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What would you do if you found out you were really sick...

I watched a movie yesterday called One Week about a young man who found out he had cancer and his odds for treatment were not very good, but there was hope.

Instead of wanting to be close to people around him, he put off his decision for treatment, hopped on his motor cycle, and took a road trip through Canada.  I love road trip movies, so I watched, and it made me think what I would do if faced with such news.

I think I would do exactly as he did.  I would take some time, take off, see things and meet people--probably alone, something I have always wanted to do. I might take one of those Parillo tours to Italy or a river cruise on the Mississippi where they make stops along the way.  I would definitely be moving around.

At the end of the movie, he went home and started treatment.  His whole family and fiance were distraught that he took off instead of immediately starting treatment, and the fiance asked him if his trip was worth it.  He said, unequivocally, YES!

What would you do if faced with such news?

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Who knows, I just want to be ready for the unexpected. All these survivalists might bring out the big guns.

I have an idea how you felt.  I had the big "C" word thrown at me 4 separate times last year.....Lung, bone, kidney and thyroid.  Thankfully, each biopsy came back negative.  But it was a roller coaster of emotions all year long. It really does make you look at life in a different way.  I'm not as indestructable as I thought I was. 

I am having a biopsy on February 1st for a uterine mass, my husband is coming unhinged and asked me why I am NOT freaking out.  I figure there is nothing I can do at this point, I don't even know if it is anything.  I am supposed to be preparing for shoulder replacement surgery and that had to be put on the back burner for now anyways.  I think if I got a bad diagnosis, I might need a little time and space but I would want to make sure that my things, such as they are, were marked for the people I would like to have them.  I have already made my wishes well known for after death and I have a living will should it come to someone needing to make a decision, it's already made.  No heroic measures, I don't want to be kept alive on a machine and I have had the experience as a nurse of having to ask families about organ donations when they were at their worst.  I have that in writing as well...take it all, whatever you want, I don't plan on using it once I leave here.  I think being ready and living your life like it might be your last day is a great idea.  Treat people in a way that will not leave them with a bad memory of your last encounter.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you ellevan, think positive and keep your spirits up, sending you my best wishes for a good outcome.

Good luck with your biopsy.  I had one almost 10 years ago and was told it was pre-cancerous but that the recommendation was a total hysterectomy at my age.  My gyne said she was bringing in a gyne-onc just in case they found cancer when they did the hysterectomy and sure enough it was endometrial/uterine cancer, stage 1B.  All I needed was the hysterectomy.  I got 6 weeks off work and took it even though I didn't think I really needed it because I'd never get the time off otherwise!  I get pap smears every six months (they check the vaginal cuff) and I have had pre-cancerous cells there several times that have resulted in laser surgery.  Don't believe that if you have a hysterectomy there's no need for pap smears any more ...

The upside is - In March, I'll have been dancing with NED (no evidence of disease recurring) for 10 years - the vaginal pre-cancerous cells are a totally different cancer (lucky me? according to the doctor it's better than if the endometrial cancer was recurring)  and if I have a clear smear in May I can start having yearly exams again. 

Keeping my fingers crossed that your biopsy is at least as good, and hopefully better than mine!

I agree with you Karin, I got the little things done that weren't important to anyone but me, I wasn't going out with those things undone. I found that I wasn't putting myself on the back burner either as I have in the past. When I wanted to do something I did it. 

We're not indestructable but we're survivors for now.

First of all....CrestofWaves...I LOVE road trip movies too. I wasnt even sure it was a thing to love....LOL...because I think I often march to a beat of a different drum...LOL!! OH...I would do what THIS guy did though I'm not so sure I'd do it on a motorcycle since I've driven or ridden one...it might kill me faster than the disease! If I had little to no money, I would start driving to my favorite spots and find a few other spots along the way and while taking a break, I would write memories in a journal. If money were no object and I was still not feeling very sick yet, I would fly to Europe and see as many countries as I could. If I had "enough" money and wasnt feeling too well, I would fly to the most beautiful beach in the United States and live there, eating and drinking umbrella drinks till I die...still writing all my memories down. And sometime before that, I'd have a BON VOYAGE FOREVER party. I wonder if anyone would take it seriously....probably not but you can be sure they'd find time to come to the funeral. Sad but true....people will have time to come to your death but often wont have time to come to your "life"....

 

@Ellen, good luck with your biopsy.

@Kim, are we twins separated at birth?  My students asked me what I planned to do when I retired.  I said, "Open a karaoke tiki bar on some beach somewhere and never blow dry my hair again."

If you like road trips, you will love Into the Wild if you haven't seen it yet and can stand a very bad outcome.  But the journey, oh the journey!!!!

And then there is the TV show, my favorite, Globe Trekker!!!  It will feed your wanderlust!

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