May 31 04 - 8:40 AM
Good morning my friends!
I have 2 people in my life now passing from Cancer...and it looks like both will be in the next 2 years....
We were talking this weekend about treatments and cures...and it got me thinking
I know that Cancer is a billion dollar industry... so if there was a cure... it would not be lucrative to get it out there yet some people travel to Mexico and other countries and pay THOUSANDS of dollars to get these "alternative" treatments... willing to do anything to stay alive and treat their bodies to rid it of cancer....
yet some people choose to not treat it at all and choose to die perhaps faster but with a better quality of life...
I actually heard someone say.. "that is so selfish.. to not treat your Cancer.. what about your family?"..
I did resist the urge to strike this person... but it got me to thinking about how we choose to die...
it's easy to say... "if I was dying"...it's easy to say " I would do.."...
but you know it's hard to say.."I support your choice for you...I may not agree with it but I support you"...
Isn't it selfish to say... "go through hell so you can stay with us for a few months longer... this is what you should do for us"...
Heather
May 31st 2004 - 8:55 AM
Re: Cancer... the cure? My mother had breast cancer and it was a living hell. Thankfully she beat it but she still lives in fear that it will come back. In her case she had the surgery but would not do the chemo. She claims she won't do anything at all if it does come back. I guess after you've been through it your whole perspective is quite different on the subject. I don't think it would be selfish of her to say I'm done with the doctors I'm done with all of it. No more cutting no more bullshit.
I think it matters a lot what your quality of life is when it happens. If you're already very sick maybe you'd rather just be done with the whole gig. Spend your last days with your family and live it up as best as you can. Get your affairs in order. If you're still fairly young and healthy I'd want every fighting chance available to me.
May 31st 2004 - 9:23 AM
Re: Cancer... the cure? I am glad your Mom beat it hon!
To me this kinda of leads into the euthanasia... another hot debate...that none of us really know until we are faced with it...
Heather
May 31st 2004 - 9:36 AM
Re: Cancer... the cure? Yeah right now I think it's wrong to end your life for whatever reason but I'm not in horrible pain or living in a coma. Hard to say how I'd feel then. I know I'd struggle with the whole thing though.