Please share your experiences with people you know that have overcome the odds and lasted longer than doctors anticipated

Much appreciated

Mom found out she had pancreatic cancer that September and we buried her that next March.

My grandfather has beaten 3 different types of cancer so far.
My grandmother made it 2 years with small cell lung cancer.
I have a cousin who had complications in a premature childbirth and had to be given 36 units of blood. Yes, the volume of blood contained by 6 average adult human beings.
Both she and her baby survived and are fine today.

Dad's first oncologist gave him 6 months to live in 1998.

2nd opinion at MD Anderson and here he is several courses of chemo/radiation and a stem cell transplant later in 2018.

Remission twice. First was for 10 years, second was for 8.

My dad was diagnosed with Leukemia in April 2016 and started the chemo treatments immediately. Unfortunately, that didn't show any improvement and the doctors had exhausted everything they knew, they basically gave him the option to go home and die on his own terms or stay in the hospital and die there. He chose to go home. At that point my wife took it upon herself to contact MD Anderson and we were able to get him into a drug trial targeting the specific instance of Leukemia he was fighting. He started making good progress and getting better, but then he contracted a fungal pneumonia and passed away in July 2016.

I say all that to try to pass on something we learned here (as well as when our daughter passed away) that just because the doctors at the hospital say there is nothing they can do, that doesn't mean there is nothing else that can be done. There is a built in assumption with a lot of people (my parents included) that doctors know every treatment option available and when they say there was nothing else that could be done, then there truly were no more options. My dad was first at Methodist in San Antonio and once we got him into MD Anderson, it was maddening the number of treatments that they had him doing that the doctors in San Antonio either never considered or got plain wrong. I don't blame the doctors in San Antonio as they only know what they know, but the fact that they didn't even consider referring him to MD Anderson or some other cancer hospital is mind boggling to me. While the outcome for my dad ended up being the same, who knows what would have happened if we got to MD Anderson sooner than we did.

I guess the TLDR here is, trust but verify with your diagnoses and treatment options. If the doctors say there is nothing else to be done, take it upon yourself to find and contact any and all people who may be able to help you. You never know what other options may be out there that your primary doctor doesn't know about.

EagleFordEarl said:

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Mom found out she had pancreatic cancer that September and we buried her that next March.

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We found out my dad had pancreatic cancer on thanksgiving and he was gone before the end of the year. It's a brutal one.

On Wednesday we diagnosed a guy with ALS and gave him a timeline. His first grandchild was born 8 weeks ago

Dad was diagnosed 2008 with stage 4 colon cancer. They never gave us a timeline (my parents never told us at least) but the prognosis was grim. He passed away in jan of 2012. Im grateful for the time but he was never not in pain those few years. We are never ready. Some days i wish he would have passed quickly and other days im selfish and want him here no matter the cost.

shafter said:

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EagleFordEarl said:

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Mom found out she had pancreatic cancer that September and we buried her that next March.

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We found out my dad had pancreatic cancer on thanksgiving and he was gone before the end of the year. It's a brutal one.

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Pancreatic cancel is evil (as are all cancers). Ten years ago my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer mid-October and she was gone by early February.

Stage III ovarian cancer. Fourteen years from diagnosis. Blessed to see her eldest granchild graduate from high school and was 8 months shy of seeing same grandchild graduate from A&M.
Edit to add-Doctors at MD Anderson were so nice. She went there to seek advice for options, and although they couldn't treat her, they were so compassionate, it really helped her make an informed decision.

Live life until you die and sometimes the passing comes sooner than expected. Have conversations and wrap up business if that applies. It's okay to talk about death with them.

Enjoy the time you get. Sometimes it's unexpected and sudden, and you get a call from the Arlington Heights PD in a random Tuesday morning because you're the first person they could identify and contact. It's one thing to know there was no suffering, but just like that, they're gone.

In January of 1998, my very good friend and pastor was diagnosed with colon cancer. The doctors performed exploratory surgery and to see how much was there and how much they could remove. They opened him up and realized he was full of cancer. They closed him up and then had to tell him he had only days to live, and most likely would never leave the hospital.

He did leave the hospital, and life went on. For a couple of years or so, he was able to keep up his duties at church, but after that the disease started to catch up to him. In 2000 he started slowing down, and by 2001 he was really starting to show the effects. The last official pastoral duty he ever performed was in February of 2001 when he married me and my wonderful wife. It was such a special event.

He died in December of 2001, almost 4 years after he was told he only had days to live. I would be lying if I said it was easy. He suffered a lot during that time, and fought his hardest to the very end. My wife and another friend were with the family at the time he died. He was only 48 years old. To be honest, he is to blame for his condition. He ignored warning signs and did not get regular colonoscopies - which he was supposed to do. So if you think you may be at risk, get it checked out! NOW!

My Mom was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer in 2011 & lasted 14 months... which was 8 months longer than they thought she would.

Cherish every day. If you have time to go see her, go. Have her write down life experiences so they can be passed on. Take pictures and video.

Help your loved one get their affairs in order financially & otherwise. Helps them with piece of mind knowing things are settled.

Reach out to old friends & family to let them know what is going on & encourage them to visit. The continuing support and anticipation of seeing old friends I feel really helped my Mom hang on longer that the docs said.

Och26-58-87 said:

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shafter said:

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EagleFordEarl said:

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Mom found out she had pancreatic cancer that September and we buried her that next March.

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We found out my dad had pancreatic cancer on thanksgiving and he was gone before the end of the year. It's a brutal one.

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Pancreatic cancel is evil (as are all cancers). Ten years ago my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer mid-October and she was gone by early February.

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It really is. A friend recently texted me to say her dad had been diagnosed w stage 4 cancer. I immediately told her not to lose faith, that treatments have come a long way. Asked where the cancer was. Large solid tumor in pancreas that had metastisized to the liver. It sucked to have to say to ask the onc about any clinical trials currently ongoing.

I dont know why it's such a beast, but pancreatic is the most difficult to treat. Even the richest people with access to any treatment in the world, succumb to it quickly.

My mother fought various cancers for many years. Twice she was given one year to live. After three years I received a phone call from my brother and was told she had been given six months. Three hours later another phone call to inform me she had passed.
My father in law, who beat polio in the 1930's and awarded 2x purple hearts and a silver star while serving in the Pacific Theater during WW II, was also one of the first American soldiers into Nagasaki during the post war occupation of Japan. He was told that his combat uniform would protect him from any residual radioactivity. He stayed in the Army another 25 years was deployed to Korea and twice to Viet Nam. When he retired in 1970 his release physical showed some type of cancer in two places between his spine and lungs and had probably been there for years. He refused the slash and burn medical treatments of the day and went on with his life with numerous tests over the years showing the cancer remaining in the same place but not growing. Twenty two years later, at 73, it finally caught up with him. He was the toughest man I have ever known.
My brother was 49 when he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He was given six months to live and passed away six months to the day leaving a wife and four children. It as a very sad time for all of us,
During my long life I have learned that the human body is a miraculous machine. It can take unimaginable amounts of abuse, intentional and unintentional, and recover. Have faith.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I know it's hard to rehash some of this on an anonymous message board, but it's much appreciated.

My mom fought pancreatic cancer for 7 years. My dad said the doctors never gave a time line but I know she lived much longer than anyone expected.

shafter said:

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EagleFordEarl said:

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Mom found out she had pancreatic cancer that September and we buried her that next March.

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We found out my dad had pancreatic cancer on thanksgiving and he was gone before the end of the year. It's a brutal one.

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<3

My Poppy (grandpa) was diagnosed with inoperable stomach cancer last February and was given 6-8 weeks. He died right at 8 weeks. Tomorrow will be one year since he passed.

I've been on all sides of it. My mom died unexpectedly one morning. Collapsed at home, died shortly after getting to the hospital... before any of us got there. My dad, who had emphysema, died of lung cancer. Cancer diagnosed in October and he died in December. My step mom was diagnosed with Leukemia and chose not to have treatment due to other health issues and died 8 weeks later. I appreciated the chance to say final goodbyes and I love you's to both of them.

All except my mom had the chance to plan their funerals down to the last detail, so they were able to have things just the way they wanted. They were able to pick their pall-bearers, music, write their own obituaries, etc. Friends and relatives were able to visit and say final goodbyes, some of them several times!

Never had a chance to say goodbye or final I love you's to my mom. Oddly, her death was the easiest, emotionally. I guess because we didn't have to watch her suffer at all and watch her life slowly come to an end.

Take what you will from this. Hopefully it is helpful in some way to someone.