4.
Right here is probably the most controversial entry from the unique submit: “When you’ve got stage 3 (and undoubtedly if in case you have stage 4) most cancers, SKIP THE CHEMO! It is seemingly not going to save lots of your life and may very well hasten your dying and/or destroy the standard of the little time you might have left (as a result of it’s going to make you so sick, weak, and drained). Benefit from the time you might have left FEELING (comparatively) GOOD (not vomiting and coping with painful mouth sores, infections, and a bunch of different miseries that include chemotherapy remedy).”
“If I ever get most cancers and am advised it is stage 3 or larger, I’ll by no means take chemo (and can solely do radiation if it is palliative and essential to lower my ache, not for remedy of the most cancers). I’ve administered chemo brokers throughout my few years as an oncology nurse, and I’ve seen how awfully sick and depressing it makes individuals. It additionally usually makes it next-to-impossible to benefit from the little issues like consuming or being with youngsters, to offer simply two examples. Why does it damage consuming? Chemo usually causes stomatitis and different painful mouth/throat infections and sores. It additionally usually causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Why cannot youngsters be round? Typically, chemo makes a affected person neutropenic (very low white blood cell depend), placing them at excessive danger for a life-threatening an infection. Children are germy, so that they’re often barred from visiting (except the affected person is dying and now not getting remedy).
Chemo is a poison that I would not want for anybody. Sure, it may be a lifesaving poison, however that comes with a price more often than not (neuropathies, listening to loss, organ harm, elevated danger for different cancers, and so forth.).
Medical doctors will hold supplying you with remedy options as a result of that is what they’re educated to do, and that is what they assume everybody desires. However at ANY level in your remedy, you may (and will in the event you do not need to hold enduring distress) inform the physician that you don’t need any extra chemo or different painful remedy or meds that make you sick (like oral chemo medicine). A superb physician ought to at all times current ‘not doing any remedy’ as one in all your choices, particularly for late-stage cancers.
PLEASE NOTE: That is solely my opinion, in addition to that of each nurse I’ve ever labored with. It isn’t a medical suggestion, and sure, I do know some (few) sorts of stage 3 and 4 cancers DO reply to chemo (generally). In my expertise, it’s the exception and never the rule.”
—Lisa M., Quora