Posts by Kenneth Gonzalez7

Angela Wright said:From what I can gather, she was seeing her primary care doctor who just sent her home with some painkillers. That’s a massive oversight!
She’s an oncology patient dealing with a potential brain tumor that needs treatment. As long as curative medicine has anything left to offer, they’re going to keep her in the hospital under care. Right now, she isn't getting any actual therapy at all. In a situation like this, painkillers don't do much—what she really needs is Mannitol and Dexamethasone therapy. Honestly, anyone with a medical degree should know that.

Regarding the bolded part—maybe I misstated things, but she was at the hospital in Chicago seeing her doctors and oncologists... they gave her meds there and then just sent her home.....🤷

She’s got zero therapeutic options right now... damn... I guess we're all just waiting for a miracle or something!

Angela Wright said:If you ask me, this is exactly what’s going on here. I honestly can't stop thinking about this massive oversight her doctor made—it’s actually infuriating when you think about it. You expect these professionals to have everything under control, right? But no, sometimes they just completely miss the mark, and it leaves you feeling totally blindsided. It’s one of those situations where you just sit there wondering how someone with all that training could let something so crucial slip through the cracks. It really makes you question the whole system sometimes, doesn't it? Just... ugh. Look, the doctor knows perfectly well that she's an oncology patient—I mean, the latest scans clearly showed changes in the brain, and now those neurological symptoms are just impossible to ignore. It’s getting obvious. At this point, the doctor is actually required to send her in for an emergency neurological workup. Even if she's likely in the terminal phase of the disease... it doesn't change the protocol. Sending someone home with nothing but painkillers—honestly, it’s just unprofessional. It’s unethical, too. I mean, really? Just hand them some pills and show them the door? It’s a joke.When you're dealing with people at the end of their lives, the whole point is really just making sure they get some actual quality of life out of what's left—you know? It’s about dignity and comfort, and that means leaning into palliative oncology care. We're talking things like using Dexamethasone to keep that swelling under control, or maybe even palliative radiation if a tumor isn't something that can be surgically removed... we just want to slow things down and keep them comfortable. That's the goal.
Look, it’s pretty basic stuff—doctors are legally required to lay out exactly what's going on with a patient's health. They have to be upfront about their condition, Exactly how it is. And if the patient is unconscious or just... well, unable to process the news for whatever reason, that responsibility shifts. The doctors are supposed to pass all that information along to the family instead. It's just common sense, really, though I'm sure there's always some bureaucratic headache involved in getting it done right.

Thanks so much. Honestly, it’s clear you really know your stuff—I’m still just out here scratching my head, doing my own little deep dives and asking way too many questions... but I totally get where you're coming from. There are so many holes in this whole situation. And man, I couldn't agree more with that part in bold... like, seriously, why would they even let her come home? Is the goal to just let her pass away as fast as possible? Or are they expecting her to just trek to the hospital every single day begging for help, only for them to discharge her again? It’s just this endless, exhausting cycle. Makes no sense. 🤷
By the way, she was actually getting her treatment and doing all her chemo over at Mayo Clinic.

So, I’m heading over to see her tomorrow...

redridge13 said:I don't think they have to 🤷
when my mom got her diagnosis, the oncologist didn't mention anything about a 3-6 month prognosis—not that he would have said it if she hadn't asked him straight up—but he did tell us
unfortunately, he was right 😢

I feel so bad for redridge13....😢
I honestly don't know how much good comes from knowing—or how much damage is done when my friend finds out she only has a few months left... maybe even less... I mean, was it really necessary to tell her? Even if there isn't much hope left... it's still a lot to carry. She shouldn't have had to know like that. Unless she asked directly, which I highly doubt...
It's just a total nightmare, no matter how you look at it....

Kate Brooks2 said:Emily Edwards19... I am just so incredibly sorry things are taking such a turn for the worse. I honestly don't even have the right words or any advice to give—I'm just praying everything turns out okay and sending you the biggest hug. 😢

thanks so much!
I'm at a total loss too... just speechless...... about two weeks ago, she seemed so healthy and had so many plans lined up.... and then those test results came back........ a coma!

vividsailor7 said:She needs to get to an emergency neurology clinic right away. Intracranial pressure isn't the same thing as blood pressure.

So, she was over in Washington, D.C. seeing her doctor today, and from what I can gather, they just handed her some heavy-duty painkillers and sent her packing.
But then her cousin calls me up saying she can barely even talk, let alone see straight...
I'm heading over to be with her tomorrow....
I don't know... everything is just moving at lightning speed right now, it's overwhelming.😢

Does anyone know if there’s actually a rule for when patients are critically ill—like, when doctors know things are looking grim—do they HAVE to tell them directly, or does it just depend on the specific doctor? Like, could they have just told her mom instead, and let her decide whether or not to break the news to her?

Angela Wright said:😢
She needs to get to the ER—specifically neurology. I'm honestly terrified that those lesions might have spread to her brain. She needs an emergency CT scan right now, and if things have progressed, she’ll need anti-edema therapy... otherwise, that high intracranial pressure could literally send her into a coma.

What you wrote in bold is probably spot on😢
The tests actually showed there's "something" going on in her brain, and I'm scared it's nothing but bad news... I don't get why she didn't just head straight for an MRI or a CT instead of heading out to the coast... though, I guess I get it—being stuck at home or in bed all the time is exhausting, so maybe she just needed a change of scenery... plus, she'd been feeling totally fine lately, like, really good!!!

I found out this morning that she actually made it back home last night, but she isn't doing well. I haven't called her yet... I'm just scared... but I'll call her soon... I'll ask specifically about her blood pressure, since I don't even know what her baseline usually is..
If she even picks up at all😢 uhhhh

Thanks for the advice.... I'm going to check in with some of her closer relatives about what you told me.... I just really hope they rushed her to the ER the second they realized something was wrong!!
This is such a mess...😢

My friend is really going through it right now....😢
She actually cut her trip short and headed back home from the coast two days early because she’s dealing with these absolutely brutal headaches. She hasn't even stepped foot outside the house for a couple of days—honestly, the last time I tried calling her, she couldn't even pick up the phone, so I ended up having to talk to her mom instead... it was just awful. It feels like things just spiral out of control so fast for her once they start going downhill...😢

Kate Brooks2 said:It’s honestly a bummer that everyone keeps popping up here with nothing but bad news. But hey—there are some genuinely good people on this forum who actually show up when you need an answer.
We took my father-in-law in for bloodwork today, and man, the progress is wild. His white cell count went from a scary 0.6 up to 4.2 in just six days, and now, after seven days, he’s sitting at 9.8. Everyone—including the doctors—is pretty shocked by how fast he's bouncing back. 🙂)) He’s staying at the hospital today to start his second round of chemo. We’re just crossing our fingers and praying he stays this strong and doesn't hit a wall.

It is so great to hear some actual good news for once!!!
Just keep pushing forward... stay strong...🙂

Angela Wright said:There’s actually a whole field called palliative medicine. It’s meant for patients in the terminal stages—basically when curative medicine has run out of options—and it focuses on ensuring a decent quality of life without constant pain for as long as possible.

That said, if I’m being honest based on what I've seen, I’d suggest getting all the documentation translated and seeking a second opinion from one of those major global centers of excellence. Sadly, our doctors here aren't always up to speed on everything, and they just don't have the budget or the setup to pull off certain protocols that are already standard practice elsewhere. For instance, Fighter's husband had this incredibly rare type of sarcoma, and once they hit a wall with local treatments, she reached out to the Dan Farber institute in the USA for a second opinion. They actually came back with six different potential paths, including the possibility of joining a clinical trial. They didn't end up making it into the study, unfortunately, but hey—it shows that there’s always at least some kind of option out there if you look.

Thanks so much!!!... I'm going to do a little digging into that...
Right now, I'm just waiting to see my friend, hear how the consultation goes, and find out what the MRI turns up... just waiting! Ugh.

Kate Brooks2 said:Emily Edwards19, I am seriously so sorry... I just sent you a private message. Don't let this get to you too much!

thanks... I'll hit you up via PM...

vividsailor7 said:They might continue treatment—it’s definitely possible. The main thing is just not to lose hope. If you find out anything new about the situation or if things aren't making sense, please feel free to ask, and I'll try my best to explain what I can.

thanks.
My friend is actually away at the beach for a week right now, so once she gets back, I'll see her and hopefully we'll have more clarity. Honestly, until the specialist board meets and the MRI results are in, we're basically flying blind... maybe they really will keep going with treatment, but... I asked her about it just yesterday, and she was like, "What's the point?"—apparently, even the doctors told her the same thing, that the illness is incurable... there's no cure...

It just confuses me—if they aren't going to treat it because it won't help, then why just sit at home and wait...😢
how am I supposed to help in those tiny little increments?😢

vividsailor7 said:Her doctors are the ones who know—we just have to wait for the tumor board review and the MRI results before we get any clearer answers. Honestly, I can't give you specific answers right now because, well, first, there's just way too little info. Second, I don't have a definitive diagnosis yet. And third—and this is important—I'm an internist, not an oncologist. As for whether there's hope or ways to extend those months... I just don't know. Not yet.

Thanks anyway.
Yeah, we really just have to sit tight for the specialists and the MRI... maybe they'll adjust the treatment plan after that...🤷

Elizabeth Perez33 thanks😢 so much.

Hey everyone.
My friend is dying from bone cancer. 😢
She’s only 30.
She spent two or three years battling thrombosis, and then this past January, she ended up being hospitalized.
She was stuck in the hospital for four months. The diagnosis—bone cancer. They didn't even perform a single surgery while she was there.
She’s coming home in month five to start chemo. She finished her sixth dose at the end of August—so, right about now—and just got her test results back. They're bad.
It spread to her lungs, and there’s some stuff on her brain too (she’s going in for an MRI because of that)....
She sought out three different opinions. They all told her the same thing: it’s terminal, get ready, the chemo isn't working, you’ve only got a few months left... 😲 That’s basically what she told me yesterday.

I just don't get it... what now? Where do we go from here? What do we even do? I asked if this means no more chemo, or what, but she doesn't even know herself... she's still waiting on the medical board review and the MRI results....

"You have a few months left." ...HOW MANY?? That could be two, five, seven, or nine... that's not a small difference!!!

Is there any hope? Any way to extend those months...? 🙂

Man, people... what is even happening? Honestly, nothing surprises me anymore. I just don't get it, but hey—everyone’s got their own reasons, I guess...
If you're happy living your life without kids, then why on earth would you feel pressured to have them?