Chemotherapy - Please Read

[sunshine16]

Hey ya'll,

For a recent science assignemtn, we were ordered to write an essay
about any area of medical science we choose. So I selected Chemotherapy
for a wide variety of reasons. One being the fact that my Dad went
through it, and I saw first hand what these drugs did to him. Another
being that many emets fear this treatment for obvious reasons (e.g.
side effects) I did it all Sunday night when it was due Monday, the
procrastinator I am. But anyways, I was wondering if I could share it
with you, here on the boards. If you don't mind hearing it. In some
spots it can be a tad graphic simply because of the fact that I did not
sensor the word vomit with v*. But I would like any feed back you have.
Of course, its handed in now, but I would still like comments if you
don't mind at all. Thanks a lot guys!! Here it is, in the next post!

[sunshine16]

Chemotherapy


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The doctors supposed
that five year old Abbey Steel had a cold, or perhaps hay fever. It was a warm
and sunny day of April in Virginia, and little Abbey had all the symptoms: A
runny nose, stuffy head and a puffy face. However, when Abbey’s parents got a notice
from Abbey’s gymnastics instructor stating that Abbey could not catch her
breath, Abbey’s parents took her immediately to the Emergency Room in their
local home town. Upon further inspection, physicians affirmed that Abbey Steel
had cancer, one of the deadliest diseases known to man kind. The medical team informed
Abbey’s mother and father that their little daughter of only five years had but
a mere fifty-fifty chance of surviving this horrid disease. Almost instantaneously,
Abbey started on a rigorous and demanding round of chemotherapy, taking drugs
to exterminate her hastily multiplying cancer cells, and became a young girl
was now taking medications that even adults can sometimes not handle. Dominant,
influential, unending and unstoppable drugs were being hurled through her
system, but it it’s possibly it was just this that got Abbey Steel her life
back, for after two and a half years of chemotherapy, cancer left her fragile
body. What Abbey’s life was saved by was none other than one of the most widespread
treatments used to alleviate cancer in our modern world: Chemotherapy, the
process of which drugs are immersed through the body’s system, killing rapidly
dividing cells, which is often more than a five year old can comprehend, what exactly
chemotherapy is, and why it helps. The make up of Chemotherapy drugs differ,
and this and ways to administer it often rings in health care worker’s minds.
Chemo has changed a lot over time, which allows for the success rate of people
treated to rise. However, it can’t do everything, and sometimes the side
effects are too much to tolerate. We will explore and dissect just what
chemotherapy is, and why it is one of the worlds’ preferred ways of treating
cancer.


Once known as
‘hard ulcers’ in the years Before Christ, cancer was the disease that all and
sundry knew of, everyone feared, and the ailment that affected everyone, be it
directly or indirectly. Now, approximately 1.2 million Americans are diagnosed
with the disease per year, with about 560000 dying annually. Although smoking
contributes to 30% of the cause, numerous others are unidentified. It is a likelihood
for cancer to be passed down through family genetics, the chemical units that
make up our biological blue print of our body. In November 1996, the national
cancer institute publicized that between the years of 1991 and 1995 cancer fatality
rates fell nearly 3%. The first such drop since records had begun to be documented.
Part of this is because of the wide variety of treatment developed over this
time period, especially well acknowledged ones such as Radiation and
Chemotherapy.


Cancer cells are identified
by their ability to rapidly multiply and reproduce, which is particularly
dangerous for the fear and possibility that this may lead to cancer dispersion
to other areas of the body. This is where Chemotherapy steps in. Chemotherapy
drugs are made to slow and/or prevent the increase and reproduction of cells,
good and bad, not just cancer. This may generate more possible side effects.
Medical Researchers are often faced with a predicament for the reason that of
this, and must vigilantly weigh the pros and cons. It will damage cancer cells,
but also good cells, chie

[sunshine16]

Footnote: Sorry that it's quite long, (it had to be) but hopefully you
find it interesting to read?? Good AND bad comments are GREATLY
appreciated. THanks!!

[kentuckygalrk]

Great job! That's a wonderful paper :O)


As someone who's planning on devoting a huge part of my life to cancer research and working with children who have cancer I totally respect and am awed that you chose to write about chemo.


Cancer truly is a harsh reality, and an even harsher reality is that often times the very drugs used to cure this beast are the ones that end up leading to more health problems, other cancers and sometimes, even death in the patients.


I talked to one parent who said it's really ironic that you try so hard to keep your children healthy and safe, you feed them all the right foods and take them to the doctor regularly and all of a sudden the world's turned upside down and you have to be totallyresponsible for signing a paperallowing doctors topump countless amounts of poisons intotheir child. It's a horrible situation.


Children are the living and unfortunately all to often, the dying proof that cancer can happen to anyone... even the best of us.It's great that you're helping to spread the word!


~Rachel
(PS...visit myother post for an update on my cancer buddy "Rachel" and send her some prayers)

[kate1966]

I personally enjoyed reading this...very informative..my dad has lung cancer...has gone through radiation...not chem...but also surgery to remove the cancer and part of his lung....so this is very interesting....kind of puts things into perspective...I will try not to be such a baby about V.....I mean...look what could happen to us...at any time..and then we would absolutely have no control over what happens to us anyway...I am still scared...but reading this has made me realize that soooo many people suffer so much more than we do...Thanks...Kat

[sunshine16]

Thank you, guys, for reading that. I'm glad that to some it opened your
eyes and put our 'unfortunate' lives into perspective. Also,
kentuckygal, I want you to know that You're lil Rachel is in my
thoughts and prayers. Thanks again for reading...it truly means a lot.

[unco]

Thanks for the post. I had a diagnosis of a kind of cancer called myeloma 3 years ago. Unfortunately, my emetophobia has been the determining factor in which treatments I choose. Eventually, I'll have tohave a stem cell transplant to stay alive longer. I need to get some treatment for my phobia soon. Edited by: unco

[bexcelica]

That is a really well written, interesting paper. I am glad I spent the
time reading it. You will do well on the assignment! Very very
interesting. Thanks for posting.



Becky

[californiagirl]

GREAT PAPER! Well-writen, very informative. In my opinion, cancer is an ugly illness, and wreaks havoc on those who suffer from it. My heart goes out to the patients and their families who endure this heartwrenching disease. There is something that I realized though: I have watched medical programs on the TLC channel, which follow young cancer patients. Those little kids are nothing short of amazing. You see them in the hospital, they are smiling, playing, and you also see the part where they are miserable, scared and crying. In some cases, they seem to bounce right back to happy, go-lucky little kids with big smiles on their brave little faces. They are bald, and sometimes "puffy" from the treatments, but they are beautiful little heroes, because they are so strong. They endure so much, more han they should ever have to, but tsome don't complaim much. heir parents are very strong, and do wha they need to do for their sick child, which also makes them heroes. The strength of those kids and their parents is amazing, and I think they deserve alot of respect. Your paper is so informative, and really makes us realize how hard this illness hits and what is involved in the fight for survival. Good job.