I have been researching and educating myself about oral cancer since Matt was first diagnosed back in July 2009.
He has been going with the flow and taking things as they come along. He did finally visit with a counselor last week and last weekend discussed with me the possibility that he may only have a few years with us left. I of course have been privy to this knowledge for quite a while now.
He's thought that the docs have been 'under treating' his condition. I knew they were doing all they could, and in the case of three lung surgeries, they went above and beyond normal protocol. Now, as they tell him to wait out the current lesion on his right lung to see if something else comes up in the next month or so, he's beside himself with the waiting. I know no treatment is curative for him.
He is just now coming to terms with it and is freaking out.
I did my freaking out last summer. His turn is over due.
I hope I can hang in there with him as this sinks in.
On one hand, I really don't want him to give up on us, on the other, I really don't want him wearing himself out chasing a cure that doesn't exist with the time he has left.
Is it acceptable to ask his doctor to lay down a time schedule? Can I ask how he thinks things will progress from here? How reliable can that information be?