Posts by swiftgardener

New album alert!

http://www.nme.com/news/morrissey/81...es09dec-09-12-2014&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

Lisa Sullivan96 said:For anyone going through this, or if you have loved ones dealing with it, have you ever sought out psychological counseling or someone to talk to?
I know that overseas, there are hospitals that immediately send women after breast cancer surgery to speak with a counselor because losing that sense of femininity and everything that follows is so incredibly hard.

And obviously, for all other types of cancer, do you discuss these things with your family?

Sent from my iPhone using Reddit

Hm, sure, they have everything over there—it’s practically science fiction compared to our situation. In reality, you should just be happy if you actually get an appointment for surgery, radiation, or chemo within a somewhat reasonable timeframe. Psychological counseling? Forget it; that's entirely left to non-profits. Our oncologists aren't trained for it, nor do they have the time to deal with it. You just handle it however you can. An association based off Hirceva Street helped my family immensely during my mom's final days. "Sve za nju" is highly recommended if you're managing breast cancer, provided the patient is able to take advantage of everything they offer.

Lisa White54 said:Hey everyone... I have some great news!
The surgery is done! And my doctor told me that, by all accounts, it wasn't cancer.. 🙂 I'm just waiting on the pathology report to be 100% sure..

I am so happy...

Sending good vibes your way....
Honestly, the surgeon's word is what matters most right now; the lab results just confirm what they already saw.
Keep staying positive!

Hang in there and good luck to you both!

ruggedmarlin2 said:What do you all think about immunobran? My Mom’s immune system is basically non-existent right now; she’s dealing with inflammation and a low-grade fever. She’s on antibiotics at the moment, feeling pretty weak, and her chemotherapy protocol starts in just two weeks. She tried beta-glucan and native propolis, but honestly, things are just getting worse...

In cases like this, people usually go for heavy doses—like three packets a day. A box of 30 will run you about $100, and whether it actually works? Who knows. I used it more for prevention after my surgery, and I have to admit, it actually helped when I caught that last flu bug. At the end of the day, it's a personal choice. Beta-glucan is definitely the cheaper route.

I’m betting we’re about to see a "Jolie effect" hit. Just like when Kylie went under the knife and suddenly everyone started checking themselves, right? Honestly, it's about time.

Let’s be real: mammograms aren't exactly a silver bullet for smaller tumors or younger women. My own mammogram came back totally clear, yet an experienced specialist found a lump during my ultrasound that they managed to catch just in time. You need regular ultrasounds early on. As for MRIs? They usually won't even bother with you unless there's already a diagnosis on the table. There are no guarantees in this life, so I get why people opt for mastectomies. But do I see this becoming some standard preventive protocol in our hospitals? Not a chance. Our medical centers are already drowning in patients with active diagnoses—who actually has the bandwidth for surgical prevention?

Angela Wright said:The main thing is she keeps up her potassium so her electrolytes don't tank—that could turn ugly fast. As for the pleural tap? Honestly, that’s probably not the best move right now. Once you puncture the pleura, you risk creating more space for fluid to build up. It's better to wait as long as possible, and if it gets out of hand, they'll just go in with a drain.

She's taking potassium. When she was at the pulmonologist last week, they told her there wasn't enough fluid buildup to justify a tap. She hasn't slept well in a month, so she asked her primary care doctor for Tramadol and actually got it... she says it helps a tiny bit, but I'm worried about the side effects. Then again, I guess that's the least of our problems right now.

Angela Wright said:You really need to track her oxygen dosage—get a pulmonologist on the phone immediately! And please, whatever you do, don't just crank up the oxygen levels on your own. Make sure she’s using a saline spray (like Ocean) to keep her nasal passages moist, otherwise, the oxygen could actually burn her membranes. Is Mom taking Fursemid?

She’s been on Fursemid for about 10 days now. It’s leaving her mouth pretty dry, but she isn't losing too much fluid. Thanks for the tip about the saline spray...

Lisa Ross81 said:Hey everyone!

How do they actually spot lung metastases? Which scan is considered the "gold standard"? What should we be doing next?

Any advice would be appreciated!

My mom’s lung metastases, along with some in the mediastinum, were caught on a PET/CT last fall. She went through chemo, but honestly, it didn't do a thing. Now she's stuck using an oxygen concentrator and struggling to breathe. Even with the oxygen, she can barely lie down and hasn't seen any relief after a few days. A recent lung CT confirmed the disease is progressing.
The doctors at the pulmonary clinic told us she doesn't need hospitalization yet because there isn't much fluid in her lungs. I was wondering if Linda Baker51 could maybe shoot me a private message? I'd love to know how you managed to improve your mother's condition so significantly. All we hear here is that this is just how the disease works and there's nothing more to be done.

Lisa Ross81, I'm guessing the oncologist won't start chemo without absolute confirmation. During her last checkup here in the States, her markers were sitting around 90.

Linda Baker51 said:My heart goes out to everyone grieving. It’s devastating to lose this battle. My mom is still fighting, though. Her oncologist won't prescribe chemo because her heart is just too weak right now. A silver lining, I guess? But honestly, we've been stuck dealing with a massive issue caused by her mastectomy and lymph node removal. Her arm is swelling up. I know lymphedema is common after surgery, but the problem is that none of her doctors seem to care. Does anyone have advice on what we should do? She’s taking John Smith (among other things) to help with fluid retention since she was hospitalized for pulmonary edema. The swelling went down then, but now it’s back, and the arm is turning red. Her GP is basically ignoring us, so we're on our own. She hates taking the John Smith because it drops her blood pressure, but she has to take heart meds that raise it, so she's constantly feeling off. Last year, they prescribed some therapies in Small Town, USA, including arm massages, but they didn't really do much. Any ideas?

My mom’s situation was just as brutal because the metastases spread through her entire axilla and neck, making drainage from the arm incredibly difficult. After a certain round of therapy, her arm improved significantly, and whenever she hit that swelling and redness phase, she’d use cold compresses religiously.
Back when she was still somewhat mobile, she went to her scheduled treatments and even paid for private lymphatic drainage, but nothing worked. Every time she finished chemo, the swelling would subside, only to crawl right back a few days later. It’s happening again now—not quite as bad, but her operated breast is swollen. Unfortunately, as her mobility decreases, the drainage gets worse... when she could move, she exercised her arm regularly, but she just can't manage that anymore.
Wishing you all so much strength.

Kimberly Wright said:how tragic 😢

To put it simply, I’ve heard rumors about this new regulation. Is it true they plan to cut down on nursing home residents? Apparently, elder care is being shifted toward geriatric day centers and visiting nurses, while nursing homes are slowly being rebranded as Palliative Care centers?

Here’s the link to the initiative page—my apologies if this has already been posted somewhere:

http://www.ostaniuzmene.com/?p=854

Dr. Lončar’s take on the regulations. Are we ever going to see light at the end of this tunnel?
http://www.ostaniuzmene.com/?p=921

A quote from a presentation on that same site (from back in 2008):
"Palliative Care facilities exist in cities like Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Denver, and Phoenix."
http://www.ostaniuzmene.com/wp-conte...e-medicine.pdf
Another quote for you: In America, over 30,000 people need Palliative Care, yet only about 200 actually receive it. To make matters worse, family caregivers don't even get sick leave to look after their loved ones at home.

Angela Wright said:Tim missed the bigger picture.

Unfortunately, she isn't the first, last, or even the only one dealing with this kind of mess.
In the US, about 1.9 million people are diagnosed with cancer every single year. One in three Americans will face some form of malignancy at some point in their lives. It’s not some rare anomaly; it just doesn't get talked about because our culture treats a cancer diagnosis like a dirty little secret. People think it's better to look away than to actually fight it. And because everyone stays silent, those who actually get sick have to battle both the disease and a broken healthcare system at the same time.

Thanks for sharing this. We really need to keep hitting people with the hard facts.
But how do you actually fix the system? There aren't enough doctors, too many patients, outdated equipment, zero funding, endless bureaucracy, and zero coordination between hospitals, specialists, and primary care physicians...