You are going to be amazed at what I have to share with you! I did all sorts of Google searches mixing the terms cancer, history, treatment, advertisements, equipment, and chemotherapy. I got images of some equipment from the past, but mostly just text/information. The thing I did find that I thought was cool/creepy were these 2 advertisements.
In 1908 Dr. Johnson's Mild Combination Treatment for Cancer advertisement offered a FREE 125-page book of patient testimonials as proof that the treatment was wonderful. Up until the 1930s, advertisements like these were common. Thousands of desperate families gave their life savings to try to save the lives of loved ones with cancer. Very few of us know that it was a cancer treatment which led Congress to enact the first Federal law against false claims about drugs.
C.R. Chamlee claimed that his cure, made of alcohol and water, contained the essence of a Pacific island shrub. The medicine also included small amounts of iron, saccharin, and strychnine.These pictures and most of the information came from Cancer Treatment Watch.
That's it for today! Please visit the National Marrow Donor Program and Confessions of an Apron Queen to see what Lisa and the other participants are sharing! Lisa has donated 2 awesome aprons to my giveaways, also.
GIVEAWAY question of the day... You MUST answer the question in the Comments for THIS POST to be eligible. You also must have a way for me to contact you when you win. You do not have to have a blog to enter, and you can be from anywhere in the world!
This isn't really a question: Briefly tell about how cancer or another long-term potentially fatal illness has affected you or your family. I'd like to use some of these stories in future posts, so if you do not want it shared, please say so.
29 comments:
Hi Elizabeth.
I come from a family of high risk cancer women. My mother as well as all four of her sisters had cancer. So did my father. The good Lord blessed me with some "Dolly" sized boobs. It is painful to turn my cups into saucers!! However, I must do that every 6 months because of high risks. Thanks for the give away. Happy Day to you!
tricia10@bellsouth.net
My aunt has stage 4 breast cancer that's fairly controlled as far as I know. That's the only cancer in my family that I'm aware of.
I lost both of my paternal grandparents to cancer, and the suffering I saw will never leave my mind. First, when I was 13, my grandfather, whom I totally adored was diagnosed with lung cancer. He didn't last very long, as it quickly travelled to his brain. But I'll never forget visiting him in the hospital on the night of his death, while he was in a coma and struggling through fluid in his lungs for every breath.
A couple of years later, my grandmother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, that had apparently been there for several years. The first tumor they removed from her was 12"x8"x10". There was no way for her to beat it. It was just too far gone. I watched her go from an energetic, robust, heavy-set woman, to a horribly depressed, weak, skeleton of a person near the end. I was just about to turn 18 at this time, and I am the one who picked up the phone during the night and got that call that she had passed. Another moment I'll never forget. My aunt rushed to my house and her and I raced to the hospital and were able to say our final goodbyes, even though she was already gone.
Definitely not upbeat, happy endings. Sorry for that, but you did ask!
Justine :o )
Old medical books and advertisements for cures for diseases and cancer are always so interesting to read. My FIL died of complications from lung cancer and he tried apricot pits (laetrile) to cure the cancer.
Congrats on your 2 year "birthday"... that is AWESOME.
And thanks for visiting me yesterday via BATW :)
Found you via Mannequin's site.
Cancer took my aunt, the one for whom I am named. She was a bright, shining light in our family. Mother of two sons, wife to a hard-working man, full-time nurse, and cancer was just a one more thing she had on her to-do list. Even at her worst, she would find a way to inject levity and light into her life. When she was finally bed-bound, she'd have us kids scooch up around her and we'd either read from Dr. Seuss books or act out a scene from them. She'd laugh until she fell asleep.
Breast cancer may have taken her from us, but I still have strong memories of her and have vowed that, should I ever be in her situation, I would strive to face life with the grace and brilliance she had.
Da Goddess
dagoddess.com
Yeah, I know you got your post up!
Brewwwww ha ha girl! My dau & I
had something special going on!:)
wow. any lump in a woman's breast is cancer. Thanks for sharing these shysters!
My grandfather passed away from cancer when I was very young. I adored him and he was the first loss in my life. The tragic thing was that in those days, they thought that the patient should not be told they had a terminal illness. I'd hate to be kept in the dark and just get sicker and sicker.
I also had an aunt with Hodgkin's who was only given a year to live but lived for many, many years.
I think a positive attitude can do so much for your prognosis and you certainly do have that!!!
Wow what a vintage ad that is! I can't believe they peddled that stuff back then. Well, my late grandmother died of breast cancer. Cancer is such an awful thing that I would'nt wish it on anyone, thankfully she passed away from it within a matter of a few short months so she didn't have to suffer from it.
Good Morning Elizabeth {yawn...},
Although I have a friend that has been diagnosed with breast cancer, our family has had no history of such, thankfully.
I have however, lost my mother , ten years ago to COPD. My mother was told she needed 24 hr care in a nursing home and we wouldn't allow that! Friends and family rallied and provided that care for her in her own home.
For the last three years of her life, she was on oxygen; the last year completely bedridden.
Although I was raising my son who was then one, I was quite active in her daily life and care. I watched my mothers decline and suffering on a daily basis. I also grew to know my mother that last year more than
I'd really known her all my life.
My mother was a Christian that was not afraid to let go and aside from leaving those here, was prepared to go.
I spent the hours of 2AM-7AM caring for her daily, tidying the house, getting her paperwork done, laying out meds for the caretaker and so forth. One morning I sat quietly on the couch listening to my mothers oxygen and crying in her sleep.
By the time she awoke, I was in tears and had had enough. "Thank You for another day dear Jesus" were her words upon waking each day.
"I can't stand it!", I sobbed and basically screamed to her, "How can you be so cheery when this is happening to you?" "Look how He is making you suffer".
"Making me suffer?", "He's the one that's showing mercy Cheryl", "hasn't He given me one more day to spend with my little girl?"
My mother taught me many lessons; I know all too well what it is like to be affected by a life threatening disease.
My grandmother died of lung cancer.
My Mother-in-law died of brain cancer.
It was difficult to watch them go through all that they needed to endure and it was especially hard for their caretakers.
Cancer seems to be the biggie these days with folks living longer. And I have seen it affect many folks in my family. But they all beat it! So no sad stories here.
What truely is sad, is seeing a wonderful, 67 year old, mother all of a sudden change into a shell of what she was. The docs say it is a form of dementia. Every day I yearn for the mom I used to have.
But I don't think she will be coming back. It is rough, because every day I talk to her and look for hints of her old self, just hoping it will happen.
Although rare, some dementias are reverseable. Please just let it be hers.
Nineteen years ago, I had a hysterectomy to take out what the doctor described as "something that had to come out." It was a grapefruit-sized ovarian cancer tumor.
I never knew I had cancer until it was removed.
I visited an oncologist for the next five years. It was a day of celebration when that number 5 arrived.
I commissioned one of my students to paint a dripping wet life preserver on a dock, with the name of my GYN, the doctor who found my cancer, and I titled it "My Lifesaver." I presented it to him that very day--July 9th.
Hi Elizabeth and thanks for popping in to see me!! Oh, bless your heart ~ you do have a wonderful attitude and I truly know that has to help as you go through all your trials. The old ads are very interesting to read. Thanks for sharing them.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia :)
A few years back my mother had had an abnormal pap smear and found out that she had uterine cancer cells. Not until my mom's diagnosis did we find out that years and years before when my mom and her sisters had been sent to stay with an aunt for a week that my grandmother had underwent a hysterectomy because of both uterine and ovarian cancer! My mother's case was not severe and since it was detected early, they were able to remove the infected cells and she's been healthy since!
Unfortunately her sister (my aunt) was not as lucky. After finding out she was pregnant, they discovered cancerous cells in her uterus. After giving birth, she was required to under go treatment...numerous times and each time the cancer returned. After deciding to undergo a hysterectomy they discovered that the cancer had spread and she later lost her battle, after numerous surgeries and treatments the cancer was just too strong...
I'm always more anxious than normal when I go for my pap smears because I know that my chances are greatly increased for there to be a problem...I have had to have a biopsy before because of abnormal results, but thankfully all turned out ok! Whenever I get nervous about getting results back, I just think of my aunt and how strong she was and then think of my mom and nana who were also strong and successful in beating the odds- they give me strength!
I've never seen a "snake oil" ad for cancer. It was humorous, yet disturbing. We've come along way since those days. Hopefully one day cancer will be a thing of the past, but until then education is the key. You are doing a fabulous job of getting the word out about your own story. It might just save someone's life. Great post!!
Cancer touched my family for the first time when my mom was diagnosed two years ago with breast cancer at the age of 75. We were completely stunned and terrified. Fortunately it was an early diagnosis and she had it removed and has had no signs of it since then. The radiation did create holes in her lung and she can't do anything too strenuous anymore because she loses her breath too easily. However, we'd rather deal with that than have to be battling cancer still. Now my sister and I are aware that potential exists for us to develop the disease so we're careful to have annual mammograms. However our county has one of the highest rates of breast cancer and I truly do think that it's likely to have something to do with the fact that we have a nuclear plant here. They can deny it all they want. I believe it's true.
doot65{at}comcast[dot]net
Elizabeth
We have had a few various cancers in my family in my lifetime. It's funny how some scare me more than others. My grandma had cancer but they said it was common in older women, removed the growth and areas and that was it. It scared me a lot and then it was done so quick I found it quite puzzling. A couple of folks with minor skin cancers - those were all easily removed. Biggest was Mom's breast cancer which I really worried about, but I always had this feeling during it that she would be ok from that, and she is. Who knows why are brains think the way they do?
Congratulations on your anniversary! We've obviously come a long way in cancer treatments - thank goodness!
My maternal grandma battled cancer from the time I was born until I was 22. She had gallbladder, skin, lympnodes and finally pancratic cancer killed her (those are the ones I remember). She knew she had cancer at the end but they could not find any, after her body was donated to science we found out she did have pancratic cancer, she died on what would of been her 50th wedding anniversary. Grandpa died 1 1/2 years earlier. He had prostate cancer. My other grandpa has skin and protstate cancer. He was given 6 month to a year to live over 6 years ago.
My mother-in-law died of leukemia and she only learned about it 9 months before she died. Her doctor didn't communicate with her nor us about the seriousness of it. We didn't know she was in such bad shape. She never got to meet 6 of my children and she was a fantastic grandmother to my older 3. Sadly, they don't have clear memories of her, just photos and stories.
Kathy
bigfamily8 (at) yahoo (dot) com
My mom is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed on my 33rd birthday. It's very possible the two high-powered estrogen shots she received to try and stop excessive bleeding are what caused it. I've had one biopsy, but because of my mom's diagnosis, what used to be regular exams are never without concern.
My father died 20 years ago of liver cancer. I was in my early 20's and he meant the world to me. It was a whirlwind illness. We didn't even know he had cancer until 2 days before he died. I now have 2 teenage boys of my own and a wonderful husband-all of whom my Dad never met. I struggle with phobias about my own health in relation to cancer. I pray for a cure.
Aren't you glad we have research and doctors now instead of quack stuff. Oh wait--I forgot about informercials and their extravagant promises! Congratulations on your two year birthday.
Those vintage ads are absolutely amazing. I did not know that about the Federal law.
I really got a kick out of all those crazy ads you found! unbelievable what they tried to do to make money back in those days! Cancer took my grandmother, and recently my aunt. I see it all too often at work and truly hate it! I had a tumor in my neck a few years ago and had to have it removed along with my thyroid glands all of the left side and 3/4 of the right, I was lucky it wasn't cancereous! Recently I was told via a mammogram that I have 3 lumps, so far they seem ok but they are keeping a watch on them and I go back for a follow up in 3 weeks...that's what took my grandmother so I have been nervous but trying to stay positive! Hugs French;)
I truly admire your strength and courage!!!
I've been on the National Marrow Donor Program list for years having joined in New Jersey in the early '90s. I was called once to have my blood tested again but I wasn't a close enough match for further testing. I can't think of a more important group to join.
One of my cousins died of breast cancer after a double mastectomy. Two of my aunts have had breast cancer, with one of them still in remission decades later! I am diligent about getting my mammograms and pap tests because of this. I also lost my paternal grandmother to cancer, but it was renal cancer. She didn't last long after being diagnosed. My parents always swore that she actually died of a broken heart two years after my grandfather passed away.
Kady
kady_39@yahoo.com
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