Attitudes Towards Cancer

[AiA in Atlanta]

Those of you who have heard of a diagnosis of cancer of a friend or relative, what was your first thought to yourself? Was it along the lines of, "How long does he have?" or "He can beat that cancer?"

[Rainbow Moonlight]

my first reaction was to want more details and to look up possible treatments and also food related therapy. Evidently blueberries are strong anti-cancer food items. Also various vegetable juices.

[AiA in Atlanta]

my first reaction was to want more details and to look up possible treatments and also food related therapy. Evidently blueberries are strong anti-cancer food items. Also various vegetable juices.

So your first thought is along the lines of "this person can possibly make it." That is mine as well but I have found that it is not generally shared.

[Hebe]

I had a positive pap smear test once and I'm ashamed to say I completely went to pieces.

My reaction is pretty much panic - then I settle down. But if it's someone close it's hard to stay calm. My brother-in-law has lost a testicle (he's now known as One-Ball Ray, even by my sister).

It depends a bit on the cancer - my father has a prostate cancer, but he's 87, it's under control and it won't kill him. I've lost quite a few friends to breast cancer. I wonder if attitudes have changed with the generations? The outlook now, and the diagnostics are so improved (as long as people use them) that the recovery rate is a lot better than it was when I was younger. The word still has the power to terrify me.

I hope everyone here - especially you blokes! - has regular checkups. You do, don't you?

[Jovial Monk]

Stuff like blue berries--and chilies--being full of antioxidants are true, but you need to be eating them well before you are diagnosed with cancer.

I usually do a rant each summer along the lines of "currants and berries are available now, absolutely gorge on them!"

Brightly colored berries are chocfull of antioxidants.

To cancer. My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years back and had a mastectomy soon after, plus radiotherapy. She is fine now but the cancer will come back. I hate that sister so it didn't hit me all that strongly.

I think I had a stronger reaction when Elizabeth was diagnosed with lio myosarcoma, a nasty cancer of the smooth muscle (which includes the walls of arteries, the uterus etc.) When the RAH absolutely failed her she went to a private religious hospital that I had no faith in and kept begging her to go to Flinder Medical Centre but she died in that private hospital.

[Kanki]

Over the years I've had a few friends around my own age die of cancer. My initial feeling was one of hope but I think that can often be mixed with denial and disbelief that one so young and vibrant could really be killed by the disease.

As I've watched various people go through lots of treatments, conventional and alternative and eventually lose the battle, I would have to say I probably feel less hope when i hear of someones diagnosis of late . I know also people who've come out the other side and successfully beaten the odds but overall i view it with more doom and gloom sadly these days than i may have in the past.

[AiA in Atlanta]

Over the years I've had a few friends around my own age die of cancer. My initial feeling was one of hope but I think that can often be mixed with denial and disbelief that one so young and vibrant could really be killed by the disease.

As I've watched various people go through lots of treatments, conventional and alternative and eventually lose the battle, I would have to say I probably feel less hope when i hear of someones diagnosis of late . I know also people who've come out the other side and successfully beaten the odds but overall i view it with more doom and gloom sadly these days than i may have in the past.

Glad to see you back Kanki.

I recall a survey done in Canada some years back and the majority of oncologists surveyed said they would not take treatments of chemo and radio themselves and would not recommend it to family and friends.

[Kanki]

I can't say for sure what I would do if diagnosed but I would certainly try and find any alternative possible to the harsh effects of chemo. It just seems like poison to me and appears to break down resistance and immunity and well pretty much the whole body (along with the cancer?) but someone on chemo looks like they are dying. I've worked with someone who i thought would be dead and once he finished his treatment he looked like a new man and commented on how sick the chemo was making him. Sure it may be contributing to his still being alive ? but it's so bloody harsh and still uncertain.

My Mother in law had a mascectomy and is still fighting fit some decades on but refused post treatment and eats pretty much an organic self grown diet with little meat and no fast food. I think there is alot to be said for the pureness of diet in helping .

I personally hate when i hear someone has been told how long they have to live. I think that is catergorically impossible for anyone to know and that the mind and attitude are stronger than we give credit so it is in everyone's best interest to hold some hope of their future .

Thanks AiA , not sure i'll get back to any regular posting but something made me keen to stop by a while back and read (the US Election? can't recall now) . Anyhow hope life's good and this cancer topic is not sparked by having someone you know battling with it.

[Jovial Monk]

Fast food {shudder} how can anyone eat the shit? When I walk into a 'burgher place the smell of cheap meat being grilled while still half frozen makes me want to throw up. (I have had to go there for birthday parties of a great niece or nephew etc.)

I am convinced the growth, the radical growth, of allergies is due to the shit. Meat from cows grown way out in the outback, fattened for a few weeks in a feedlot on grain, GMO grain that the US dumps everywhere because no one wants to eat it) which makes the cows sick so they are shot full of antibiotics. Uggh, sickmaking just writing about it.

Once the cattle are slaughtered I bet the meat is pumped full of nitrites and salt and preservetives etc etc. Then frozen and stored for christ knows how long.

The chips, sorry "fries" are made from tasteless white potatoes again mostly GMO and again stored for fuck knows how long and then fried in "vegetable" or "peanut" oil, again, mostly GMO shit!

Anyone wonder why allergies and cancer rates are so high? Fast food kills!

[AiA in Atlanta]

I can't say for sure what I would do if diagnosed but I would certainly try and find any alternative possible to the harsh effects of chemo. It just seems like poison to me and appears to break down resistance and immunity and well pretty much the whole body (along with the cancer?) but someone on chemo looks like they are dying. I've worked with someone who i thought would be dead and once he finished his treatment he looked like a new man and commented on how sick the chemo was making him. Sure it may be contributing to his still being alive ? but it's so bloody harsh and still uncertain.

My Mother in law had a mascectomy and is still fighting fit some decades on but refused post treatment and eats pretty much an organic self grown diet with little meat and no fast food. I think there is alot to be said for the pureness of diet in helping .

I personally hate when i hear someone has been told how long they have to live. I think that is catergorically impossible for anyone to know and that the mind and attitude are stronger than we give credit so it is in everyone's best interest to hold some hope of their future .

I knew a woman who died of breast cancer recently. She discovered a lump 5 years ago and told no one, not even her husband. She made no changes in her lifestyle or diet. Did no inner work. Simply stuck her head in the sand and kept it there until 2 weeks before she died when the pain became unbearable and her secret was laid bare. Even then she fought going to the hospital. She was not a happy person. I truly believe there is a cancer personality and she was it.