50% survival statistic

2 minute read time.

FormerMember

5 Apr 2011

It's been a hard week; I found out that I have a 50 % chance of surviving over 5 years... a difficult one to get my head round, especially when everyone at the hospital talks in positive talk, preventative treatments aiming to cure.... ha.... I feel just a tad fobbed off really, although what they say is true and Yes I do appreciate that they need to be as positive as possible but hey please also be real... I did ask as I'm sure we all did in the early stages of being diagnosed for a prognosis and was always lead to believe it was very good, in fact my consultant surgeon actually told me he was hopeful of a cure... but nowhere through my journey has anyone said.... hey...actually.... this is how it is.... sad really, all this... just as I was considering when to go back to work and what hours etc I wanted to do. It hasn't changed my feelings on it just made them 100% more important... Previously I worked 24hrs p/w with the usual pro rata holidays etc, now I want to change to term time only and 16hrs p/w. I don't think the boss will like it but frankly... life really is to short it would seem... I am going to find out where I stand legally tomorrow so I am prepared for the meeting I am due to have with her soon. It would be sad to have to give up teaching as I really do enjoy it, but if I need to change jobs in order to feel contentment in my home life, then so be it.

Hubby is working away so I have too much time to think and no-one to reflect with... the evenings are long and sometimes quite lonely, I find my thoughts swaying towards the negative lately, having a few tears along the way, dealing with insecurities I thought I'd got over in my teens (being conscious of my body, both in how I look and sexually). I'm 40 in September a reflective time of life anyway so new short term list of goals is in the making and growing all the time..... question is.... do I have the time to achieve them????

Radiotherapy starts on wed ...another first to look forward to!! but also a sign that I'm getting through the treatment. Chemo has been hard... they say radio is a breeze in comparison... fingers crossed on that one, although with my currant run of luck I'm not holding my breath.

Let’s hope the sun is shining tomorrow both on our faces and in our hearts eh XX

Good luck everyone X X

johnr over 14 years ago

Hi

I can associate with what you say and I think we all have those thoughts at sometime and its easy to dwell on the negative stat.

But remember there are positive or good stats and someone has to be one otherwise they would not exists, so just retune to being a good stat, it sounds so much better.
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FormerMember over 14 years ago

hi hun sorry you are feeling down and sometimes a bit lonely i find cancer can bring with it lots of lonliness too lost lots of my friends and being a one parent family the kids are off on their own most of the time and between chemo which is so hard im on my own 99% of the time had a really bad day sunday but you know tomorrow is another day and ive wakened up this morning hoping for the sunshine to shine in the windows and what did i get rain but its lovely because i want to open the door and walk in it and feel the breeze on my face because im here and im going to stay here be strong and positive instead of down and miserable yes life is too short so you go girl do what you want to do not what other people want you to do bugger them its your life you work when you want and do everything you want to dance in the rain skip in the sunshine act silly so what you grab every day as a new day take care love and hugs jen xxxx
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FormerMember over 14 years ago

I think its only natural that you are feeling down at the moment...with finding that out and everything else in your life is just adding to this. Just try to remember that statistics are very general and not always to be believed. Sometimes they can be wrong. I was initially told I had a 90 % chance of surviving 5 years or more which in cancer terms is pretty much cured but my cancer came back. (Not trying to worry you even more but hoping to highlight the fact that it can go both ways) I then found out that most people with secondaries dont survive more than 2 years which again is reached by looking at statistics...well I am almost 2 years into a secondary dx and still very well. I am also coming up to 4 years since first being diagnosed and have never once felt like I have cancer..well except when I had chemo. Make the changes in your life that suit you and live and enjoy it...but if you feel pants and down and negative sometimes thats fine too, its part of the journey. But try not to worry too much about the statistics afterall how long is a piece of string and who says you wont be one of the 50% living well past the dreaded 5 years? Lots of love to you xx
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