I longed to hear the worded cured in the first few years , over ten years later I see the benefits of good disease management instead . I still think they would never use the word “ cured” for her .
juliej wrote:Of course, every case is different, but here's my story.
I had chemo for 14 months straight. At the end of that, I was told emphatically that I was not and never would be a candidate for surgery. I had mets in every lobe of my liver and both lungs. They said if they operated on one area, then the other areas would grow while I was off chemo. They also brought up "micromets" and said they must be everywhere in my body. They said this decision was "standard practice" for Stage 4's with advanced disease. They referred me to a therapist to help me better accept my fate, while also telling me to get my affairs in order and by the way, did I want to meet with the hospice team now???
That's when I got a second opinion at MSKCC and everything changed. They were able to think outside the box, evaluate what had been working to reduce the size of my mets, and come up with an aggressive new plan. I was young and healthy (except for the cancer), so I was willing to do whatever it took to have a chance of surviving. Going to an exceptional cancer center that doesn't view all Stage 4's as hopeless cases was the key to my survival. There were no guarantees, but hell, anything was better than being told there was no hope of anything besides chemo or life (or until it quit working).
I'm alive now because I took that chance. That's pretty close to the "miraculous turn around" you mentioned in your message. Get a second opinion. Or a third. Find doctors that are more aggressive with treatment than the ones you have now. Get evaluated by doctors who are experts in difficult cases.
I know how you feel because it was very dark before things improved for me. Keep strong and keep fighting.
Juliej
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