DianaCancer
May 16th 2008 23:32
A friend was diagnosed with liver cancer the other day. She was given ten years to live. Her daughter is at school with mine. When I heard, I froze in horror. I thought about it all week and I want to ring her but I don't want to intrude. What should I do?
When my mother was diagnosed I jumped in my car and drove the 4 hours straight to the parents place. They were in shock.
You know, you get the news in the doctors rooms, and in their case the doctor was one of those technical but not totally affable men who find it all very difficult communicating with patients, and basically they were given a few options and sent home for the weekend to think about things.
They were on their own.
And that's one of the things that struck me about the whole disease: you are on your own, especially if is you who are ill. Oh yes, there are various support structures in place but in essence there is not much anyone can do. You have to deal with it. And it ain't glamourous.
So, you get the news. You go home for a bit, break the deal to your loved ones. Obsorb the shock. Somewhat. Somehow. Then trundle off to start the 'treatment'.
In mums case the hospital was so incredibly crowded and under-staffed and under-funded that a few times she and others had to sit outside while the chemo went in! She sat in a big comfy chair for this type of chemo treatment which is inserted via a drip. The nurses were lovely but severly over-worked.
Then you go home and deal with the after-effects. Mum didn't see her supervising doctors often for weeks on end, so we had little idea how things were progressing. Dad dealt with nursing mum, but it was difficult.
My God, why is this all coming out of my system now? I've had three years to get it out...
I don't know, maybe my comments might help someone else....?
More later, gotta go deal with the kids...
When my mother was diagnosed I jumped in my car and drove the 4 hours straight to the parents place. They were in shock.
You know, you get the news in the doctors rooms, and in their case the doctor was one of those technical but not totally affable men who find it all very difficult communicating with patients, and basically they were given a few options and sent home for the weekend to think about things.
They were on their own.
And that's one of the things that struck me about the whole disease: you are on your own, especially if is you who are ill. Oh yes, there are various support structures in place but in essence there is not much anyone can do. You have to deal with it. And it ain't glamourous.
So, you get the news. You go home for a bit, break the deal to your loved ones. Obsorb the shock. Somewhat. Somehow. Then trundle off to start the 'treatment'.
In mums case the hospital was so incredibly crowded and under-staffed and under-funded that a few times she and others had to sit outside while the chemo went in! She sat in a big comfy chair for this type of chemo treatment which is inserted via a drip. The nurses were lovely but severly over-worked.
Then you go home and deal with the after-effects. Mum didn't see her supervising doctors often for weeks on end, so we had little idea how things were progressing. Dad dealt with nursing mum, but it was difficult.
My God, why is this all coming out of my system now? I've had three years to get it out...
More later, gotta go deal with the kids...
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