Posts by Anthony Hernandez47

Not much to say. I just want to wish you all the best. If I were in your shoes, I would definitely seek out a second opinion. Take my father, for example: he had two MRIs done at the Mayo Clinic where they told him everything was fine, but then he went to a private facility for another MRI, only to discover he actually had bone metastases. Anyway, wishing you luck once again. I hope your journey involves as little pain as possible.

I would always seek out a second opinion—for instance, from the Anova Clinic, or perhaps looking into radiochirurgy options in Washington, D.C., through Acibadem or Agram-USL thermal ablation services. No one is suggesting you are obligated to accept their treatment, but they offer free consultations, which provides peace of mind knowing you've explored every available avenue.

It's over. He closed his eyes for the last time. He was put on a ventilator yesterday after suffering a heart attack. At least he isn't suffering anymore...

He finished his chemotherapy session on Wednesday. Dad’s legs are swollen all the way up past his knees now. It's awful. He refuses to go to the ER, though. He's just being stubborn... He’s taking Lasix, but he hasn't been able to urinate. Sometimes he hallucinates seeing bees and things like that... probably just exhaustion from months of insomnia, or maybe a side effect of the medication. Things look quite grim, and I fear this might be the end... Or perhaps the chemo was just too much for him to handle.☹️

I am sorry to hear about your mother. In my opinion, nobody can say anything definitive without a PET/CT scan, and an oncologist should be the one to recommend that. If you go through Medicare, the wait for a PET/CT can easily be at least 3 to 5 weeks—and we aren't even from NYC. We ended up paying out of pocket at a private clinic. After that, I personally sent inquiries to radiation oncology specialists in Saint Valentine and the Anova Clinic, as they are considered top-tier for this kind of work. Those are the two facilities I would suggest. But regardless, no one will make a move without the PET/CT and the biopsy results first.
Best of luck to you...

[OTE=graniteseal2;96075549]Greetings. I’m joining you here; unfortunately, I find myself in the exact same position. It’s due to my mother’s situation (she’s 83) and a potential cancer diagnosis. We are based in NYC. I will write more details below, but for now, it boils down to one main question:

– which oncologist in NYC is worth seeing privately (or generally) if we already have radiological findings (an MRI) suggesting a malignant tumor? It likely points to metastatic changes in the vertebrae, and the primary tumor might stem from the breast. Essentially, I need a recommendation for a solid oncologist who can establish a diagnosis (or direct us to further testing before a final diagnosis) and then explain the prognosis and available options.

I need to take action; I can't just sit around watching everyone stall. With the holiday season upon us, the hospitals are practically empty.

To give you more context: over the last few months, Mom has had difficulty walking and has been experiencing back pain. We went to a pain management clinic, and they insisted on seeing an MRI of her lumbar spine before they could treat the pain. To avoid any delays, we had the MRI done privately.

The scan was performed about a week ago at a private imaging center using a 3T machine with contrast, focusing on the lumbar spine. The results showed (among other things) "fresh compressive fractures in the L1 and L2 vertebral bodies, suggesting intraosseous, secondary propagation of a primary process (possibly breast?)" and recommended an immediate oncological consultation. As I understand it, this would be bone cancer—specifically metastatic bone cancer originating elsewhere, perhaps the breast.

So, the first question, as I mentioned: who should we see? Does anyone have recommendations for a reliable oncologist? Should we go private or wait for the hospital queue? How long is the typical wait for an oncologist via a Medicare referral? Which private oncologist is actually worth the investment?

The second question—since certain family members are reacting this way—is whether there is any "point" in pursuing all of this. Mom is 83, and she deals with the usual age-related issues (diabetes, heart condition, blood pressure). Some relatives are telling me we should look into palliative care or a hospice immediately (even though we don't have a confirmed diagnosis yet). Mom herself understands what the diagnosis might be and is handling it well, though she may not realize how much pain this could ultimately cause. So, my second question is: what are your experiences or insights regarding treating malignant tumors in the elderly (80+)? I am not talking about a "cure," but rather about halting the progression of the disease and making these final years as comfortable as possible.

The PET/CT scan revealed metastases in his liver, pancreas, kidneys, and bones. I won't even mention that they had to take biopsies three separate times just to identify the specific cancer type, which cost us about three weeks of precious time.
It’s a neuroendocrine carcinoma, and in his case, it's aggressive. Apparently, it's rare. Chemotherapy might be the only option left. We checked privately for radiosurgery at Saint Valentine, but they said he isn't a candidate because the disease has spread too far.
Since starting chemo, his bone pain has lessened slightly, but he is incredibly weak. He can't sleep at night; instead, he naps for half an hour while sitting up. It's as if he's lost his voice... I am terrified to even think about what lies ahead for us. ☹️

/B]

Angela Wright said:You have likely figured much of this out by now, but I'll leave this here for others to see.
Metastatic disease is a difficult reality to face. Once metastases appear, we generally stop talking about a cure and start focusing on maintaining quality of life by keeping the disease under control.
Regarding lung cancer—specifically small cell lung cancer, which primarily affects smokers—bone metastases usually respond quite well to radiation. The bigger issue with that type of cancer is when it spreads to the liver or brain (though radiation can help there as well), and sometimes everything hits all at once.
The harsh reality is that by the time this disease is detected, many patients are already in the metastatic stage, and it progresses rapidly. Those caught early can often be successfully treated.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy using Reddit

Hello, everyone. For about six months, my father has been struggling with pain in his tailbone and bones. Initially, everything was attributed to sciatica, so he went through physical therapy. He also had two MRIs, and according to those, everything seemed fine.
He recently sought a private consultation regarding his spine, and the doctor now suspects secondary bone cancer and bone marrow involvement. His tumor markers came back elevated, and an X-ray of his lungs shows a shadow. He will undergo a PET/CT scan soon. Given his history as a smoker, combined with the lung shadow and high markers, I suspect this might be primary lung cancer that has metastasized to the bone. My father is 60 years old.
Is there any hope once it has reached the bones? What steps can we take? People generally say that once you start feeling pain and metastasis occurs, it’s essentially over. It is difficult enough watching him suffer, but it is even harder to face the thought that I should try to enjoy his company while he feels "okay," knowing things will inevitably worsen.
What is the next move? Should we look into private hospitals? Is radiation surgery an option? Vitamins? Any recommendations or experiences—positive or negative—would be greatly appreciated.

The second one caught my eye. It feels like you're using this terrible illness as an excuse to walk away. Don't propose. Marriage means being there through thick and thin, and you seem ready only for the easy parts...