Researchers are still hiding behind ” we still don’t know about pot’s long term effects” so don’t expect everyone to take this finding seriously. Most doctors who participate in these pot studies do think that there is merit in pursuing these studies and that pot will one day have a useful roll in providing pain relief.

I do believe that those who are truly suffering from pain and are terminal should be able to use whatever pain relief works for them. There is no reason people should have to suffer because others frown on the choice of pain relievers.

     My own father died an agonizing death with colon cancer, and now to find out how preventable it is, well it’s just devastating to say the least. The test is not pleasant nor is it dignified but it’s a picnic compared with the cancer itself. They are recommending it for people over 50. I’m sure this is not good news for health insurers who may have to pay for part of the tests, but then again it’s got to be cheaper in the long run than to pay for radiation, chemo, and surgeries.

I am still, and will probably always be haunted by the final days my father had to endure, and I am still asking why he had to suffer like he did.

They can put people into comas, or other drugs, that will take their minds far away from the prison of pain and suffering they may be in. So why don’t they?

It seems to me that they don’t want to take away their awareness, so they could say goodbye. Well I  don’t know about you, but I’d be willing to sign a paper that says if I have cacer and can’t respond, please knock me out. If my final awarness only knows the pain and suffering I’d rather skip it.

There are thousands of people in their final days, won’t someone speak for them?

Since my dad died in early December I can still hear the hospice nurse tell us that he is resting comfortably. Remember, he was supposed to be given pain meds every two hours and after I asked how long since his last dose, the same nurse said it’s been 5 hours. The man was unable to respond except for widening his eyes when talked to. His mouth and lips were so dried and cracked he could not udder a sound. He couldn’t move at all. Resting comfortably? Have any of you ever had a severe case of dry mouth? I have from some meds I was taking.

He was not given any nourishment or hydration because they said fluid was accumulating in his stomach and causing more pain. However I can’t help but feel that something can be done. Maybe some kind of wax or oil based coating for the mouth and throat so he could swallow. What about a permanent spinal block when the last few days approach? It’s not like in the movies, you know when the last few days are here.

We had hospice take my dad to a hospice unit in a hospital, where they were better staffed and equiped to care for him. I believe that my mother felt so much better and relaxed that he was being taken care of, she just let go of her own struggle.

I spent the afternoon with my dad the next day and brought him a nice picture of mom. My sister and I saw he was suffering so much we told him mom went peacefully in her sleep and it was time for him to let go and be with her. It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do. Hours later he took his last breath.

He was cleaned and turned on his side when we visisted him, however when I asked when the last time he got his morphine was they responded 10:30 that morning, it was after 1:00 in the afternoon. When I pointed that out, the hospice nurse said he was resting comfortably. The man was given no food and water and could not speak or hardly even moan. He was far to weak to move even a finger.

I told her that just because he can’t tell you he’s in pain doesn’t mean he isn’t and she better go get some morphine for him unless she wanted me to do the scene from “Terms of Endearment” where Shirley McClaine has to scream for her daughters meds. She immediately got the meds and administered them to him. That made me wonder how they cared for him during the long night when we weren’t there. His mouth was so dry and cracked from lack of moisture. He couldn’t swallow they said but he could have someone wet a cloth and wipe the inside of his mouth and lips. We did it for him while we were there but what did they do? I don’t know, I’ll never know.

It took a little convincing but my father agreed to have hospice come in. Right now they are only coming to his house for visits twice a week. They evaluated him for it last week, however he has drastically gone downhill since then. I visited him yesterday and he is so weak and frail he can’t even stand. They have him on morphine for the pain and are trying to find something to give him so he can eat, he can’t hold anything down. He’s got sleeping pills so he is finally getting a little sleep. The family has been gathering there to help and to help him tie up loose ends. It’s difficult to see him dying like he is. The doctors give him at most 5 months, but in his present condition I doubt we’ll have him for another 5 weeks. It is my hope to have hospice reevaluate his condition and be there for 8 hour shifts. He’s also on oxygen now and needs more medical aide.

I thank hospice for what they are doing, and for helping all of us to let him go with as much dignity a person can have in this condition.

My father had a CAT Scan and they rushed him up the waiting list for the colonoscopy. My parents tell me he’s got a mass in the colon and cancer cells in three of his organs. My sister, however had a chance to sneak a peek at his doctors report and tells me he’s got cancer throughout his entire body. All his major organs have tumors and he’s so weak he can barely lift his arms. He’s waiting to see an oncologist, but I think we all know the immediate outcome of this situation.

My mothers been so sick this past year, he’s been ignoring his own aches, pains, and fatigue, and now it’s seems it’s probably too late.

We’re talking about what’s to be done upon his death and planning his funeral, per his insistance. Nothing has been harder.

I appreciate the fact that they got him in for the colonoscopy early, but the subject now seems moot.

Proton beams, on the other hand can be pinpointed directly on the tumor, sparing the healthy tissue around it. Moreover researchers claim that by using proton vs. other radiation they are able to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back from 12.8% recurrance with other forms of radiation, to 6.4% recurrance for those treated with the proton beam.

Experts maintain there is no real solid proof that this form of radiation treatment is better than the traditional radiation. However there are a growing number of former cancer patients who swear by the proton beam radiation.

The other problem with the proton beam therapy is that there are so far only about 5 proton centers in the United States. The centers cost millions of dollars to build, must be as big as one or two football fields, and have walls that are at least 10 foot thick concrete.

Despite all of that, there are a number of new centers being built as we speak.

This post has to do with one commercial in particular that just strikes me the wrong way. It’s just a small thing but every time they run it, it makes me feel like there’s an itch I just can’t stratch. The commercial stars a woman called Peggy who describes how she found out she had cancer from her doctor. He told her nothing could be done and that she had two months to live. In the commercial, Peggy starts to choke up and cry. A perfectly natural and understandable reaction to being told you would be dead in two months time.

Then while Peggy is at home dying, her sister calls the Cancer Treatment Centers of America and they test, and treat her and offer her hope for a long life. Peggy decribes how the doctors here tell her that she has no expiration date stamped on the bottom of her foot, and how the tumors are gone and she’s in remission. After this miraculous new lease of life, Peggy says “I thought, oh”. Oh? They just told her the cancer that was killing her is gone and all she can say is oh?

Like I said it’s just a little thing but if I were Peggy I’d be yelling ” WOO HOO!  YEAH, I’M GOING TO LIVE, WOOO!!!

” I thought oh”  Oh, well.

Unless I am not understanding correctly, this article seems to be saying that some doctors and a government committee feel that some cancers can live and grow in the body, but if you are older you will probably die of something else before the cancer really becomes a health concern for you.

It further seems to say that by detecting it early you would undergo treatments that would prove to be unnecessary because you’re going to die soon anyway. WHAT?

I don’t know about anyone else but I do not want cancerous tumors anywhere in my body whether they are causing me pain or not. These doctors seem to be saying that they are affecting the quality of life by treating and testing the cancer, rather than the cancer affecting the quality of life.

Of course I have to ask once again where do the insurance companies and money fit in to all this. After all look at how much can be saved if we just all forget about testing high risk groups of people for cancer, and even more money can be saved by ignoring it and not offering treatment.

Honestly, sometimes I feel like I woke up on the wrong planet. See the whole article here and throw me a comment, I’d love to know what you think about all this.