Wegners vs Cancer

[Al]

until a few monts ago I thought my doctor had a speech impedement...I always thought I had wegners and could not figure out why he said it was weg a ners.

Last summer I consulted with Drac's mentor at the U. Washington, a Scottish guy who insisted on using the German pronunication--"Veg-e-ner's". Yeah, well, perhaps that s more accurate, but I still can't see c alling us sufferers "Veggies".

Al

[elephant]

I have telling people for a long time Wegeners is like Lupus, because most have heard of Lupus.

[mama2005]

I don't think we can compare cancer and wegeners. these two diiseases may share treatments and some symptoms but they are two totally diffrent diseases. I will keep my WG over cancer. I know some day with the drugs that we are treated with we do have a higher risk of developing cancer and that to is scarry.

[mishb]

I received the all clear from Haematology/Oncology today.
They do not want to see me ever again (they hope). I am all clear from any blood borne cancers and they were actually 100% certain that I don't have any type of cancer at all.

My Lymphocyte readings are still higher than normal but no where near as high as they used to be and not high enough to denote cancer. It is still the inflammation keeping them high.

When they told me back in July that they thought I might also have lymphoctytic leukemia I was actually non plussed about it.
I have never been a glass half empty or half full type person....to me the glass just has something in it. I guess I'm just a realist.
I have faith in my doctors and in the medical system and had faith that whether it was cancer or WG or both, that I would be well looked after.

On another note, I seem to be running out of specialists. ENT already told me there wasn't much they could do anymore and don't want to see me until June next year.
Haematology and Oncology have now told me they don't wont to see me..ever.....that just leaves Rheumatology and Immunology.
Here's hoping that one day I can get rid of them too

[Kimbangu]

When I was first diagnosed I was told "it's worse than diabetes but not as bad a cancer" which I must say, was not a very diplomatic way of putting my mind at rest.

We need to remember that none of these conditions are mutually exclusive, there must be people with vasculitis who also are diabetics for instance.

At one point I told my neighbour I had WG. He was speaking to me about a week later and said "Well, my sister has been a nurse for nearly 40 years and she said she has never heard of it" - like I was making it up or something!

[Sangye]

That's great to hear, Michelle!!

[drz]

I don't think we can compare cancer and wegeners. these two diiseases may share treatments and some symptoms but they are two totally diffrent diseases.

My wife attends a cancer support group and brought home some ideas from their last speaker to discuss. The oncologist answered one question about treatment by answering that the person would not have survived the treatment due to their age. The number they generally use is 70 years of age since the medical community agrees that all major body organs start to decline from age and by age 70 these organs are unable to survive some of the aggressive treatment used to treat some cancer. If your organs have been damaged from another disease or event, the age limit for surviving treatment might be lower. Since some of treatments are similar for GPA, I believe this may also apply to us. I know my body had been damaged by years of diabetes and some evaluative medical procedures so I feel lucky to have survived the aggressive treatment I needed to contain the GPA.

Comment for the thread on thoughts about dying. Is it better to die from the disease or die from a treatment trying to contain the disease???

[Dirty Don]

drz, isn't the treatment part of the disease? just a thought! Seems to me: no disease, no treatment...just a different way of looking at it. Therefore, they are one and the same...helps me 'contain' MY thoughts about what is going on inside my body, as well as the rest of us. Take care...

[Dryhill]

drz, I agree with Dirty Don that the disease and treatment are one and the same, however if you must split the two I feel I would rather die from the treatment than the disease. My reasoning is it means I was fighting the disease right upto the end and would not let it get the better of me.

[Sangye]

I have never liked the idea of "fighting" a disease. That means someone who dies from it is a "loser."

I don't care if I die from Wegs, or the treatment or a complication or a banana peel. Death is still death!