Hey there, fellow warriors!!!! Well, here we are, entering our second year together—though I guess the story feels a little different for everyone this time around; some people are doing better, others are struggling more... As for me, my strength has totally bottomed out lately (running a fever of 103 for about ten days straight), so naturally, the chemo and the heart issues have taken a backseat for now, but hey, that’s just how it goes, I suppose.... The hardest part is having all these little ones running around the house while I can barely even open my mouth, though thank God my nose isn't stuffed up so at least I can still smell things.. :-)
I hope you all have a wonderful night tonight, and I really want to say—when midnight hits, please try to leave all the sadness and the ugly stuff behind in 2008. For the NEW 2009, I truly want your hearts to be filled with nothing but happiness and joy...
Hey there, you brave souls!!! Things are pretty much status quo on my end—which basically means I’m on my seventh day of Vepesid. I'm feeling a little wiped out and dealing with some nausea, though it isn't exactly a disaster or anything... I'm already getting excited for Christmas, even if I'm not exactly running around doing all the holiday prep. Honestly, I'm just as pumped as if I were in peak physical shape. I hope you guys are still holding steady and staying brave, too. I'm counting on us all to make the most of these coming days together, as much as life allows... Best, Din
Hey everyone!!🙂 So, much sooner than we actually expected, the doctor decided to scrap the 🤷 procedure... instead, he did an RFA—radiofrequency ablation—which is basically just a palliative move where they use ultrasound guidance to "cut off" the blood supply to the tumor mass until it turns into necrotic tissue. Honestly, I don't even know how to feel right now?!🤷 I finally got my results back, and they’ve decided I'm starting oral monotherapy—specifically Vivitrol capsules—and after two cycles, we're looking at complete control. Since I haven't really been in the mood for any pre-holiday cheer lately, I guess you could say I'm finally hitting that fifth stage... yuck, I'm already prepping cookie orders and all my girlfriends are ready to party :-), 🙂😍 I'm feeling pretty good, though—no major issues so far—so I'm hopeful the therapy will be smooth sailing. We're also planning a trip back to Germany for immunotherapy... so there is absolutely no way I'm letting this win.😁 Sending you all nothing but good vibes and smiles Vasa din 😉😉
So, here I am—bags are packed and I’m basically ready to go😁.... I head into the hospital tomorrow, and if everything goes according to plan, surgery is set for Monday. Honestly, since I’ve been through my fair share of this stuff in my life, I pretty much know what to expect.... So, I’m asking you all—please, please cross your fingers for me on Monday so everything goes smoothly... :-)
I’ll check back in once I’m home... until then, stay STRONG and don't you dare give up the fight.. Vasa🙂
Hey there, ladies!! I’m currently stuck in this phase of "tense anticipation" as Friday gets closer—honestly, my head is just spinning with every possible emotion right now... This damn flu is making me feel even more melancholic than usual, so I’ve basically been moping around and being a total drag to myself... 😕 I’ve decided that since Wednesday and Thursday are coming up, I’m going to enjoy some good company and a delicious meal, because those "jerks" (yeah, I’m talking about the hospital cooks😠🙂) are definitely going to try and force me back onto a strict diet again... though, not that I’m planning to follow their rules perfectly—I'll probably just sneak a few treats and hide them in my purse... 😍 I bet most of you are feeling a whole rollercoaster of emotions during these pre-holiday days too... BUT WE KEEP GOING, LADIES... WE HAVE TO We still have so much work left to do... I’ll check in again before I head off to the hospital... Best, Dan 👍
brightgardener8 said:Dear friends, Over these last 20 months spent on these forums, it’s honestly been so hard to read whenever you all lost someone close—I just get it, you know? I felt that pain because I knew I was heading toward the same thing eventually. My mom passed away yesterday. 🙂 She suffered for way too long, so—I don't know, maybe it's a little easier knowing she isn't hurting anymore. I really, truly hope she's somewhere better now.
Nothing is ever going to feel the same without her.
I'm wishing all of you so much strength while you fight through these hardest battles life throws at you.
Dear brightgardener8!! There aren't any words that can actually take away the ache of losing your mom, but I like to think our loved ones are angels now—just smiling and totally free from all that misery and pain.. My heart goes out to you. Grace Fowler
Hey there, everyone!!! So, here’s my current situation—I’ve got a hospital appointment set for December 12th. The surgeon is going to do their part as soon as possible, and then it’s straight into chemo. It really all depends on how I’m holding up overall—I mean, if my blood work looks decent and my kidneys are functioning okay, we’ll go with Gemzar via IV, but if things look rough, they might switch me to oral Vipide. Until then, I’m stuck on this mandatory vacation, and honestly? I’m bored out of my mind... (just reading, watching soap operas, you know how it is...)🙄 Now, look, being a woman, there is one thing I am never unsure about: communication. Which kind of makes me think maybe AT&T or Verizon should just give me some free stock considering the massive bills they send me every month! :-)😉 Anyway, I just wanted to say that you’re all in my thoughts. I’m crossing my fingers for all of you to stay strong, and hey, if life ever hits you hard and you feel like you're underwater, come hang out here—we'll try to help each other out as best we can.. Gosh, look at me rambling... :-))👍 Stay brave! Big hugs, Grace Fowler
Michael Hall6 said:Hey, I’m not even sure if I managed to get in touch with Grace Fowler—I’ve never been much of a computer person, honestly. I just wanted to say, please reach out to me because I really want to know how you're doing. I don't dare call you directly though, because I don't want to be a burden. And for those who don't know me, I'm also one of those people who, just like Grace, refuses to give up hope. Sending love to all the brave women out there
I'M STILL HERE AND I'M STILL FIGHTING—I AM NOT BACKING DOWN!!!!👍
Hey Zez!!! I just really want to say—I hope you can find some strength within yourself and through all the love from your mom to help get you through these rough patches... Honestly, I think we all have way more grit in us than we realize. Grace Fowler
Hey there, Suborac crew!!! So, here I am, geared up and ready for the fight... again. Here's the deal: I’ve got an appointment this Monday with my abdominal surgeon. Even though the test results look pretty rough, he told me we still have some weapons left in the arsenal to fight this. He’s going to try—using electrocautery, which is basically a palliative approach—to shrink the tumor mass in my pelvis. From what I gathered, it’s like using an electric current to burn it down or something?! The idea is that it should hopefully ease up those pelvic symptoms. Once that's done, I was at the oncology board meeting today, and they said we’ll jump straight into chemo. The plan is either Veptis or maybe Gemzar, assuming my kidneys can handle it—there's some hope there since I had surgery last Friday to get a stent placed, which should help things move along better. Anyway, more doors are opening up. Despite all the grim forecasts from certain "experts," I see plenty of ways forward. Honestly, over the last ten months, people have tried to write me off more times than I can count—but hey, I’m still standing! :-) Ovarian cancer is a brutal beast, no doubt, but I swear to you, when you align the need to heal the body with the strength of the soul, things actually work. So, I’m keeping my fingers tightly crossed for EVERYONE. Never, ever, EVER give up.. Sending huge love to you all, Diana : five:
Hey there, my dear friends—and I say that sincerely because you truly are my friends... I'm checking in with the absolute worst news I’ve ever had to write on this forum. The PET scan results were pretty brutal. It showed a ton of positive lymph nodes—just a massive cluster, honestly, stretching from my neck all the way down to my pelvis. It's just... gross. Just awful. The biopsy on the lymph node in my neck confirmed what the scan showed: we're looking at adenocarcinoma. On the bright side—if you can even call it that—the procedure to place the port in my right kidney was a success, so there's a chance I can start systemic chemo to try and shut this thing down. If I sound a bit down, please don't take it personally, but my will to live is still HUGE and I am definitely not giving up. I'm heading to an oncology consultation in a few days to see what our next move is. PLEASE, MY FRIENDS, when you read this, don't just feel sorry for me—instead, cross your fingers and think, YOU CAN DO THIS, DIANA!!! Your support and all those positive vibes really mean the world to me. Sending big hugs to you all Diana!!
So, there’s a lot of news on my end—though none of it is exactly what anyone would call "good." I had my PET scan done and should get those results in a few days, but during my thyroid ultrasound, they spotted two enlarged lymph nodes. They actually biopsied them today, so now I'm just sitting here waiting on the results. And, because life loves to throw curveballs, I’ve started seeing blood in my urine again due to some microhematuria, so tomorrow I have to head in for a cystoscopy... I don't even know what to say. It feels like I'm getting hit with a mountain of information all at once, but I'm trying to stay relatively level-headed. I guess I'm just sticking to my motto... out of the frying pan and into the fire, right? Honestly, I swear to God, I don't even feel sick; I’m just feeling extra exhausted and sleepy, but I’ll probably just blame that on the weather. I really hope you guys are staying brave and hanging in there... Best, Dina
Olivia Miller said:So, I’m 33 years old now. Nine years ago, I was hit with ovarian cancer—malignant, obviously. Fast forward five years later, and here we are: the cancer has metastasized to my liver. Honestly? I’ve made my peace with it. My close friend keeps acting like this is just some minor setback—like I just caught a common cold instead of having to go through chemo all over again. It’s ridiculous, really. But look, ladies, I truly believe you just have to stay positive, and everything will work out okay.👍
Oh, BRAVO to you "cure" people!!! Seriously! That’s honestly the only way to really get through to someone—if you actually want to touch their soul...🙂
So, I finally got my PET scan scheduled for Tuesday—fingers crossed! 🙏 Buckle up and get your act together—it’s time to tighten those gripes and hold on for dear life! Best, Dini9🙂
Nancy Thomas18 said:Hey everyone... just got my test results back, all nicely packaged, and they're absolute garbage... intestinal inflammation, swollen lymph nodes in my abdomen, and some other crap on the ascending colon... I’m just sitting here wondering what the hell is going to happen next.
Oh honey, you are going to get through this—I am absolutely certain of it... 🙂 Just stay strong, we're right there with you!!!! Grace Fowler
feralranger3 said:Hey there! Does anyone here actually know anything about bladder cancer? I'm looking for some real info.
Hey there!!! Look, I really need you to give me a bit more info on what's actually going on here. Like, when exactly was the diagnosis made? Was there surgery involved? If so, what kind of procedure was it and how did they grade the thing? Once you get those details over to us, we'll actually be able to help you out with some real advice on what the next steps should look like—it’s hard to say anything useful without the facts. Just shoot me a DM whenever it's convenient for you. Grace Fowler
Hey there, fellow fighters!!! Just a quick update from my end... the head CT came back okay—meaning they’re saying there's nothing going on up there :-)... Now I'm just focusing all my energy on trying to manage the lungs—basically, just praying everything stays calm and doesn't progress for as long as possible. Srdacan, Dina
Hey there, fellow fighters It’s me—the lazy one, I guess!? What can I even tell you guys? I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels lately—or as they say, "going in circles." I've gone through a whole bunch of tests, and yet, we STILL don't know anything for certain!!! The one good thing is that about ten days ago I had a KS, and my marker dropped by almost 20 (it's at 113 now, compared to 130 last time). They tell me that's encouraging, because once things start climbing, the marker usually doesn't drop at all—it just keeps heading up. I haven't done the biopsy yet because my doctor is based in the States, but he'll be here next week, so we'll see how that goes....Anyway, I have this little issue and could really use some advice regarding MUSCLE?! For the past few days, I've been dealing with this absolutely brutal headache (forehead, temples, the back of my neck)—just nasty. My oncologist ordered a head CT, which I'm getting on October 27th, so we'll see what comes of that... The headaches are a bit lighter now, but they still pop up every now and then. If anyone has dealt with similar symptoms, please, let me know and give me some advice. Until then, warm regards, Dan P. S.
P.S. Just a quick response to the posts above... in my humble opinion, and based on my extensive time spent in hospitals, I truly believe that combining modern and alternative medicine is the best way to beat this disease or at least slow down its crazy pace...
wanderingtiger7!!! Awesome news—just gotta stay brave and keep pushing forward. Recovery is going to take some time, I guess, but things are definitely looking up!!!
Walter Roberts17 said:Look, everything is fine, but I’ve got a question. How do I deal with this—I beat cancer, right? Now I'm just at home trying to get my leg back to normal, but then the old man keeps dropping comments about how I should just put a bullet in my head because it'd be better if I wasn't here? And my hair hasn't even grown back yet.😂 I guess that's just the "humor" of this stupid life. Honestly, I don't even know why I bothered surviving. The illness? That's the least of my worries. What's actually killing me is where I'm supposed to recover. So—help me out if you can. Should I just end it all???🤣🙏☕
Oh, give me a break!!! There is absolutely nothing more important in this entire world than you and your life!!! FIRST and most importantly—you stopped that bastard, and bravo for that! Everything else is just nonsense that I am certain you'll handle without breaking a sweat. I'm sure you have some extended family or friends who'll step up to help you find a temporary place to stay while you figure out your next move. STAY STRONG, I'M WITH YOU 👍