A Remarkable Quote

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TMacphersonNH

TMacphersonNH

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I came across this quote in the journal from Dana Farber. I thought it really captured the emotions of anybody going through cancer treatments. I still have to take my dosages three times a day for the rest of my life and there are day like this where the writing rings oh so true. Anyway....thought I'd share in this person's remarkable eloquence.

"Very few people understand the quiet desperation and silent courage of those who take the pill everyday. The knowledge of the pain and suffering to come. The violence of the perpetual nausea and vomiting. The exquisite pain of the knife blade in the stomach. The blinding headache that craves nothing but the darkness. The fatigue that weighs the body down beyond all understanding. Knowing this dose just might keep you alive. And knowing that when its all over....you awake to do it all over again. This is my life. And I will overcome it all with every ounce of love, and courage, and persistence I possess. And I will survive and thrive".
 
Courage comes in many forms. I can't relate, never having been sick in my life other than colds and hangovers. But I do have a vivid imagination. Is this one of those things that could be alleviated just by smoking a joint? I remember my favorite aunt going through this.
 
While I don't have cancer I am on chemotherapy drugs. I have a rare form of autoimmune arthritis which mimics rheumatoid arthritis but doesn't respond well to standard arthritis treatments. If I don't take the meds I am housebound within two weeks, any longer and I'm bed ridden. Needless to say I take the pill daily, and the infusions every six weeks. Yes it sucks always feeling sick but at least I can move.
 
MacPherson, huffel..  Peace upon you.  I won't pretend I walk that path but I sympathize with you both.

Richard, the second my pain management doesn't require *drug testing and it's clear I never get to go back to what I love, I intend to take that medicine just to see if it works.


*the irony of pain management drug testing is you only pass if you fail, but they look for everything under the guise of 'protecting the children' from doctor shoppers :scratch:  because if I try a natural medicine over this synthetic nonsense that still gets me heaving sick, deadens my ears, and causes insomnia I am somehow hurting someone else...
 
PB this is one of the major reasons I'll never stop smoking. Tobacco does have medicinal properties. Including anti nausea, and analgesic. It's also been used to treat severe head aches and asthma with great success.
 
I've been down some rough paths; I hope I don't have to traipse "the pill" one any time soon, or ever. Some treatments are worse than the conditions, but the tradeoff is you live longer... :scratch:

Seconding PeeB here: Peace be with you both. Seriously.

8)
 
Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts. Huffel: are you on methotrexate? My best wishes to you. - Tom
 
I was for more than 10 years. It reached the point that it just wasn't cutting it anymore. Now they have me on leflunomide which basically is just holding me where I'm at. The methotrexate was miserable there at the end. One dose a week followed by 5 days of nausea and vomiting.


The kind thoughts are definitely appreciated guys. Thanks Tom, I hope things settle into some kind of bearable routine for you.
 
Bless you guys that have to deal with that stuff. I'm still young enough where I haven't had to deal with any crippling illness thankfully. I have seen several of my family members deal with it. It's a large burden to bear and I have always been impressed with the people who take these horrible medicines and stride through it to keep on keeping on as much for the sake of their loved ones as for themselves.
 
When a future generation finds a cure for cancer, they are going to be shocked at today's treatment regimen.

Tom and Huffel, be strong!
 
I truly sympathize with both of you and hope that your quality of life improves soon.
I know a little about what you may be going through having had excruciating pain because of degenerative disk to the point of laying on the floor screaming.
Doctors have had me on many pain killers and none seem to do much but,
keep my awake and draw all my energy making me feel like I'm over coming a bad hangover, with some even giving me severe ticks, all because I'm ADHD.
Although my pain isn't intense as it once was I suffer daily with knife pains to the intestine,
back and legs but, have found a bit of relief in taking Ibuprofen in fairly large doses.
Just wish there was some form of drug they could come up with that wouldn't do more harm
then good for us. "No rest for the weary."
 
It's always difficult to read of others' suffering especially when one feels a kinship to them.

My thoughts are with you all.
 
And I sit here whining about my bad back. Blessings guys, I sincerely wish relief for you.

rev
 
Thanks everybody for the kind wishes. I tell everyone I've got it easy when I see an 8 year child coming in for his/her chemo and telling their crying parent "it's ok. I doesn't hurt so much". Then I realize I've got nothing to complain about. Thanks again for the comments. It is much appreciated.
 
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