What would you do?

Tonight the wife and I visited one of her friends who has lung cancer (never smoked, ironically). It is terminal and she has decided to have no more chemotherapy and live her life as best as she can before it beats her.

She has a daughter (21) and a grandchild (less than a year old) but despite this, and having less than a year left (according to the doctors) to live, she has such a positive outlook on life. She is already planning what she will cook for Christmas dinner this year and what she is going to buy her granddaughter for a Christmas present.

I just sat there in disbelief to be honest. If I was dying, I couldn't even think about next week without worrying if I would still be alive, let alone Christmas!

It just shows I guess, how people deal with things differently.

So, how would you deal with it, if you only had a limited time left to live?

Yes, I know this is a depressing thread, but I wondered if I was just being selfish or if anybody else shared my opinions on the matter.

Re: What would you do?

It is difficult to say until I were in that position but I think I would choose not to have treatment, I wouldn't wish to prolong the agony for my son, family and friends. I can only speak from my experience of seeing two of my family and a few friends die with cancer who chose to have treatment. They suffered having the treatment and it didn't give them that much longer to live.

Re: What would you do?

All i can say is I admire her courage and attitude to her illness, I hope I'll have the courage to do the same if and when something similar happens to me, she's a very brave Lady God bless her.

Re: What would you do?

Jim I have no idea how I would react.

We all take comfort where we can and if planing for Christmas gives your friend a 'goal' to aim for that is a good thing .

Re: What would you do?

Not sure how I would react either. I think she is a brave woman.

Re: What would you do?

Took the words from my mouth, Jem.

Re: What would you do?

I admire the lady very much too.
Personally I think I would react very badly. It would be on my mind day & night - I wouldn't sleep and I would need some sort of drug from the doctors to stop me going mad/keep me calm/whatever
I have no faith in my behaviour in a crisis... I could surprise myself but I don't think so.

Re: What would you do?

Initially I'd put my house in order so to speak, make things easier for family to deal with, then I'd holiday until I couldn't boogie any more, try to enjoy the time I had left and ensure there wasn't anything I hadn't done that was on my to do list!

Re: What would you do?

I guess it would really depend. My mom tried chemo but was severly sick from it. It did not prolong her life. Just made her time left miserable because she was already too weak. Her body just wouldnt tolerate the treatments. So in her case no treatment would have been better. Just something to provide comfort when needed would have been the better choice. So if your friend feels she wants to enjoy her time left as best she can...I do understand that.

Re: What would you do?

As others have said you don't really know how you would react but, as of now, and considering I have already had 80 good years on this planet, I think I would choose not to have treatment.