Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

ironsailor22 said:My mom isn't in pain anymore. She passed away yesterday morning.

Please accept my deepest condolences... let's just hope she's in a much better place now. :*

Hang in there...

Thank you all for the condolences.

ironsailor22 said:My mother isn't in pain anymore; she passed away yesterday morning.

Dear ironsailor22...

please accept my deepest condolences.
It is quite fascinating how we can view death through two different lenses—as both an end and a beginning. Some say that people only mourn death out of selfishness, because they grieve the loss of being able to see their loved one again, but I have always believed that humans, life, death, spirits... everything that exists is simply a form of circulating energy. It’s an energy that is revitalized by every gesture you make that she taught you, every memory you bring back to life by remembering, and every piece of advice she gave you that you chose to follow.

In other words, I truly believe that something as timeless and boundless as love cannot be severed by something as fleeting as the end of an earthly life.

I hope you find your way through this difficult situation and that you are surrounded by plenty of people who care for you. And if you feel like you are alone, please seek out support; you might be surprised by how many strangers are actually willing to offer love and compassion. There are still good people in this world, truly.

If you need anything at all, please reach out.

ironsailor22 said:My mother isn't in pain anymore; she passed away yesterday morning.

🙂 for her.

ironsailor22 said:My mom isn't in pain anymore. She passed away yesterday morning.

I'm so sorry, ironsailor22. My sincerest condolences.

ironsailor22 said:My mom isn't in pain anymore. She passed away yesterday morning.

I am so sorry. 😢My sincere condolences
🙂Hang in there.

Carol Chase31 said:Hi everyone
I tried looking up some info on Tarceva, which is how I ended up here. My dad has been on it for about 15 days now, and honestly, he was doing fantastic until two days ago. His appetite came back, his leg pain and cough stopped, and he was actually in good spirits—something we haven't seen since this whole ordeal started over a year ago.
But now, he’s developed this rash on his face, nose, and scalp, and it's really bothering him.
Over the last couple of days, the scabs have started drying out, but the itching has gotten so intense he can't even sleep. He took some Zaldiar, which helped stop the itching, but now he's dealing with nausea and can't eat anything; he just feels terrible.
To make matters worse, the doctor who is supposedly "always available" hasn't returned my calls in two days.
Does anyone have recommendations for dealing with the itching and nausea that don't involve starting entirely new medications? :-(
I would read more on my own, but I've already had to pay for two posts, and frankly, I'm at my wit's end.
Thanks.

Hi,
I'm reaching out for help again.
So, here's the situation:
Dad is still taking Tarceva and is generally doing better, except for this massive issue with the rash around his nose and on his head. It's spread so much through his hair that it's all matted together, and the scabs itch and hurt constantly.
At one pharmacy, they suggested just using Bepanthen ointment, but at another, they gave him a cream he'd used a while back. I remember him having nail fungus during his therapy and using the same shampoo then.
This cream dries out the new sores quickly, but the scabs remain and seem to be getting larger.
He had an exam ten days ago, and the doctor seemed happy with his results and how he was responding to the treatment, but he didn't suggest anything for this specific issue, which has unfortunately worsened in the meantime. So, if anyone has any advice or has gone through something similar, 😢 I would be so grateful.

Greetings. I am unsure if this is the most appropriate forum for such a topic, but I am aware that many individuals face significant health challenges due to cancer. Consequently, I wish to donate 26 units of Prosure nutritional shakes to those who find themselves paying out-of-pocket because their physician will not provide a prescription for them.

The drinks have an expiration date at the end of April and feature a vanilla flavor. Each serving is 240ml.

NOTE: I am NOT selling these drinks; I am truly giving them away to anyone who genuinely needs them.

You may reach me at:
555-012-211 Mario Puccini

P.S.
It is my sincere hope that these drinks go to someone who requires them but cannot afford the roughly $4 per unit price tag. I am located in New York City, so we can easily arrange a meeting somewhere in my vicinity.

Hey everyone!!!

I’m writing this from Boston, and honestly, it’s one of those gray, gloomy, endlessly depressing days. I wanted to reach out because my mom is really struggling right now; she was diagnosed with lung cancer about two years ago. I can still vividly remember that morning when she tried so hard to hide her pain while coming home from the doctor—the one who told her the cancer had come back after eight years. When I kept asking her how she was feeling that morning, she just didn't have the strength to answer, which was my first real sign that something was seriously wrong. A few days later, the reality finally hit us.

Not long after that, she started chemotherapy, and I think she went through as many as eight rounds in that first cycle alone. After all that intense treatment, the cancer actually receded quite a bit, but the chemo definitely left its mark on her body. She deals with constant tingling in her fingers and toes, and the loss of appetite combined with total exhaustion has been such an extra burden. Her doctors prescribed various medications, and I know she leaned heavily into alternative remedies during that time too. It was everything under the sun, from honey to medicinal mushrooms to some liquid supplement called Varian. After about four months of recovery, she seemed to be doing much better. But then, fluid started building up in her lungs and around her liver. The doctors sent her back for more chemo, but this time they tried oral pills that were supposed to be easier on her while being just as effective. That didn't work, so she had to undergo another six rounds of traditional chemo. Can you even imagine what fourteen rounds of chemo does to a person? And even though the test results show improvement—meaning the cancer is receding and the fluid is clearing—her actual physical condition has just plummeted. I don't mean the cancer is spreading, because it really has backed off significantly, but physically, she’s in the worst shape of her life. The fluid constantly accumulating in her lungs makes it so hard for her to move or even breathe, and the activities she could handle after the first cycle are totally impossible now. Getting out of bed is a struggle, and it feels like she spends almost all her time lying down. Along with all these physical setbacks, depression set in, so today, it’s hard to get more than a word out of her. She’s on antidepressants, but they make her feel nauseous. Talking to her yesterday, she told me she just doesn't see a way out. I've never seen her this pessimistic in my entire life. She mostly just eats to survive, trying her best because this whole ordeal has just gone on for so long. When I think about the fact that she beat breast cancer ten years ago, I'm just in awe of her strength. To make matters worse, after that second round of six chemos, fluid started building up around her heart too. The cardiologist says that's a huge reason why she's feeling so terrible. Even though she isn't undergoing active chemo at this exact moment, she just keeps getting worse.

What I really wanted to ask you all is, if anyone knows which antidepressants work best without causing even more issues when mixed with her other meds? I feel like this is so important, because if we can help her pull through this depression—even if it's just through medication—it might help her appetite return. She needs to eat more, and I just don't know how to make that happen. Before she got sick, she was about 143 pounds, but now she's down to under 110, or somewhere around there.
And of course, I'm wondering if anyone has advice on any alternative remedies or anything else that might help boost her immune system. I couldn't keep this shorter than it is, but if you have any advice at all, please let me know. I would be so grateful.

@Dana Brown68/">@@Dana Brown68

I’m pretty new here, and honestly, I’ve just been sitting here reading your post on this thread. I completely get where you're coming from... I really do.
My mom is also fighting lung cancer, and it’s spread quite a bit. Things just seem to be getting harder with her every single day...
All I can really suggest is looking into beta 1,3 Glucan for her immune system. Or maybe some raw propolis...
It might be worth a shot, it won't hurt. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you guys can beat this awful disease... 😉

Hey everyone... unfortunately, my family is dealing with this nightmare too. My dad was diagnosed with glioblastoma back in April of last year. He had surgery in May, followed by rounds of chemo and radiation. We just got the follow-up MRI results back. Here’s what it says: "Follow-up MRI compared to the scan from May 2010 shows improvement. Brain MRI via transverse, sagittal, and coronal sections using various imaging techniques shows the state following left frontoparietal osteoplastic craniotomy due to reduction of the glioblastoma mass. There is currently a visible hyperintense change measuring 23 mm in the left frontal area on the T2 image, which consists of somewhat inhomogeneous content and primarily corresponds to the postoperative zone. Malacia is present along with persistent perifocal edema and some mild, partial retractive changes to the frontal horn of the lateral ventricles, though these are significantly smaller than in the previous scan."
"There is evident mucosal edema in the maxillary sinuses, particularly on the right, as well as in individual cells of the ethmoid sinus and the sphenoid sinus..."
What do you all make of these results? What should we be bracing for next?

It’s been a while, so I guess I need to catch everyone up... My mom's history: In August 2010, they removed a colon tumor along with three affected lymph nodes, and once she recovered, she started chemotherapy.
A week after her second chemo cycle, she developed a fever that just wouldn't break, so she went back in for surgery to figure out what was going on. They found some inflammatory issues that were supposedly non-cancerous at the time. But while we were waiting for her to stabilize enough to resume treatment, things took a turn for the worse, leading to another surgery where they had to perform a colostomy to manage the unbearable pain during bowel movements and otherwise.
Things haven't improved since then; she underwent surgery again yesterday, and the biopsies show those old inflammatory spots have turned into tumors. According to her doctor, her intestines look like grains of rice, the tumor is spreading incredibly fast, and now we're left wondering if she'll even recover from this latest surgery enough to actually start treatment... They also removed a tumor near the bladder, and there's apparently one in the pelvis that isn't operable.
Does anyone have any advice?... 🤷
What should we do?

Hey everyone, hanging in there with you all on this tough subject... sadly, I lost my angel, my mom, just a week ago 😢 but I really want to wish you and your loved ones nothing but strength and luck as you fight through these heavy illnesses... I just wanted to reach out and say that if anyone could use them, I have 6 bottles of Ensure that I’m happy to give away for free, so just hit me up if they'd help, I'm over in Washington, D.C.... sending love and hang in there!

zlatice and Kate Morgan66, please accept my condolences😢

I actually sat down and wrote this massive, mile-long post, but I just can't bring myself to hit send on it here yet.
I'll probably be 😢

Anyway, hang in there, everyone.🙂

Kimberly Wright said:Lisa White54 and Kate Morgan66, I am sending you so much love right now.😢

I actually wrote this massive, novel-length post about everything, but honestly, I just can't bring myself to hit send yet.
I'll probably be back 😢

Anyway, hang in there, everyone.🙂

Thanks...
I wanted to post here too, but I just couldn't do it—it’s just too hard to wrap my head around the fact that my mom is dying.😢 ...

Kate Morgan66 said:Hello everyone on this difficult thread... unfortunately, I lost my angel, my mother, just a week ago 😢 but I want to wish you and your loved ones plenty of luck and strength while fighting these serious illnesses... I just wanted to offer, if anyone needs it, I have 6 bottles of Ensure that I am giving away for free, so please reach out if you need them, I am in Washington, D.C.... best wishes and hang in there!

I am also giving away Prosure drink, yet nobody responds... there are so many people dealing with malignant diseases, and yet no one reaches out...
It is as if I put a price tag on it... 😢

shadowwolf99 said:I’m over here trying to give away Prosure for free, and yet, total silence... you’d think with so many people battling serious illnesses, someone would reach out...
as if I were actually trying to charge for it or something... 😢

It's likely that the person who actually needs the Prosure just hasn't stumbled upon your post yet🙂
but someone will eventually turn up..

Kate Morgan66 said:thank you...
I actually intended to post something here sooner, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it, honestly; I haven't been able to wrap my head around the reality of watching my mom slip away 😢 ...

Oh, dear Kate..
I find myself stuck in this same impossible headspace, unable to accept that there's nothing more we can do for my mother, and that all the two of us can really do is sit here and wait for the end to come.
It makes me wonder what kind of advanced society we've actually built, when a person is left to suffer through such intense pain, essentially being left to languish indefinitely without relief? It’s just so difficult to process.

But... I really don't want to dwell on it here.

Anyone got any advice? 🤷
What should I even do?

My parents have basically decided they’re done fighting it... they aren't going through with chemo or radiation because they don't see a path to recovery—maybe they'll hang on for another few weeks or a month, but honestly, who knows at this point... 🙂
It's just been silence... no suggestions for some kind of miracle cure or anything else worth trying...

Robert Grant84 said:The parents have reached an agreement to stop the fight, deciding against any more chemo or radiation since there’s really no chance for a cure now—maybe they’ll hold on for a few weeks or perhaps a month, though even that feels uncertain... 🙂
There wasn't any advice offered regarding some kind of Hail Mary attempt that might actually work as a miracle.

It's such a heavy decision.
I'm truly sorry.