Rebecca,

I've been "incurable" since I was first diagnosed in August, 09. I'm somewhat less fit than I was then due to the depredations of the various treatments over the last 5 years, but although I am stage IVc and have been since Feb, '11, I anticipate that I'll be around more than the two years I should have statistically.

Stage IVc has a 5-year survival rate of Zero and I've been there for three years now. If that makes me "terminal," so be it. But the rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated if I do say so myself

I just finished another three weeks of beam-radiation on Mon, March 24th and I was in the gym yesterday. (I'd been out since 11/24, due to radiation sickness.) I do my best to lead the same life as I did before cancer. No one gets out of here alive, but the pity is that some people focus on fear and never are "alive." Don't be one of those, and don't let your sister be one either.

Best of luck to you both!

Bart

There are many ways to extend life of a "terminal" cancer patient for those willing to undertake then