Doctors & Diagnosis

I am just learning this computer-blogging etc. stuff. It just occurred to me that I should explain my situation to anyone who reads this and may not know me. In 2004 I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. I had a complete hysterectomy and no further treatment. At first the worse problem I had was chronic constipation. I was slowly feeling better but after about six months I seemed to be not getting back to feeling like I thought I should. I'm not normally a complainer but I just knew my body was telling me something. After the normal tests, my doctor couldn't find anything wrong. This went on for 3 1/2 years. I resigned myself to the fact that it was either in my head or normal. I had to remember I was "getting older".

In January of 2008 I had an abnormal pap (I believe they called it something else). Guess what-yes, the C word again (actually "still" not again). By March it was determined that it was the same cancer. Cells left behind in the scar tissue they determined. Of course, by now it had spread and the news was not good. I had a tumor the size of a golf ball at the original incision site and it had spread to the pelvic area, vagina and liver. Endometrial cancer is not treatable in the liver. I have always had a thirst for knowledge but, I was on the road to learning more things than I ever wanted to know. The local oncologist hoped the liver cancer was a different cancer. He was very hopeful that I could have radiation therapy and chemo and lick it. The key was what type of cancer I had in the liver. They even tattooed me for radiation and the day I was supposed to start treatment they called me with the news that it was the same cancer and wasn't treatable with radiation. A week later I started chemo therapy. That's an experience I wouldn't wish on the devil. I'm sure I'll talk more about this later. I think the worse part was as nice as everyone was, they acted like it was my fault that the chemo made me so sick. One nurse finally told me that 7 hours of 3 of the strongest chemo medicines they give was bound to make me sick. Most of the relief I got was by figuring things out for myself. Throwing up was the worse part of being sick. I knew it was because of mucous. Later when I was researching alternative treatments on the internet I discovered what this was all about. It was from the chemo drugs. Doesn't it seem like the doctor would tell you that instead of acting like they don't know what the problem is and asking you what "you're" doing. I was on drugs to stop the puking but it wasn't working. The only thing they told me to do was take Mucinex. This just thickened the mucous and made it worse. The other thing I couldn't believe was as I got sicker they kept asking if I was dehydrated. This is my thought....If I'm puking more than I'm putting in I am probably dehydrated. They are the medical professionals. Shouldn't they tell me I'm dehydrated?

My biggest concern is with well meaning doctors leaving you with no hope. I believe in honesty but whatever happened to hope. It's hard to listen to your doctor tell you "you will die from this", you are going to "die from this" and there is no cure for you. Of course, he also told me he could get me as much as 2 1/2 years if I continue taking chemo. Gee, that sounds enticing.
Anyway, I don't like complaining...and this was plenty of that. Just to give you some highlights so you know where I'm coming from.

If you've read this far...you are a trooper! Hope it wasn't too boring. More to come.