I was quite ready to die (after stage 4 dx), but I thought "What the heck, let's give it a go. I've always been curious what it is like."
It turned out to be much less horrible than I expected and nearly five years later I'm still alive.
That doesn't undo the trauma of spending your last days poisoning yourself and feeling terrible, being remembered like that, etc. Those are dice which, prior to this test (if reliable!), I would never want to roll.
The expected effectiveness of chemo treatment would depend on several factors that could inform the choice a lot even before some kind of a specific test.
Some forms of cancer are rather susceptible to known chemotherapeutic cocktails and have such high cure rates (in some cases over 90 %) with chemo that you'd have to be suicidal not to take the treatment.
Other forms can be significantly less susceptible, and the prognosis can be rather bleak even with the most effective known treatments. I can see how one might not want to suffer intensive chemo for a minuscule chance of survival or to extend life by a few months.
Also, n=1 and I don't know how my experience compares to others or to the average, but my experience with chemo wasn't that terrible. Definitely not pleasant, and there's a chance of side effects that could even be permanent. But not terrible. I've got the impression that the treatments for associated nausea etc. have also improved over the decades, and I didn't really have a whole lot of that.
I thought the same, until I got cancer (stage 4 even, so the chemo wasn't curative). I don't know if I was lucky or it was the type of chemo, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. It's been nearly five years since diagnosis and I'm very happy I got treatment. Considering the fact that I have incurable cancer, my life is spectacularly good!
My "secrets" are motivation and time. I was very motivated to change my diet and changed my life to make sure I had the time (and energy) to cook a real meal every day. I also treated it (almost obsessively) as a quest to improve my cooking skills (and probably taste too) to use as little processed additives as possible. On average I eat more than 500 gram of vegetables a day now and really enjoy it.
Edit: I also only drink water and one cup of decaf coffee with almond milk a day.
It is horrible if people are forced into MAID because of monetary issues, but that should obviously be addressed by improving their financial support, not by taking away the option of MAID.
I have incurable cancer and I'd really like to die on my own terms. Why should that be hard? Today it is still way too hard in most of the world (including in countries that have MAID).
Also, it's not just about it being "hard". Sure I could blow my brains out, but I'd like to have the option to die with my loved ones by my side without traumatizing them (or getting them in potential legal problems).
Obviously, significant percentage of people if they were in your situation would likely relate to your wishes to be in control, it’s completely reasonable. Also, reasonable that prior to you being in the situation that it’s likely that the topic was not pressing for you.
Most people don’t want to think about intentionally dying, it’s unpleasant, frequently results in emotionally sensitive exchanges, etc — so they simply avoid the topic.
Basically, being terminally ill is separate topic from the comment you replied too, which relates to legalized assisted suicide for non-terminally ill people; realize OP comment potentially covered it, but at least for me, that was not an issue.
Not the best at exchanges like this, but sincerely hope you are able to find the resolution you seek.
I'm not considered terminally ill yet by most "official" definitions (you have to have months to live). I'm lucky to have a cancer that so far response to treatment to slow it down substantially.
This is relevant to the discussion because it means I'm more or less in the same position as the non-terminally ill people you are talking about. In my locale there are euthanasia laws, but they require that I suffer unbearably before euthanasia is allowed. I do not like this prospect one bit. I'd much rather die before reaching that phase. So the reality is that people's discomfort with death will potentially cause me great suffering. This makes this discussion very personal to me. Even though it might seem to you my situation is substantially different.
Thanks for clarifying, unlikely I am able to say anything that would be of use, but it’s obvious you’re actively trying to find solution that works for you. Again, thank you!
(Not trying to score sympathy points)
I got diagnosed with metastatic cancer (incurable). Five weeks later (while getting chemo) I quit my job. I was a workaholic software developer. I haven't programmed since. Best decision I ever made and I'm happy and enjoy life (with some limitations).
In my (unpopular) opinion trials for people with incurable cancer are quite predatory. You are supposed to participate to help science, not yourself. But in reality many people desperately cling to anything that gives them hope.
Agreed (except the part about the patient paying for clinical trials). After I got diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer last year I was asked to participate in a immunotherapy trial. I declined as a wasn't about to spend the next two years (that could very well be my last) going to the hospital every three weeks to be poked and prodded.
What's absurd is that we aren't even really trying. Curing death and causes of ought to be the singular paramount goal of our society, but it's not, because we have been trained to accept it as inevitable ever since we were capable of thought.
