Escape from the advanced cancer treatment merry-go-round

A friend with advanced cancer is living the best life possible under the circumstances. She participates in activities and gathers with her friends and family. She rarely complains, but she is neither a martyr nor a silent sufferer. She always said that if she started feeling pain or discomfort, it was time for her to go home.

She was on a variety of treatments, and her oncologist tried new and different treatments, switching if one stopped working or had difficult and unmanageable side effects. Does it matter what those treatments were or what kind of cancer she had? I see them as interchangeable details in the canon of cancer stories.

Just recently, she underwent surgery to alleviate back pain. At the same time, a port was implanted in preparation for the next chemotherapy. I was surprised because she had said many times how hard the effects of chemotherapy were and how she was ready to get off her treatment merry-go-round.

Less than a week later, she did just that by opting for hospice care. Hospice care treats the person and the discomforting symptoms of the illness as needed, but not the illness itself.

In the current cancer care culture and system, patients are subjected to a merry-go-round of treatments and procedures. For many cancer patients, the road is short. They reach NED (No evidence of disease), the holy grail for cancer patients. We all want cancer to be completely eradicated, but it’s encouraging to see NED’s progress so far.

But for some of us, NED does not appear at all, or only momentarily. Our goal is to survive progression-free for as long as possible.

We can be anxious and rebellious about that reality, but the day will come when treatment is no longer an option for anxiety and rebellion and anxiety and fear. Cancer progresses or evolves into something resistant to drugs and radiation. or may be treated with surgery. Alternatively, the next recommended treatment may be one that prolongs life, but it comes at a significant cost in a precious short period of time – financial, physical, emotional, in every dimension you choose. please give me. All those dimensions have been expelled and are already depleted.

I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2000, had a local recurrence in 2004, and found out in 2016 that the cancer had recurred and metastasized to stage 4. I’m like an energizer bunny that keeps ticking when I lick it. Oh wait, I’m mixing metaphors and advertising campaigns. The thing is, I battled breast cancer on and off for nearly 25 years of hers, and he survived metastatic breast cancer for nearly 7 years and survived.

However, after seeing what my friend is going through and seeing my own treatment options narrow, I am starting to think more seriously and dispassionately about my next options and decisions. Say “yes”, continue treatment, keep guns pointed at me, this is it for this period of time – that’s the expected answer for cancer patients. Or no, let nature, gods, the universe, or any force that drives this show take over from here. I want to live the time I have left without ever seeing the inside of a cancer center again.

Staying on the merry-go-round or jumping off is the ultimate choice for patients with advanced or difficult-to-treat cancer. It’s a very personal choice and I believe there is no wrong answer. Either option is right, as long as it’s right for you and your loved one.

I myself am living the best life possible under my circumstances. I’ve become more open about the decisions I make, but it’s cheap and easy. My hope is that I, and all of us who are facing this situation, can be brave with our convictions and support our loved ones when the time comes to move on.

This post was written and submitted by Catherine North. This article reflects Katherine North’s views, not her CURE® views. Also, this is not intended to be medical advice.

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