Lloyd, 67 years old
[Lloyd]
When I was diagnosed, I knew that lung cancer can be pretty bad. But I have also learned that maybe the treatment for my kind of cancer is much better now than it was even just a few years ago. My son is an oncology nurse – he specializes in taking care of people with cancer – people like me. So, I am lucky to have a close family member who is really an expert in cancer treatment. He helped me get the very latest information before I decided which treatment to have.
[Lloyd]
I've never been much at reading books, and I don't know anything about computers or this Internet I've heard about. I don't think I have ever been in the library downtown. So, my son helps me find information that I can understand. He has brought me booklets from the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society. My son does have a computer and he is very good at finding things that way. My son found a special lung cancer Web site on the Internet. In the free time that I have now, I have even started to learn to find things on the Internet myself.
[Lloyd]
My son introduced me to the dietitian at the cancer treatment center. She has really helped me with my diet, to find foods, and even recipes, that my wife can fix that I'll want to eat. I'm tired a lot, too. I now know that many people feel this way after cancer. The oncology nurse at the clinic and the physical therapist have helped me to re-think my daily routine – and I have begun to schedule my day in different ways to take advantage of my energy and let me rest when I need to.
[Lloyd]
Even though I have been handed a tough thing, at least with what I've learned, I feel like I have some control over my life again. I have made the decisions about my treatment. I know – or at least know that I can find out - what to expect. Somehow, knowing makes things easier.
[Narrator]
Lloyd's story is quite a bit different from Antonio's, isn't it? But it is interesting that both men seem to have a lot of hope – though they hope for different things. Lloyd knows his prognosis is not a good one, but he is hopeful that he will be comfortable, and that the quality of his life will continue to be good. Like Antonio, Lloyd is clear about the kinds of information he wants to find. He, too, is looking in several places for information: the Internet, his doctors, nurses, and social workers, and the information his son finds in various places. Now let's hear from another cancer survivor, Gloria, who is 47 years old. Gloria went from worrying about her cancer to regaining a sense of control over cancer through information.
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