Hello- 2 relatives in my family both have terminal cancer, we’ve found out that they are stopping treatment with one of them due to chemo effecting other organs too much and the other relative will be having palliative chemo treatment. The thing I’m struggling with is we know there isn’t going to be a cure for both and they will pass from this but we have no idea what the life expectancy is as they haven’t asked the questions which is understandable but waiting for the inevitable and not having any time frames etc is just paralysing, I don’t know if thinking it could be years is unrealistic? We also have young children so need to think about handling that. Just feels suffocating and today i just feel like the wind has been taken out of me and needed it to vent it. I don’t know if anyone has experienced someone with advanced colon cancer where palliative treatment is the only option and what that was like?
Hi Loco1
When my wife was diagnosed she was very clear she never wanted a prognosis - "the how long question" - I really struggled with that. It turned out she was right - at best we get a guess and very often on here I have seen people outlive a prognosis, others who seemed almost to give up when the time was up and almost seem die to order and then a few who died before the prognosis leaving friends and family heartbroken.
My wife's cancer has been incurable from diagnosis but for her the chemotherapy put the cancer to sleep and we have been living with cancer now for over 10 years.
<<hugs>>>
Steve
