Amanda Anderson87 said:My dad is fighting metastatic colon cancer, and his gastroenterologist told him he needs to stick to light stuff—you know, boiled foods, plain chicken, basically nothing heavy—especially since he’s also dealing with a colostomy bag. But then his oncologist goes and says the exact opposite, telling him he actually needs more substantial, nutrient-dense food because he needs all the strength he can get to handle the chemo. So, we decided to listen to the oncologist, because at the end of the day, isn't beating the cancer the main goal here? We aren't exactly serving him steak dinners every single night, but he does eat beef and veal quite regularly, just generally much heavier meals than before. I wouldn't say he's breezing through the chemotherapy, but out of a million possible side effects, he's mostly just exhausted, gets the occasional headache, and some stomach pain a few hours after treatment. He was incredibly weak before, and his blood pressure was dangerously low, but ever since he started eating more robustly, his blood pressure has finally stabilized.
I don't know, honestly, I really think if he had stuck to that bland "hospital food," things would have gone way worse. Eventually, even the gastroenterologist admitted that what we're doing is fine.
Thanks so much for getting back to me. I totally realize that everyone’s body reacts differently, but I really feel like you need to eat something a little more "substantial" to help boost those iron levels...
Ugh, here I am again, unfortunately...😢 My aunt just found out she’s battling colon cancer. She had surgery back in January, and the surgeon told us they managed to get everything that was affected, so then came the first round of chemo. Honestly, it’s been brutal—she took it so incredibly hard that her doctors actually mentioned they hadn't seen anyone react this poorly to treatment before; she nearly didn't make it through. We're talking fifteen days of nonstop diarrhea and high fevers... she ended up hospitalized, and she's been stuck there for a week now because the diarrhea just won't quit. On top of all that, she's super anemic. Does anyone here have any firsthand experience dealing with this disease? And there's one more thing that's really weighing on my mind... the doctors told her it's fine to eat meat, but I've been reading all these things online saying that you should avoid meat when you're fighting colon cancer. Thanks so much to everyone who can offer even a little bit of advice.
ruggedpuma47 said:Hey everyone. Sorry I've been MIA for a bit, I had some pleural effusion flare up so I've been struggling through that, but I'm hanging in there somehow 🙂 Whether you're fighting this yourselves or watching a loved one go through it, just hang tough, okay? Sending so much love to Angela Wright and I'm really hoping everything turns out okay for her. Kevin Bishop10, stay strong, you can do this. And wiredotter75, honestly, seeing how you handle things gives me so much strength, so thank you.
Sending big hugs to ruggedpuma47, hang in there! Angela Wright, sending you so much love and a huge kiss too—I'm praying everything goes perfectly for both of you. To everyone else here, I'm wishing you all so much courage to help you get through whatever life throws your way...
ruggedpuma47 said:Hey everyone! I've been away for a bit, just doing my thing... sending a special shout-out to Angela Wright and Amy Torres4🙂
hey mamajasna... honestly, seeing you pop up made my day 🙂 I haven't been around here in a while, so I totally missed that you had checked in. I see you're still being such a brave soul and staying positive as always... it really warms my heart to see that, so hang in there, sweetie... you've got this. :* big hugs
Nancy Lee said:I just absolutely loathe my dad's illness... Honestly, there are days where I'm so incredibly angry I feel like I could just scream my lungs out, just wailing for hours on end... and even then, it wouldn't be enough to get all this negativity out of my system... Ugh, I hate this disease so much, why does this even happen, what's the point of any of this???
I totally hear you... I've gone through every single one of those questions in my own head... There were times when I was so furious I’d actually start yelling at God, and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty to listen to because I’d be cursing Him out and just losing it completely. That happened back when my mom was sick. And honestly? I still find myself doing that today, even now that Mom is gone. He hasn't gotten back to me yet, but once he does, I'll definitely let you know...😉 ..........all jokes aside, I don't know... I guess this is just how it has to be...
nimblepanther14 said:Thanks everyone so much for all the support... I won't be needing to pick up any cake tomorrow, unfortunately...😢
She passed away tonight... in her sleep.
Goodbye, sis... I'll be looking out for my little girl and seeing how she holds up.
Gordon, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss... I haven't been around here for a little while, but please know I've been thinking about you and your sister... hang in there, okay? Take care of the little one... and don't forget to look after yourself too, too...🙂
nimblepanther14 said:I honestly don't even know how to process this anymore; it feels like cancer is just attacking from every single direction. Now, this might sound like I'm being flippant or making a joke, but I promise you, it really isn't. I'm sitting here wondering how much more I can actually take, even though I know I have to keep pushing through.
1. My sister is facing an incredibly bleak situation, which I laid out above. 2. My girlfriend's dad was suddenly rushed into surgery for a tumor in his bowel (and man, he barely made it out alive after fighting off sepsis). 3. And then there's me—I just got my kidney biopsy results back (literally an hour ago, typing this while grabbing a coffee and waiting to sit down with my primary care doctor). - A follicular tumor on my kidney - A Warthin tumor on my salivary gland I mean, what is even happening right now? Mine is hopefully (fingers crossed!) benign.
I'm just lost for words... I'm holding it together because I have no choice, but honestly, sometimes I just want to snap. If you know what I mean.
I am so sorry, Gordon... hang in there, truly, because what else is there to say? Just keep the faith... God will see you through to better days...
nimblepanther14 said:Over the last few years, ever since I moved out from living with my sister and my niece (her husband passed away a long time ago)... we've drifted apart quite a bit. I mean, we were never really on the same wavelength to begin with because we're just so different, but honestly, that doesn't even matter much now.. Even though I moved, I've been helping them out as much as I possibly can.. mostly financially. And the old folks have been dropping by all the time too... And now that she’s sick... I’m still trying to buy her everything she needs and make sure I'm over at their place more often. Luckily, there are plenty of people on our street who have lived there for decades and have known us since we were born, so someone always pops in for a visit.. in a way, the house feels livelier than it ever has before.. Now Mom has moved in temporarily too.. and thankfully, she has this incredible sense of stoicism deep down that helps her endure everything she has to go through..
.. man, I'm just rambling on here..
As for me, I've always found myself wondering about people who can just take everything so stoically... you really have to ask yourself, how long can they actually hold out? Will it all just pile up until they finally snap? I'm just not built that way—I've always worn my heart on my sleeve and could never hide how I was feeling...😢
Gerald Bishop said:Angela Wright and nimblepanther14, after two days of non-stop tears and being an absolute emotional wreck, my dad told me—and I’m mostly just paraphrasing here—not to bury him until he’s actually dead! And honestly? He’s got a point. It doesn't matter how much I try to tough it out, because that heavy, crushing pain in your chest where you feel like you can't even catch your breath, plus all those mental movies playing on loop in your head... none of that helps when you're alone. I’ve found a little recipe for survival: you spend five or six days acting strong, and then one afternoon, you find some friends who are actually down to just sit with you while you cry, laugh, grab a beer, or maybe smoke a cigarette—even if you aren't a smoker—or just wander around in the rain getting soaked to the bone... you just take those few hours to escape, vent everything out, and then you come back feeling steady and solid enough to hold it together for the next five days. Thank God I have a friend who just grabbed me, threw me in the car, and drove me out into nature with a cold beer 🙂 And seriously, thank you guys so much for responding to this post; it means the world to know someone is listening from the other side without trying to charge you a dime 😉 nimblepanther14, being angry at someone who is sick doesn't do any good; you're better off trying to make her laugh instead. I’m constantly trying to crack a joke to make my dad smile, and even if it only works once out of ten tries, that one single grin of his is worth more than all the money in the world. Plus, it makes things feel a little lighter for me, too. Just tell her funny stories about stuff you remember, talk about all the random, stupid daily nonsense, and just keep going until you see that tiny little smile break through—because in that moment, you'll both be far away from the problem and just happy
Hang in there, sweetie... and keep laughing with your dad; your smiles are basically his lifeline..
nimblepanther14 said:Of course I’m not showing any anger... honestly, half the time I don't even feel it... it's just that every once in a while, when I start thinking about everything that's happened, why it happened, and where the hell this is all heading...
She’s going to the hospital in Smalltown, USA... and that's what she wants. I really think it's the best move for her and her niece... But man, I can't help but fear that this might be the point of no return... 😢
nimblepanther14, I truly know how much this hurts... I lost my own mom not too long ago...😢 but reading your words, I can see just how much you've done for her, and believe me, she knows it—and if this really is that "point of no return" like you said... just try to remember that you're the one making that journey so much easier for her by being there... so, I'll be praying that God helps your sister... and please, just hang in there, fight through it, whatever you have to do... keep posting here whenever you need to let it out... there isn't some magic cure for this, you just have to take it one day at a time, however you can...😢 lp
Casey Booth3 said:I am just so incredibly sorry! I know how much this hurts, and honestly, even after six years, things still aren't easy for me either! Just hang in there and try to live your life as best as you possibly can!
Thank you so much... just taking it one day at a time... 😢
Thank you all so much. Honestly, it’s just so incredibly hard right now, like there’s this massive, indescribable void where she used to be... I know deep down that it was probably better for her not to have to struggle anymore, but man, I miss her, I miss her so much it hurts... It feels like I’m stuck in some kind of waking dream, and I can't even tell if any of this is actually happening or if I'm just dreaming it all up...😢
Honestly, I’m going through such a rough patch right now, like, these days have been just brutal... my mom is so weak, and she’s having such a hard time bouncing back from this pneumonia. She can't stop coughing, and she barely gets any sleep at night because of it... man, it’s just so hard, really hard... God, please, will You help us?.....🙂🙂
ruggedpuma47 said:I've been taking 500mg of beta-glucan for about two months now and honestly, I haven't had any issues at all. From what I can tell, everyone who's tried it seems pretty happy with the results... It's hard to imagine it doing any harm, right? But I bet Angela Wright might have more insight on this than I do.
Thanks so much, sweetie! So, I guess we're just hanging tight until our girl Angela Wright weighs in on this one. 😉 hugs
Hey everyone, has anyone here actually tried using beta-glucan to give their immune system a little boost? I'm seriously curious if it really makes a difference! Thanks!
shadowfox75 said:You can find certain herbal teas at most pharmacies, though honestly, you might have better luck asking specifically at a local health food store. I'm not trying to sell you anything here, but I'd definitely suggest looking into something like Hepatovit tea or those capsules made by Pfizer out of Pittsburgh. My late mother actually battled Hep C for years, which eventually led to cirrhosis, and we had nothing but positive experiences using that specific supplement during that whole struggle. Personally, I’ve been taking Hepatovit capsules myself because I was dealing with a fatty liver—I stuck with them for about two years and my liver completely recovered. Like, seriously, the fatty liver is totally gone now... Okay, maybe I'm drifting a little bit from the main point, but let's be real, when it comes to the liver, it's all connected, right? And obviously, I don't even need to tell you how massive a role diet plays in this, but I'm guessing your specialist hepatologist already put you on a strict meal plan.
Yeah, regarding the diet, she's on a strict regimen—no salt, no heavy spices, and so on—mostly because Mom is also dealing with ascites. But I wanted to ask, does that tea and those capsules actually help boost the immune system, or are they more focused on supporting liver function directly?
Hey everyone, I could really use some help here. Does anyone know what actually works when it comes to boosting the immune system for someone dealing with liver cirrhosis? I’ve heard people talk about drinking beet juice or carrot juice, but is there an actual supplement or something you can buy at a pharmacy that really helps? Thanks so much