Posts by Casey Booth3

wiredotter75 said:thanks a million.........
I'm moving on after the initial juice
moving forward.....got some options lined up.........

Hey wiredotter75—so sorry to hear things have taken a turn for the worse! Hang in there, man. We're all fighting our own battles, but don't lose heart—there's always hope, you know that better than anyone, especially seeing how hard you've been pushing. We're all rooting for you here. Maybe our advice sounds a bit goofy sometimes, but honestly, everyone just wants to help those who are struggling. I really hope you get accepted into a top-tier clinic where they can actually make progress with your treatment! We're thinking of you—keep fighting that fight with everything you've got! Best,

quietskipper27 said:Hey everyone—I’ve been lurking here for a while now, reading through all your stories, and honestly? I’m just blown away by everything you guys are going through and how hard you’re fighting against it all. A huge shoutout to Angela Wright for putting in so much work and giving so much of her own time to help people who feel like they're drowning in their own struggles. Seriously, thank you!

I’m right there with you—huge props to everyone stepping up to help those who are sick. That’s how it should be! Keep fighting—you’ve got everything to fight for!

feralridge3 said:this is 100% spot on. Take my aunt, for example—she complains constantly, gets help, but then goes right back to her old ways—playing the victim just so she can stay the protagonist in her own little tragedy.
since all this stuff weighs on me, I’ve had to create some distance because the negativity was just wrecking my headspace. Honestly, since getting sick, I've realized I have to be my own top priority. I'm fighting for myself the best way I know how—it's my life, after all. She’s got the right to make her own choices too, though. I found a method that works: every time she started the whole "poor me" routine, I'd basically just shut it down. Once she realized she couldn't play those games with me like she does with everyone else, the whining started happening way less often. Sounds harsh, I know, but like I said, I have to put myself first.

As for my brain tumor... yeah, it's gone. 🙂
I've had the checkups done, and the MRI looks good. Since it's been five years now, I'll just go in for once a year for follow-ups. This whole process used to drive me absolutely insane because I felt like I was spending half my life hanging around hospitals. Plus, I still need to deal with this annoying ear issue. I'm setting up an appointment with an ENT specialist in about ten days.

Looking back over these five years, I can honestly say this tumor and the fight for my life actually brought a lot of good things my way. I discovered parts of myself I didn't even know existed and realized some (I think pretty vital) truths about life. I'm still putting the "puzzle pieces" together in my head, but I finally feel—regardless of any psychiatric "depressive episodes"—that I'm moving in the right direction. I've realized just how much your mindset affects your quality of life, and how important it is to get your conscious and subconscious thoughts in sync. When I look back at who I used to be, I'm not even surprised that things turned out the way they did. ☕

And it really is true what they say—help yourself first, and then God will help you.
One more thing... it's such a shame how rare it is to find doctors who actually give you support, even if it's just through a few kind words. During the toughest moments, I often thought back to what my former oncologist (who's retired now) told me. When I asked him what the prognosis looked like for my type of tumor, he just looked at me and said, "You're a fighter. You're going to make it."
I'll never forget that. I only wish I could have seen him one more time before he retired just to say thank you for those words. That happened during my second round of chemo when I was still scrambling to scrape together the money for Temodal. Seriously, a few words mean everything when they're spoken sincerely and at exactly the right time. 🙂

It breaks my heart that this thread is so heavy and somber, but I truly admire you, Angela Wright, for your persistence and your desire to help others through this. 🙏 🙏 🙏

This is the most beautiful thing I've read! When someone pops up and says "YOU'RE HEALTHY! Bravo!"—it means everything. Wishing you nothing but luck and health in your life!

wiredotter75 said:So, here I am after 56 rounds of chemo... spent 48 hours straight hooked up to the pump, haha. Got home Friday, and now I'm just trying to detox and recover bit by bit. Naturally, my markers jumped from 6 to 8.46—that's nearly a 45% spike. Personally? I think the disease is progressing again, but of course, the doctor (who won't admit a thing until he sees the CT scan) is totally denying it. We'll see soon enough. If things are looking bad, I'll try a second line of chemo, and then it's either some clinical trial or just heading home to meet God... hahaha
What a life, right!?? But hey, we keep moving
NO SURRENDERING!

Hey wiredotter75—stay strong, don't give up! Have you looked into the Baking Soda treatment? You can find stuff about it on Google. I know, I know, it sounds totally ridiculous after all that intense chemo you've been through, but maybe it’s worth a shot—especially with those digestive issues you're having (it actually helps my husband with his stomach ulcers). I'm rooting for you to get better. There are no set rules here; we're all individuals. For some, treatment is a marathon, for others, a sprint—just stay brave!!

wiredotter75 said:Hey Angela Wright, hang in there!!!🙂

Hey everyone, stay STRONG—keep fighting. I’m rooting for all of you and wishing nothing but the absolute best! Vedran ST, just hang in there—it’s tough, I know—but you've gotta push through! Angela Wright, hold on just a little longer, do it for your little angel... I'm sending good vibes to everyone!!! God is with the brave and the persistent! Peace.

Anyone else running into this issue? Let's swap some notes so we can all figure this crap out together.

Charles Murphy6 said:Oh, please—any parent claiming they’ve never messed up is lying through their teeth. I certainly have, more than once, and what am I supposed to do about it? I apologize to my little girl and we talk it out. I’d love to tell you I’m perfect, but I’m clearly not.🙂
My ten-year-old has undergone this subtle shift lately. And by subtle, I mean she went from being this quiet, easygoing kid where I never had to repeat myself—like, "put your shoes away"—to someone who needs constant reminders. Now, she's become quite the orator, a real little advocate for her own rights. It's a massive change for me, even though she's still a good kid at heart; she’s just become much more aware of herself and her own identity. There are times when she isn't around and I'll tell my husband, "I am just exhausted from all the talking.🤣" God, the speed at which she can chatter! The second she drops her backpack—which, by the way, is now left wherever she happens to land rather than being put in her room—she starts unloading the entire saga of her school day. I sit there, listening and listening... then she starts critiquing her friends, and I'll step in to say, "Hey, take a breath," and give her some perspective on why certain things shouldn't be said or done. Basically, it's just an endless loop of conversation.
In her life, I have always been the "strict" parent. I am truly not exaggerating when I say I rarely feel the need to yell or hand out punishments. In fact, I think the worst thing I can do is stay silent; the moment I shut down, she notices immediately and insists we debate it.
It isn't easy, let me tell you. I'm currently navigating this phase of huge transitions (and she's only just starting!), and the real upheavals are still ahead of us.
Hopefully, they aren't too catastrophic.

This sounds exactly like my daughter. She went from being this quiet, straight-A student to a full-blown heavy metal fan overnight, and it just keeps going... And she's only 15! But hey, she's still killing it in school, so I deal with it! You have to be firm to a certain extent, otherwise they lose their compass—they start thinking they can just do whatever they want, and they're still kids! We love them regardless, but you have to know when to hold the line and not defend everything they do; they need to live a little, that's just part of growing up. Don't pile too much on them; it's just a phase, puberty doesn't last forever, and we all survived it. It's definitely tougher for parents going through a divorce because the kids get conflicting advice from every direction, but your daughter is old enough that she’ll figure out who is who in time. My parents split up when I was 10, and I saw exactly who was the better person all on my own. Keep your head up and gear up those nerves for the future wins—together with your kids!

Brenda Booth5 said:Well, there's us.
In the meantime, we've already hit those first major milestones—serious relationships, all their little arguments, and plenty of tears.
Ugh, it's all moving just a bit too fast for me!
I'm getting old, truly getting old...

Tell me about it! My girl actually went on her first date the other day, and she's only an eighth grader. She calls him a "friend"—yeah, right, as if! After they hung out, she was all smiles for the rest of the day, and I just sit here thinking—history is repeating itself—if it isn't now, when is it ever gonna happen? Yours is a bit older, right? Is she still that high-strung? Mine is... well, how long does this phase last, what do you think? I wasn't like that at that age—my parents were way too strict for any of that drama.

Alex Walker8 said:Does anyone know where I can find some kind of vaccine against teenage rage?
Mine doesn't bite, per se...🙂🙂But then again, neither do I when he's around...

I’m just sitting here reading this and living it—honestly, we just need earplugs and a drink! It’s like they don't listen to a single word we say, totally like we're talking to a brick wall. And those specific days? LORD HELP US!! Everyone ends up being a victim in her wake!

Brenda Booth5 said:In our house, the boys' puberty was pretty quiet, but now—post-game, if you will—we're getting these retrospective critiques about what we did wrong, how we "messed up," and (!) specifically where we're failing with the girls' puberty right now. 😳

Point two: female puberty (age 15). It's a hurricane, a tornado, a total tsunami. We can't do anything right; we're terrible; she's snapping at us, biting our heads off. 🙂 and 🙂🧐
There is one silver lining, though. She still comes to us to recount her adventures. Of course, we know she filters them... she leaves out the parts that aren't suitable for our delicate parental ears, but I've developed my own sensors by now and I know how to fill in the blanks.
If you weigh the concept of a mother-in-law (the perennial villain on these forums) against a daughter in puberty, go ahead, take a guess at which one carries more weight.
But, I suppose we'll survive. Others have, too. 🧐

Oh my god, I am actually dying laughing! That comparison is absolutely gold! And honestly, it's spot on—my daughter is a carbon copy of yours. And that "we'll survive" part... yeah, right, if we can just make it through a few more years like this?! As if! I've still got two more boys waiting for me to deal with their version of this!!??

Brenda Booth5 said:What’s the actual issue you’re having with her, or what part are you struggling to handle?..

If I’m following you correctly, you’re just second-guessing whether to let her move in with you.
Honestly, you probably need to hash that out with her mom first, just so you don't end up in a massive mess later on..

Hey—is anyone else dealing with a teenager right now? My daughter was an absolute angel until yesterday, and then suddenly she turned into this total warrior who picks fights with everyone. Everything is negative to her—everything bugs her, from her brothers to her parents, any kind of authority. I’ve tried everything🙏from being super strict for a few days to totally backing off, but it always just loops back to the same old drama. It’s like talking to a brick wall—one minute we’re fine, the next she’s lashing out! God, how much longer does this last? Another year or two? I’m going to lose my mind! Any other moms out there stuck in this exact same situation? The only silver lining is that her grades haven't slipped—she's still a straight-A student through all this—but that doesn't make the attitude okay. If anyone is going through this too, please reach out!

Susan Diaz91 said:Look, I’m no MD, but

between preeclampsia
and HELLP syndrome

those are massive red flags for me to be asking for a C-section.
I don't know, Angela Wright—with my history of deep vein thrombosis, I lost my first baby at seven months. I don't play games when those kinds of diagnoses are on the table.

With your medical profile, by week 36, I’d already be begging them to let me deliver at week 38 and practically scheduling the surgeon myself.

You aren't exactly a kid, and your diagnoses aren't exactly "ideal" for pregnancy, so just think about it...

During my second pregnancy, I was delivered before reaching 38 weeks, and the third one too... over at Mayo Clinic, they wouldn't even dream of taking that risk with me.
Go to a decent hospital. That local community hospital might be great for kids, but they're a nightmare for moms... don't gamble with the life you're carrying plus your own life (you've got a living child at home who needs you). Don't just leave everything up to some hospital policy or some random, half-baked resident on duty during a night shift trying to force a vaginal birth.🙂

I’m with Larezg-oni on this—if you’ve already had a C-section and you're facing another high-risk pregnancy, you’re going in via C-section whether you like it or not. I didn't want it either, but when the doctors tell you it's necessary, you do it. Everything turned out fine, I had the epidural—and hey, look at me, I'm alive! You aren't the first person this has happened to. I know plenty of women who actually *demanded* a C-section, only to be told "no, you're delivering naturally," and that's exactly what happened! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy—hope everything goes smoothly—once you finally hold your little angel, YOU WILL FORGET ALL OF THIS!!!

Angela Wright said:I couldn't find an existing thread about this before starting a new one—so if there is one, please merge this.

So, like the title says, I’m looking to hear from women here who actually went through with sterilization.

I'm over 35 now, and after dealing with massive complications during my last pregnancy, I am just *done*—I don't want to shove any more hormones into my body, especially with my health concerns. So, I'm seriously weighing this option.
From what I've read, doctors here are pretty strict about it—apparently, you have to be over 35 and meet specific medical criteria to even get considered, which then goes to a review board and all that. Honestly, it caught me off guard... I mean, why is there so much more red tape for this than there is for an abortion?

I went through it myself—check my previous post on the board for the details. I had three C-sections total. The second one was because of gestational diabetes (which thankfully didn't happen again), and the third was due to preeclampsia. If you have more questions, just hit me up in a private message.

restlessfox7 said:Does anyone have any more info on tubal ligation? Has anyone actually done it? Any experiences to share?

So, I went through with a tubal ligation—after my third C-section. The doctors were pretty blunt about it, saying another pregnancy would be life-threatening for me. Basically, if the baby grows, there's a risk of the placenta attaching to the uterine wall and causing a rupture—which, yeah, can be fatal for the mom. Once they laid it out like that, I didn't really have a choice, especially since I wasn't planning on having more kids anyway. One side effect, though, was early menopause; I had the procedure at 36, and now, six years later, I'm already dealing with perimenopause. As far as the actual surgery goes, it doesn't hurt at all—it's done under anesthesia. They did mine right after my last delivery using an epidural, so you're fully aware of what's happening but feel zero pain. Don't worry, ladies—you'll just be numb from the belly button down for about half a day until the anesthesia wears off. Just a heads-up: most public hospitals won't do this unless there’s a serious medical necessity. If you just want it for birth control, you'll likely have to go to a private clinic. Hope that helps!

Amy Torres4 said:thank you all. It’s just so incredibly hard—there's this emptiness I can't even put into words... I know deep down that she's better off not suffering anymore, but the void she left behind is just massive. It feels like I'm stuck in some kind of fever dream, honestly, I can't tell if any of this is actually real or if I'm just dreaming it all up...😢

I am so incredibly sorry. I know exactly how much this hurts—even after six years, it hasn't gotten easy for me! Just try to hang in there and keep moving forward through life—as best as you possibly can.

Angela Wright said:Yeah, honestly, there are moments where it feels like we’re carrying way more weight than they are—like we’re staring down this massive wall of a problem, knowing we should be doing something about it, yet we just sit there paralyzed.
I think your grandpa basically figured out that if someone in the family had to catch this thing, he’d much rather it be him than you.
Sometimes I wish I could just take my mom's illness onto myself—just swap places so she wouldn't have to suffer—but she'd probably find it even harder. She always tells me that even though she's still relatively young, she's lived a whole life, built a family, raised me... she says she couldn't be prouder of the person I've become; then again, I’ve got my entire life ahead of me.

Don't sweat it—your grandpa’s hair will grow back, and it’ll probably be thicker than it ever was.👍
And hey, even if it doesn't come back and he stays bald, as long as he's healthy and looking sharp, who cares?

Hey—reaching out because I've been exactly where you are right now. I feel you. You look at your mom, you want to fix everything, you're breaking inside... but that's just how God works sometimes. You've gotta stay positive—especially when you're standing right in front of them.

melloworca6 said:Look, I get that it’s normal—that’s literally what I'm trying to explain here. 😁 And honestly, it’s not even always right under the skin; it really just depends on where your veins are sitting. Like, with my arms, the veins are way deeper, so they can really only draw blood from one specific vein on each arm because those are the ones you can actually see (I mean, they *could* use the others, but I'm not letting them poke and prod all over my arms—I tell them, "just use this one" 🤣). But these ones on my chest? They're much closer to the surface, so yeah, obviously they're more visible.

Where on earth did you dig up these mushrooms? 🤣 Just because I’m posting in a thread doesn't mean I'm currently suffering from whatever we're talking about. 😛 Besides, people swear by St. John's Wort for basically everything, from early morning onwards... I'm sure it works, you probably just need to find some good organic stuff locally.

Sorry—I think I mixed you up with someone else, I was just trying to help. Anyway, making your own St. John's Wort oil is pretty easy: grab a liter of olive oil and about 20 grams of the herb—let it sit in intense sunlight for a month, give it a shake every now and then, and once it turns red, you're good to go! I jump into all sorts of different threads too.

steelangler88 said:Look, I’ve got absolutely nothing. Seriously. I’ve dragged myself to like five or six different gynecologists all for the exact same issue—I'm talking everything from my regular doctor to the lady on call at the ER, plus some private specialists too. And they all came up totally empty-handed. That’s just how this works, I guess. Nothing. Not on an ultrasound, not on a Pap smear... just zero.

So, this whole thing about Vitamin K has really got me thinking. Honestly, I’m a bit skeptical because my blood clotting seems fine—though who knows, maybe it could be even better? But here’s the kicker: I’m dealing with osteoporosis, some issues with my lungs, and my blood work always comes back looking like my liver and something else—I can't even remember what—are flagging, almost like I'm malnourished. Which is hilarious, because I am anything but underfed.😁 Is there actually a way to test if you’re running low on certain vitamins, or are we all just guessing based on how tired we feel?
I mean, seriously, what was I even thinking? Like, why would I go through all that trouble and get my entire hormone panel drawn just to stare at the results like they're some kind of cryptic puzzle... honestly, I don't know. Just one of those "what was I doing" moments, I guess.

Shoot me a DM about that issue you mentioned—let's hop into the private messages so we can actually talk this through properly!

melloworca6 said:Yeah, I see it too—sometimes more obvious than others. Like, if I hop out of a steaming hot shower, I can practically count every single vein on my chest because they all turn blue and pop out. 😁 It’s totally normal, though; your veins are just closer to the surface, so they show through easier. Some people get that look on their hands instead.

Ladies—it’s totally normal. Your skin is thinner, so everything shows through. melloworca6—did you ever try using St. John's Wort oil for those fungal issues? Seriously, it's a total GAME CHANGER!

steelangler88 said:really? where on earth did you get an idea like that?
for me, they ended up stopping the estrogen and now I'm on progesterone... and honestly, I'll probably be on it until the day I die🙄

and all my lab results are perfect—you wouldn't even believe it

God-knows what you guys have been through! Look, if you don't have some kind of cyst or a fibroid or whatever, you shouldn't be bleeding like this. Or maybe you're heading into perimenopause? It feels like even the doctors don't actually know what's going on, so they just keep feeding you those pills. Honestly, go see a specialist and get a second opinion so you can actually find out. For me, everything was fine, then nothing for three months, then suddenly one month it’s a total disaster—heavy bleeding. In the end, I had to go in for a D&C, and since then, things have been okay so far. I do have fibroids, though. My doctor told me that's why my flow is so heavy, but for me, it was basically a nonstop Always Night situation day and night.