What do you say when people ask you if you are cured?

[philadelphia1]

I wrapped up 26 FSR treatments at Thomas Jefferson University in January and all is well.  I worked the whole time and had only minimal side effects.  I had good support from family & friends and even got offered a new job since I finished treatment.  I feel good about the future and if I had it to do over again I'd make the same treatment decision.

But what do you say when people ask you if you are "all better now?"  The truth is I don't really know, but going into monitoring and MRIs and anything involving the world "necrosis" is overkill, no pun intended.  I can't find a satisfying middle ground answer.

[Kilroy1976]

I just tell people that the radiation will take time to kill the tumor, and that I'll have to go for MRIs every so often to make sure that it's working.

[Kathleen_Mc]

It depends on the closeness of the person to whom you're talking how much you might like to get into. Simple pleasanturies of "yes thank-you" to "I don't know yet" to the truth. I find to most of my co-workers I just keep it simple and always have, they can't handle nor do they really care to know the truth (many of my co-workers hadn't a clue of my tumor regrowth until I was off on sick leave to have it out after 5 years of monitoring). Kathleen

[Larry]

I try and keep a brave face with people, including my direct family. I do find it hard though, especially with a re-growth as I am the main bread winner and self employed so any further treatments / complications would really hurt us financially. i use this message board as a fantastic outlet and quite frankly, would be in pieces without the wonderful support and faciilty that all the posters and this board provides.

I am a private person so whilst my close friends do offer concern and support which i am grateful for, i tend to move the subject onto something else, the less I think about it the better coz it only upsets me and I don't want that. Must stay as positive as possible.

Larry

[philadelphia1]

Larry -
I don't kinow the details of your story, but that sounds like a lot to carry around even if you are good at the brave face thing.  I'm glad the board gives you an outlet and source of support.  It sounds like you have family and friends that care about you too.

For close to the last year I have focused on getting a correct diagnosis, researching treatment options, and that putting it all in gear.  Even though I knew that the goal was tumor control not cure, it wasn't until when people started asking me about my prognosis that I realized I didn't have a "good" answer.

At this point I am not spending too much time worrying (but apparently I'm spending some or I wouldn't have made this post in the first place).  The odds are with me and even if I am one of the unlucky ones, I figure I bought some time. Treatments will continue to get better, hopefully faster than any regrowth.

[Rc Moser]

No. Cause Larry has convienced me there is a chance it will come back.