90-year-old forgoes chemo for trip of a lifetime

[rickybobby]

Smart lady. Enjoy the bucket list while you can.

 

[dislaney]

Go Norma Go! Would definitely make the same decision in her situation.

 

[olliesmom]

My 91 year old grandmother made the same decision in May 2015 and is still living and thriving! Best decision she could have made.

 

[mefordis]

At 90 years old I don't think I'd need a cancer diagnosis to tell me I'd better be doing everything on my bucket list asap!

 

[PlainJane]

I completely understand why someone at 90 would decide against cancer treatments, but I do hope that advanced seniors don't just assume it's not worth fighting.

I have a family member in her 80s that was diagnosed with cancer. She was very healthy for her age and her doctor encouraged her that she had a good chance of going into remission with treatment. She went through surgery and treatments and she is now in remission.

 

[Tozzie]

I completely understand why someone at 90 would decide against cancer treatments, but I do hope that advanced seniors don't just assume it's not worth fighting.

I have a family member in her 80s that was diagnosed with cancer. She was very healthy for her age and her doctor encouraged her that she had a good chance of going into remission with treatment. She went through surgery and treatments and she is now in remission.

I had the opposite experience, when my father was diagnosed with cancer I convinced him to fight it he died 4 months after he was diagnosed and a miserable death , he spent 2 weeks int he hospital before he died there and it was miserable. 15 years later I still have guilt about it because of it.

 

[PlainJane]

I had the opposite experience, when my father was diagnosed with cancer I convinced him to fight it he died 4 months after he was diagnosed and a miserable death , he spent 2 weeks int he hospital before he died there and it was miserable. 15 years later I still have guilt about it because of it.

There are no guarantees with cancer. Sometimes even much younger patients don't make it. At an advanced age, it's a big decision whether or not to move forward with treatments. I just wouldn't want anyone to assume they didn't have a chance because of their age.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

[georgina]

Well it is a very individual situation, obviously, depending on the type and stage of cancer, as well as other factors. My MIL had lung cancer surgery and radiation at 84, but her DH was still alive (he had Parkinsons). She had a really difficult time after the surgery, was in a nursing home for about 4 months and mentally completely out of it. We didn't think she would ever recover completely, but she did. FIL died a couple of years ago, and I doubt at 91 she would make the same decision.

 

[Kitty 34]

My great grandmother was diagnosed with skin cancer (on her nose) at 98. She didn't do anything for it and still lived to 107.

 

[Magpie]

I completely understand why someone at 90 would decide against cancer treatments, but I do hope that advanced seniors don't just assume it's not worth fighting.

I have a family member in her 80s that was diagnosed with cancer. She was very healthy for her age and her doctor encouraged her that she had a good chance of going into remission with treatment. She went through surgery and treatments and she is now in remission.

This is my thought, too. Chemo has NOT been that hard on my mother-in-law. She's had colds that've knocked her on her on her butt more than the chemo. The one thing the chemo has done is make her very susceptible to infection, so she has to be very careful. And she's got a bit of a full time job, with all the appts, meds, blood sugar and what-not that she's got to track. Fortunately, she's more than up to the task!

She's living with incurable, stage 4 cancer, and she's doing it well.

When my father-in-law was diagnosed in his 50s with the cancer that ultimately killed him, his first reaction was, "No chemo!" As it turned out, he wasn't a candidate for it anyway. And yes, despite not having "poison" injected into him, he still spent weeks in hospital and his death was very difficult. I think dying of cancer is painful, regardless of whether you choose to seek treatment for it or not.

There's no "wrong" decision here. But whichever way you choose to go, make it a REAL, well thought out, considered decision, not just a knee-jerk reaction!

 

[mefordis]

I would decline chemo at any age. That stuff is absolute poison and anyone who does survive it must have an incredible immune system to being with , as well as gold star genetics. I'd get my butt on a plane pronto to receive other treatments including heavy doses of vitamin C. (Outside the US. because doctors aren't allowed to administer vitamin c in that dosage - not profitable for the pharm industry like chemo is)

Most doctors wouldn't take it themselves.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...emotherapy-despite-recommending-patients.html

 

[PlainJane]

I would decline chemo at any age. That stuff is absolute poison and anyone who does survive it must have an incredible immune system to being with , as well as gold star genetics. I'd get my butt on a plane pronto to receive other treatments including heavy doses of vitamin C. (Outside the US. because doctors aren't allowed to administer vitamin c in that dosage - not profitable for the pharm industry like chemo is)

Most doctors wouldn't take it themselves.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...emotherapy-despite-recommending-patients.html

My mother had cancer when I was young. Because of this she has known a lot of people with cancer. She has never met one person where the alternative treatments worked, she did know those who regretted going that route first.

My SIL's husband is also a cancer research scientist. He's brilliant. He could have done anything with his life. He is devoting his life to finding new ways for people to beat cancer. He is not some heartless money hungry monster.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Awesome.

I didn't know chemo was even on the table as an option for 90 year olds.

 

[Magpie]

I would decline chemo at any age. That stuff is absolute poison and anyone who does survive it must have an incredible immune system to being with , as well as gold star genetics. I'd get my butt on a plane pronto to receive other treatments including heavy doses of vitamin C. (Outside the US. because doctors aren't allowed to administer vitamin c in that dosage - not profitable for the pharm industry like chemo is)

Most doctors wouldn't take it themselves.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...emotherapy-despite-recommending-patients.html

And you have every right to make that choice for yourself, however...

Please, for the love of all good things, DON'T rely on the Daily Mail for your information, especially not your medical information!

If there's any organization in this world whose only interest is in seperating you from your money, via any means necessary (including by spreading lies and inducing fear and outrage, with zero concern for who gets hurt), it's the Daily Wail.

Also, I've volunteered with the Canadian Cancer Society for over 15 years, raising money for cancer research, and my daughter is studying Health Sciences in University, and interns in the bio lab. So... yeah, I think you already know my opinion of your beliefs.

 

[mefordis]

The Daily Mail article was the first one I found but this is a well documented survey - most doctors don't take their own poisonous wares. Anyway, no changing my mind so no sense in trying. Chemo is a poisonous cocktail and anyone who has taken it can tell you they felt like death after the treatments - for a reason. No money in natural cures, though, so you won't find much info about them in your news sources that you might find reputable.

 

[BeyondMidnight]

.

 

[Hikergirl]

I wouldn't have chemo at 90 either, I'd finish my bucket list and leave this earth happy.