Husband has stage IV cancer

Hi Emom
I dont think you have rose tinted glasses at all your attitiude is fantastic and the best way of getting through this.Cisplatin is the worst substance in the world I will never forget how I felt after that.I so know what you mean when you say you are pleased its you going through this rather than your loved ones I know my family found my illness harder to cope with than me.
A positive attitude is the only thing that kept me going and some days it was MIA to say the very least and I had to talk very sternly to myself to get it back.I hope the therapy works and you get the result your doctors are looking for.
Love Claire x

Life has a way of tinting...doesn't it??? I still have four daughters left at home. Three of them have Down syndrome. We adopted them. They are really the reasons my tint doesn't get too faded. Being around them keeps my rose tint distinct. My goal is five decent years...that would get them all through high school. If I get more than that great...but I'm gonna work and fight for five good ones!!!!

Bravo for the rose colored glasses! My cancer hasn't removed mine either, although I've been luckier than most, but unfortunately life has dimmed the rose colored tint a bit. Frankly, I miss the full tint.

Joe, it takes one story like yours to give lots of hope. I have stage four bladder cancer...they call it adenocarcinoma with origin in the bladder. The original prognosis was 8 - 18 months. I changed oncologists and this one doesn't have much more of a personality but refuses to talk "time". He says each case is so individual and he says the medical community is not near smart enough to make predictions for anyone. I like that.

I have to tell you that there are days that I wonder if they have mis-diagnosed me. I have never felt all that bad. It's been the chemo that has made me feel bad. I have had no major surgery. The cancer is in my bladder and lymph nodes up into my abdomen and around my lungs. They thought it was in the lungs at first and now wonder because they don't see it!!!

I guess I know that it was very hard on my family at first. I have seven kids and three grandkids and my parents are still with us. But I seemed to take it the least hardest of all and was very grateful it was me and not one of them because I don't think I could have handled it....but I am a control freak and really feel that as long as it is me I can handle it!!! Now, if it weren't for the chemo and all the yuck that goes with it, I'd be fine. I have gained weight and everyone who sees me thinks I look great. They expect to see this gaunt dyng person and I have actually gained weight- much to my dismay (what happened to the promise of cancer....weight loss???) When I get thru chemo I am going to have to go on a diet!!!! Anyway, of course they don't see me after the cisplatin which I think is a horrible drug...but the effects only last about four or five days for me and after that the fog lifts and I am back till the next time I have it.

I really think a positive attitude works hand in hand with the chemo. I also have this wonderful support system called carepages.com. My page is called Elliespage. My kids started it for me so I woudn't have to tell the "story" over and over and when I feel bad and don't want to talk to anyone, I can go on my Carepage and see how much I am loved and how much people are rooting for me. I just can't feel too down. I feel so blessed to have such a legion of support...nothing can replace that, not even the cure!!!!!

I do see how someone with no faith or hope could just give up! But when you feel the 'love' it's impossible to not hope. I hope for all of you touched by cancer that, since you have to deal with it, that you find some of the good it brings too.
I am sorry for having the rose colored glasses on...I know it turns some people off...but I know that without the "view" from within them, I would just give up and I think God has a little more work for me here!

Hi Everyone!

In March 2007, my dad (65) was diagnosed with stage III bladder cancer and had his bladder removed with 12 weeks of chemotherapy. (Which he handled beautifully- no hair loss, no nasuea, no real side effects.) He thought the worst was over until the xrays showed spots on his lungs. Last Thursday, August 30th, 2007, he was diagnosed with stage IV bladder cancer, the bladder cancer had spread to his lungs. He was given the option to have "intense chemotherapy" or do nothing with 3-6 months left to live. He chose chemo and was scheduled today.
Today he went to get his treatment and he was given another option, one strong treatment of carboplatin and docetaxel then come back in 3 weeks for the next treatment or 1 smaller dose for 3 consequetive weeks, with one week break then all over again. He chose the 3 smaller doses. I hope he does just as well with these treatment.
Reading everyone's stories really does help in dealing with cancer. Thank you all for sharing your stories! God Bless!

Joe-
Yours is an incredible story! I know I speak for Paula and others when I say we need to hear success stories, those that have continued to fight this disease and conquer it. It doesn't help at all when people just write off the stage IV cancers as hopeless. It's not hopeless and nobody but God knows what the outcome will be. There's no reason not to believe we can't be in that smaller percentage that beats this thing, no reason at all! Joe, you are now cancer free! That's fantastic, you fought, you won! Thank you for sharing.
~Susan