| This is my contribution to cancer patients and family | | | | I will not go into specifics as I could write a book and |
| members of cancer patients everywhere. I myself had | | | | you will be reading for days. As with any illness when |
| Hodgkin Lymphoma which is a young persons cancer. I | | | | a person experiences strange symptoms they go to |
| had countless x-rays, multiple CT scans, multiple pet | | | | hospital or their local clinic and get themselves |
| scan's, multiple MRI Scan's, countless blood test's, a | | | | examined, the usual way in which cancer diagnoses |
| variety of drugs given to me, I had 3 lumber punctures, | | | | works, is firstly to visit your local General Practitioner, |
| 4 Biopsies which included a thin needle, thick needle, a | | | | he will examine you and see if he can isolate the |
| bronchoscope, and a open heart operation as my | | | | problem. If he cant put a diagnoses on it, he will refer |
| tumor was located close to my heart, I spent a total of | | | | you to your nearest hospital for a blood sample, x - |
| about 4 weeks in hospital wards after surgeries or | | | | ray and a CT Scan. The Hospital will be able to tell |
| with fever from Chemo. Total cost for a years worth | | | | from the various tests if there is a growth (Tumor) |
| of hospital service..0 yes America, It cost me zero | | | | somewhere in your body. You can have cancer which |
| money and I don't have health insurance. Thank you | | | | all depends on the size and growth pattern of the |
| Denmark for your Lovely Nurses, your skilled Doctors | | | | tumor, it could either be Malignant (Meaning its active |
| and your Wonderful Hospitals, I will be forever grateful | | | | and growing) or Benign (which means its stopped |
| to you. Denmark saved my life. Denmark is a country | | | | growing or growing very slowly). If they do initially find |
| located just above Germany, please look it up on the | | | | a unknown mass or growth they will have to further |
| map. The people are friendly and ex - president Bill | | | | investigate your case via more tests, they cannot |
| Clinton visits often. | | | | cannot give a immediate diagnoses even thou they |
| For most of us, Cancer is just a commercial we see | | | | have seen this scenario many times before and know |
| on TV or on a Movie. You don't really see very many | | | | that you do have some sort of cancer. |
| people walking down the street looking frail and bald. | | | | To Determine if you have cancer the hospital in your |
| The obvious reason is first of all they cant, they have | | | | Country will do the following |
| no energy, if a cancer patient gathers up just enough | | | | No. 1 You will be subjected to a Biopsy which is a type |
| energy, they are able to do the common things you | | | | of sample test to see if your growth is malignant. |
| and I take for granted. Simple things like eating, yes | | | | No. 2 You will do a bone marrow extraction to see if |
| eating is immensely difficult for people that have | | | | the cancer has spread into your bones. |
| cancer. The reason cancer sufferers cant eat is | | | | No. 3 You will either be put on Chemotherapy or |
| because of the treatment for cancer which is | | | | Radiation depending on the type of cancer, some |
| chemotherapy not cancer itself, chemotherapy | | | | types of skin cancer can be cured with radiation alone |
| suppresses appetite, causes severe nausea and | | | | and don't require Chemotherapy. If you have to go on |
| actually kills your taste buds, food becomes tasteless | | | | Chemotherapy it will be for 6 Months initially, twice a |
| and eating becomes very unpleasant. Many people | | | | month all depending on your type of cancer or stage. |
| think that cancer is the decease that causes the | | | | You will have two Pet Scans, the first after the first 3 |
| person to be in the weakened state they are in, this is | | | | months and the second at the end of your 6 month |
| partly true as complications from their Tumor (piece of | | | | treatment to determine if the tumor has shrunk and the |
| unnatural growing tissue) which is caused by cancer | | | | cancer has become benign. |
| cells arise. When this tumor tissue starts growing it | | | | Chemo causes suppressed appetite, hair loss,nausea, |
| causes complications and it presses against organs in | | | | constipation, fever and skin discoloration to name a |
| your body which can include your heart, liver, lungs just | | | | few symptoms. Radiation is painless but if you have it |
| to name a few places. These complications can | | | | administered close to the neck or chest it can cause |
| create very strange symptoms, symptoms that affect | | | | sore throat, redness around the radiated area and |
| everyone in different ways depending where the | | | | swallowing difficulty. Please consult your Doctor for |
| cancer is located in your body so firstly its difficult to | | | | possible side effects of Chemo and Radiation. |
| know if you have cancer straight away. | | | | |