Cancer and a bit of a rant

[sazzaa]

Well make sure you take time for yourself in all of this x

This is my venting space, I'm ok x

 

[Spinney]

My first partner died from lung cancer when he was 32 (mind you, he had been smoking like a chimney since he was about 15!). I've known two people who had bowel cancer but survived to die from something else unrelated, and an aunt who has seen off breast cancer. But a good friend who lasted nearly a year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Not sure this list of victims is really helping though, sazzaa? Best way is to write your own bucket list and start working through it now, before you get notice to quit!

And some day I'll take my own advice.

But do get to Iceland - I went once (on a geology trip) and it was amazing.

 

[sazzaa]

My first partner died from lung cancer when he was 32 (mind you, he had been smoking like a chimney since he was about 15!). I've known two people who had bowel cancer but survived to die from something else unrelated, and an aunt who has seen off breast cancer. But a good friend who lasted nearly a year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Not sure this list of victims is really helping though, sazzaa? Best way is to write your own bucket list and start working through it now, before you get notice to quit!

And some day I'll take my own advice.

But do get to Iceland - I went once (on a geology trip) and it was amazing.

I'm happy for this thread to be a space reserved for everyone's rants about this shitty disease.

I kind of do the bucket list thing anyway, at the start of every year I make a list of things to do instead of resolutions! This year had a cooking class, learning more French, teaching myself Ableton Live, start playing piano, an Iceland adventure, cycling 50 miles, doing a Kiltwalk (26 mile walk) and a new job. Done half of them.... Last year had a Dinner in the Dark, one of my best things yet, would strongly recommend that goes on everyone's bucket list!

 

[matth411]

@sazzaa Is that Dinner in the Dark similar to the very few restaurants that when you are seated you are blindfolded, or the restaurant is in darkness, so you actually taste the food more? I remember hearing about them on QI and thought that it is a great idea. I am liking the idea of a yearly bucket list rather than resolutions!

 

[sazzaa]

@sazzaa Is that Dinner in the Dark similar to the very few restaurants that when you are seated you are blindfolded, or the restaurant is in darkness, so you actually taste the food more? I remember hearing about them on QI and thought that it is a great idea. I am liking the idea of a yearly bucket list rather than resolutions!

It's a whole meal experience in complete darkness, four courses, small games inbetween, plus getting yourself to the bar for a shot, plus dancing! Afterwards you go into a candle lit room and your food with a list of ingredients is laid out in front of you, I thought I had a really good sense of taste until I did this.... Absolutely brilliant experience.

I did it here but I think there are places in London to do it... http://www.viersinne.at/Restaurant-Wien/Dinner-in-the-Dark

 

[Ian H]

'Cancer' is actually lots of different diseases, some easily curable, some less so, others not. The longer you live the more likely you are to suffer some kind of cancer. Modern diagnosis probably picks up more instances than of old.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

It's a whole meal experience in complete darkness, four courses, small games inbetween, plus getting yourself to the bar for a shot, plus dancing! Afterwards you go into a candle lit room and your food with a list of ingredients is laid out in front of you, I thought I had a really good sense of taste until I did this.... Absolutely brilliant experience.

I did it here but I think there are places in London to do it... http://www.viersinne.at/Restaurant-Wien/Dinner-in-the-Dark

Can you sneak out without paying before the lights come back on?

GC

 

[sazzaa]

Can you sneak out without paying before the lights come back on?

GC

You could, but you'd most likely sneak straight into a wall.

 

[postman]

One of my pupils made a one way journey to Martin House Hospice on Monday - he's fifteen. He managed do do everything on his bucket list.

For ten years i was a fundraiser at work through Royal Mail and its Community in Action programme.We adopted Martin House as our charity.I organized bicycle rides for years.I have still got letters and photos from those years.We won an award and had to go to Birmingham for a dinner and presentation,1990 to 2000 when we had to stop due to a change in policy on using Royal Mail vans and insurance. Martin House do fantastic work.

 

[Over The Hill]

Years ago it seemed that people died before their time for a reason; They smoked heavily, they were mad motorcyclists, they did a dangerous job.
That was of course sad but it had a degree of fairness to it and we could understand it.

Now things seem different. Now it seems that from amongst us, our friends and family, young and old alike, people are just picked at random with no reason to suffer this awful awful (sorry but just cannot think of a bad enough term for it) disease.

Your posts show the frustration and unfairness of this and our feeling of helplessness.

Do rant, do get annoyed and do whatever you need to do.



I was very sad at the weekend as it is one year since my mum died and this thread is rather tough to read. I can only wish strength to those who need it.

 

[cyberknight]

My mother died when i was 10 years old of cancer and my dad died a few years back, wife was one of the 1st to have combined chemo + radiotherapy in the uk .Aunt passed away last year .
TBH i am just waiting for something sometime to get me.

 

[fossyant]

It's not more common, but more known about it, and as you get older more folk die.

Lost a school friend from it just after we left school, lost my brother in law just over 10 years ago, my age now, lost my grandad of it, possibly nans (I was too young) and a friend my age last year, mid 40s, fit, three kids, dead within a year. Got a good friend with pancreatic cancer, terminal, that's late 60s. He is very upbeat, but knows he will be dead soon, but is on a new drug that may give him a few more months.

Argh.... My BIL lived life to the full, was in Hong Kong and got a call in the middle of the night from Cathay, his employer. They flew the parents and three sisters out. He had collapsed, but was dead within the month. His employers were fantastic with the family.

It's crap...

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

Not had any of it in my family (that I am aware of) until recently my cousin died of throat cancer that spread, he was in his mid 50's. He was a heavy smoker though, so was I until a year ago. My Grandmother and my Auntie both died of motor neurone disease prematurely which is also a truly horrible disease to get. Another auntie has Alzheimer's disease and is totally out of it. So not a real lot of it in my family but other nasty things all the same.

I've known a lot of people from work that cancer has taken though. Horrible disease.

 

[hopless500]

It does seem more common. I have lost family members and so have close friends. We also lost two very good friends within a week of each other a few year ago (both with cancer, but different types diagnosed years apart). It was hideous. Two of my immediate family have odd types of cancer. My FIL has cancer.
Yep. It seems way more common than it did. It really sucks.

 

[hopless500]

Is pain management for cancer a really difficult thing for doctors to get right? Because all I seem to hear about cancer is how much pain and suffering the patients are enduring daily. Such an awful disease.

I think it's harder to balance earlier on. Once the prognosis is final, the pain management becomes easier and they don't have to worry about addiction. My MIL was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died within 6 months of being told, but thankfully her pain management seemed to be good.