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So, if you have cancer, you would choose to “just have it”, or would you battle for your life?
I actually would choose not to pursue chemo or radiation, personally (I believe it kills as many people as it saves), but that's yet another discussion. The "war" metaphor has some unfortunate ramifications, such as suggesting that those who survive are "winners" of that war and implying that those who die are "losers." Of course everyone battles "bravely." Now we "battle" Alzheimer's, liver disease, and probably Covid and the common flu. The message is that it's not okay to just accept that you're terminally ill and stop "battling bravely." So I'd be fine with "just having" whatever disease and leaving the melodramatic imagery out of it.
But we digress!
I, too, was curious what he died of, so thanks to the poster who asked.
So, if you have cancer, you would choose to “just have it”, or would you battle for your life?
Depends upon the cancer. I would have a skin cancer cut out, obviously. Some leukemias and lymphomas have a very high cure rate, so I'd possibly pursue some treatment for those, as long as the drugs aren't too expensive. With solid tumors, I'd take only the palliative treatment to diminish suffering (eg, stent the bronchus if the tumor is suffocating me, or get colostomy if it's blocking the bowels (yuck, but an obstructed bowel hurts unbelievably), or debulk the tumor and close the skin over it if it's breaking out in a big painful disgusting sore, the way a neglected breast ca can do).
Well, I WAS responding to someone else and NOT saying anything about changing what you said...
For those who want specifics... https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...ad%20or%20neck.
Researchers recently discovered that a common virus plays a role in causing most cases of Merkel cell carcinoma.
While exposure to sunlight isn't proved to cause Merkel cell carcinoma, it is considered a risk factor for this cancer.
It is not treated like a melanoma, either.
DH was in oncology. What Buffet had was extremely rare and difficult to treat.
I wasn't in oncology, but these "recent discoveries" re Merkel cell ca have been known since at least 45-35 years ago (when I was in med school and later in some of my training that had something to do with cancer diagnosis, if not treatment ; since I remember the virus theory, and since I haven't thought of Merkel cell ca since at least 1992, the virus must have been proposed before then... I wish the years 1977-1992 were "recently", but unfortunately they weren't :-). If something is a risk factor, then it is obviously a contributory cause. And obviously not treated like melanoma (since it is a different tumor), but both most often first manifest in the skin (which makes sense, considering both are related to sun exposure).
Anyway, this discussion doesn't matter too much. He clearly enjoyed his life in the sun, and a somewhat shortened good life is far better than a long miserable one.
So, if you have cancer, you would choose to “just have it”, or would you battle for your life?
If I had a finite amount of time on this earth, I would:
1. Make sure my things are in order, and my wife and daughter are looked after, then
2. Live my remaining life to the fullest. Try things I may not have otherwised tried (skydiving, etc.)
I don' think I'd want to spend my final days throwing up and watching my body wither away, but that's just me. I'd live like there is no tomorrow.
Also, even if one chooses to seek treatment, we could just call that "seeking treatment" rather than "battling bravely." I just find all that jargon and the whole culture that's grown up around it a bit cheesy, as well as potentially problematic for those of us who would prefer to "give up pathetically," or whatever the opposite would be.
If I had a finite amount of time on this earth, I would:
1. Make sure my things are in order, and my wife and daughter are looked after, then
2. Live my remaining life to the fullest. Try things I may not have otherwised tried (skydiving, etc.)
I don' think I'd want to spend my final days throwing up and watching my body wither away, but that's just me. I'd live like there is no tomorrow.
Same; get palliative treatment and head straight for the beach! Preferably living in luxury oceanfront hotels as long as my money and/or life holds out. No thanks to being poisoned by either chemo or radiation or both until I (most likely) die of the cancer anyway. Even "cures" are just remissions, although no one says that...
I hope Jimmy enjoyed his final days in Margaritaville, although I've been hearing that he "bravely batted" it.
How ghouly we got remembering the Man, not for what he did but by what killed him.
Sorry for your loss.
Never really knew the man myself but aside from what killed him, sounds like he went in a good way. "he was "surrounded by his family, friends, music, and dogs", at the time of his death.".
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