why do we complain about inteferon and cancer patients don't complain about chemo??

[orphanedhawk]

"Chemo is a horrible treatment for many, radiation isn't much better.  I wonder why people get angry about a rough hep C treatment that, to date, is the only chance for a cure, but don't about chemo?"

Someone recently sent the above to me in a discussion.
I thought it'd be interesting to see what you all think??

[orphanedhawk]

Thanks for your story and input.

I've had friends with cancer who've had time and others who haven't.
Some who beat it and continued life never bothered by it again, and others who've passed on.

Perhaps the main difference is many people with hep C are able to live life never experiencing complications from the virus.
With cancer, people feel an immediate death sentence.

You chose a good username as your smile and words convey your sunny uplifting attitude.

Wishing you contentment~
OH

[nygirl7]

Oh Sunny.............you are just such a light you just made me cry again and realize that as bad as 'problems' seem - there is always so much worse. God bless my friend it is so good to see you again.

Deb

[Jillybean65]

People come here for support, and to put them down for looking for that, just doesn't make sense to me.  Everybody's experience is different.  For someone, who ended up with little side effects, to put down those of us who ended up in bed, unable to work, and feel like it took everything they had to make it to the finish line, just, well, I'm going to leave it at that.  My dad in May of last year was dx with liver and pancreatic cancer.  I lost him during my treatment.  I was able to spend very little time with him, and I regretted doing tx at the same time as him, but he wanted me to go forward.  Our side effects were very similar and we talked with them on the phone a bit, but honestly, neither of us felt up for much talking.  When I could, I went down (1 hour away), and layed on the couch on the other side of him, and a week before he died, 10 weeks into Inc, layed on the floor with my arm on his arm, to let him lk now my presense.  It sucked big time.  I just finished tx on Monday, and am now dealing with the emotions of losing my Dad.  I'm hoping I never have to go through what he did.  Images in my head that I don't want there. Yep, I know I need counseling to deal with everything that has happened.

[sunqueen]

Deb,

Thanks so much for your kind words. All of my tumor markers look great, so for now, life is good.

<3

I can't speak for other cancer patients, but I do know that complaining does not help one little bit. I had a boob voyage party and we passed shots of buttery nipples. It was a lot of fun. My best friend was one of my greatest supporters and then was diagnosed with breast cancer four months after me did not handle it well. She was angry and pretty intolerant of things people said. Maybe it's the social worker in me, but I took other people's remarks in the spirit in which they were intended and didn't look for malice in everything.

I complained a lot when my eye lashes fell out. You wouldn't believe how much they prevent bugs from flying into your eyes.

I met so many amazing people in the infusion room. One old snowbird was telling us about an experience he had at his regular hospital in NYC. He got off the elevator and went through the double doors, as always. He looked around the room and saw that they were all children. He had gotten off on the wrong floor. He said it was the only time he ever cried in all of the years of chemo and treatments. It put things in perspective.

My experience with cancer patients/survivors is that many of them tend to be more positive. With HCV there is the wait and watch option that many of us have, and we elect to treat anyway. With cancer, things happen so quickly that your head spins. They don't even give you a day to think about it. They want to know what they're dealing with and then develop the best treatment plan. There are biopsies, pet scans, bone scans and consults with all sorts of "team members" and then the next thing you know, you're having surgery and chemo, then radiation. They don't give you much time to think, and you certainly don't get a lot of choices. I was finishing chemo when the full impact of everything hit me. With HCV, I had 6 months to brood and ponder my options. With cancer, it was two weeks from the biopsy that confirmed the tumors were cancer, to mastectomy, with all of the other tests and consults in-between.

I don't know if that helps answer your question.

[orphanedhawk]

Thanks Idyllic. The idea of the post wasn't to compare treatments but the fact that hep C patients complain about interferon tx, asking for better options.
Whereas as difficult chemo and radiation therapy is, you don't hear the same reaction by cancer patients. They aren't saying, 'why hasn't something better been found to help us?"

How many posts do we see asking if interferon tx is worth it? How many posts do you think crop up on the cancer forum asking if chemo is worth it?

Although the discussion has digressed,  I'm glad for anyone who's been inspired to share their story even if it doesn't answer the question.

[Idyllic]

I really got a lot out of Hector's post but still just in thinking of the time I worked on the Oncology ward when I was in the Military and then thinking of all the folks who have treated for various types of cancer as well as those with HCV, I honestly haven't heard many people compare the two or complain the way seems to be implied in the question.