Posts by Ashley Robinson3

I honestly don't get the obsession with these "one-night-only" themed items at stadiums. Sometimes it feels like a gimmick to get people through the gates, but is it actually fun or just clutter? Does anyone else find these mass-distributed items more annoying than cool?

copperstag95 said:Well, thanks. I suppose... though I can't help but wonder if it’s even possible for me to fall back into that same pattern again, and honestly, I truly hope that isn't the case.

Unfortunately, you can still catch it :-(
My brother-in-law and his wife both tested positive back in mid-November. They were fully vaccinated with two doses at the time and just went in for testing because of some family stuff, even though they weren't feeling sick. Both tests came back positive, so they had to isolate.
Then, about two weeks ago, my brother-in-law started running a fever, followed by his wife a few days later. They went to get tested and—you guessed it—positive again. My partner had been over at their place the day before, so he likely picked up the virus there.
The bottom line? Recovering from the Delta variant doesn't seem to offer much protection against Omicron (just like the vaccine doesn't provide total immunity). But, having both previous infection and vaccination under your belt does help ensure the illness stays mild, or maybe even asymptomatic.

copperstag95 said:Hello there, I actually recovered from my bout with it back in mid-November 2021.
Now, my little guy is showing symptoms; we have an official PCR test scheduled for this coming Friday, though his rapid home test came back negative.
Has anyone else here been in close contact with someone infectious shortly after they themselves had already cleared the virus?
According to the current guidelines, I don't technically need to isolate, and I'm not heading into the office anyway, but I suppose I wonder—did you all choose to self-isolate just in case, or did you mostly carry on with your lives, perhaps running errands while wearing a mask and such?

I haven't had it myself, but both my partner and I have had three doses of the vaccine. He works in healthcare and picked up Omicron somewhere; he tested positive last Wednesday and finishes his isolation tomorrow. His symptoms were basically one night of sneezing and two days of a runny nose. No fever at all. Now he’s just dying of boredom because he feels totally fine (he’s already deep-cleaned our apartment, washed the windows, even scrubbed the oven...).
Officially, I didn't have to quarantine, but since I can work from home, I decided to do it just to be safe. I was a little stressed because two days after his positive result, I had to drive my mom to the hospital for a post-op checkup, but I never developed any symptoms. I took a home test on Saturday and it was negative. I know those aren't 100% reliable, but since I felt fine, I trusted it.
Anyway, from the moment we found out he was positive, we both wore FFP2 masks around the house. He had access to the bedroom and the living room with the TV, while I "relocated" to the kitchen and dining area where we have a sleeper sofa and a TV. We still crossed paths in the apartment and ate in the same room, just never at the exact same time during those first four days. The bathroom is shared, obviously, but he made sure to disinfect everything after every single use.
Today marks eight days since his test, he heads back to work tomorrow, and I went back to my job today. I'm really hoping the theory is right—that with Omicron, the incubation period is much shorter—and that I dodged a bullet.
Honestly, his symptoms were so mild that in any other situation, he would have definitely gone to work and wouldn't have even given them a second thought.

Karen Perez29 said:I really need some help here. I'm feeling desperate. For two weeks now, I haven't been able to drink anything normally because as soon as I take a sip, I get this massive bloating accompanied by intense pain. I haven't eaten a single thing in two weeks, and I haven't had a bowel movement in 16 days. It's just sharp pains and bloating right in the middle of my stomach. My gastroscopy came back normal and there's no bacteria, so I'm waiting on a colonoscopy, but I'm worried about how I'll even manage the prep if I can't keep liquids down. I've lost 33 pounds in about a month. I have no idea what's happening to me. Has anyone gone through something similar?

The part that really sticks out to me is that you haven't had a bowel movement in 16 days. Honestly, it's no wonder everything hurts so much. And it's strange to me that they haven't prescribed anything for your digestion yet, because that just isn't normal.
My mother-in-law almost died from sepsis caused by being backed up for about a week.
If you ask me, your situation sounds pretty urgent.

neoncyclist792 said:Taylor Swift, Ashley Robinson3, thank you both for the replies. We're waiting until the 18th for that appointment, so hopefully we'll finally get an oncologist and some actual answers. Ashley, thanks for being so detailed. I had pictured a different scenario in my head, but I know there aren't really rules when dealing with stuff like this. Alright, time to gear up and fight.

Don't mention it! I’m just sharing what we went through, but remember that everyone is different and reacts in their own way. You definitely have a fight ahead of you, but sometimes these things settle down so you can live with them like a chronic condition rather than something immediate. My aunt lived for 13 years, which isn't exactly a short time given her diagnosis. Plus, who knows? Maybe some smart new drug for this specific cancer will come out in the meantime that Dad responds really well to.
One thing I know for sure—and it's medically proven—is how much smoking affects this type of cancer. I don't know if Dad smokes, but if he does, he needs to quit right now. My aunt was a smoker (about a pack a day), and she just couldn't let go of the habit. So, I really believe that played a role in her journey.
At the end of the day, there are no guarantees. Cancer is aggressive, and you never know when or where it might pop up again. But then again, you never know if you'll even make it home safe from work after some idiot drives into you, right? So, it's worth living and worth fighting. Good luck!!!

neoncyclist792 said:Could someone help me make sense of this pathology report? It’s unrelated to the previous thread; this is about my dad.
Papillary urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder
Histological type: urothelial carcinoma
Histological grade: high grade
Tumor structure: papillary formations
Microscopic extension: tumor infiltrating the lamina propria
Muscle tissue: no tumor present
Organized urothelium
Transurethral resection performed, one 20mm lesion and one small lesion
Follow-up surgery scheduled for July 16th
What should we expect?

My mother-in-law dealt with this exact kind of cancer. When she first got sick, we hadn't even met yet, so I only know the details from later conversations. She had surgery and went through some BCG therapy, which really took a toll on her heart and caused quite a few side effects, though it kept the primary disease under control for a while. About eight years later—by then I was already part of the family—the disease recurred. At first, they just operated on the tumor and removed a kidney, but then it kept coming back every few months. Eventually, in 2015, she ended up having a massive surgery where they removed her bladder, uterus, ovaries, spleen... honestly, I'm not sure if anything else was taken. Her abdominal cavity was left almost empty. She wasn't receiving any active treatment after that, just regular check-ups. She did have a permanent urostomy, which she managed quite well, but she struggled with frequent urinary tract infections (or whatever was left of the system—I'm not a doctor, so I don't know all the specifics). Over a year ago, she started feeling really unwell and lost her appetite. My husband finally managed to convince her to go to the ER, where they found fluid in her lungs and suggested a bronchoscopy. She refused, though. She figured it was metastases and decided she didn't want more treatment; she just wanted to pass away at home. She was over 80 and worked in medicine, so she knew exactly what was happening. Eventually, we started suspecting brain metastases too because of some strange behavior, though nothing was officially proven since she stopped going for exams and only treated symptoms. She slept more and more until she fell into a coma in early August and passed away three days later.
From what I gathered, this specific cancer is incredibly aggressive and tends to come back frequently. They keep operating as long as there is something left to remove, but once it metastasizes, there isn't much left to do.
Still, after that initial diagnosis, she lived for 13 years. For about five or six of those, she was doing pretty well, aside from the issues caused by the treatments.

bluelynx9 said:Unfortunately, we all know how messy things can get with our healthcare system,
and honestly, I wouldn't take that claim for granted either. Because...
it really comes down to what kind of guidelines doctors are actually following and what they’re even allowed to tell a patient, especially given how expensive everything is!
They aren't supposed to just hand out prescriptions or suggest high-cost medications,
and then you have all these different committees second-guessing your specialist's opinion—as if they think they're poisoning us with chemo or other therapies we don't need.
Maybe the doctor was genuinely trying to help,
but in this financial nightmare, he just didn't dare put it in writing.

It's just sad.

I'm right there with you. Here is what was reported (copied and pasted from a news site):

"My only option left is to move my case over to Dr. Belev, who is the only one with a plan for further treatment. I underwent testing for Sorafenib at the Mayo Clinic back in April. It turns out I don't have any allergies or side effects to the drug, but in the meantime, the results from additional tumor DNA analysis arrived from the USA—which I had to pay for out of my own pocket. Those results show my tumor is SDH B positive, meaning it would likely respond best to Sorafenib. However, both the Cleveland Clinic and Rebro refused to cover the medication from their budget because the drug isn't considered sufficiently studied for this specific condition. It's such a rare situation; I might be the only person in the entire country with this subtype," said Romić.

'The medicine costs about $3,300 a month, and I just don't have that kind of money...'

Dr. Belev managed to scrape together a small amount of the medication, but unfortunately, it isn't enough to cover a full three-month follow-up period.

"I tried reaching out directly to the manufacturer to ask for a donation for the first two months just to see if the drug works, but even Bayer turned me down because they can't donate medication for my specific GIST diagnosis. Who else can I turn to if I want to extend my life and give my twins more time with their dad? Does everything in this country have to be such an uphill battle? I even looked into options in Austria; you can get the drug with a prescription, but it costs around $3,300 a month. Sadly, I just don't have that money. Please, help me try to give my children a little more of a childhood—they are the reason I'm fighting this. If anyone has any extra Sorafenib (Nexavar) left over from their own treatment, please let me know," Daniel pleaded.

Angela Wright said:This whole thing turned out to be such a strange saga in the end. From what I can gather, the guy got a verbal recommendation for a medication, and his doctor told him they’d write a prescription once he returned from vacation. As I understand it, he just took the initiative to start treating himself with Nexavar—which, honestly, Jesus, do you realize what you're doing? 🤦‍♀️ He went and wrote a public appeal, and it’s totally unclear how he knows his exact dosage without medical supervision, or if the stuff he received via donation was even stored correctly or follows the right protocol for him. He’s playing Russian roulette with a very high chance of getting shot. Besides, giving away chemotherapy drugs left over from someone else's treatment is illegal, just like dispensing meds without a prescription.
If his doctor writes him a standard prescription, he’d automatically be eligible for reimbursement from the hospital budget since that's how drugs not covered by Medicare get funded.
In my humble opinion, you did him a disservice.
And I don't get why he isn't on Sutent, which is on the Medicare list for GIST and is just as smart and effective.
The healthcare system, especially oncology, is completely broken, and it's been like this for decades. It makes people do desperate things.
Poor souls... 😞

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Twitter

What you're saying isn't true. I know a bit more detail about the whole story because it was all covered in the news. The man was sending samples at his own expense to a reference center in Austria, where they identified a subtype of stomach cancer so rare they told him he had a better chance of hitting a triple jackpot than catching that specific type. He tried Sutent, but he had allergic reactions. The doctor he switched to at the Mayo Clinic recommended specifically the drug he’s raising money for, and the doctor himself is actually the one launching the campaign to collect leftover meds. Anyway, he raised enough to cover three months of this experimental therapy to see if it works—it's his only shot. So, you've got the facts all wrong.
Yes, he did submit requests to hospitals and Medicare, but they obviously denied the funding.

Hi everyone, I’m reaching out regarding my mother-in-law. Over 10 years ago, she was diagnosed with papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Right after the diagnosis, she started BCG therapy, which kept her doing well for years. However, about five or six years ago, there was a recurrence. Since then, she’s dealt with several relapses and surgeries. The last one was about 1.5 years ago, where they had to remove her bladder, ovaries, fallopian tubes, appendix, and uterus—plus she already lost one kidney during a previous procedure. Since then, she’s just been going in for blood and urine checks. Her doctor told us to reach out if any issues popped up, though at 80 years old, things are tricky. For the last month or two, things have taken a turn for the worse. She’s lost her appetite, fallen into a depression, and has been refusing to see the doctor. It got to the point where my husband had to practically force her to go to the ER because she was completely incapacitated. They found a shadow on one of her lungs. They gave her an IV, and after that, she actually perked up a bit and started eating again, but now she’s refusing a bronchoscopy. Being a healthcare worker herself, she’s convinced it’s a metastasis. She insists she’s far too weak for any kind of treatment and doesn't want to exhaust herself further. My husband can't seem to convince her otherwise. Honestly, I somewhat understand where she's coming from; I know things are pretty bad, and I wonder if chemo would just drain what little energy she has left. Is there even a point? But then again, if you don't try, how can you ever know?
I’m not really sure what to ask. Maybe someone has some experience or an opinion? Should we support her decision, or should we keep trying to push her toward the bronchoscopy? My take is that we should respect her wishes. She’s lived a long life, the disease is progressing slowly, and I doubt any aggressive treatment would actually improve her quality of life. I’m trying not to get too tangled up in the middle of it all, though. I’m leaving the heavy negotiating to my husband; I just want to be his support system.