Question about testing

Hi,

Jeannette you are neither of you guilty of anything - that just isn't how cancer works! Cancer is seriously random and relatively inexplicable - if oncologists knew what they were doing they would have a better rate of cure - they are by deffinition disaster managers and as for General Practisioners - they can only do their best, all too often wholely inadequate to the enormity of the problem.

Out of every 5 people you pass in the street 2 are likely to have had or get cancer and in the lottery of life it varies from something humiliating to something threatening - that is why Challenge begins with a big 'C'.

All is not lost for your husband sometimes, as inexplicably as it started Cancer inexplicity vanishes, but it obviously not wise to plan on such optimism. Your position is very very Challenging and it would seem that the greatest part of the Challenge is to enjoy, together, every moment you can and make sure that you never let Cancer have your husband whilst by all means understand your husband has Cancer. The aim is to make the Cancer secondary!

Good luck and go for quality not quantity.

As a friend of mine who when 49 moved from challenge to terminal I asked his, since he was the same age as I, what had he learned from Cancer - without a moments thought he answered 'Life is too short for cheap wine'.

Good luck to you both and may I commend most of The South African wines as they seem to get it right every year unlike France where they only get it right occasionally and call it vintage

How is he doing now? What are his treatments? Do you have access to a good oncologist and hospital? I am hoping for the best for you both. elaine

my husbands  cancer (or should i say metastised cancer) was found in aug.. back at the end of March he started having back aches, he thought he had injured his back snow mobiling. the pain would come and go, come june the pain got so  bad he went to the doctors, they did an x-ray (found nothing) so doctor recommended physical therapy  and gave him some pain meds.(didn't work) went back to the doctor and  he made an appointment for my husband to see a spine specialist in aug. in the meantime i was calling the doctor telling him my husband was in unbearable pain so he decided to do an MRI. it showed abnormalities and they proceeded to do a bone scan and thats when we got the news that the cancer was in his bones

Greg, I will read the book! Always up for a good read.

I understand just an inkling of the state run medical problem. I am on medicare and even though my medical decisions should never revolve around that, I occationally run into a doctor who questions it or won't take me as a patient because medicare doesn't reimburse their full rate.

I have brothers who work at large factories and they are stuck with HMO programs where they are only allowed to get medical help in the town they live in. They would not be able to go to Indy like I did should they get bladder cancer or any other cancer so I guess I am still better off than they.

I totally understand your worry. Two months of waiting for a procedure is too much for the mind. They finally did an abdominal ct scan on me after being sick for seven months worrying about all kinds of cancers and it was a roller coaster with days of thinking I was ok and they would find something simple to thinking I was dying of colon or some other cancer. They found the bladder cancer by accident when they were looking for ovarian cancer back in August. As far as I know my problem, now, is not cancer but motility in the stomach.... plus now the baldder cancer.

I hope you will let us know as soon as you can how you come out after your proceedures. And you will be in my prayers also. I don't know what your background is but I do enjoy your posts and your support of everyone here on this board. I will send possitive vibes your way on Monday. Take care, elaine

Hi,

I note you live in Indiana Elaine, I will always remember the opening section of Bach's other book NOT Jonathan Livingstone Seagull - it starts out 'In The State of Indianna was born a Messiah ....' the story of a Messiah who doesn't want to be a Messiah he wants to be a barnstorm pilot so he writes a manual for a friend of his on how to be a Messiah - Great fun with some lovely ideas based on the Taillard du Chardin principle of if the human mind can conceive and believe then the human brain can achieve.

Doesn't work, nice idea, but I've still got cancer!

I'm never sure which gives me the most angst whether it is the cancer or endlessly tring to deal with the NHS. All too easy to give up, but then I get the feeling that is what they are hoping! :-/

Please explain the logic - I am diagnosed as needing TURBT & TURP, both mild surface problems on August 31st. - so they eventually get around to booking me in for tomorrow 6th. November! In over 2 months what makes them think they haven't done further damage, spread or penetrated the lining? :'(

With a tax funded, Government administered Devolved irresponsibility running a health service it is clear that all too many decisions are made based on economics and all too few based on medicine! :-[

At what stage does the State consider the patient expendable? A budgetary liability?

I am as scared of the incompetence and dishonesty of politicians as I am cancer!
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Jeannette, that is terrible. I don't understand why more tests aren't done. In my opinion, it is worth the little extra money for the tests to assure something like this doesn't happen. How did you finally catch it? I will sure say prayers for you and your husband. They did not do other tests on me at the time of my bladder cancer diagnosis but they have run ct scans since because of this stomach problem I am fighting. I will certainly ask my urologist when I go in for my recheck in December. You are in my thoughts. Take care, elaine.