 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | I went back to your original post - "3 pack a day day smoker and alcoholic". I am sorry to be be so blunt but I would make every effort to make sure that his affairs are in order - revocable living trust, will and advanced directives.
Addiction is a " cunning, baffling and powerful" thing (as the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous puts it). He (or the disease of addiction) has chosen this path for himself and unless HE WANTS to change, there's really not much else you can do.
Get help for yourself for co-dependency. You can find CODA meetings in your local phonebook. There is also Alanon. Get to a meeting as soon as you can. You will much much support there.
About the statistics the AJCC gives a stage IV 26.1% 5 year survival rate that those are averages and don't reflect health habits, ethnicity or age.
Gary Allsebrook
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Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
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"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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