Cancer Statistics
Chances Are the Chances Are . . .
At that point the oncologist felt I had a 40-50 percent chance of recovery and added that if I were to have some chemotherapy treatments the percentage would go up to 60-70 percent. I agreed to give it a try.
I began the radiation treatments in mid September. About the second week I met the chemotherapy oncologist, who said he had been reviewing my file and felt that I had only a 10% chance of recover, even with the chemo. What happened to the 40-50 percent?
Sign for Bone Setter, Mysore, India
I agreed to go ahead with it anyway.
Three chemo sessions were scheduled – one immediately, one half way through and one at the end. They felt this would double the effectiveness of the radiation. Maybe it did . . .
They also explained that it could affect my hearing and damage my kidneys. They have a floor of hospital-like rooms for this purpose in the clinic and I was there for 24 hours after they administered the chemo. An IV was administered so they could load me up with fluids in order to flush my system and get the poison out as fast as possible.
I became very nauseous in the following days, and my hearing has been affected in a strange way ever since. It has become very sensitive to high, sharp sounds so that even the sound of tires on wet pavement is annoying.
I refused to go back for additional ones. I will NEVER, under ANY circumstances have chemotherapy again.
But, what about these declining chances of recovery? And, what about the way they change depending upon who you talk to?
Statistics are just that, statistics. They are numbers. I did not believe they applied to me. DO NOT think they apply to you. If you have a 10% chance of recovery, that means that 10 out of 100 with your condition survived. Why can’t YOU be one of those people?
There is NEVER a zero chance of recovery. No matter how bad the situation, someone, somewhere, has survived it. Given that, why can’t you, too?
ALWAYS tell yourself that you are one of the survivors. If there are people around you saying otherwise, ask them to change their tune, or stay away from you. Associate with people who lift you up, encourage you, and strengthen you.
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