Living with cancer (and madwullie memorial thread)

[pandarilla]

More than happy to edit this thread to include anyone who has to live with cancer. Alternatively, happy to make a new thread. 
Either way, shit like this makes a Scotland loss seem very insignificant. 
What do you think?

Rename it "madwullie's big cancer thread".

[welshbairn]

11 hours ago, pandarilla said:

Rename it "madwullie's big cancer thread".
 

"The Waiting Room"

[Cardinal Richelieu]

12 hours ago, pandarilla said:

Rename it "madwullie's big cancer thread".

Ha. I'm not sure how pleased he would be to learn that he is effectively sponsoring a cancer thread, but I've edited the title accordingly. Of course, there are plenty of other horrible and fatal diseases. Maybe I should change the title again. Let me know. 

Edited June 23, 2021 by Cardinal Richelieu

[Honest Saints Fan]

Hi cancer pals.

I have an incurable cancer called Multiple Myeloma and was diagnosed nearly 3 years ago which is mind blowing as it feels like yesterday I heard the words "you have cancer". 

[johnnydun]

This is a really good idea for a way to progress the thread. Like the depression thread is with mental health, the majority of us know someone that has been affected by Cancer in some way. Something that offers another outlet to vent fears or gain support is always a good thing.

My mum past on from Cancer when I was 22, just witnessing the struggle my mum went through was bad enough, I can't begin to imagine what it must be like mentally, actually having it.

[Granny Danger]

I am very fortunate in that no one close to me has suffered from this terrible disease.  That said I think this thread is a great idea to allow discussion on the subject and a fitting tribute to a tragic loss.

[welshbairn]

I think in many ways it's worse for friends and relatives than the victim, especially if there's not much pain or suffering involved. Once the initial shock was over I found it quite easy to be philosophical, even the chemo in my case was a doddle. I realise other people's experiences could be far worse.

[Hedgecutter]

I really hope the assisted dying legislation gets through the Scottish parliament third time lucky and that the happy-clappy 'I'm alright Jack' Christian types take a mammoth kick to the nether regions.

My other half's dad passed away from cancer last year.  The cancer had started as a growth on his head after a bump, started to go away after treatment but then started coming back again.  Unfortunately a couple of extra new growths were noticed elsewhere and once it was in the lungs (he'd never smoked btw) it just seemed to spread like wildfire despite the treatment.   He ended up having to travel from Moray to Glasgow every week to see a specialist down there because it was a rather rare type of cancer, the name of which shamefully evades me just now.  Eventually he ended up being bed-ridden in the knowledge that 'his time' would be unavoidably soon and was forced to live out his last month doing little more than struggling for breath and being told "no, you can't have any more morphine".  Such an undignified way to go, especially for somebody who was usually active.   

Similarly, one of my best mates went to his GP with a sore cough a couple of years ago and once referred to Raigmore got told that he had late-stage esophageal cancer and that he had a matter of weeks to live.  So within 4 weeks he had gone into his GP with a painful cough to lying in a hospital bed knowing his time was up, wanting the plug to be pulled.

On a more positive note, my step-sister recently got the all clear after a 2+ year battle with breast cancer, so I'll finish with that in good old pint-half-full fashion.

[Falcor Roar]

Sad to read about Madwullie. He always seemed like a good guy from his posts in the politics forum. 

 

[Archie McSquackle]

I don't visit Steelmen Online very often but there's a Mad Wullie thread there with a very touching tribute from Goggles and Flippers.

[Jacksgranda]

18 hours ago, welshbairn said:

I think in many ways it's worse for friends and relatives than the victim, especially if there's not much pain or suffering involved. Once the initial shock was over I found it quite easy to be philosophical, even the chemo in my case was a doddle. I realise other people's experiences could be far worse.

I'm the same as wb - when the doctor said "I'm a bit concerned about your prostate" I thought there's no point in two of us being concerned, and I had sort of steeled myself to the outcome of examinations, biopsies etc., (it was the way she worded what was in front of me) and I just got on with things until it was confirmed.

But, I was very lucky - diagnosed early, treatment given at my gps rather than having to go to a hospital during the pandemic. 18 months in and I'm no worse, and certainly my symptoms don't seem to have worsened.

I just took the bull by the horns in telling my wife and she told the stepdaughters, the youngest one was a bit upset at the time, and the next one up dealt with it the same way as I did when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer i.e. pretending it hadn't happened, and I told people as and when I met them, rather than them finding out from someone else. And of course I'm not out of the woods yet, but so far, so good.

But it will be different for everyone, and there will be some right heartrending stories posted.

Both my parents and half of my aunts and uncles, two brothers-in-law as well as two cousins have died of cancer, and as I said above my wife had it and a brother-in-law had throat cancer and has recovered/is in remission.*

* And a stepdaughter had skin cancer.

 

Edited June 24, 2021 by Jacksgranda

[BFTD]

Am I right that around half of us will end up with some form of cancer?

Not very nice to think that this could be a busy thread.

[Shandon Par]

2 hours ago, BFTD said:

Am I right that around half of us will end up with some form of cancer?

Not very nice to think that this could be a busy thread.

For a while I’ve thought P&B needs a memorial garden/type thread. More and more of us will drop off and for future generations of gen nonsense posters it may be interesting to look back at figures from the dim and distant past. Maybe posters could write their own obituary in advance or have some sort of wikipiedia page? P&B, for many, is the best form of social media and its importance in folks’ lives shouldn’t be overlooked. It may be “take it or leave it” for some but for many it’s a source of interaction, comfort and amusement. 

[Granny Danger]

1 hour ago, Peter Grant said:

For a while I’ve thought P&B needs a memorial garden/type thread. More and more of us will drop off and for future generations of gen nonsense posters it may be interesting to look back at figures from the dim and distant past. Maybe posters could write their own obituary in advance or have some sort of wikipiedia page? P&B, for many, is the best form of social media and its importance in folks’ lives shouldn’t be overlooked. It may be “take it or leave it” for some but for many it’s a source of interaction, comfort and amusement. 

That is a good idea; it’s the only way any nice things will be written about me once I’m gone.

 

[Shandon Par]

2 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

That is a good idea; it’s the only way any nice things will be written about me once I’m gone.

 

You’re in with the bricks Granny. You’d definitely have a place on the P&B Mount Rushmore. 

[Honest Saints Fan]

23 hours ago, welshbairn said:

I think in many ways it's worse for friends and relatives than the victim, especially if there's not much pain or suffering involved. Once the initial shock was over I found it quite easy to be philosophical, even the chemo in my case was a doddle. I realise other people's experiences could be far worse.

I was an absolute mess for about 3 months after diagnosis. You could blame post baby hormones and a baby in SCBU! 

I'm pretty chilled out about it now. Accepted my cancer is a bit like a chronic condition. Since I was diagnosed about 3 new treatments have been authorised in Scotland and they are trailing CART-T for Myeloma now, mostly in USA and London. 

I also know when it comes back because I have private health insurance now I can either get better treatment privately or just take a percentage of the treatment costs in cash and stay within NHS.

[Richey Edwards]

5 hours ago, BFTD said:

Am I right that around half of us will end up with some form of cancer?

Not very nice to think that this could be a busy thread.

I think genetics come into it as well.

Three of my grandparents died of cancer (my gran died young - she was 53 when she died of stomach cancer. I never met her.), which probably means there is more than a good chance that my parents and I will too.

My Papa died of throat cancer back in 2011. He knew it was terminal for a long time, but carried on with his life as normal and always had his sense of humour. He was still telling awful jokes days before his death, even when his condition was going downhill rapidly and he wasn't able to walk anymore. Telling awful jokes is a trait that I have unfortunately inherited.

I admire that courage and stoicism that he showed, and that many other people battling cancer show.

It really is a terrible illness.

[Sergeant Wilson]

1 hour ago, Honest Saints Fan said:

I was an absolute mess for about 3 months after diagnosis. You could blame post baby hormones and a baby in SCBU! 

I'm pretty chilled out about it now. Accepted my cancer is a bit like a chronic condition. Since I was diagnosed about 3 new treatments have been authorised in Scotland and they are trailing CART-T for Myeloma now, mostly in USA and London. 

I also know when it comes back because I have private health insurance now I can either get better treatment privately or just take a percentage of the treatment costs in cash and stay within NHS.

Can you take the money instead of treatment? Good to know.

[Honest Saints Fan]

1 minute ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

Can you take the money instead of treatment? Good to know.

Yeah the policy I have you can take a percentage of the costs it would be privately. There is only 1 private haematologist in Scotland so will be taking the money.

[Sergeant Wilson]

1 minute ago, Honest Saints Fan said:

Yeah the policy I have you can take a percentage of the costs it would be privately. There is only 1 private haematologist in Scotland so will be taking the money.

I was thinking more...

"We can cure you but it'll cost £1m.

Nah, you're alright, just give me the money. "