Reporting back

Just to report back, if anyone remembers that I back in may 2006 wrote that
my mother in law was diagnosed with lung cancer and a time estimate of 14
days to live. We decided not to tell her this (being 88 years she could use
it for nothing). She actually lived way more than a year with this sentence
and her health only suffered the last couple of days. This shows to me that
doctors should be very careful predicting days left!

Yes, you're right. Only the man or woman upstairs knows how long we have.
Gail
"RK" <at@at.at> wrote in message
news:46d9c62f$0$93943$edfadb0f@dread16.news.tele.d k...
> Just to report back, if anyone remembers that I back in may 2006 wrote
> that my mother in law was diagnosed with lung cancer and a time estimate
> of 14 days to live. We decided not to tell her this (being 88 years she
> could use it for nothing). She actually lived way more than a year with
> this sentence and her health only suffered the last couple of days. This
> shows to me that doctors should be very careful predicting days left!
>

What if you live in a ranch house??

Mel
"Gail" <gmpg@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:fbchru$86a$1@aioe.org...
> Yes, you're right. Only the man or woman upstairs knows how long we have.
> Gail
> "RK" <at@at.at> wrote in message
> news:46d9c62f$0$93943$edfadb0f@dread16.news.tele.d k...
>> Just to report back, if anyone remembers that I back in may 2006 wrote
>> that my mother in law was diagnosed with lung cancer and a time estimate
>> of 14 days to live. We decided not to tell her this (being 88 years she
>> could use it for nothing). She actually lived way more than a year with
>> this sentence and her health only suffered the last couple of days. This
>> shows to me that doctors should be very careful predicting days left!
>>
>
>

RK wrote:

> Just to report back, if anyone remembers that I back in may 2006 wrote that
> my mother in law was diagnosed with lung cancer and a time estimate of 14
> days to live. We decided not to tell her this (being 88 years she could use
> it for nothing). She actually lived way more than a year with this sentence
> and her health only suffered the last couple of days. This shows to me that
> doctors should be very careful predicting days left!

Hello RK,
Actually your post said 2 weeks to a few months.
Mike reminded you that "Cancers can move very slowly in the elderly, also the
body can absorb a lot
of punishment before things start falling apart. "
Maybe the doctor was new and inexperienced or maybe (my silent hypothesis at
the time, you first posted), was him trying to dissuade any thoughts of
treatment. Although outright saying it would have made more sense.
Unfortunately, we don't have the benefit of asking him his thinking. Your
family might.
I'm pleased to read that she had longer than you were first told.
You gave her quality of life by not telling her what he'd predicted. Thank you
and thank you for coming here to update us.
Best,
J

RK wrote :

"Just to report back, if anyone remembers that I back in may 2006 wrote that
my mother in law was diagnosed with lung cancer and a time estimate of 14
days to live. We decided not to tell her this (being 88 years she could use
it for nothing). She actually lived way more than a year with this sentence
and her health only suffered the last couple of days. This shows to me that
doctors should be very careful predicting days left!"

Dear RK,

I can't find your original post on Google, but sometimes doctors have a kind
of duty to tell the family or guardians, if there is a strong statistical
likelihood that the patient is in a terminal condition, that their chances
of survival are very low. For some types of cancer the research is
overwhelming that they are quickly fatal for those who have them.

That gives the family or guardians notice they should take care of preparing
for the person's death, handling their estate, etc. And saying goodbye.

In your case, you imply the doctor did not tell your mother in law this
prognosis, left it up to you and your family to break the news or not to
her.

Without knowing more about what actually happened, I can't say much more,
but someone on the medical team should have counselled you and your family
about the meaning of the statistical odds for her type of age, cancer,
condition, state of health, etc.

Sorry your needs were not better met.

best, Uncle Sally

On Sep 1, 11:06 pm, "RK" <a...@at.at> wrote:
> Just to report back, if anyone remembers that I back in may 2006 wrote that
> my mother in law was diagnosed with lung cancer and a time estimate of 14
> days to live. We decided not to tell her this (being 88 years she could use
> it for nothing). She actually lived way more than a year with this sentence
> and her health only suffered the last couple of days. This shows to me that
> doctors should be very careful predicting days left!


Well Done to RK's Mother in law,

It's wonderful when people outlive their prognosis. Winning an extra
day of life, when waking each morning past the cut off day. Even
better is that she was in good health to enjoy that time.

At best Doctors can guestimate our date of death, no more than that,
it guides us to tidy our affairs and with luck live longer.

Isi

islavision2004@yahoo.com wrote:
> It's wonderful when people outlive their prognosis.

I wasn't told my prognosis by my doctors when I had a
relapse with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at age 16. My sister
told me years later that the doctors had told her and
my parents that I had about a 5% chance of surviving
more than a few months.

That was about 30.75 years ago.