This entry is a response to a comment left on my last entry.
And what I'm about to say is more or less opinions based off my life experiences (again). This is about chemo-therapy.
Now this is not aimed at anyone in particular or any religious group or political group, what have you. As far as chemo-therapy is concerned and I'm concernt, it's a personal decision, one that should never be made lightly in the event of a devastating diagnosis.
In my opinion, chemo-therapy is a double-edged sword when it comes to treating cancer. It can heal, it can kill, and it can be totally ineffective. What people should remember about chemo is that it is poison you are allowing a doctor to inject into your body (or it can come in a nice little pill form -- I've seen that).
There are a lot of things I try not to talk about or to think about, simply because the events have already taken place, the outcomes have already been reached, and life moves on. What a lot of people don't know about my life is that, like a lot of people out there, I've lost two grandparents. (Actually, more than two, but I've also had the opportunity, privilege and honour of knowing great-grandparents and great-great grandparents. One of my great grandmothers lived to be 103.) Both of these grandparents died the same year (my grandfather died in Februay of 1993 and my grandmother died in October of 1993), and they were my mom's parents. Both were diagnosed with cancer. Both were treated with chemo-therapy. Unfortunately for my grandfather, his cancer was pretty much untreatable. His cancer was in his lungs, but it wasn't the location that made his cancer untreatable. It was the type. When I saw my Aunt Laurie that last day I saw him alive, she told us it was small cell cancer. If you know anything about cancer, you know that is the WORST dignosis of cancer you can get. Yes, there are treatment options for it now, but the outlook for recovery still isn't all that great. Imagine receiving that kind of diganosis sixteen years ago when they couldn't treat small cell cancer. Chemo-therapy for my grandfather was a damned if he did and damned if he didn't situation. He would die with the chemo and he would die without it yet he tried. He honestly tried, but he ulimately could only endure two. The second one kicked his ass bad, and he never underwent a third treatment. Fortunately for him (but unfortunately for the rest of the family -- we still miss him to this day) he didn't have to worry about the pain or the suffering after that. A week after his diagnosis, he died. A month later, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer as well. She underwent chemo-therapy. She was almost in remission when she passed away that following October. (My grandmother was a very strong woman . . . I believe, though, she didn't really want to face a life without my grandfather. To me, they were the greatest couple in the world. They had their problems, they divorced, but they could never stay away from each other . . . sounds like a certain fanfiction couple I'm fond of as well.)
As you can read, that wasn't a very happy ending where cancer and chemo-therapy are concerned. Because of that, I don't believe chemo-therapy is a be-all, end-all treatment for cancer. It's also the reason why I won't ever judge a person should (s)he decide for a different treatment option. I remember when my other grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I'd just gotten home from work . . . I think I'd been at Lakeview for about four months or so . . . quite the time jump, I know . . . but I remember my mom telling my dad had called to say Grandpa had the cancer, and she also told me that my dad was very unhappy with the fact Grandpa decided to not opt for chemo. I remember being slightly pissed off with my dad over it, too, though I never told him that. Working in a nursing home does funny things to a person, let me tell you! ;) I know I thought well, that's Grandpa's choice, and I remember thinking basically what I said up above. Chemo is not the be-all, end-all for treatment. I also remembering not really caring about the news, either. Funny thing, really. By him choosing a different treatment option, he's still alive. Stubborn old goat that he is. Anyway, I digress. I'm not close with this grandfather. I probably will not care one way or another when he dies. It's awful of me to say that, especially since he is still my grandfather, and my dad loves him dearly. I'm just going to keep my excuses to myself because that's another can of worms entirely. However, I'm not entirely heartless. I can't say I love the man, but I can't say I despise him, either. He's just a man I don't really care for and don't care to know.
Back to the subject at hand . . . I can't say I would ever rule out chemo-therapy should I ever receive a diagnosis of cancer. I can't. For one, I'm not in that kind of a situation, I can't imagine being in that kind of a situation so I don't know what I would do in a situation like that. Would I be upset with a loved one should that person opt to not go through chemo? No. My grandparents weren't the only ones in my family diagnosed with cancer. They won't be the last, either. I do, however, believe one must make an informed decision. Yes, chemo is poison, it's evil, but it's also necessary. I don't like the idea, but maybe, one day, we'll live in a better world where the treatments for diseases aren't as horrible as the disease itself.
Wouldn't that be nice?
Now this is not aimed at anyone in particular or any religious group or political group, what have you. As far as chemo-therapy is concerned and I'm concernt, it's a personal decision, one that should never be made lightly in the event of a devastating diagnosis.
In my opinion, chemo-therapy is a double-edged sword when it comes to treating cancer. It can heal, it can kill, and it can be totally ineffective. What people should remember about chemo is that it is poison you are allowing a doctor to inject into your body (or it can come in a nice little pill form -- I've seen that).
There are a lot of things I try not to talk about or to think about, simply because the events have already taken place, the outcomes have already been reached, and life moves on. What a lot of people don't know about my life is that, like a lot of people out there, I've lost two grandparents. (Actually, more than two, but I've also had the opportunity, privilege and honour of knowing great-grandparents and great-great grandparents. One of my great grandmothers lived to be 103.) Both of these grandparents died the same year (my grandfather died in Februay of 1993 and my grandmother died in October of 1993), and they were my mom's parents. Both were diagnosed with cancer. Both were treated with chemo-therapy. Unfortunately for my grandfather, his cancer was pretty much untreatable. His cancer was in his lungs, but it wasn't the location that made his cancer untreatable. It was the type. When I saw my Aunt Laurie that last day I saw him alive, she told us it was small cell cancer. If you know anything about cancer, you know that is the WORST dignosis of cancer you can get. Yes, there are treatment options for it now, but the outlook for recovery still isn't all that great. Imagine receiving that kind of diganosis sixteen years ago when they couldn't treat small cell cancer. Chemo-therapy for my grandfather was a damned if he did and damned if he didn't situation. He would die with the chemo and he would die without it yet he tried. He honestly tried, but he ulimately could only endure two. The second one kicked his ass bad, and he never underwent a third treatment. Fortunately for him (but unfortunately for the rest of the family -- we still miss him to this day) he didn't have to worry about the pain or the suffering after that. A week after his diagnosis, he died. A month later, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer as well. She underwent chemo-therapy. She was almost in remission when she passed away that following October. (My grandmother was a very strong woman . . . I believe, though, she didn't really want to face a life without my grandfather. To me, they were the greatest couple in the world. They had their problems, they divorced, but they could never stay away from each other . . . sounds like a certain fanfiction couple I'm fond of as well.)
As you can read, that wasn't a very happy ending where cancer and chemo-therapy are concerned. Because of that, I don't believe chemo-therapy is a be-all, end-all treatment for cancer. It's also the reason why I won't ever judge a person should (s)he decide for a different treatment option. I remember when my other grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I'd just gotten home from work . . . I think I'd been at Lakeview for about four months or so . . . quite the time jump, I know . . . but I remember my mom telling my dad had called to say Grandpa had the cancer, and she also told me that my dad was very unhappy with the fact Grandpa decided to not opt for chemo. I remember being slightly pissed off with my dad over it, too, though I never told him that. Working in a nursing home does funny things to a person, let me tell you! ;) I know I thought well, that's Grandpa's choice, and I remember thinking basically what I said up above. Chemo is not the be-all, end-all for treatment. I also remembering not really caring about the news, either. Funny thing, really. By him choosing a different treatment option, he's still alive. Stubborn old goat that he is. Anyway, I digress. I'm not close with this grandfather. I probably will not care one way or another when he dies. It's awful of me to say that, especially since he is still my grandfather, and my dad loves him dearly. I'm just going to keep my excuses to myself because that's another can of worms entirely. However, I'm not entirely heartless. I can't say I love the man, but I can't say I despise him, either. He's just a man I don't really care for and don't care to know.
Back to the subject at hand . . . I can't say I would ever rule out chemo-therapy should I ever receive a diagnosis of cancer. I can't. For one, I'm not in that kind of a situation, I can't imagine being in that kind of a situation so I don't know what I would do in a situation like that. Would I be upset with a loved one should that person opt to not go through chemo? No. My grandparents weren't the only ones in my family diagnosed with cancer. They won't be the last, either. I do, however, believe one must make an informed decision. Yes, chemo is poison, it's evil, but it's also necessary. I don't like the idea, but maybe, one day, we'll live in a better world where the treatments for diseases aren't as horrible as the disease itself.
Wouldn't that be nice?