Posts by Jamie Patel4

Melissa Morgan67 said:I know
😢
I’m just feeling a bit depressed right now... 😢 ... but one thing is certain once you get cancer: you’re going to die... sooner or later... I just can't come to terms with that fact... I'm sorry... there's no chance things will get better... it has been destroying me for a long time... there isn't a single day where I don't think about the end....
😢

I can't even describe the look on my mother's face when she walked into my room a moment ago and told me that Tom Vrban had passed away.

I believe this isn't easy for you, because living with those realizations, anxieties, and constant anticipations is truly restless... I speak from my own experience.
However, I cannot agree with one point—no, it doesn't automatically mean death is imminent... so many people have successfully navigated this and reclaimed their lives today. Neither they nor their loved ones gave up.
For even a single saved, smiling face, every therapy is worth attempting.

Melissa Morgan67 said:What's even the point of surgery, chemo, or radiation if everyone just dies within five years anyway?

😢

Because five years is a significant amount of time. Many patients can still lead incredibly meaningful and high-quality lives while fighting aggressive diseases. For some, unfortunately, the outcome isn't as hopeful. But shouldn't they at least be given the chance to try?

Hannah Ramos71 said:...it feels like there’s always an empty seat next to me 😲
Maybe I’m just overthinking things, but I can't shake the feeling that whenever someone walks in, they’d much rather find a spot somewhere else or just stay standing than sit right beside me. Does anyone else ever feel this way? 😕

I’m with the rest of them; I have no desire to be surrounded by a crowd, so I won't choose to sit in those cramped spaces either. 😁 Maybe it wasn't even personal—maybe I just didn't want to sit next to you. 😂

Lisa Adams said:thank you.
that link you sent me...

gave 😁

Lisa Adams said:Could someone please tell me one more thing—where should she report to an oncologist now? Which facility, and where?
Is there any significant difference between oncologists?
So far, I’ve been told she could go to Memorial Sloan Kettering, MD Anderson, or Mayo Clinic. What would you recommend?

Unfortunately, I wouldn't feel comfortable making any specific recommendations since I am not sufficiently familiar with this particular type of carcinoma.
I hope someone else will weigh in with more detailed guidance.
Stay strong and best of luck.

Lisa Adams said:I'm not sure which link you're sending me...

I managed to find out that N0 means there are no tumor cells in the lymph nodes, MX means they can't determine if the cells have metastasized, and I think T3 would be stage 3 or something similar—though that doesn't seem to align with the N0 designation.
The only thing I haven't figured out yet is what this "AB" part is supposed to mean.

I likely didn't format the link correctly.
Here it is instead: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases/cancer...cells.htm
The article is quite detailed, so it might be helpful to you.

Lisa Adams said:Hi everyone... I'm finally reaching out to you all. 🙂

I've lurked here from time to time just to see how everyone is doing and to offer some silent encouragement... but I never wanted to be the one to actually post anything... you can probably guess why... but not anymore.

Now, I have to ask.

It’s about my mother. She got her results back today, and I am desperately asking for some insight into what this means for her—and if there is even a glimmer of hope left.

Her kidney was removed two weeks ago, and the report came in today. I don't have the physical document in front of me, so I'm just typing out what I managed to catch over the phone. Please bear with me, as I might have missed some details, but here is what I heard: renal carcinoma, grade 3, sarcomatoid features; no residual areas found (I'm not sure what that implies); staging noted as T3, AB, N0, M[X].
Does this mean it's Stage 3? And regarding this "MX" notation—does that refer to metastasis? What does the "X" signify? Also, does "sarcomatoid" mean it's particularly aggressive?

Thank you for any help you can provide. This is incredibly difficult.
Just devastating.

Lisa Adams, click this link
You should find plenty of answers to the questions you've raised there.

Gary Campbell said:Go ahead then. It worked for you.

I can already picture Jamie Patel4 walking down a street in Chicago just shouting, "Take your fingers out of your mouth!" and acting like it's some kind of grand favor.

Those cravings seem to be hitting you pretty hard lately.🙂
Look, Daniel Ward822 has been perfectly upfront about it—they know exactly what they’re doing, they just aren't ready to quit. Maybe there's a secret desire buried in there somewhere, but I suspect they aren't quite prepared to face it yet...
Perhaps my perspective is skewed. I have this feeling that these things are just phases, much like how someone might compulsively twirl the ends of their hair when they're nervous... but then again, considering your business partner... maybe it isn't just a phase after all. As you suggested, there might actually be entire textbooks and studies dedicated to it.

Daniel Ward822, have you ever considered getting a manicure? Something long, striking, very vampire-esque? 🙂

Gary Campbell said:Can you actually picture a corporate board meeting where someone just blurted out, "... excuse me, Mr. Smith, but your dental work is looking pretty rough... when was the last time you actually saw a dentist?"
Or maybe something like: "... hey, Mr. Smith, are you ever going to stop biting those damn fingernails? FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, JUST STOP!!!"

Mickey Mouse... 😁

😁 Well, that is precisely the point!
I actually had the misfortune of having someone say something very similar to me without any filter whatsoever (though I certainly wasn't biting my nails in public, nor was I in a corporate boardroom)... I was just walking through a hallway at UCLA when I was hit with a brutal comment about how disgusting my hands looked, right in front of at least three complete strangers 🙂 I wanted to die from the embarrassment!
It takes a certain level of audacity to say something like that to someone... okay, maybe not quite using your specific wording, but it's enough to make you laugh 🙂

Gary Campbell said:I once had a business partner who just couldn't stop picking at his teeth. A grown man, mind you.
He’d show up to meetings with his hands practically covered in debris...
And I’m talking about the kind of guy who would sit there through an entire presentation just gnawing on his cuticles and biting his nails.
I don't even need to tell you that he seemed completely oblivious to it all... though, naturally, it played a significant role in my ultimate decision to sever our professional ties...

It’s honestly just as unsettling as sitting next to someone who won't stop picking their nose or fidgeting incessantly without even realizing how much it's bothering everyone else...

Haha, I can just picture one of those corporate board meetings 🙂
Maybe you should have just pulled him aside; I'm sure he would have stopped. If nothing else, just to save himself the embarrassment...

Gary Campbell said:hahaha... 😁 now I'm actually starting to wonder if starting this whole discussion was even a smart move... it feels like we're trying to fix one biter only to accidentally trigger three more relapses.

👍

Well, maybe I’ll help someone out, or perhaps I'll just shame them into doing the right thing. 😁

Gary Campbell said:I honestly went into this convinced there was some massive, deep-seated conspiracy lurking beneath the surface... I thought we were talking about something substantial enough to warrant entire books, academic studies, or heavy-duty research papers being written about it...
But looking at the way you all are posting, it turns out it was just a matter of: "...I was feeling a bit jittery, biting my nails, so I decided to quit..."

Well, speaking only for myself—it wasn't anxiety for me, just that classic, nagging teenage insecurity. I didn't even realize I was biting my nails. What actually drove me to stop was purely because someone shamed me so intensely that I told myself, "That's it, no more." 🙂
That was the moment I finally realized this might actually be an issue.
Fortunately, my little anecdote isn't quite profound enough for a textbook. 😁

Daniel Ward822 said:Well, it's not like nobody has ever "complimented" me on having ugly nails. And sure, if it comes from the right person, it's easier to stop biting them. Though, I suspect that doesn't really solve the underlying issue. At least not for long...

I suspect it varies from person to person, as does the motivation behind the habit—whether one is even conscious of it or not...
I haven't bitten my nails in 15 years, though I was a total nail-biter for several years!
And I have no intention of starting again. Honestly, I wouldn't have even thought about it if I hadn't stumbled upon this thread on the forum just now. 🙂

Gary Campbell said:Must be nice having some random therapist just hanging out in the hallway at your university...
And then actually having your feminine intuition win out over that awkward habit of yours in the end.

I honestly have zero intention of trying to "fix" that grown man with some blunt, direct confrontation... unless he’s already naturally socially inept or an embarrassment by default...

That was such a lifetime ago that I don't even recall the biting part; I only remember that one sentence. My souvenir from the whole ordeal is a dull canine tooth.😁
I can't really picture myself biting my nails now—besides, they look too good to ruin.😍

As for whether it was vanity or not, we can save that discussion for another time.🙂

Gary Campbell said:Well...
I’m curious about how one actually goes about helping people like this.
From what I can see, they aren't even doing it on purpose; it's clearly just some deep-seated subconscious drive at work.
And honestly, it isn't just an eyesore to look at, it's genuinely irritating to everyone else around them too.

What exactly triggers this kind of "self-sabotage," and more importantly, how do you actually break such a nasty habit?

I went through the same thing constantly, from my teenage years all the way through college... I think it was a lack of self-confidence. 😁 It got so bad I actually wore down my canine tooth. 🙂
I haven't bitten my nails in 15 years, and the cure was surprisingly blunt—someone looked me dead in the eye and said, "My god, look at your hands. That is absolutely revolting. I've never seen anything worse."
The shame was unlike anything I've ever felt... and I haven't put my fingers in my mouth since. 🙂
Since then, I have always kept my nails long. 🙂 Who knows why. 🙂

Nancy Campbell5 said:Can anyone tell me what this means in English, or even just explain it simply...
The initial diagnosis was an "atypical Spitz nevus." It was classified as malignant because it had metastasized. He underwent some kind of contrast imaging which showed it had spread to two lymph nodes... then the histological results following the first surgery indicated that it had metastasized further across 35 biopsy sites... during that process, several surgeries were performed on the affected areas..
..we are waiting for the final pathology report...
..does anyone understand what I am talking about? Please explain it to me like I'm a child...

Generally speaking, a Spitz nevus isn't melanoma; it's a benign lesion affecting the epidermis and dermis. It was frequently confused with melanoma, which led to the infamous labels "benign juvenile melanoma" or "Spitz melanoma."
Unfortunately, however, an atypical Spitz nevus is remarkably similar to melanoma, making them difficult to distinguish at times. It can be malignant and metastatic. Which, obviously, is a bad situation. Furthermore, its behavior is quite unpredictable.

I wish I could offer more assistance, but that is the extent of my knowledge. I am no doctor; I have simply had the misfortune of having to study skin carcinomas and other cutaneous growths. 😢

My advice would be to browse the web a bit to find the specific information you need—I assume you are looking for details regarding prognosis and recovery rates, among other things. (Searching under "Spitz nevus atypical" should yield better results in English).
Perhaps you might even take those findings to a specialist here in the States to get a second opinion...
I'm no expert...
Regardless, keep your chin up.

Nancy Campbell5 said:Hello everyone... disease always seems to strike when you least expect it. I have an uncle in his 40s living in Italy who was diagnosed with skin cancer (I don't know the technical terms, but I think you get the idea). It started as a small wound on his back that just wouldn't heal, and when he went to have it cleaned, they found malignant cells in the tissue...
...he has already undergone surgery three times to remove the affected areas. He currently has about 50 staples across his body, with incisions running from his back down to his knee. Every time, we wait for the results, and every time they come back positive. It’s just a vicious cycle.😢😢😢
...does anyone have experience with this nightmare? He is far away, and we can't reach him easily. He has two babies, and it is truly difficult for us; we don't know how we can help him.😢...any advice would be appreciated...

Unfortunately, I have had my own experience with this horror. My father lost his battle with malignant squamous cell carcinoma after five grueling years. It all began with a tiny scratch that refused to heal—something as minor as a mosquito bite—and ended with eight surgeries, radiation, and several skin grafts. 😢
As Angela Wright mentioned, there is a massive difference depending on the specific type of skin condition involved. I sincerely hope your uncle's diagnosis is less severe than melanoma...
Try to remain optimistic. No matter how dark things may seem, it is easier to face the day with a positive mindset. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.