is ignoring a potentialy fatal disease suicide?

[Depressicaa]

Hey I'm in Chicago too!
In a sense it is suicide, but its slower and more 'natural' I guess.

Being close minded about drugs is good. You should know exactly what you want when you get in, and if you don't get it you should not try anything else. If you have no idea though... get an idea. Do your own research, they have the PhD, you are the doctor. It worked for me at least.

You could be suffering from many things, but its a good idea to get it checked out.

 

[sam Ketchum]

Life is precious... don't take it for granted.

 

[Use2Be]

Thanks again to all that replied, your input is apreciated. If I knew how to quote responses I would, but being new I don't, so here is a response to the group.

To those who said that I don't even know for sure that I have skin cancer, you have a valid point. My concern was that if I got a diagnosis and refused treatement that life insurance benefits would be denied. but you are right and I should probably confirm so that I know if I should start planning my funeral or saving for my future.

to those that said dying of cancer is slow and painful, thank you, that is not appealing to me at all, so more reason to seek a medical opinion.

For those that advocated respect for anti-depressants, agaiin thanks for the benefit of your experience. I am very hard-headed and am torn between tyring to muscel throuhg the rough patches and acepting that I might could benefit from the right kind of help. I tend to think that I need to "feel the pain" so that I can heal, but perhaps there is a middle ground I should explore.

Regards

 

[n3ophy7e]

Thanks again to all that replied, your input is apreciated. If I knew how to quote responses I would, but being new I don't, so here is a response to the group.

Down the bottom right hand corner of each post there is the "quote" button, click that and it will open up the next page with that person's quote post in the text field. Write your response underneath and click "Submit" as you usually would.
If you want to quote multiple people, do this process but cut and paste your reply in to the one single post.

In relation to the rest of your previous post, that's great you're going to get it checked out man, and it sounds like you're in a bit of a better head space as well. Keep us updated

 

[purple_cloud]

to those that said dying of cancer is slow and painful, thank you, that is not appealing to me at all, so more reason to seek a medical opinion.

If you aren't being sarcastic, I'm really glad you realized this. My mom died from cancer and honestly I'd rather die almost any other way. It's a slow, miserable, painful, heartbreaking death, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I really hope you do seek medical advice...skin cancer is one of the cancers that is easily taken care of too. And yes, you may not want to live anymore, but death is permenent...you can't have another chance.

 

[ferrita]

I have mixed feelings on this. But first off you must find out first if you even have skin cancer.
that is the firs thing you must do. I am so glad you have a family member you can talk to. That is a blessing.

My mixed feelings come because my father died of prostrate cancer. He fouund out he had it and refused treatment. The only treatmet he had was to laser out a tumor at the base of his spine that would cripple him and he was a very active man.

I was not told for two years he had this. It was kept secret from me which angered me, hurt me, etc. I was 33 years old and felt I should have been told so as to see him before he died. when told he explained to me that he did not want me to see him that way and that he had seen some of the best drs in the world and what was offered him was worse then what he would have to go through. He saw three rounds of people who had prostrate cancer who went through the treatments die before he did with horrid side effects etc.

So he decided to let nature take its course. He discussed suicide with me several times. he talked about taking a large amount of morphine drinking a bottle of jim beam , which he loved, smoking a good cigar and going for a nice long swim , He spend his life on the ocean and live across the stree from it. I came to understand his thinking but prayed he would not do it.

he competed in triathalon 3 months before his death and won in his age division 72 and even beat others in younger age divisions. when he did pass. He had some very compassionate hospice workers who kindly hit him with an overdose of morphine at his request. He had a stroke and his quality of life was going to be bad. He decidided his time and died with dignity. Is that suicide? Is it compassion? who knows but I respect the fact that he didn't have to linger in a way that was against his wishes and I felt blessed by the compassionate care workers who were with him.

But before you can make any type of decisions about the end of your life or how you choose to end it, you need to find out if there is even a reason to do so. And not wait till its too late.
there are thousands of skin disorders out there you could have. It doesn't have to be cancer.

 

[badandwicked]

I think it must be quite common for people to refuse treatment for aggressive cancers, especially later in life. I can understand why your father didn't ^ He sounds a wonderful man who died with dignity, and its nice to see you can take so many positives from such an awful time.

My cousin had kidney cancer which spread and killed him, but he spent the last 5 years of his life spending time with his young family. He was almost fully fit up until the last couple of months so took them on holidays, climbing, walking, just generally being the best dad ever. I was angry with him at the time for not having chemo, but had he had ops & chemo it would have been a very different 5 years for the kids, the cancer would have got him anyway, and the kids would have very different memories of their dad.

OP you're not in this situation at all, so summon the courage to go get it checked out. Then you can make a more informed decision as to what it is, and whether you want to treat it. You could look at this condition as a positive thing, if it helps you realise that
you value life and want to hold on to it.

 

[purple_cloud]

^ yes, to continue the cancer thing...chemo and the other treatments can make someone fatally ill absolutely miserable in their last few months of life. I totally agree that based on the situation, it is the right thing to do to turn down treatment.

Ferrita, your dad sounds like he was a great man, and lived his life to the fullest, may he RIP


I freak out about every little medical thing, but OP, I feel like ignoring it is an acceptable course of action only when you are certain that you have it in the first place. Keep us posted.

 

[ferrita]

My dad was a man's man. lol. And he studied the treatments extensively before turning them down and like I said he watched 3 cycles of men with the same cancer who went through treatments die before him. His quality of life would have been so much worse with the treatments. He lived his life to the fullest his entire life. When he told me finally of his cancer after knowing he had it for two years. I was bawling on the phone and carrying on and he said. "Tammie, don't cry for me, Ive lived my life, Ive been around the world several times. If you want to cry go to a a childrens cancer ward. That will give you sometime to cry about." hum........ kinda makes you think.

So to the OP, I say go find out what you have first. It may not even be cancer. It could be a myraid of things but get to the dr. Then you can figure out how you want to live your life. It may be treatable and that alone may lift your depression. But until you KNOW what it is your dealing with, you can't possibly know how to proceed. ifs its treatable, then treat it, Life is short. If its not, treatable and it can kill you then enjoy the time you have left with your family and friends. Like I said, life is short.

To the others who commented on my father, thank you. He actually did an entire series of tapes on death and dying for hospice in Galveston Texas for the University of Texas medical Center Cancer Unit. I did not know this till he passed on and they sent them to me. . It was great. He looked wonderful. I have pictures of him a few months before he passed and he never even lost weight. He continued to eat his rare steaks, smoke his good cigarsl, and enjoy his jim beam.
the hospice workers said he even still had the drive to order up a hooker from time to time; good for him I say! Once he knew his quality of life was gonna be gone. He said no more and like I said thank god for a few compassionate hospice workers who weren['t afraid to do what he asked; He was able to choose his way of death and die very peacefully. I donate to them regularly.