Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Angela Wright said:I'm hoping there's still enough left for the Gamma Knife. If it's even an option, I think that could really help her out down the road...

What's considered small enough for Gamma Knife? Are we talking under 1cm, or even less than that?

Kate James38 said:What's the cutoff size for Gamma Knife? Is it anything under 1cm?

superoirna said:Usually, Gamma Knife is used for lesions up to 3 mm, while Cyberknife handles up to 4 mm. In my husband's case, they actually passed on the Gamma radiation because his tumor was 3.8 cm. We opted for Cyberknife instead, and everything is looking good—the tumor has already shrunk down to 2.8 cm.

Reach out to her; her husband went abroad for the Cyberknife treatment.

Angela Wright said:I’m hoping there’s still enough left to try Gamma Knife. If it’s even an option, I think it could really help her out down the road.

It’s just not happening.....😢 they aren't going to attempt Gamma Knife—it's spread way too much now.......
the next step is heading over to the tumor institute...

Emily Edwards19 said:It’s just not an option.....😢 They aren't going to mess around with Gamma Knife; it's spread way too much already.......
The next step is heading straight to the tumor institute...

😢 If she had just gone in the moment she noticed those symptoms.

Emily Edwards19, I am truly sorry that you're stuck dealing with nothing but bad news day in and day out.😢
Everything is holding steady on our end for the moment, though the white blood cell counts aren't looking great. My husband and I actually handed over total control of his diet to his mother for about seven days, letting her decide what he ate, and she managed to knock them down to just two or three in that week. We've taken the reins back now, so we're hoping for an improvement. Every single time, we manage to coax those leukocyte levels back up, but then they plummet right after therapy, and it's just a constant cycle like that.

Angela Wright said:Give her a call; her husband actually went through with CyberKnife out abroad.

I'll do that, thanks... I just don't get why nobody thought to suggest that to my brother, especially since those other particles are under 0.5cm... hmm...

Also, what do you guys think about this article?

My brother's dealing with some weird symptoms lately.... at this point, I can't even tell what's normal and what isn't anymore...

Kate James38 said:I will, thanks... I just don't get why nobody suggested that to my brother, especially since the other particles are under 0.5cm... hmm...

And what's your take on this article?

My brother is dealing with some weird symptoms... at this point, I can't even tell what's normal and what isn't anymore.

It’s all about weighing the benefits against the side effects. Without radiation, you aren't extending life. These days, we have much more precise methods available, like proton therapy. Radiation remains the most effective tool we have in the fight against tumors.

Folks, I have to admit, I was a skeptic, but here we are. 😉
If you don't recall, back in May, I underwent a brain MRI, and the results suggested a recurrence was imminent. Because of that, they prescribed chemotherapy. Well, this past Friday, I went in for a follow-up scan, and my metabolite levels had stabilized—it’s all there in black and white: there is no sign of a recurrence.
Honestly, people, I am at a total loss for words trying to describe the pure euphoria I felt when they told me those malignant cells had retreated. 🙂🙂

bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

🙏🙏🙏: I don't pop in here nearly as much as I used to, and I write even less often, but when I see something like this, I just can't help myself... it's a brand new birthday and you've got to celebrate it right!🙂

feralridge3 said:Listen, everyone, I’ll be the first to admit I was skeptical, but here we are. 😉
If you don't recall, back in May, my brain MRI suggested a recurrence was imminent, which led to me being prescribed chemotherapy. Well, this past Friday, I went in for a follow-up scan, and the results show that my metabolite levels have stabilized—it's written in black and white right there on the report: there is absolutely no sign of a recurrence.
I honestly can't find the words to express the sheer, overwhelming relief I felt when they told me those malignant cells had retreated. 🙂🙂

That is absolutely incredible news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

feralridge3 said:Listen, folks, I was a skeptic myself, but here we are. 😉
If you don't recall, back in May I had a brain MRI, and the results suggested a recurrence was looming. They actually prescribed chemotherapy for me. Well, this past Friday, I paid for a new scan, and my metabolic markers have shifted—the imaging clearly shows there’s no sign of a recurrence.
Honestly, guys, I don't even have the words to describe the sheer relief of hearing those malignant cells have backed off. 🙂🙂

But did you even have them? Every random person out there thinks they can interpret medical scans😳. I guarantee you that if you sent those old images to a different doctor for a second opinion, you’d get a completely different reading.
I still vividly remember a presentation from a neurosurgeon at an oncology conference where he warned oncologists that radiation-damaged tissue often mimics tumor lesions, leading people to undergo unnecessary treatments.

Either way, this is fantastic news. Go enjoy your day. 🙂😍

No giving up now!!!
I went over to visit a friend today—show up and there she is, just sitting there watching TV and chatting away like she isn't even sick!!! She’s walking around, eating on her own, says the headaches have finally stopped... 🙂
But look, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows; she still has a massive uphill battle ahead of her.
It metastasized to the brain, and we're talking about a 4cm mass (is that how you measure it??) honestly, I don't even know, it doesn't matter, you guys get it—anyway, Gamma Knife isn't an option for her.
Starting next Monday, they’re going to try brain radiation over at the Mayo Clinic.

What I really want to know is this about that cyber knife technology. Where can you actually get that done abroad??? Maybe in Germany?
And can they even operate using it if the tumor is 4cm, or does it have to be under 4cm??

feralridge3 said:Honestly guys, I was such a skeptic, but here we are. 😉
If you don't recall, back in May I had a brain MRI, and the results were pointing straight toward a recurrence. They even prescribed chemotherapy for me. Well, this past Friday, I paid for another scan, and the metabolites have shifted—it’s right there in black and white: no sign of any recurrence on the horizon.
I honestly don't even have the words to describe the sheer relief I felt when they told me those malignant cells had backed off. 🙂🙂

Man, it feels so good to hear news like that... 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

So I’m scrolling through stuff online right now and reading that cyber UP TO 4cm is possible... but seriously, what the hell happens if the tumor is exactly 4cm, or even bigger? Like, what then???
What's the actual plan if that's the case—how do you get rid of it, shrink it, or just wipe it out entirely???

Has anyone here dealt with Ms. Kraljeta over in Chicago? Word is she’s got a ton of experience treating illnesses using various teas, creams, and compresses. We actually stumbled upon a lady who the doctors had basically given up on, but thanks to Ms. Kraljeta's remedies, she's doing way better. Her metastases have receded, and even the primary breast tumor—which the doctors wouldn't even touch with surgery—is responding.
I tried looking her up online, but I can't find a single thing. It's weird to me that someone with such massive success stories doesn't have any info available anywhere. I mean, is this some kind of...??🤷

I'm listening!!!

Angela Wright said:You never even had them; any random amateur can interpret these scans😳. I guarantee you that if you send old images to someone else for interpretation, you’ll get a completely different result.
I still vividly remember a presentation at an oncology conference where a neurosurgeon warned oncologists that radiation-induced tissue damage often mimics tumor lesions, leading people to undergo unnecessary treatments.

In any case, this is wonderful news. Enjoy your day. 🙂😍

My results weren't interpreted by some "random amateur"🙂
It's true—they can absolutely mess up and misread a tumor as scar tissue, which is exactly what happened to me during my first recurrence at the Mayo Clinic.
These last two MRIs were done in Chicago, and since the neurosurgeon who operated on me basically runs the family business there, I am certain there is no mistake.
By the way, just as a side note, they offer a discount on MRIs with spectroscopy; I only paid about two thousand dollars. 🙂

What's actually bothering me right now—aside from the fact that I have to buy all new clothes at least two sizes smaller than what I currently wear 😍—is the panic attacks and my vision.
The right side of my right eye looks distorted. In the last eight days, I've ended up in the ER twice due to temporary vision loss. The worst part is that they honestly don't know why it's happening; they assume it's nerve damage (since the tumor was near the optic center), and they tell me there isn't a single test available that could pinpoint the exact cause. 😢

Raymond Jackson38 said:Has anyone here actually dealt with Ms. Kraljeta over in the city? Word is she’s got a massive amount of experience treating illnesses using various teas, creams, and compresses. We actually crossed paths with a woman whose doctors had basically given up on her entirely, but thanks to Ms. Kraljeta's remedies, she's doing significantly better. Her metastases have receded, along with the primary breast tumor that the doctors wouldn't even touch with surgery.
I’ve been scouring the internet, but I’m coming up totally empty. It honestly baffles me how there isn't a single shred of information out there about someone who has achieved such incredibly positive results. Is it possible we're actually looking at...??🤷

I'm listening!!!

You’ll find much better info over on the alternative medicine forums. This specific topic is strictly off-limits here.

Emily Edwards19 said:We aren't backing down!
I dropped by a friend's place today, and honestly, it was surreal. I walk in and there she is, just sitting there watching TV and chatting away like she isn't even sick! She’s walking around, eating on her own, and says the headaches have completely vanished. It's like looking at a different person.🙂
It’s just not all sunshine and rainbows, and she still has a massive uphill battle ahead of her.
It spread to the brain. It’s about 4cm—well, maybe that's centimeters? Honestly, who cares. You all know how this works; you don't just go in for Gamma Knife in a situation like this.
Starting next Monday, they’re going to try brain scans on the rib.

Now I'm really curious about that one. I can't make sense of that. What are you trying to say?So, where can you actually get this done abroad? Is Germany an option?
Can you actually go under the knife if the tumor is 4cm, or does it have to be smaller? DO Four centimeters? That's quite a significant size.

I sent you the link to that woman's post—the one whose husband went through the cyberknife procedure. Send her a private message; she’ll give you all the details. I'm pretty sure she wrote something about this a while back, but honestly, I can't remember which thread it was on.

It’s honestly better for my friend because she finally got that anti-edema therapy. It actually worked to bring down the intracranial pressure that was causing all those issues in the first place.

Angela Wright said:You’d probably get more answers over on that alternative medicine forum. They don't allow that kind of talk here.

I sent you the link to the post by that woman whose husband went through the cyberknife treatment. Just shoot her a private message—she'll give you all the details she has. I think she wrote about it somewhere else on the board a while back, though I can't quite remember which thread.

Honestly, it sounds like things are looking up for my friend since she started that anti-edema therapy; it really helped take the pressure off her head, which was causing all that misery.

Yeah, thanks so much. I've already gone through everything—read all her posts, even printed them out... I'll bring them over to my friend so she can take a look.

Hey everyone! Here I am again, back with more updates and more headaches. We actually managed to get his white blood cell count up from 2.6 to 7.2 by this third cycle, which was a massive relief for us. But then today, they ran an EKG and told us his heart rate was racing, and they couldn't even pinpoint why. They handed him some pill to steady things out and pushed ahead with the treatment anyway... honestly, none of this makes any sense to me right now.