Back in March, Valerie Harper was given three months to live by doctors. She said her goodbyes to fans and to her family and tried to cram as many projects into those three months as she could. Almost six months later, Valerie is not only alive, but doctors have told her that her cancer is in remission and are astounded she's alive. In a new interview that airs next month, Valerie says that she is not cured, and might not be around to see her interview aired, but that she thinks that with it in remission she has a good chance to see a lot of things that doctors didn't think she ever would.
Basically with her treatments, Valerie has bought time, but doctors don;t know how much time. Once her cancer figures out a way to beat her drugs, then doctors will have to find a new way to treat her. For now, Valerie is hoping she can make it through one more Christmas.
Good for her! It's so much about attitude with cancer, I hope she gains many more days!
ReplyDeleteGlad she's still around, best of luck to you, lovely lady.
ReplyDeleteI hope so too. :)
ReplyDeleteI hope she fools them all...this is great.
ReplyDeleteI always have to go do some fact checking in order to get a more correct idea of the story. If you're going to heavily interpret every story, you should at least link back to your source(s). For example, she's not in remission ... The doctor has pronounced her to be "pretty close to a remission"
ReplyDeleteDon't know the broad, but happy for her.
ReplyDeleteSounds a bit like my mom. Diagnosed with lung cancer in 1988, it had already spread so far doctors gave her from 30-90 days. They told her she might get a few more months with chemo, but almost certainly not as much as another year.
ReplyDeleteShe and I both worked in a big local hospital. I worked with medical/surgical patients every day. She had no patient contact, so she asked me what I thought she should do about taking chemo. I told her that most, maybe all, of the horror stories she'd heard about chemo were true, but that it was a quality of life issue and in the end had to be her decision. She was always really into Christmas, and she had two very young grandchildren at the time, so she decided to go with the chemo, hoping to get through one last Christmas.
What that chemo did to her I wouldn't do to my worst enemy. I'd much, much rather be dead than go through that. But Mom made it through Christmas, gave lots of presents (even sold her car so she could give more) and even the traditional family meal. Then she basically gave up.
The cancer spread to her brain, which became filled with tumors, and she ended up completely comatose in a hospice unit before she finally died the Sunday before Easter that year. She did have that last Christmas, though, and to get it she put up one of the most courageous struggles I've ever seen.
Yes hugs robert. I am crying. Cancer stole my mom too.
DeleteHugs Robert. Huge hugs.
ReplyDeleteI am glad she is doing well, but I've become highly skeptical when celebrities announce they are dying and go into a miraculous remission, I have to stop and wonder truth or PR stunt...
ReplyDeleteThat made me cry @Robert. My thoughts are with you.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember CDAN blind about an actress who had a deadly disease and was going to try things, like standup comedy or something like that? Is it possible it was about Valerie Harper?
ReplyDeleteLong time reader, very seldom posted, but most always enjoying the comments ; )
Thank God. Praying for you, Valerie.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry for your loss Robert and thank you for sharing that.
ReplyDeleteI can understand wanting to do all that you can in your personal life, but I felt her joining DWTS a little too much.
I'm sorry about your mother, Robert. At least she managed to have that last Christmas, which I'm sure meant a lot to you as well.
ReplyDeleteOne of my friends was diagnosed with a brain tumor - a glioblastoma. He never had a chance - he only lived eight months.
Cancer is just awful.
You know I wonder also how true this is. I was just thinking the other day that she has been on talk shows and now DWTS and thought if miraculously she was not going to die after all. Makes one wonder....
ReplyDeleteOh Robert, the same thing happened with my mom--lung cancer that spread to her brain--and along the same timeline as your mom but in 2003. It was awful and I feel for you. Fuck cancer.
ReplyDeleteRobert and theresa,
ReplyDeleteSorry for your losses. Tough thing to go through.
It's all because of her AMAZING attitude and outlook on life. I really really believe that. Your body can cure any disease with positive consciousness. I know some may roll there eyes reading this but I've been reading these amazing books about the power of the mind. So happy for her!!!
ReplyDeleteShe really didn't say goodbye to anybody, Enty. She just kept on L-I-V-I-N'. I'm convinced that her attitude was a huge piece of the puzzle. I adore her and this was good news to read today.
ReplyDeleteDROMPRada is right, though; she is not actually in remission. Still, it's sounding good. Here's hoping for the same for my grandmother. I'm praying for one more Christmas with her. Robert and Theresa know what I'm talking about; hugs to you both.
So sorry to those of you who have lost someone to this terrible disease. And @didi67, I only hope you are right. Mind over matter and all that would be wonderful if we could get it to work every time.
ReplyDeleteRobert and Theresa, I am very sorry.
ReplyDeleteYeah sometimes you can surprise everyone. My grandpa has a blood cancer and he was told a year ago he had about 6 months to go. He's also a diabetic. He's still going and he gets transfusions routinely. The doctors are surprised he's made it this long, but they have once again told him and my grandma (my parents were visiting so they were there too)to make preparations. He may be going soon, but he's not too concerned. He's says there's nothing he can do, so why worry about it. Of course, my mom and grandma are freaking a little.
ReplyDeleteRobert, Theresa, Auntliddy
ReplyDeleteSorry you lost your Moms to cancer.
My friend was diagnosed with breast cancer that metastasized to her liver and was given 6 to 9 months. She opted for low-dose chemo to try to control it and buy more time. She bought herself five extra years. She had a couple of episodes where it was rough and she ended up in the hospital for a couple of weeks due to secondary infections, but overall, it wasn't too bad. She was active and lived her life. It was only the last six weeks where she slowed down considerably.
Depending on the cancer, and the types of chemo, I would consider the same option to extend my life. They tried a few different chemo treatments until they found one that she tolerated fairly well.