranceGroup support for you and your family Transportation costs relating to medical treatments
It’s a good idea to hire an experience and knowledgeable attorney specialising in mesothelioma cases who can reassess even more costs that could be covered under your court case, since each situation is unique. Therefore, you should collect all medical and financial invoices associated with your asbestos-related disease for this purpose.
About the Author
For information, advice and exceptional referrals for some of the most experienced asbestos and mesothelioma lawyers in the nation. Your legal rights and other issues surrounding asbestos legal action, please click here: http://www.collagenelife.com/mesothelioma.html
Question by hamed g: lung cancer?
do you know abute treatment lung cancer?
Best answer:
Answer by Brilliant Toast Maker
That person should go find a doctor immediately if you havn’t already. Get 1,2,3 opinions. Earlier detection the better.
Add your own answer in the comments!
Long Term Cancer Treatment Effects
I was sitting on the patio the other day. It was a nice cool Florida morning that you get on the east coast before summer sets in for good.
While Sampson the Chihuahua busily chased a variety of bugs and lizards’ around reminding them that they were a little late in vacating the premises from the previous nights yard party, I caught a glimpse of a squirrel watching me from the limb of the tree that overhangs a backyard fountain, he was wondering when I would be moving on so he could get a drink, hopefully before the water turned warm from the Florida sun.
Butterflies flittering in the cool morning breeze, staying just out of reach of the small brown dog running wild in the grass. The daily bird fight for tree branch supremacy taking place in the background.
I sat in my chair watching the ongoing dramas of the backyard opera unfold before my eyes, and I was content, dare I say happy.
Lucky, maybe that’s the better word.
I sat and thought about the scare I had a few months ago when my follow up scan had revealed that at the spot where my tumor is located and had been laying dormant for the past couple of years, a large mass had appeared. I thought about the various tests and scans that I underwent from November to February.
Most of all I remember the relief I felt when I finally received a call from the University of Florida telling me that this large mass in what remains of my right lung was not cancerous.
A small lizard caught my eye and I watched it fearlessly climb the side of the fountain, although he had no idea what was awaiting him at the top of his climb, the very same fountain that the homeland security squirrel had kept under surveillance for quite some time now, patiently waiting, never losing site of where he was or what he wanted.
As I watched that fearless little lizard, he stopped suddenly, sensing the danger from a low flying bird, he stayed perfectly still and then when danger had passed, he made his way to the water basin. It occurred to me that I was more apprehensive in the months from November to February then during the time when I was diagnosed and being treated for small cell lung cancer. I think more then anything else, because unlike my friend the lizard, I did not sense the impending danger. The fact that something was not right came as a total surprise. I had gotten comfortable with where I was in my recovery and was rewarded for that complacency with a swift slap in the head as a reminder that If I want to continue to survive, I should never let my guard down.
At the point in time after I was originally diagnosed, I was receiving radiation twice a day along with chemotherapy. Everything was what it was, the only unknown at that point was whether A) I could survive the treatment and B) Would the treatment be enough to stop the cancer. But this last thing was out of the blue and for a period of time, a crew of different Doctors from different institutions and back rounds couldn’t figure out what it was or why it was there.
So here it is in a nutshell.
Once you survive the initial treatment and that treatment provides positive results, you start to slowly put your toes back into life’s swimming pool, carefully testing the water to see how cold it is.
Step by step inch by inch you commit a little more into living, At some point prior to cancer, you might have fearlessly dove in without even knowing how deep the water was but now you move a little slower, a little more apprehensive, forever aware that there could be danger ahead as the water gets deeper. Before you know it, as time passes you once again find yourself wading in the water.
If your very lucky, you never again have to be startled back into reality by someone yelling, “GET OUT OF THE POOL!” just as you were getting comfortable.
So I get this phone call from a doctor at the University of Florida with my test results.
From what they could tell, the mass was not the tumor becoming active but basically a cloud in my lung comprised of dead cells and tissue which had succumb to the prolong effects of radiation treatment. Are these fresh cells that have recently died or past relics from the epic battles that took place inside my lung a few years prior? We may never know.
Some things we know all too well..
We know about the side effects of radiation treatment as we are receiving it. We have a pretty good idea of what to expect from chemotherapy treatments. But what about a couple of miles down the road ? What are the long term effects and should they be a concern?
Here’s what I think I know.( I had radiation to the brain, so sometimes I get a little confused.)
For the first five years after lung cancer treatment, you see your oncologist every three then six months as time moves on. Five years is the benchmark. It’s all about “Alive at Five” baby.
After that I’m not sure (Get to five and we’ll talk). I believe that you fall under the responsibility of your regular physician.
I know I have written quite a bit about fighting cancer and what it takes to survive as you are going through treatment, but I think this is the first time that I have dared to let myself think beyond the five year wall. I guess the recent flare up, startled me back into the realization that this is no longer a sprint for me it’s a marathon and It might be ok for me to start thinking long term again.
I know that lung cancer is notorious for its rate of reoccurrence. So that’s the first culprit I have to be always aware of. I know that some of the other possible long term side effects from radiation and chemo treatment range from kidney and liver issues, cataracts, severe tooth decay, hypothyroidism, intestinal problems and then a variety of secondary cancers and lung disease.
I know that if you have had radiation to the brain, you are open to memory loss, difficulty concentrating and bouts of confusion.
I know that not a whole lot is known about the long term effects of these treatments, maybe because in the world of lung cancer, five years is long term.
Here’s what I know for sure.
1) Any long term side effect you receive from lung cancer treatment should be considered as the “price of admission” for being allowed back into life’s swimming pool.
2) Lung cancer is an ongoing fight, the true definition of beating lung cancer is simply holding it off for as many years as it takes to die from something better. Like old age.
3) As it is with fighting the initial battle, the long term vigilance should involve a proper diet, exercise, stress maintenance, regular medical checkups, staying aware of yourself ( if it don’t feel right, it’s probably wrong) get it checked out.
You might want to keep a journal from diagnosis onward to help keep track of changes and challenges along the way.
4) Enjoy life, if we are discussing long term, (a few miles down the road past the five year rest stop.) then you my friend are fortunate. I hope that you are finding ways to take advantage of the additional time you earned by surviving.
Bottom line on long term side effects ….
Don’t spend any time worrying about them. It’s pointless and worry leads to stress. Just be aware of yourself and watch for changes within. Remember there might be setbacks just react as needed. If you do experience long term effects keep one thing in mind, you are still alive, even when the odds were stacked so heavily against you, is there really anything so great that you can’t now handle?
So now it’s time for me to begin moving forward with my day. I push my daily bout of thankful reflection to the back of my mind and start thinking about today.
At my feet lay my little dog napping, exhausted from his back yard triumphs of chasing butterflies. I look up and there still sit’s the squirrel patiently waiting for his drink. Just below him, sitting in the fountain is the lizard, who bravely faced the unknown to get where he needed to go.
My thought today is that if I could learn to live like these three little guys: Without fear like the lizard, Vigilant like the squirrel , and always willing to chase butterflies like Sampson the pup.
I might just make it quite a ways farther down the road then anyone expected.
As co-founder and President of the GFLCCO, Tim Giardina,a current lung cancer survivor offers a unique point of view of Lung cancer,lung cancer treatment and offers support to patients and their families.
Article from articlesbase.com
