Heart Cancer Prognosis

Question: I have a severely damaged heart, plus only a partial lung. What is my longevity prognosis. I am 64? I lost part of my left lung to cancer a few years ago. I just had to have a pacemaker placed and I have CO PD.

Answer: Hi Ada, when you state your heart is severely damaged, how was this determination made.? Have they ever calculated your ejection fraction. What diagnostic tests did they do? They removed your left lung because of cancer, did they have to remove part of your right? When and why did they implant a pacemaker, did you have a heart attack? Were you ever a smoker, is that why you developed COPD? What medications are you currently taking? Do you use any oxygen at home? Do you have any assistance at home right now? How are you managing at home with these severe medical problems? How do you gauge your quality of life right now? Are you depressed at all, as your question sounds like you might be?

Question: family member diagnosed with lung cancer, 1 lump in rt lung near heart, why would doctor say it's inoperable? judging from what I've been told, it's a relatively 'new' cancer (a couple of years), T2 (larger than 3 cm but localized to one area of lung), no apparent metastasis, female smoker age late 60's, relatively fit and active. Lump is located near heart and other organs - if they can do open heart surgery, bypass, liver transplant, valve replacements, etc. why can't the doctor remove one lump? Is it the complexity of the surgery, the risk to the patient, does he lack the knowledge due to his age and it's out of his scope? There's a much better prognosis with those who have surgery followed with radiation and/or chemo than just chemo and/or radiation. I'd like some professional advise if at all possible. Thanks everyone for your responses! Well I have more info that explains why the lump can't be operated on...it's located on that root (or crossbar) that joins the 2 lungs together. The doctor said that it's not that he's refusing to do it..it's impossible to surgically remove it. So having learned that, I can understand the reasoning.

Answer: If you are doubting the doctor than you should seek out a second or even a third opinion. Go to a comprehensive cancer center. You can find a list of such centers at the National Cancer Institute. These centers are also usually research centers with the latest treatment protocols. http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/cancer_centers/cancer-centers-list.html You can also check to see what the recommended protocol is for the type of cancer your family member has from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. As for your specific questions . . it is hard to say why the cancer is judged inoperable, but I can tell you this . . it may only be inoperable right now . . situations can change rapidly and a patient suddenly will become 'operable'. So, it may be that a better approach in this case would be to undergo chemotherapy first to see if there is a response . . before they do a surgery. That way if the patient relapses in the future they will know which chemotherapy drugs to use to control residual or metastatic disease. There may also be other reasons to consider . . location of the tumor could be one . . or even the health and age of the patient. There are many factors to consider. However, one of the most important considerations in the treatment of any type of cancer is to have trust in the doctor who is treating you . . if you do not trust the judgement and expertise of the doctor . . than it is time to find a new doctor.

Question: i am wondering if a pet scan can show something up as cancer adn it NOT be cancer? my dad had heart surgery(2nd time) four years ago and they found a mass on his lung, sent him to a pulmonalogist who said it was scar tissue. NOW he went in for a routine procedure, they found the same mass, sent him for a cat scan and then a pet scan. They said its cancer. thats all they have said. 6cm spot. We dont know nothing else yet. when will they stage this. If there a chance its not cancer? they have not done any biopsys or anything on it. How can a pulmononogist get it wrong all those years ago. We are scared to death. I keep reading the prognosis on lung cancer. My dad has had back pain for years too. Now we are scared its the cancer although he was told that was a L5 disk. So are pet scans always true for it to be cancer?

Answer: Pulmonologists are very good at reading x-rays and scans by the time he or she spoke to your dad a radiologist had also read the films so you have two doctors stating it is cancer. PET scans show high metabolic activity in the body and those areas light up on the scan and are hard to miss. The combination of the PET, CT and x-ray would make the diagnosis as conclusive as it gets. A 6cm tumor in the lung is huge and pretty hard to misdiagnose. The chances they are wrong are not likely. They may also do an MRI and bone scan to see if it has metastasized. The fact they have not mentioned any mets on PET or CT is the one bit of good news so far. It will be staged after surgery, but of course if mets are found before then it is automatically a stage 4. Without seeing all of the work up it is impossible to know how or why this was missed before. I can understand why you are questioning it though. It could very well have looked like scar tissue 4 years ago, but it is also possible your dad should have had chest x-rays every 4-6 months so that they could see it was growing and changing into something more concerning. Maybe you should consider taking all of his reports and films to another doctor or two and get some other opinions. Your dad is going to have a long road ahead and you and your family need to be confidant in his doctors and have as much information you need to make the best decisions possible. I’m sorry. I know this is hard on you and my answer is not what you want to hear, but I hope it helps in some way. Best of luck to you and your dad.

Question: How do you cope w/ a loved one w/ cancer? ? My mother in law was diagnosed w/ stomach cancer in October 08'. At first the news was shocking and made me quite sad for a while. I've learned to cope w/ that news. I keep hearing stomach cancer usually doesnt have a good prognosis. Well we then learned that my husband might have testicular cancer... biopsy came back yesterday and... yep, he's got it. He had his right testicle removed last week, and we see the oncologist on Thursday. 2 weeks ago my grandmother passed away (non cancer related). I feel as though all I'm getting is bad news. Now I am hoping and praying that after his ct scans and x-rays, it'll show his cancer is limited to the testis. My husband hasnt seen me cry, but if I'm driving or at work, I just break down. I havent let our daughters see me cry either. How do I cope? It breaks my heart to know this terrible disease is in his body... and that's when I usually cant hold back the tears. ♥ My heart and prayers go out to everyone dealing w/ this horrible disease, both the patient and the caregiver!

Answer: I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. Crying is a normal, human response to these kind of things. It is okay to cry. My brother in law had colon cancer - diagnosed in 2000 - and is still with us and is now healthy. The chemo & radiation take their toll, but he is doing well. It might help you to contact Hospice and get some counseling to deal with this. Hospice is very helpful and supportive. They have seen lots of people go through this and understand what you are dealing with. Good luck. I hope every thing goes well for you.

Question: How do you cope w/ dealing w/ a loved one w/ cancer? My mother in law was diagnosed w/ stomach cancer in October 08'. At first the news was shocking and made me quite sad for a while. I've learned to cope w/ that news. I keep hearing stomach cancer usually doesnt have a good prognosis. Well we then learned that my husband might have testicular cancer... biopsy came back yesterday and... yep, he's got it. He had his right testicle removed last week, and we see the oncologist on Thursday. 2 weeks ago my grandmother passed away (non cancer related). I feel as though all I'm getting is bad news. Now I am hoping and praying that after his ct scans and x-rays, it'll show his cancer is limited to the testis. My husband hasnt seen me cry, but if I'm driving or at work, I just break down. I havent let our daughters see me cry either. How do I cope? It breaks my heart to know this terrible disease is in his body... and that's when I usually cant hold back the tears. ♥ My heart and prayers go out to everyone dealing w/ this horrible disease, both the patient and the caregiver! Thank you endgame! I'm sorry for your loss, and my prayers go out to your daughter as well!

Answer: Sounds to me that your handling this quite well as is. Standing strong in the presence of others while allowing yourself time to reflect and shed tears while alone. Just always keep in mind that whats happening, you have no control over life and death, but you do have the control over how you handle yourself. For the record: My father died of cancer, and my daughter just had a hysterectomy to remove a tumor just before xmas at the age of 28.

Question: 55 year old aunt, fighting Cancer 8 years, masectomy, now metasized to her brain (Brain Cancer)...? SHe also had an implant to her heart (some defribillator or the like) b/c her organs are starting to degenerate from Chemo.. Prognosis? Please be honest. Clinical Trials? Thanks.

Answer: Breast cancer metastatic to brain is not considered a curable disease. We usually try to palliate and buy time with radiation therapy to the brain. I have not seen any new clinical trials showing prospects for cure in this situation at this time.

Question: Is there a specific diagnostic test from a blood sample to identify CA125 the cancer indicator? Admitted to hospital with stomach & lung pains. Lungs drained on several occasions between June 06 & August 06. I understand that cancer can cause fluid accumulation in any bodily cavity. Cancer not detected in lung. Tests to eliminate the heart e.g. heart failure not undertaken until December 06. Several blood tests undertaken during this period. Bulky uterus identified by CAT scan twice in July 06. Mammograms undertaken - clear. Vaginal bleeding reported October 06 followed by CAT scan on thorax and mammogram. D & C performed January 07. Hysteromy in February 07 - endometrial cancer which filled the cavity orginating at the fundus with metastasis to an ovary. Hysterectomy followed by radio therapy but prognosis very poor. Admitted to hospital for bowel blockage July 07, Operation. Notification of Death Form shows onset of illness 12 months prior to death (02.09.07) endometrial cancer with secondary spread. Where was the failure? What tests omitted?

Answer: My only item that I am concerned about is the length of time taken from the dx of a bulky uterus till D&C. Especially when bleeding ocurred in Oct. I will assume that this female was post menopausal. Any signs of bleeding or discharge in a post menopausal woman is a probable sign of cancer. What type of endometrial cancer was diagnosed? Some are very aggressive with very poor prognosis. When the original bloodwork was taken, was CA125 done? When cancer was found after D&C, was it done then? Was her CEA tested at any time? These are not fail safe items to check, but they can show changes that should be investigated further. I am guessing that the bowel blockage was mets from the original cancer. The only advice I can offer would be to have an independant forensic pathologist go over all the papers from the dr and hospital to see if they happened to fail in her care.

Question: Pancreatic cancer? Has anyone known anyone who dealt with this? Hi everyone, My aunt, who is only about 60, recently found out in the last couple months that she has pancreatic cancer. It came on so suddenly, and it was pretty much a shock to the whole family. I know the prognosis isn't very good for this. She recently went in for surgery so they could remove the tumour, but when they opened her up, they had to close her back up because there was nothing they could do. The tumour was too close to a main artery or something, and they couldn't remove it. She is now going to chemo, but the lowest dose possible because she is only functioning on 40% of her heart (something like that- she had open heart surgery years ago) but they can't give her a high dosage of chemo because it would attack her heart or something. So.. the odds seem to be against her, in all areas. She is quickly deteriorating. I am just wondering if anyone has known anyone who suffered from this cancer, and how did it turn out for them? How long did they live after finding out? Thanks..

Answer: I lost my mom to pancreatic cancer in 2004. She was another case of surgery that was quickly sutured back up. My mom lived for 18 months after diagnosis using chemo and some alternative therapies. Thanks to the alternative medicine, she was pretty much independent and able to care for herself until 3 months before she passed. Hospice is a wonderful service, and I hope your aunt makes use of it when her time is drawing to a close. Do not consider it giving up, but allowing nature to take it's course.

Question: My brother has final stage colon cancer. Feeding has been withdrawn. How long can he live? My brother is only 48, was healthy and strong before the colon cancer, which remained undiagnosed until it was too late, put him in the hospital to undergo two surgeries, then chemo, and then another surgery, when the chemo was withdrawn, and he had a prognosis of six weeks remaining. He is now at home, under the care of his wife and hospice. The feeding tube was withdrawn, as was the IV drip that provided him with fluids. His belly is still being pumped to keep the bowel contents contained but there is no longer a 'bowel' remaining. Body fluids have risen to his arms and shoulders. I don't know what will end his life first... starvation? Respiratory failure? Heart failure? Or is there something else? Last Sunday he was given just a few days to live. This is Wednesday night. Will he last weeks, or months? Pain management is barely working anymore. My brother is gone. He left us at 1:28 this afternoon. Thank you, each of you, who responded so sweetly. It does help.

Answer: I am so very sorry for your situation. He is swelling up now and that usually starts when the end is near. Unfortunately no one can say how much time he has left. It doesn't sound like his pain is being managed very well. Insist that he be given the top dose. i worked as a hospice nurse and we were very liberal with pain meds in its last stages. god bless and good luck.

Question: my friend has got cancer, suddenly his body cavity is filling with fulid, the doctors drained? same on Friday but it came back today. it is not his heart that is causing the fluid build up, anyone know what is going on, and what the prognosis is

Answer: When hospitalized (in China) for lung cancer, I have seen few patients having the same problem. According to the doctors, the fluid is released by the tumors, there is no use if you just drain it. It will come back in no time. The doctor drained the fluid on these patients and then injected Chinese medicines back to the cavity. They all recovered later.

Question: My wife want's to have sex with this young guy down the street? Thanks for answering. I'm so confused. We have been married for 22 years and have 2 children. My wife was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and the prognosis is not very good. We were talking heart to heart and I asked her if there was anything at all that she wanted to do while she still could and she just blurted out that she wanted to have some sexual experiences. I asked like what and she said like with this other guy who is a younger friend of the family. He's 22 and she's 46. I was shocked. I never imagined I'd hear such a thing. I told her I'd have to think about it and I don't know what to do. I know she's afraid but I just never expected this. I keep thinking of what if she does this and then lives. What effect will that have on our relationship. I know this is weird but if anybody has any insight to share I'd appreciate it. I was expecting something like go to Europe or something, not have an affair with a younger man. She's just so afraid of dying and I can't blame her.

Answer: These are things you two should be talking about with a qualified therapist. She sounds like she's talking out of the terror of her serious illness. Best to you both, Sweetie! xoxoxoxo

Question: My wife want's to have sex with this young guy? Thanks for answering. I'm so confused. We have been married for 22 years and have 2 children. My wife was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and the prognosis is not very good. We were talking heart to heart and I asked her if there was anything at all that she wanted to do while she still could and she just blurted out that she wanted to have some sexual experiences. I asked like what and she said like with this other guy who is a younger friend of the family. He's 22 and she's 46. I was shocked. I never imagined I'd hear such a thing. I told her I'd have to think about it and I don't know what to do. I know she's scared but I just never expected this. I keep thinking of what if she does this and then lives. What effect will that have on our relationship. I know this is weird but if anybody has any insight to share I'd appreciate it. I was expecting something like go to Europe or something, not have an affair with a younger man. She's just so affraid of dying and I can't blame her. bobster, what you're saying sounds good, but are we not all really dying? So would you do that same thing if your wife asked you now since she's going to die some day?

Answer: Sorry to hear about this terrible situation. Cancer, and at such a young age just seems both tragic and unfair. All I can do is tell you what I'd do. I'd help her out any way I could. Without hesitation. I'd just say OK baby tell me your fantasy and lets figure out how to make this as fun as possible for you. Just make sure she's careful, you wouldn't want a pregnancy added to cancer. If she does survive the cancer, then I'd say the effect it would have on your relationship would have to be to strengthen it. She would never be able to doubt your love for her now would she? When she does check out, be that in a year or 40 years, you'll have no regrets because things like jealousy and insecurity are really insignificant when one looks up and sees the Grim Reaper. EDIT - You make a valid point. At this stage of my life yes I would. I just turned 50. Let me tell you that was hard. It changes your perspective on things. Life is too short to get upset over stuff. Some of the things that we think are so important don't really matter much at all. For all I know she already could have had an affair. So was it really so damned important if I can't even tell whether or not it happened? The sun rises and sets right on time anyway, and it will long after we're gone. Life is short. When the day finally comes that we part and I'm holding her hand as she passes or she's holding mine, in that moment of our separation all the stupid stuff that we argued about or felt hurt about won't have any meaning at all. Every bit of anger, jealousy or upset will just seem like precious time wasted and every bit of love will seem like life lived.

Question: Would you please help me make a wise choice regarding my old dog health issue? The facts: My old mini schnauzer, who has been a part of my family since he was a toddler is now 10 years old; he suddenly fainted twice, vet runned tests regarding heart and respiratory system; prognosis negative: his heart is bigger and kinda twisted to the right plus he's developing lung cancer; vet can't run more tests to determine the extend of cancer nor some sort of chemotherapy for dogs to try to cure it cause he'll have to sedate him and he might not wake up. He prescribed some drugs that will help him lead a decent life while he's still with us (on top I have to carry him to the kitchen or bed cause distance is kinda tiring in his condition) Today he fainted again after his afternoon meal he seems fine now; responsive and kind of alert (not as he used to be) but these episodes despite they happen in a matter of seconds also happen in a 5-day basis (last one = last monday) My mom thinks we should talk to vet to put him to sleep and avoiding suffering MONDAY; but I don't knwo what to do; he has a schedule check up Dec 31 to determine if a new EXPERIMENTAL drug to not cure but avoid cancer developing aside from lungs...I just don't know what to do...please give me your SERIOUS, SINCERE AND THOUGHTFUL OPINION cause I really don't know whom to listen to mom (put our dog out of this suffering) or vet (try said drug) I love him so much I wanna do what's right for him...he still might have a chance but I don't wanna see him suffer no more PLEASE HELP!!! Thanks 4 UR suggestion Nancy; yes those seconds when he's knocked down stone cold either for his heart or lungs are both just horrible and crucial cause I gotta act fast on a resusitation technique vet instructed me to...so far it has done the job; BTW the term of Put Him DOWN gives me the real chill creeps; I PREFER= PUT HIM TO SLEEP Thank you Janelle; that's the kind of suffering I want to avoid and that's why is so hard for me to make this desicion; I wanna be responsible for his welfare not his murder...I just don't know what to do, but I asure you he ain't going to suffer... Bonzie, Hereema and Weke; Thanks for your advices I will totally have them in mind; specially Bonzie's cause I know that keeping him with us is what I really want but also I must make sure that he'll fine while he's here; I will check and double check the pros and cons of this drug; how much good can it be and how damage can it make too! KEKER I just printed the test you provided me and will answer it in a better state of mind tomorrow and even show it to the vet so he can professionally evaluate it; God, whom ever you might consider He is, bless you!!!

Answer: This is the quality of life scale we discuss with owners when they are trying to decide on euthansia. I am sorry you are having to make this decision. PAIN Pain control is essential. Many animals do not complain in obvious, visible ways when they hurt. Many animals will hide their discomfort. Consider the following: ____My pet hurts. ____My pet limps. (If it didn't hurt, they wouldn't limp.) ____My pet pants frequently, even at rest. ____My pet's respirations are forced, exaggerated, or otherwise not normal. ____My pet licks repeatedly at one site on his/her body or at a site of a cancer/tumor. ____My pet guards or protects and area of his/her body and may snap if that area is approached or touched. ____My animal's posture is abnormal or different than normal. ____My pet shakes or trembles sometimes during rest. ____My pet is on pain medication and it doesn't work. Possible interventions for yes answers: start pain medication, change pain medications, combinations of pain medications from different drug classes, surgical intervention, non-traditional medicine (acupuncture, etc.), treat the underlying disease/condition. APPETITE Appetite is one of the most obvious signs of wellness. Most animals are normally vigorous eaters. Consider the following: ____My pet doesn't eat his/her normal food anymore. ____My pet picks at his/her food now but never used to do this. ____My pet walks over to his/her food and looks at it but won?t eat or walks away from the food. ____My pet doesn't even want good stuff (treats, human foods, snacks) anymore. ____My pet acts nauseated or vomits. ____My pet is losing weight. Possible interventions for yes answers: hand feeding, heating food, adding moisture by soaking food or using canned varieties, careful addition of human foods, syringe feeding, stomach tube placement, medications for appetite stimulation, medications for nausea. HYDRATION Hydration status is equally important as appetite. Without adequate water consumption, your pet can become dehydrated. Dehydration can contribute to weakness and not feeling well. Consider the following: ____My pet doesn't drink as much as he/she used to. ____My pet frequently has dry, sticky gums. ____My pet is vomiting or has diarrhea (fluid loss can also contribute to dehydration). Possible interventions for yes answers: add moisture to the diet, subcutaneous fluid administration, medications to control vomiting or diarrhea. HYGIENE Animals that don't feel well, especially cats, do not have the energy to maintain normal hair and skin. Consider the following: ____My cat doesn't groom herself any more. ____My pets hair is matted, greasy, rough looking, dull, or foul smelling. ____My pet has stool pasted around his/her rectum or in his/her hair. ____My pet smells like urine or has skin irritation from urine. ____My pet has pressure sores/wounds that won?t heal. Possible interventions for yes answers: regular brushing and grooming, frequent bedding changes, adequate padding for areas where the pet spends a lot of time, appropriate wound care, treat the underlying disease/condition. ACTIVITY/MOBILITY Changes in normal activity can be due to mobility problems, pain, illness, or aging (arthritis). Consider the following: ____My pet cannot get up without assistance. ____My pet had a hard time getting around and/or limps. ____My pet lays in one place all day long. ____My pet does not want to play ball, go for walks, or do the things he/she used to do. ____My pet falls frequently. Possible interventions for yes answers: pain medication addition or adjustment, physical therapy. HAPPINESS/MENTAL STATUS Another important area of consideration is the pet's mental status and happiness. Consider the following: ____My pet does not express joy and interest in life. ____My pet does not respond to the people that he/she used to respond to. ____My pet does not want to play with toys or do other things that he/she used to enjoy. ____My pet seems dull, not alert, or depressed. GENERAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS Changes in normal behavioral patterns are often a key indicator of how well and animal feels. Consider the following: ____My pet is hiding or sleeping in odd places. ____My pet doesn't greet me when I come home and he/she used to. ____My pet is overly clingy and is following me around and he/she never used to do this. ____My other pets are treating this pet differently, they are overly attentive or ignoring him/her completely. ____My pet doesn't care about what is going on around him/her. The more 'yes' answers you have, the more likely it is that your pet has a poor quality of life.

Question: My partner recently passed away from Stage 4 Large B Cell Lymphoma. How long could he have had it? In August 2004 his ankles swelled and became black & blue. There was a pungent odor from his feet and his flatulance. The doctor concentrated on Congetive Heart failure but came up inconclusive. Nothing was done, not even an antibiotic. On Nov. 3rd 2006 he went for a routine checkup for feeling weak. They found his red and white blood count down. By Dec 3rd his kidneys failed, liver failed, his blood had become poison and it attacked his cerebrum. the Dr claims from the bone marrow biopsy the cancer had consumed 80% of his body. I don't see how a healthy 49 y.o. man can walk in a hospital and 30 days later be gone with such a severe prognosis unless the swelling of his ankles was the initial warning and the doctor never checked for this. He never had a fighting chance to begin chemo before he died. Does anyone out there know how long it would have taken for Lymphoma to become that devastating to his body?

Answer: oh honey...I am so sorry that you have losted a loved one!Things like this happen to many ppl......I am sorry I dont have a answer to your question but may god be with you in this tough time.God Speed.

Question: high AST/ALT, normal ALP,Bilirubin, possible reasons? Hi. I have some questions pertaining to my lab results. I'm slightly hypochondriac, due to things that have happened in the past, and would like to ask for expert opinion. FYI, I'm 31 years old, male. My lab results are: AST = 118 (norm 0-40) ALT = 175 (norm 0-40) ALP = 87 (norm 25-150) Bilirubin = 1.0 (norm 0.1 - 1.2) Doctor's reaction to the lab results is to repeat the test in 6-12 months. I feel it's a bit lax, since in addition to benign reasons for the elevated liver enzymes, there could be very serious ones. My main worries are: heart muscle damage, and liver cancer. I'm scared about the heart problem, because for about two months I've had some sporadic chest pains, though not associated with exercise. Before now, I had thought that the chest pains were due to stress and anxiety (work and school related). Getting back to the gym seems to have alleviated the chest pains. The liver cancer worry is there because slightly more than 2 years ago, I had a squamous carcinoma on my nose. It was removed successfully, and the doctor gave excellent prognosis. Naturally though, I'm a little freaked by these results. Although, I was calmed when I read that the ALT is usually 5 to 10 times the high limit for people with liver carcinomas. In my case, it's not quite 5 times the high limit (175 = 4.35*40). Also, about the time of the exam, I was still sore from going to the gym after a long hiatus. In fact, maybe a week before the exam, I had very sore muscles. My arms, shoulders, back, all ached. I've heard that it is possible that the enzymes can be high after muscle injury. Finally, I don't drink (maybe one or two cans of beer in few months), but I did have hepatitis A when I was maybe 9 or 10 years old. In your expert opinion(s), what are the possible reasons for my liver panel results? Should I be worried? Should I test for AFP (Alpha-fetoprotein) and DCP (des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin)? Should I get an ultra-sound exam? Thank you very much for you help.

Answer: Your ALP and Bilirubin are within normal range, so you can take them out of the equation. As a fellow 'hypochondriac', (I drive my family nuts) I can tell you, the more you dwell on your issues, the more likely you are to draw illness to you. Yes, you had cancer. Yes it was removed successfully. You have not had a relapse. The chest pains have subsided with exercise. Yes, muscle enzymes that are produced during intense exercise can alter bloodwork. But as I am not an expert, I can't tell you why. What I CAN tell you is that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I worked as a veterinary technician for 13 years. My medical knowledge does transfer to humans on a lesser scale. That fact gives me enough knowledge to make my doctors and my family crazy. Every burp or fart and I think I'm dying. It's making me crazy, too. I am learning to calm my mind about my body. It is doing just what its supposed to do. I am getting older now, which brings its own set of aches and pains. I have to learn to live with that. And the fact that no one lives forever. As much as I fear dying, it will happen whether I want to or not. So why worry?

Question: my mom has a 50 50 chance of surviving...how do you cope with it? In about 2004 my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer...those were hard times, but with good help, faith, and love she got over it and her prognosis was good. Then in 2007 in january, my mom had unusual headaches and a weird little bump in her head. We took her to the hospital and by god's mercy we got her just in time for she had a brain tumor the size of a gulf ball. She stayed in the hospital for a good 2-3 months and again with god's mercy the surgery was successfull. On July 23 of this year was my birthday yet it happened to be one of my worst days of my life as i find out that mother has recieved 2 more much smaller the previous, none the less, malignant cancers. I am devastated, and knowing know that i am recently 15, and asking many doctors, my mother has a 50/50 chance of making it out alive. My heart cant take it any more partly because she wont talk to me about it and because the thought of not having her is making me cry blood. i love her 2 much to see her go.

Answer: I understand your fears and worries. I would also like to point out to you that although there is a 50% chance you may lose your mother, there is also a 50% chance you will not. And sometimes, in spite of the odds, the deciding factor has more to do with a thing called hope and optimism than anything else. It's hard at 15 to face the possibility of losing your mother, but you haven't lost her yet. And there is good chance you won't. That is what you need to focus on. Your job at this point is not to mourn her, but to support her. A loving, supportive, optimistic family is what your mother needs right now. Don't go planning her funeral just yet. Your mother is alive, and still fighting. Don't you give up the fight. If your mother can't or won't talk to you, then you find somebody you can talk to. There are others in your life you can talk to and unload on. It may be a teacher, another relative, a spiritual advisor, but there is somebody that can help you in person. Find a cancer support group for you and your mom. But don't just throw up your hands and go buying black just yet. Your mom is still with you, and the odds are as much in her favor as they are against her. Focus on the possible, focus on doing what is needed to beat it, it's beaten as much by attitude as chemotherapy and surgery. You don't lose anything until you agree it's lost. And the battle isn't over just now. And praying never hurt anybody.