Terminal diagnosis with a timescale.

Hi Neil and welcome to the Group no one wants to join! However I am so pleased you decided to go for treatment as that gives you extra time for them to come up with a new drug for your type of cancer. That is what I told my family at the time.

That is what I told my family when I was told I’d have 5-7 months to live and any treatment would be palliative. I would say the majority of people here would never use the word terminal but say incurable but treatable. Let’s face it! At the cost of these new drugs, they would not offer them if they thought there was no chance of them working!

My diagnosis was in 2013 and I’m still here. I am not alone, there are lots of people well passed their Sellby date and I am sure they will be along at a more reasonable time to welcome you! Never give up hope! When does your treatment start?

Hi Neil

I am sorry that you are here. I was told of incurable bowel cancer  last December. The consultant said the prognosis is 2-4 years. 
It is a terrible shock and I was pretty low about it. 
However, as time goes on and I am able to accept my new situation and living well alongside cancer treatment. 
I have regular chemotherapy. It is tough but I try to focus on what I can do and what brings me joy on a daily basis. Overall mentally I would say I am the happiest since I was 15. So it is not all doom and gloom just because we have a life limiting condition.
Try to make plans for days out and holidays even it does not always works out. It is important to have something to look forward to. 

Be kind to yourself and allow yourself grace and time to absorb this news.

Take care 

Stella 

Thank you Annette. Thanks for your reply. You have brightened up my day. I'm glad their are others in a similar boat that I can reach out to. I'll just keep plodding along until I can't. 

Thank you Stella, Sound advice. At the moment it's been about updating my family (as gently as possible and without to much doom and gloom). 

I'm sure that over the next few days and months I will have a more positive outlook. The last doctor I spoke with had a more upbeat message than the previous one.

Thanks again.

Great advice from the lovely people here 

I just try to crack on with my life “as me” without letting cancer dominate 

A close relative passed away very recently- he was 65 and suffered a catastrophic brain bleed completely out of the blue and was immediately placed on life support. He was otherwise a very healthy guy , he didn’t have a chance . At least we have chances and time via treatments 

Take care 

Lucy xx

Thanks Lucy

Hi Neil, pleased to meet you but of course I wish it were elsewhere. 

We have all incurable cancers and to be honest everyone in this forum are so supportive. Fingers crossed for you and you will live well past what we call your sell by date as many lovely people here are. 

I was diagnosed in March 2015 and I'm still here and apart from having a multitude of problems, trying to live a normal life.

What I'm trying to say is that there are new trials and medications that come on board so the likelihood is that you're going to be here in 5 years at least.

I'm currently on a bed in A&E as I took a sudden dizzy spell and vomited quite a bit this morning. The cancer unit in my hospital, the Ulster hospital just outside Belfast sent an ambulance to bring me here but happily I've just had a bout of hypotension and although weak, I'm fit to go home. 

Try to keep your pecker up is my advice lol 

Tvman 

Hi Neil, sorry to read of your diagnosis.

I too am having palliative treatment. My cervical cancer has spread to various places, but the spread to the brain is the worst part. I was told in May that I had 3-6 months if I didn’t have treatment and maybe up to a year if I do. I commenced this palliative treatment in June and have recently had scans. I saw the Dr for results yesterday. He was pleased that the drugs were keeping it a bay, and some tumours had shrunk. He was being quite positive, so I asked if this changed my prognosis at all. No, was the response. So I’ll just keep plodding on. Most of the things I enjoyed doing are now not possible. I’m not allowed to drive or take a flight (due to the brain metastasis). I’ve had to stop working. I used to really enjoy walking, but my energy levels don’t allow me to go far. I used to enjoy going out for meals, but food doesn’t taste so great anymore. I don’t have the concentration to read, so most days are TV days.

As for family, my husband and sisters are very accepting of my situation, but my mum is quite certain that there will be a miracle cure. 

All the best. 
Mary 

Hi Mary, hang in there, we all have hope, mine was Bowel cancer, gone after surgery, 12 month later spread to various places. Yes palitive care, Immunotherapy  for 4and a 1/2 years I have been clear for a year in October and enjoying life. Take care lovely xx

Moi

Thank you Moi x 

It’s hard to be positive when they keep telling me that with brain metastasis there basically isn’t any hope. I phoned the macmillan team the other day and at first they were trying to be positive until I told her that I had 6 brain lesions. She went very quiet at that point!