If you got diagnosed with cancer would you seek treatment?

[alilyofthevalley]

i think its the type of question i wouldn't know the answer to unless i was in the situation. IF i could afford it... probably? but also i have a really bad history with hospitals and have developed trauma for intravenous (IV) therapy (i have really bad veins that never take to needles, i pass out everytime i have a blood test) and that's how chemo is given. i don't know if my body and mind could handle the stress. i think it'd be peaceful to know that there's only so much i could do.

 

[madwoman]

I wish I could take someone's cancer away from them - it feels terrible when they want to live and have to endure that when I was to die. My dad had lung cancer that spread to his brain and that was horrible - he could barely form a sentence near the end and I watched him go from "I'm going to beat cancer with all I got to I give up" for me like someone else said I'd feel less guilty and my reason got CTB would be justified and I'd be able to have more support and closure. My state allows assisted suicide so I'd want to do that. Instead (besides this forum) I have to bear my illness alone and hope that when I'm ready to ctb I succeed.

 

[TwistedNightmares]

I wouldn't and if it was terminal cancer, I'd sign up for voluntary assisted dying in my country.

 

[starboy2k]

Im hanging myself the same day I get that diagnosis

 

[Macedonian1987]

If i get diagnosed with cancer and im already experiencing the painful symptoms from it, i wouldnt wait for long. I would be drinking my SN soon!
No way im going thru the hell of chemotherapy, surgeries to remove the affected tissues and organs, and then still die after months or even years of torment. Call me a weak person, but i just cant do it.... im sorry

 

[DarkLord444]

As sad as it may seem but waiting on something like that shouldn't be an option. Don't you have any reason that you might want to live for??

 

[that_miqo'te]

I don't go for checks. But- it's complicated...

Years back, I got the most terrific pain in the chest. I thought it was a heart attack. I was ready to die so, didn't call for an ambulance. It was a work day though. After maybe half an hour, the very intense pain had subsided more or less but obviously- I hadn't died.

I still didn't feel well though and whatever it was felt serious. So- I called in sick to work and went in to a walk- in medical centre. Long story short- it was gallstones. Between my reluctance to see doctors and NHS incompetence, I'd had 13 more attacks over a space of many months before I couldn't cope anymore.

In that time, I'd become terrified to eat anything for fear of triggering an attack. But yeah- it got to the point where an attack happened but, the pain wasn't going- days and nights of it. Turns out a stone and bunch of sludge was now in the bile duct. I suspect that eventually could have lead to pancreatitus and possibly death. My Bilirubin results showed I was jaundice.

The thing I think people don't consider with allowing natural death to take them though is: How long it might take. How much pain they'll have to go through- even with pain killers. Whether they'll be able to work with that pain- if they can't afford to support themselves otherwise.

These things can take time even to diagnose. In which time- you could well be in pain. I'm not so sure it's as simple as it all being laid out for you- you have this cancer. It will take 6 months to a year to kill you. You'll experience this amount of pain. These are the pain killers we'll give you.

In my experience, I just wanted to be out of the agony and uncertainty I was in. I couldn't be sure it would ever kill me but, neither did I want to live with the threat of being in agony every so often.

I guess there were other reasons I didn't have the: 'I don't want treatment' conversation with them. I've been trying so hard to wait for my Dad to go first. I'm really not sure now though- if it happened again, what I'd do.

It just makes me wonder though too. How willing are doctors likely to be to support a patient in not wanting treatment? Will they be really generous with pain management? Or, will they get petty about it?

I imagine doctors would be pro- life. Wouldn't they at least ask why we don't want saving? Wouldn't they then push to treat things like depression? Which I imagine would be their assumption. I don't have a prolongued history of it. But- if they bothered to check, I was prescribed Fluoxetine years ago and more worrying, is the welfare check for SN. I'm sure they'd ask me about that. I just wonder how easy they would make it for us. Their duty is to care after all. Whether we want them to or not.

I even wondered what a good excuse would be. I don't think they'd like a dislike for life as an excuse because, they'd equate that with depression which presumably, they think they can cure. I thought maybe saying receiving treatment was against my religious beliefs could be a good tactic. (Not that I have any.) Who can argue with religious beliefs ultimately?

Although, maybe it would seem strange to accept pain relief but, not treatment. That would be my most major concern though- would the pain relief provided be sufficient if you didn't play their game? I wouldn't want to face something like cancer without it.

It's funny I had pancreatitis from gallstones earlier this year, was within 24 hours of dying should have listened to my mother and waited it out

 

[Forever Sleep]

It's funny I had pancreatitis from gallstones earlier this year, was within 24 hours of dying should have listened to my mother and waited it out

Did your Mum want you to wait? . Was it really painful? I hope you feel better now at least.

 

[that_miqo'te]

Did your Mum want you to wait? . Was it really painful? I hope you feel better now at least.

Oh yeah was very bad, was at the point of being unable to keep even water down, my mother had planned surgery the next day so didn't want to take me to a hospital, and thought I was overreacting.

Still later had my gallbladder out and I'm fine now, still wish I had died then though

 

[NoPoint2Life]

The bright side of dying by an illness is that there's no pro lifers that will criticized me for CTB

And I would also do anything to make sure that my loved ones never find out about diagnosis because I know they'll pressure me into getting treatment.

I think these issues are bound to go together for some people.
My first reaction is no I wouldn't seek treatment. But I know it is so so much more complicated than that and every situation is different.

I've thought a lot about this and I think for me personally a big issue would be family finding out. If you get an actual diagnosis, it's hard to hide after a while. You will probably at least wind up in the ER and someone you know would find out.Because yes, family, friends, and pro-lifers will still think you are crazy. Doctors will think you are crazy. I've always wondered if in this situation, someone could be declared not mentally fit to make a decision. And God forbid if you actually have a mental history documented.

I wish were as easy as it sounded, but I highly suspect it is not for most. Unless you are older and have already tried grueling treatment, I really don't think many people would understand the decision.

 

[that_guy2611]

I'd apply for euthanasia before looking at treatment options.

 

[gnarlystarving]

i actively pray for something like terminal cancer because i'm a coward. and cancer would save my parents the embarrassment.

 

[gomer1978]

I like to think i wouldn't. It would be easier then to ctb before i got too bad that you weren't able to choose. If you know you only have a few weeks left, then the survival instinct will be much lessened.

 

[Grav]

I see the doc for diabetic stuff but already told wife I won't fight cancer.

 

[NegevChina]

I'm a 56(f). I never go to the doctor anymore and never had a mammogram. I would never put myself through crueling surgeries, chemo, radiation ect. anyway I also have a genetic condition I inherited from my father where I am very high risk for a younger age heart attack any day.(His started at 42) I stopped taking my meds for that and been eating like shit. I just don't care. My depression is so severe I am in bed mostly all day. A sudden heart attack is my dream. So for you older folks on here, do you bother with physical health checks or not care either?

Id love to get cancer and refuse treatment. Maybe receive some pain relife but at least my days will be over soon with recognition i have a medical issue. I would love to die in my sleep tonight from heart attack.

 

[RunDown]

Hell no. Straight to hospice.

 

[Irisse]

Yes because it seems like a terrible way to go and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. But if it turns out to be untreatable, deep down I'd feel relief.

 

[Zyntkalla]

If I'm still planning to go, most likely probably will. I am hoping to leave before I hit forty. I pretty sure 2-6 years left for me. I will probably be gone when I am 35-38. If I had cancer I would not get the treatment. It's just showing me that I am get older and I don't want to be in a nursing home. It will make my plan come sooner then later.

 

[FadingSnowFake]

I don't go for checkups, but annoying things have been happening, like I had to have a wisdom tooth removed and my feet are f*cked with plantar fasciitis and pain. And now the knees are feeling strain... So I'm asking myself, what's the point in treating these things? I have to do daily exercises, but just don't have the energy, yet the pain will only get worse if I don't do it.

Anyways, on diagnosis of a terminal illness, depending on the condition and time frame, I'd probably opt to use the SN as alternative prior to the illness taking over.

 

[SarahThrowsGin]

I wouldn't get the treatment but how I'd receive the news would rather depend on whether there is something I want to accomplish before my life is over. Most likely it is going a mix "it is all going to end at last (so most social obligations can be pushed aside)" and "I want to do this one last thing before I die". So it won't be entirely good news to me.

And the reason I wouldn't get treatment (even if there are things left to do) is that I loathe interacting with medical staff and with other patients when it is crowded. I am not going to sit around jerks waiting for my appointment. Even pain may be worth to put up with to avoid humiliation of being treated as a number (which is my experience of going to clinics). I don't have money to get proper attention, and quite often one doesn't get proper respect from staff even for money anyway.

Also, if I die by cancer instead of by my own actions, my death won't be to attributed to 'mental illness', and for that part, I'd definitely thank my fate then.