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← Return to Cancer but not treating it
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I have always said the same thing. If I ever get cancer I am not getting chemo. I wish I had stood by that when my family begged me to get treatment. I didn't and still would never agree to chemo but they acted like this new form of treatment was nothing like that. The classic "oh it's so easy now, we are worlds away from all that old stuff". Well it turns out this new form of treatment makes you horribly sick as well, so I basically ended up in the exact state I didn't want. Too sick and miserable to enjoy any part of living and with no hope of an actual cure so it will just drag on this way until it fails enough to call it quits. It's so unfortunate that doctors feel the need to pretend like treatment isn't going to make you horribly sick or else maybe they really don't get just how bad it makes you feel. I don't know which but it's unfortunate either way that they are not more willing to make you feel like you really have options, including one to just only treat your pain because before my diagnoses, that was my only real complaint. I was in so much pain, I was desperate to do anything to make the pain better. If they had just offered to treat my pain and let me just live out what ever time I had with palliative care, that would have been ideal for me. My body is still just a hopeless mess of disease at this point and the treatment has just added to my problems instead of helping them. They keep telling me I am doing great when I get my ct scans, but I don't feel it, so what's the point? If it was just being extra sick for a few months/years and then you get better and go back to normal, maybe that would be worth it for most but my cancer is not curable. There will be no remission. It's basically a chronic illness now that makes me so sick, I can hardly function. I wish I had never let it become that and wish that my family had respected my initial decision to just let it be, instead of hounding me to try something.
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@coco46
I was diagnosed with stage 3b colon cancer about 2 years ago after having appendix pain. The cancer had started on my cecum and surrounded my appendix. The cancer was not anywhere else. Long story short, I had a resection and did the protocol of chemo and radiation. After all treatment, low and behold a lymph node in the same area but close to my spine in my abdomen showed up cancerous and again I had surgery for removal. They recommended another regiment of chemotherapy which I politely refused. I knew in my heart that what I was doing with taking chemo and exposing myself to more radiation did not feel okay with me. A scan over the summer showed a couple of new nodes in my lungs in which inflammation could not be ruled out. They again recommended chemo and radiation. I did 5 rounds of radiation on one lung node and that is where I have left off. After 2 surgeries, 12 rounds of FolFox, 30 rounds of radiation in the span of 14 mos, I had enough! Once you are in their system, it just keeps going from another to another finding. They "practice" on us, they do not cure us. I have since stopped all scans as I am sure the amount of radiation cannot be good and most likely is the cause for 2nd cancers and or metastasis. I am living my life and have continued to grow my faith. God made all of us and has already given us all healing through the death of Jesus on the cross. I am taking advice from the only great One, my true Father. I am mindful of what I eat and I take care of my body physically. spiritually and mentally. I have never felt better since removing myself from their system. I believe that these cancer protocols only make it worse and keep you in the corrupt system. Chemo does not cure cancer. They dole out chemo, radiation and scans on people as if they are handing out M&Ms. It is an enormous money maker. The Oncologists may think they are helping but they are part of the problem whether knowingly or not. I have found that they continually stoke fear. Fear is a bad spirit and does not come from God. 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear but one of power, love and sound judgement."
If it does not bring you peace then do not do it. I base all my decisions on this now. If it's causing anxiety, don't do it. It is the Holy Spirit talking to you when you have doubts. I am learning to listen to him. May God bless you in your journey.
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@coco46 I'm very sorry to hear of the extremely difficult situation you are in. Do you have a palliative care physician? It seems to me like consulting with one might give you some support and pain relief. Your oncologist can refer you--in most cancer centers this would be offered for chronic cancer. You can continue with medical treatments but add palliative care. In terms of taking care of yourself I'd also suggest an appointment with a social worker/therapist and perhaps a non-denominational chaplain (if this lines up with your values). Both can help you focus on what you need and explore your options. The support should be offered by a cancer center itself or by referral. I understand feeling pressure from family, but I personally have benefitted from palliative care, therapy, and chaplaincy as a breast cancer patient.