Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Look, we all tend to spiral into this singular, heavy focus on cancer, completely overlooking the fact that benign growths actually exist 🙂 it could just be some sort of inflammation or a passing virus that’s messing with him and making it hard for him to eat.
The real key is simply making sure we don't ignore the symptoms.

Yeah, we'll see tomorrow
It sounds terrible, but I’m actually hoping it’s just some virus. If that jerk is back...
Ugh... 😢

I’ve had some bad experiences within my immediate circle involving stomach cancer. There’s no need to panic, but you should definitely go see a doctor.

So, I just found out that my grandfather has prostate cancer that's spread to his spine, though I actually heard from someone else in the family that it’s technically bone cancer now... He's 82, and honestly, even the morphine isn't touching the pain anymore.
He was always such an incredibly healthy, active guy regardless of how old he got, so this all happened so fast; he ended up in the hospital because his legs were hurting, and he just thought it was some old-age rheumatism or something... To be honest, he doesn't even fully realize what's going on yet, and now he's in a wheelchair because he can't walk at all.

I was wondering if anyone here knows more about this specific diagnosis. How long could he have actually been carrying this around without knowing, and what does "metastasized" actually mean in plain English??? Does a person usually pass away shortly after a diagnosis like this, or is it possible to live with it for a while longer?

You mentioned two different types of cancer... prostate and bone. It really depends on which one we're talking about.
Metastases are just malignant tumor cells that spread through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other organs and parts of the body, traveling from the primary site. If you do a quick Google search, you'll find plenty of info online.
Prognoses are highly individual... just like the course of treatment and the methods used.
I am truly sorry about your grandfather, but he really did live a long, full life—and that doesn't necessarily mean this is the end. For what it's worth... in older patients, cancer tends to progress more slowly.

hollowmarlin66 said:Well, you mentioned two different things there... prostate cancer and bone cancer. It really depends on which one it actually is.
Basically, metastases happen when those nasty tumor cells travel through the bloodstream or lymph nodes to hit other organs or parts of the body, usually spreading out from where the cancer first started. You should probably do a little Google search, since everything is out there online if you look...
Every prognosis is totally different too... just like how the treatment goes and what they decide to do...
I am so incredibly sorry about your grandfather, seriously, but honestly, he’s had such a wonderful life, and that doesn't mean this is the end... if it helps at all... cancer tends to move a bit slower in older folks...

Thanks for getting back to me,
I heard about my grandfather's illness from two different people, and it's confusing because one person said it's prostate cancer that spread to his spine, while the other person told me it's bone cancer. I honestly have no idea who is telling the truth since the whole family is keeping the actual diagnosis hidden from him. All I know is that he's in a wheelchair now and can't walk. He really did live a full life, but he always used to say he'd make it to a hundred... he has such an amazing will to live and just truly enjoys life. From what I gather, he isn't going to have surgery, and I don't even know what his treatment looks like besides the morphine he's getting.
I don't get why our family keeps the diagnosis a secret, because I actually found out from my cousin... I even found out that my other grandfather passed away from lung cancer, and they kept the diagnosis hidden from my grandmother and him, too...🤷

You really need to handle this within your family.
They might have been trying to spare you because of your age, but given the significant family medical history, it’s vital to know exactly what you're dealing with. It's ultimately for our own sake.

So, my mom passed away today. Even though I’ve never been much of a religious person—you know how I am—I really, truly hope her soul has found some peace.

stormynomad20 said:So, my mother passed away today. Even though I’ve never really been a believer, I find myself hoping her soul has finally found some peace.

I am so sorry for your loss.😢>

I've got two boxes sitting here—that's 8 packs total—of Molinea, along with some adult diapers in size Medium. I'd really love to pass these along to someone who could actually put them to good use! If you're interested, just shoot me a private message.

It looks like I’ve ended up posting in one of the tougher threads on here... We found out just last week that my mom has breast cancer. It’s honestly so hard to even type those words, let alone say them out loud. She’s turning 47 this summer.😢😢I was hoping to hear about any experiences you all might have with this, and if anyone knows anything about the hospital in Aviano, Italy that specializes in this kind of thing? I've heard they do amazing work there, though I also heard it can be pretty pricey. If anyone knows anything at all, please reach out. Thanks so much, and take care!🙂

There’s an entire thread dedicated to health topics right here, so I thought I'd share the link with you

Hi there,

Could anyone share some insights regarding Xelod 500mg tablets? I'd love to hear your thoughts on them.

I took a look—thanks for the tip! I was mostly wondering if anyone had the scoop on that specific hospital, though. Either way, thanks a bunch! 🙂

stormynomad20 said:So, my mother passed away today. Even though I’m not much of a believer, I hope her soul has found some peace.

My deepest condolences. Her struggles are over—may there be some comfort in knowing she is finally at rest.

Megan Taylor87, I just sent you a PM...

Hey everyone—quick question for the group. My dad has some significant blockage in one of his carotid arteries, and I'm trying to figure out what our options actually are. Does anyone here have experience with this or know what kind of steps can be taken to save the artery? Any insight would be appreciated.

Steven Lopez17 said:Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone knows what can be done for my dad? One of his carotid arteries is blocked, and I'm trying to figure out what the options are to save it. Does anyone have any insight?

They'll likely go with a stent at the site of the blockage, though from what I understand, doctors usually only recommend surgery if the blockage is at 70% or higher.🤷 So, if it's under that threshold and he isn't experiencing major issues, he might be able to avoid surgery altogether.

stormynomad20 said:So, my mom passed away today. Even though I’m not really a religious person, I just hope her soul found some peace somewhere.

Please accept my sincere condolences.

My mom just got home from the hospital because my grandmother ended up back there again. Both of them are pretty confused by how they explained the 😕 results, so I have a few questions. If anyone can make sense of this, I’d really appreciate the help. 🙂

If someone is diagnosed with metastases on both the right and left sides of the brain, causing swelling on one side, is it possible for the metastases on one side to recede or vanish while the other side remains thickened and shows no visible signs of metastasis?

Currently, all the scans—including the MRI—show absolutely no sign of tumors or metastases. Yet, the doctors are insisting it could still have been metastatic activity, even if nothing is showing up on the imaging now.