Posts by Arthur Castillo

Angela Wright said:As President Reagan once famously put it: "My friends, we did it!"...

Sutent and Tarceva are being added to the Medicare formulary starting March 1st!🎉🙂🙂

Get treated, everyone!👍

Keep moving forward!

🙏 🙂Good luck to everyone!

The wedding expo is going to be held at the Convention Center

I spent some time today reading through all of Dina's posts, and it hit me—we both fell ill during the exact same year with the very same disease. If I had any kind of "luck" at all, it was that my metastases appeared in my liver, which has that ability to regenerate. My heart just aches for that woman, even though we never actually met. Sometimes, the panic starts to set in. Every single person I’ve ever known who battled cancer is gone now. But... because of Dina, because of her incredible optimism, and because of everyone we hold dear and love so much, w e h a v e t o f i n d t h e s t r e n g t h. We have to force a smile and keep moving forward with courage.

rapidfalcon13 said:dear friends of this forum

today our dear Dina9 passed away to join the angels 😢...I know this because she truly was an angel🙂. She closed her (in recent times) sad eyes and went to be with her father (that’s how she used to say it, that her dad was waiting for her, but that she still had the strength to live... until today)
.
I just have to write this.. 😢
my dear D... I am going to miss you so much—all your beautiful words, all your dreams, all that optimism you held onto amidst the sea of bad things surrounding you... it is hard, and my heart aches... I love you so much, truly...

😢 may the strength of your love live forever in the hearts of those closest to you...

slyjackal38 said:I just got off the phone with an oncologist in New York City—the same one we saw last year. Their take is that his previous doctor followed every protocol to the letter. It wasn't exactly reassuring, though, because she mentioned their hands are tied. They’ve basically given up on him. She also noted they aren't even certain if taking Nolvadex orally has any actual effect on melanoma.
It looks like our only real option now is to pivot and try something we haven't explored yet.
Has anyone here had any experience with aloe vera or noni? (Specifically looking for positive stories).

I used homemade aloe vera, not the store-bought stuff, about nine years ago and it really helped me. So yes, I have a positive opinion on it. It tastes terrible, but... it works. My diagnosis was Stage III B ovarian cancer with omental metastasis. And look, I'm still here. 😉Definitely give it a shot.

Zendaya, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss... please stay strong.

Well... everything looks perfect. All the tests came back clean, the check-ups are done, and I’ve finally had six months of peace. Heh. My oncologist actually looked at me and said, "Listen, kid, people come and go, but you? You've been sticking around us for nine years now." Honestly, everyone, just keep smiling 🙂 and have faith that things are going to get better. Because they will be 🙂

brightgardener8 said:Dear friends,
Over these past 20 months on this forum, it has been incredibly difficult to read about the passing of your loved ones because I truly felt your pain, knowing that I would eventually face the same thing.
My mother passed away yesterday. 🙂
She suffered for far too long, so in a way, I feel some relief that her struggle is finally over.
I sincerely hope she is in a better place now.

Nothing will ever be the same without her.

I wish you all strength as you navigate your own hardest battles in life.

My deepest condolences.🙂 At least she isn't suffering anymore. Hang in there...

Grace Fowler said:Greetings, my dear friends!!!
Things have finally settled on my end. I’m scheduled for a hospital admission on December 12th; the surgeon is going to handle their part of the procedure as quickly as possible, and once that's done, we move straight into chemo. The next steps really depend on how my vitals look—if my blood work comes back clean and my kidneys are functioning properly, we’ll proceed with Gemzar via IV. If the results aren't looking great, they'll switch me over to oral Vipide. Until then, I'm stuck on mandatory vacation, and I have to admit, I’m getting a little bored... just sitting here reading and catching up on soap operas.🙄
Look, since I’m a woman, there is one thing I never have to second-guess myself about: my communication skills. Honestly, at this point, I’m starting to think AT&T or Verizon should just hand me some free stock, considering how many bills they send my way. :-)😉
I just wanted to let you all know that you’re constantly in my thoughts. I am rooting for you with everything I've got—please stay brave. If things ever get too heavy and you feel like you're hitting a wall, please reach out. We'll be right here to lend a hand and help each other through it however we can. Sending a big hug to everyone.
Oops, I guess I went on a bit of a tangent there... :-))👍
Stay strong. Big hug, Grace Fowler

Good luck. 👍 Just stay true to yourself and don't change a thing. 🙂

Grace Fowler said:My dear friends—and I say that because you truly are—I’m reaching out to share what is, without question, the most devastating news I have ever had to post on this forum.
The PET scan results were pretty grim. It showed a massive amount of positive lymph nodes—just a solid line stretching from my neck all the way down to my pelvis. It’s honestly revolting to think about. The biopsy on the neck node confirmed what the scan suggested: we're looking at adenocarcinoma. On a more positive note, the placement of the stent in my right kidney went smoothly. Because that was successful, there's a real chance I can undergo systemic chemotherapy to try and shut this thing down. If I sound a little down, please don't take it personally; my will to live is still incredibly strong, and I have no intention of giving up. I’m heading to an oncology consultation in the next few days to figure out our next move.
Please, my friends, when you read this, don't let it get you down. Instead, just cross your fingers for me and think: YOU CAN DO THIS, DIANA!!!
Your support and positive thoughts truly mean a lot to me.
Sending you all a big hug.
Diana!

Hang in there, dear. We all know you've got this.👍

rapidseal49 said:@ everyone:

Everyone, thank you so much for all the support. Life just happens, I suppose. With the help of his faith, Peter passed away peacefully... even though he had been doing okay (relatively speaking), his heart just stopped beating.

I am truly heartbroken...🙂

quietpilot87 said:My mother passed away this morning.

Our whole family is just so grateful we had this much time with her—both for her sake and ours. It sounds strange to say, but in the middle of everything, we couldn't have asked for a better outcome.

I feel so lucky that I truly grasped how incredible she was and managed to tell her so while she was still able to hear me. She was the kind of soul who never had a single selfish thought or a moment of bitterness; she spent her entire life looking out for everyone else, especially Dad, my brother, and me, always making sure we were okay mentally.

Her heart was so big that it’s hard to even put into words without sounding cliché. During this difficult stretch, there were moments where I felt completely overwhelmed, and I just found myself leaning on her love and her strength.

Such a beautiful soul. Fly high... fly far. I love you.

I am so sorry. Please accept my deepest condolences.😢

I’d say that too if it weren't happening constantly; otherwise, I would 🙂suddenly, just like a snap,🤷 and then after half an hour, you'd act like nothing even happened. But for the last few days, it’s been 🙂

It looks like I have a few clones of my son running around here. Just give him a computer and he’s set—he won't even need food or sleep, let alone study. Honestly, I could just assign him his homework and he’ll actually get it done, though lately, he only bothers making his bed 🎉 when I threaten him with a timeout. He just looks at me and says, "Mom, you raised me this way." As for his father, who doesn't visit or even call, I don't blame him for anything. In fact, I don't even mention him. 🤷

Scott Howard74 said:Just take comfort in knowing we were once just as bad

I actually don't think we were ever quite like this. I would never even dream of saying the things my twelve-year-old repeats back to me. Everything is fine as long as things go his way, but if they don't... then it's pure chaos, hatred for everything in sight, and insults. He really knows how to aim right for the things he knows will hurt the most.🙂

urbanjackal3 said:I just couldn't help myself—I had to jump in and support this thread. Honestly, I even teared up reading this because it hits so close to home. My life feels like one continuous battle, but that’s just the reality I live in. Twice in ten years. First it was Hodgkin, and just recently, a soft tissue sarcoma. You eventually learn to make peace with it. There's no such thing as a break. The hardest part isn't my own pain, though; it's watching the people I love go through this with me.
Bravo, Angela Wright, and thank you for sharing those words!

I'm 33 years old. Nine years ago, I was diagnosed with malignant ovarian cancer. Now, five years later, there are metastases in my liver. I've come to terms with it. My godmother tells me it's like I just caught a common cold, rather than undergoing chemotherapy all over again. My dear friends, we just have to stay positive and everything will be okay.👍

Timothy Turner93 said:Could someone please recommend a good dentist in St. Louis who accepts Medicare? Does anyone know anything about Dr. Nadi Mihaljčić? Has anyone been to her new office? Thanks!

Haring Vukovarski at 16 is an excellent dentist. Honestly, if you're a woman, your jaw might just drop because the guy is so handsome. If you're a man, his wife has her own practice, and she's just as great.😉🙏,🙏