Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Melissa Kim45 said:My mom fought such a long, hard battle. She’s a total winner in her own way, and like, a huge one too!

She passed away this morning. I guess... maybe she's in a better place now. 🤍

Thanks everyone, love you guys so much! Just keep fighting the good fight for us too, stay brave and give it your all!

I'll catch up with you guys later with more details!

Oh, Melissa Kim45... I am just so, so sorry. 🙂

velvetgull9 said:Oh Melissa Kim45... I am just so, so sorry. 🙂

Thanks, velvetgull9. You're sweet. 😘

I also wanted to mention that I’m right here reading everything you all post; my thoughts are basically with every single one of you (I actually typed out a bunch of names and then deleted them just so I wouldn't accidentally leave anyone out). Please, stay strong and hang in there. I know how heavy this all feels right now. It’s going to get better, and I am absolutely certain that you’re all going to navigate through this with incredible courage. 🙂

Well, we’re hanging in there somehow. His white blood cell count is sitting way below the threshold—we’ll see what the doctors say tomorrow, I guess. On the bright side, all the markers were within the normal range about two weeks ago.
If this happens to be the end of chemo, we'll have some Zofran left over.
I almost wish I could pass them along to someone else...

It seems like there's been quite a bit of news popping up lately...

Lisa White54,
I’ve really been pushing through all his mood swings and those strange outbursts over these last few months... Believe me, there were moments where I just wanted to crawl out of my own skin. It wasn't even about being selfish, per se—I was just so afraid that I wouldn't be able to give him the strength or support he needs...
Just stay brave, dear; we all have our rough patches and our better days...

My heart goes out to everyone who has had to say goodbye to their loved ones. I know how much it hurts... To me, they will always be eternal fighters...

Hi everyone!
I wanted to put together a bit of a master list of all the different drinks and supplements we were giving my dad; maybe it’ll help someone else who is currently searching for answers. I know exactly how it feels—I spent hours scouring the entire internet, buying up everything we could find🙂. I’m sure you guys have probably discussed most of this already, and honestly, I don't have the bandwidth to read through every single thread, but I hope this helps anyone just starting their search. So, he was taking noni juice, aloe vera, royal jelly, and even that Tibetan mushroom supplement... oh, and at first, he was on Ensure, but then we heard that Prosure might be better. It can be ordered via prescription, though you do have to pay a bit extra out of pocket$30. Hmm, when I started writing this, I thought I’d be listing maybe fifty different things; it really felt like there were more than that😁. On top of all that, he was drinking various teas and using all sorts of mouthwashes and sprays. I remember asking him once if he had whipped up some kind of homemade remedy (I can't quite recall which one) and he told me he just didn't have the time—even though he was home all day! We couldn't stop laughing about it🙂. Poor guy, he spent his whole day stirring, mixing, squeezing, and spraying stuff. Along with all those supplements, he actually went to see a bioenergy healer before his radiation treatments, but he ended up quitting because the sessions started feeling weirdly energetic, and he wasn't satisfied anyway since he thought he’d be fully healed after just three sessions🤷. But what he truly believes helped him most was his sessions with a soft-tissue specialist. He only saw him twice (we realized too late that he was based in Chicago), and the first time wasn't anything special; he just had some light energy work done around his neck and stomach. But the second day? Man, when the guy saw him, he seemed genuinely cheered up. He sat up a little longer, worked on his neck area again, gave him two big hugs, and waved his hands around like, "It's gone, buddy!"🤷 And he told me that on that specific day, he felt this strange sensation in the tumor, and then, for the first time in ages, the pain just vanished! For three weeks straight, he was pain-free. Before that, he had been on morphine for a long time, but it wasn't doing a thing, and I honestly thought the pain would kill him—then, one day, it was just gone, like it had been wiped away by hand. I have no idea what happened. Anyway, folks, I know some of you will say you've already tried all of this, but hey, you have to try everything. Something might work for someone, and you really have to believe it can help. One more thing—I let him watch that documentary "The Secret." I tend to lean toward that kind of stuff, and I noticed he changed too. He smiled much more often🙂. Also, what do you all think about thishttp://www.blog.hr/print/id/16230251...-raka-b17.html

Well, I’ve started reading through this whole thread from the very beginning, and of course, everything I’ve shared keeps coming up... The one thing I just can't wrap my head around is why some of you are so incredibly against bioenergy practitioners. Honestly, what you personally think will help someone else doesn't really matter, does it? We laid out every single option available to him, and the choice was entirely his to make. I even suggested he turn to God—and look, I'm not a religious person myself—but he is, and it would be pretty foolish of me to try and talk him out of his faith. He chose both prayer and his doctors. He leaned on his doctors because they were right there with him when he actually started recovering. If those doctors had been there at the absolute worst moment, maybe he wouldn't have done anything at all, and then we'd all be sitting here complaining that the doctors are useless or that bioenergy is a waste of time, which is exactly what we jumped to first. Personally, I still believe in bioenergy. We all carry that energy within us, we just don't always know how to tap into it... but then again, there are people who actually do. Of course, there's a huge crowd of charlatans out there too. That’s why we should just let people make their own decisions. What if someone truly believes in bioenergy more than anything else, and you spend all your time trying to talk them out of it? You might end up sinking their spirit entirely. In my opinion, he deserves the credit for the tumor disappearing because he found a massive, renewed will to live; it was obvious he wasn't ready to go just yet. Like I said at the start, he simply isn't done yet—he still has so much unfinished business to attend to.🙂

I just had this realization... my dad has always been such a skeptic when it comes to energy healers or anything pseudo-scientific, right? But he really went all in on this one, insisting it was something entirely different, something special... and honestly? It actually worked. He’s feeling better. And please, I’m asking you—don't say things to me or anyone else like, "That's great, just as long as the tumor doesn't come back." Seriously, those kinds of comments just drag everyone down into a dark place. Sending love to everyone, hang in there.🙂

My husband got hit hard almost four years ago. Bronchial and tracheal cancer. We're talking a tumor the size of a man's fist. He was choking on blood, coughing up bright red stuff... it all just happened out of nowhere. One minute everything is fine, the next he’s in a general hospital for ten days before they rush him to a Small town in the Midwest. He went through the whole gauntlet—chemo, radiation, you name it. It was brutal. But he took it on the chin and he won. For a while, we thought we actually did it. No sign of the tumor, he felt great, no issues at all. We overhauled our entire lifestyle, basically rebuilt our whole world around his recovery. I truly believed we had beaten cancer.
But man, was I wrong. It feels like being thrown right back to square one. For a few days, I was just... gone. Totally non-functional. Just this massive wave of disappointment, sadness, and pure rage hitting me all at once. But look, I'm back on my feet now. I'm ready to go to war again for tomorrow. I'm not backing down. We're waiting on the next round of treatment, and then it'll be home care. Once he's finally back home, things are going to get a lot easier.

Lisa White54 said:My husband fell ill almost four years ago. It was bronchus and trachea cancer. The tumor was the size of a man's fist. He was choking on blood. Spitting up fresh blood. It all just happened out of nowhere. Suddenly. After about ten days in a general hospital, he had an emergency transfer to a Small town in the Midwest. He went through chemo and radiation. It was incredibly hard on him. But he endured everything and he made it. Up until now, everything had been fine. There was no sign of the tumor. He was doing well. No issues at all. We changed our lifestyle habits and reorganized everything around his recovery. I truly believed we had beaten cancer.
But we haven't. This has sent me right back to square one. For a few days, I couldn't even pull myself together. Just this overwhelming wave of disappointment, sadness, and anger... But now, I'm finding my footing again, ready to fight for tomorrow once more. I’m not giving up. We are waiting to continue treatment, and then it will be home care. Once he’s back home, everything will be much easier for him.

Oh, Lisa White54, I really hope you didn't feel like I was calling you out—please forgive me if I did, I feel a bit silly now, but I truly didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to say that for me, it was easier to live happily believing the tumor was gone, rather than living in constant agony, fearing its return. I remember being so angry when the doctors told us straight away that Dad wasn't going to make it; it would have been easier for me to live on hope than to mourn him every single day... In the end, I pulled myself together and became convinced he would recover. Now, this might sound terrible, but my sister and I constantly lied to Dad about his condition, convincing him he was getting better. When he started radiation, we told him the tumor was shrinking, even though it wasn't. At first, he was confused, but eventually, he just rolled with it—maybe because he trusted our eyes more than his own, since he was always watching us. You could see how happy it made him, and how it gave him the strength to keep fighting. When we were forcing him to eat, we'd lie and tell him he was actually gaining weight just to get him to eat more. We even went overboard with those supplements, bringing them home and telling him that specific person or brand had been cured by them. Of course, since he felt so lost and was grasping at any lifeline, he accepted everything we said. Lisa White54, wouldn't it be easier for you if the doctor played along and said things were improving, even if you know deep down they aren't? I don't know, it just felt easier for me. I am so terribly sorry that you're going through this all over again; I can't even imagine it. But isn't it a little easier knowing that you managed to fix things once before? Why couldn't you do it a second time? You guys can do this—you've already proven it, and I have absolutely no doubt. Kick this thing out once and for all!🙂

wiredcrane32 said:Look, Lisa White54, I really hope you didn't feel targeted there. If I stepped on your toes, my bad—I feel like an idiot now, but I seriously didn't mean anything by it. I was just trying to say that for me, it’s way easier to just live being happy that the tumor is gone, rather than living in constant anxiety, freaking out that it’s coming back. Honestly, I was pissed when the doctors told us straight up that Dad wasn't going to make it, because living on hope felt better than mourning him every single day... eventually, I pulled myself together and convinced myself he’d pull through. This might sound totally messed up, but my sister and I constantly lied to him about how he was doing. We kept telling him he was recovering when he wasn't. When he started radiation, we swore up and down that the tumor was shrinking. He didn't get it at first, but eventually, he just rolled with it—maybe he thought we were seeing things better than he could since he's always watching us. You could see he was happy, and that gave him the strength to keep fighting. When we forced him to eat, we'd lie and say he was actually gaining weight just to get him to swallow more. We even went overboard with those supplements, bringing him stuff and claiming some specific person got cured just by taking it. Of course, since he was so lost and grasping at straws, he believed everything we said. Lisa White54, wouldn't it be easier for you if your doctor lied and said things were improving, even if you knew deep down they weren't? I don't know, it just felt easier for me. I am so incredibly sorry you're going through this all over again; I can't even imagine. But isn't it easier knowing you guys managed to fix him once before? Why couldn't you do it again? You guys can do this—you've already proven it, and I have zero doubt. Just kick this thing's ass once and for all!🙂

I totally get where you're coming from. You have to stay positive. Believe in miracles. They happen. No matter how brutal things feel right now, I believe we can pull it off again. When my husband first got sick, he wanted to know every single detail. I didn't hide anything; he was fully briefed and knew exactly what he was up against. Back then, he was mentally strong enough to handle the truth and think clearly. Now, things are different. I have to change my approach and fight this from a whole different angle.

Lisa White54 said:My husband fell ill nearly four years ago... carcinoma of the bronchus and trachea. A tumor roughly the size of a man's fist. He was choking on blood, coughing up fresh blood... it all happened so abruptly. One moment everything was fine, and the next, we were spending ten days in a general hospital before an emergency transfer to a Small town in the Midwest. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation, which proved to be an incredibly grueling ordeal. Yet, he endured it all and succeeded. For a while, everything seemed perfect; the tumor was gone, he felt well, and we had completely restructured our entire lifestyle around his recovery. I truly believed we had finally won the battle against cancer.
But, it turns out we hadn't. It feels as though I have been thrown back to square one... For a few days, I simply couldn't find my footing. There was this overwhelming wave of disappointment, sadness, and sheer anger... However, I am finding my strength again, prepared once more to fight for tomorrow. I refuse to surrender. We are currently waiting for the next phase of treatment, followed by home care. Once he is back home, things will surely become easier for him.

I am glad to see you standing tall again and ready to face whatever comes next. Anyone who hasn't walked this path cannot possibly understand how quickly a person can break, nor how much faster they can pull themselves back together... So, all I can do is thank you and urge you to stay brave. Hang in there...

Lisa White54 said:My husband fell ill nearly four years ago. It was bronchial and tracheal cancer—a tumor roughly the size of an adult man's hand. He was choking on blood, coughing up bright red streaks. It all happened so abruptly. One minute everything is fine, and the next, he’s in a general hospital for ten days before being rushed to a specialist facility in a Small town in the Midwest. He went through chemo and radiation, and frankly, it was brutal. But he endured it all and he won. Or so we thought. For a while, the scans were clear. There was no sign of the tumor. He was doing well. We completely overhauled our lifestyle and restructured our entire world around his recovery. I truly believed we had beaten cancer once and for all.
But we haven't. This setback feels like being thrown right back to square one. For a few days, I just couldn't pull myself together. It was this overwhelming wave of disappointment, grief, and pure fury. However, I am finding my footing again. I am ready to step back into the ring for what comes tomorrow. I am not throwing in the towel. We are waiting to start the next phase of treatment, followed by home care. Once he’s back home, things will feel much more manageable.

I am so glad to see you standing tall and ready to fight again!
If you stay strong, it will give him the courage he needs to do the same.
Sending you my very best wishes and strength!

slyseal28 said:I suggest you copy all your test results and send them over to our group so we can try to get a second opinion. You probably already mentioned this, but I completely forgot—where are you getting treated?

Thanks so much for the offer to help,,,you guys are truly amazing! My gastroenterologist recommended a PET CT, and I actually have the referral for MedPost in hand as of today... I'm hoping to get scheduled 👎tomorrow... and my oncologist is
actually based in a small town in the Midwest...but I really think it's time to find a different specialist in a bigger city🤷

BLAISE...
Please accept my sincere condolences regarding the irreplaceable loss of your mother. Stay strong; I know things feel heavy right now, but better days will eventually come.

First off, I want to wish everyone here nothing but success with their treatment—whether it’s for you or for your loved ones. I lost a relative to cancer pretty recently, so I get it. But honestly, there’s something else on my mind that prompted me to actually post today.
I’ve noticed a lot of skepticism here—almost an outright aversion—toward alternative therapies. I don't really get it. Some people here claim that nobody ever actually gets cured through those methods without traditional medicine. But how can you be so sure? I was reading this journal the other day (not trying to run an ad or anything) where plenty of people were sharing their stories. Even if we aren't talking about full cures, they're talking about stopping the progression. Even if only 5% of those stories are true, that's still a significant number.
In my opinion, most people just have a skewed perception of what "alternative" means. For instance, I was reading a news article about cancer treatments the other day, and they mentioned a specific lung cancer drug that leads to a total cure in about 5% of patients. It stops growth in 20%, and for a huge chunk of people, it doesn't work at all. That just proves that every patient deals with their own unique version of cancer, and every body reacts differently. Should the people for whom that drug fails say the whole thing is useless and a waste of money? Of course not. It's the exact same logic with alternative options. It works for some, and it doesn't work for others—it comes down to the individual, their mindset, their willpower... there are a million variables. So, it feels a bit misplaced to say that anyone who manages to heal someone via alternative means must be some kind of celebrity or legend... it’s just that it works for some people and not others, just like "standard" medicine.

Look, I'm not some alternative medicine guru, and I'm not out here pitching products.

I truly want the best for everyone. My hope is that one day, none of us will need to visit this subforum anymore—in the best way possible.

Take care, everyone.

Lisa White54 said:It’s just a rough patch that will pass. Things will look better tomorrow. My husband goes through the same thing. There are good days and bad days. It isn't easy, but it passes. Don't lose heart.
My husband drank whey once a day to help cleanse his liver. It actually helped.
We got the CT results back. Thank God, nothing is happening. The tumor remains the exact same size (2 cm x 1.3 cm). It hasn't changed in three years. No metastasis. The abdomen looks fine.
Heart X-ray was clear.
Thank God.

Lisa White54, please tell us what happened so dramatically. You mentioned your husband's results were fine back on August 25th, so how did he end up suddenly being rushed to a Small town in the Midwest? Did he have sudden coughing fits, a fever, or anything like that? With my husband, the CT shows the tumor is still the same size and in the same spot as last week; everything else is okay, except for this increased coughing. I'm not sure if it's some virus or a cold exacerbated by the underlying illness. Have you dealt with anything similar?

silentfalcon52 said:First, I would like to wish everyone here successful treatment, whether it be for yourselves or your loved ones... I lost a relative quite recently to cancer. However, it is due to a different matter altogether that I have decided to write this post.
I have noticed a certain level of skepticism here, almost an aversion toward alternative therapies. I don't quite understand the reasoning behind it. Some people claim that no one has ever been cured through such means without the intervention of conventional medicine. How can one be so certain? I was reading a journal on the subject recently—not attempting to promote anything, mind you—where many individuals share their testimonies regarding such experiences. Even if we aren't discussing total cures, there are accounts of halting progression. If even five percent of those stories hold water, that is still significant...
I believe most people suffer from a skewed perception regarding alternative treatments. For instance, I was reading the news the other day about various cancers, and they cited a specific lung cancer drug that results in a complete cure for only 5% of patients. In 20%, it halts growth and progression, while for a vast number, it provides no benefit at all. This serves as proof that every patient deals with a "unique" version of cancer and possesses a distinct biological makeup that reacts differently. Should those individuals for whom the drug fails declare the medication useless or a waste of money? Certainly not. The same logic applies to alternatives. It works for some and fails for others; it ultimately comes down to the individual, their willpower, their mindset... there are many variables involved. Therefore, it seems misplaced to suggest that anyone who heals someone through these methods must be seeking fame or fortune... it simply happens that for some, the alternative works, just as it might for "mainstream" medicine.

I am no proponent of alternative medicine, nor am I advertising any particular entity.

I wish everyone the very best, and I hope that one fine day, no one will need to visit this forum anymore... though hopefully in a positive sense.

Regards to all.

There are many paths to recovery, and it is categorically foolish to claim that certain methods are inherently bad or insufficiently reliable to be considered...

It truly does come down to the individual, as you mentioned, and depends upon their physical and, subsequently, their psychological strength in enduring the illness. Medical treatment is merely the third vital step in the struggle. There are certainly examples of people being cured via alternative methods, though it is impossible to treat all types of cancer in all stages identically. In our specific case, any alternative thought was dismissed in favor of medical science and its advancements. Thus far, we are satisfied and maintain our faith in medicine. Should all other options fail... we shall turn to other methods in the hope of salvation.

Of course, one should always remain positive, self-reflective, and continue reading various analyses to find the appropriate method. Today, I read on a website that daily acetaminophen consumption reduces ovarian tumors. Whether it is truth or fiction, I certainly won't be testing it on myself. Nonetheless, studies have been conducted, and they suggest it works...

Honestly, my heart goes out to everyone who has lost someone they held dear. Please, just try to stay strong—because, at the end of the day, that’s really all we have left to lean on. Sending my very best to you all.

Nancy Hernandez43 said:There isn't just one single path to getting better, and honestly, it’s just plain stupid to claim that any specific method isn't good enough or reliable enough to trust!

The whole thing really comes down to the individual, like you were saying—it’s about their physical grit and then that mental toughness required to actually stomach being sick. Medical treatment is just the third crucial pillar in that fight. I mean, sure, you hear stories about people beating the odds through alternative stuff, but you can't just apply a blanket solution to every type of cancer at every stage. In our situation, we shut down any alternative ideas right away and leaned hard into modern medicine and everything science has achieved. So far, we’re happy with how things are going and we put our faith in the doctors. But hey, if we ever hit a wall where there aren't any other options left... well, then we'll start looking into those other methods out of pure desperation to survive.

Of course, you always have to stay positive, keep digging, and read through different studies to find whatever works for you. Just today, I was scrolling through some site that claimed taking Tylenol every day could actually shrink ovarian tumors. Truth or total garbage? I'm certainly not testing that out on myself, but the "studies" they cited made it sound like it actually works!

If it helps, it helps. Personally, when it comes to my mom dealing with glioblastoma, we’re mixing alternative approaches with standard medical care, and so far, it’s doing the trick. Around here, people tend to look at anything non-traditional with this huge amount of skepticism, whereas in the US, most folks basically combine alternative stuff with conventional medicine as a totally normal thing. There are even studies showing people with glioblastoma being treated by ten different healers alongside their regular medical therapy, and the results can be pretty solid. My take? You really need to blend both worlds.

Nathan Barrett20 said:If it works, then it works... personally, when dealing with my own mother's glioblastoma, we find ourselves blending alternative approaches with conventional medicine, and so far, the results have been encouraging. There seems to be a certain level of skepticism regarding alternative methods here, whereas in the US, people generally combine both worlds without a second thought; it’s considered quite standard. In fact, there are studies where patients facing glioblastoma are treated by as many as ten different healers alongside their standard medical protocols, showing promising outcomes. My personal stance remains that a combination is necessary...

I am truly glad to hear it is working, and I sincerely hope the progress continues... I am always in favor of anything that might offer someone a bit of help....👍