Posts by Steven Phillips9

Angela Wright said:Anything is possible. But—let’s not get ahead of ourselves—maybe just wait until the doctor weighs in on the next steps of the treatment plan.

Regarding Myko Sana—sure, there are some published studies and evidence regarding efficacy, but honestly? It feels like a massive cash grab on their part. They seem to be looking for enough funds to cover those highly sophisticated cytostatics and smart drugs that undergo much more expensive, extensive clinical trials before hitting the market. So, given the price tag they're asking, there isn't really any justification for it.
The foundation of those mushrooms is Beta-glucan, which you can get in capsule form for a much cheaper price.

So, the doctor is recommending six rounds of Taxol and Herceptin (due to lung metastases). Starting chemo on the 13th.
We've stepped back from Myko Sana for now—after receiving the treatment recommendations, I felt I needed more specific info, but I never actually got an answer (even though they told me to just email them for more details).
As for Beta-glucan, we're passing on that for now too; the doctor suggested it shouldn't be used during chemo, but rather after?
I feel like such a nuisance—constantly questioning, searching for advice, looking for recommendations, only to run into conflicting opinions. Since I tend to be quite suggestible and just want what's best, I suppose I'm open to everything.
Today, I picked up some Aloe Arborescens syrup and Sesame oil (from a Bio Terra shop).
Now I'd love to have some Aloe Arborescens to make my own preparation (so, if anyone is from the Mediterranean and has a plant older than three years they'd be willing to sell—I'm interested).
And any extra advice is, of course, welcome.😉

Since I'm typing anyway, my husband is struggling too. He's been dealing with prostate issues for a few years now; his PSA test is consistently above the normal range. It dips here and there—but never below the threshold—and then after three months, it spikes again. It's just this constant cycle. The diagnosis is always "chronic inflammation," and they basically tell him, "Well, at your age, everyone has prostate issues; we'll see you in a few months for another PSA test." Since the PSA never stays in the clear, he gets prescribed antibiotics that don't seem to help at all. About a year and a half ago, he had a biopsy that showed everything was fine. But after that biopsy, the PSA levels just kept climbing higher and higher, leading to more rounds of antibiotics that still didn't work. The urologist sent him for another biopsy, but the old man managed to dodge it—he wasn't feeling up to it, so he delayed things (don't ask). But it's finally been settled: he's going back for the biopsy on October 9th.
If anyone has experience with this, please share.😉

Angela Wright said:You can pick it up at any local pharmacy—prices fluctuate quite a bit, maybe around $15-$$267 per bottle, though I suppose the concentration varies too. Personally, I wouldn't touch unknown supplements; you might end up with a massive stockpile that tastes absolutely revolting. Honestly, online marketplaces are crawling with desperate people trying to offload high doses just to get a tiny refund.

Susan Gonzalez22 said:Regarding beta-glucan—we actually order my mom's from the USA. I usually go with unknown since they seemed reliable enough. I think we pay about $20 for 60 capsules including shipping, whereas here it’s closer to $83 I believe.

Though, when ordering online, you really have to be careful about who you're buying from—there are all sorts of scammers out there.

We've had some experience ordering these kinds of things before, unfortunately, due to other health issues.

Around here, prices start from $83 depending on the manufacturer, the strength, and the quantity.

Thanks! Pharmacy prices seem all over the place, so I was wondering if anyone found a better deal? And maybe a recommendation for a brand? Maybe unknown? Basically, I'm just looking for the best value for money.
sly47, maybe send me a DM with a link (if that's allowed here), because I'll probably grab the first round locally and then switch to ordering online.

Angela Wright said:Anything is possible, I suppose. But let's try not to jump to conclusions—it might be better to just wait and see what the doctor suggests regarding the next steps in treatment.

Regarding Myko Sana—look, there are some published studies out there regarding efficacy, but honestly, I feel like they're mostly just grasping at straws. They’re essentially trying to fund the purchase of highly sophisticated cytostatics and smart drugs—treatments that undergo much more expensive, exhaustive research before ever hitting clinical use—so the price tag they're asking for doesn't really seem justified.
The foundation of those mushrooms is beta-glucan, which you can find in much more affordable encapsulated versions.

Angela Wright, do you have any recommendations for a more budget-friendly beta-glucan? I think I'll start with that first while I decide on the mushrooms—the price totally shocked us, so it's going to take some time to scrape the money together.
I'm heading to my parents' place this Saturday to check the results. Honestly, trying to interpret their reading of things is exhausting... the latest word is that there are indeed new growths, and the old ones have increased in size. In short—the PET/CT scan looks worse than the one performed back in March.

Angela Wright said:Anything is possible—but I guess we shouldn't jump to conclusions. It might be better to wait and see what the doctor suggests regarding the next steps for treatment.

Regarding Myko Sana—well, there are some published studies and evidence suggesting it works, but honestly? It feels like they’re mostly just price gouging at this point. They're looking to pull in enough cash to fund some incredibly sophisticated cytostatics and smart drugs—the kind that undergo much more expensive, massive clinical trials before they ever hit the market—so the price they're asking doesn't really seem justified.
The foundation of those mushrooms is beta-glucan, which you can find in much cheaper encapsulated versions.

I get it—price gouging was also the reason I didn't buy that scarf I wanted for Mom during her chemo (at Quincy $93). :O
Basically, my Dad was the one who brought up these mushrooms; he says they come highly recommended. We faxed over all the lab results, and tomorrow we finally get the proposed therapy plan and the cost.
And honestly, I just don't have the strength to turn it down by using the excuse—"let's wait for the doctor"—because, well, I've been saying that for eight months now.
He was also pretty blunt about it... unless the markers are spiking, he doesn't think there's anything definitive to worry about.
But it's just so hard to ignore those bad test results and just sit there waiting for things to get worse—just so the oncologist will actually react—while we do nothing in the meantime.

Lisa Ross81 said:Hi everyone.

How exactly do they detect lung metastases? Which test is actually the "most reliable"? What should we even do?

Because we've been spinning our wheels for months now—we feel like we're back at square one, repeating tests we've already done over and over.

My mom had breast cancer surgery over two years ago (radical mastectomy, chemo, radiation).
Regular checkups—everything seemed fine.
Her lung scans look okay, but a family friend who happens to be a doctor noticed an irregularity in the images and sent us for more testing.
In the meantime, at his suggestion, she was tested for tuberculosis (since she had this killer cough for a while, though she didn't have a fever, so her primary care physician just suggested tea, honey, and lemon)—bloodwork suggests TB, but the sputum sample doesn't confirm it.
PET/CT—they keep insisting there's no better way to find metastatic clusters in the body; that it's extremely accurate and we'll finally have answers.
The conclusion? Increased glucose metabolism which could suggest secondary growths—but it could also mean a million other things—and they mentioned a possible scar. Basically, the results are just a massive pile of question marks; there’s no definitive confirmation.
Tumor markers, mammogram, biopsy—all normal. Her oncologist keeps repeating that since the markers aren't spiking, we're fine.
And then, we go in for a bronchoscopy because apparently that's the most reliable way to get a sample and finally know for sure.
And once again, we know nothing. Just another conclusion full of question marks, while the oncologist repeats that the markers are stable—WTF?
Basically, he can't prescribe further treatment because nothing is set in stone yet. Okay, but what are we supposed to do???
So we're right back where we started; Mom is going in for another PET/CT tomorrow!
Every single time, they promise us this will be the final word, and it's taking a massive psychological toll on her—she's just exhausted by it all.

Thanks for any input you can give!

Just quoting my own post here—the previous PET/CT showed existing clusters, but no new ones (is it even possible for them to disappear if she hasn't been treated or taken anything for it?)
The oncologist isn't available until August 20th, so we won't see him until then. Though, I suspect he still won't want to authorize any further treatment.

Anyway, I wanted to ask if anyone has experience with Dr. Myko san - Mushroom Health ( )
Ever since this illness started, I've been hearing about mushrooms—could they help, or perhaps just cause more harm?

Thanks to everyone for the responses!

Mom kept repeating that cough—just this hacking sound—over and over, but honestly, everything seemed fine each time.
Is there a specific timeframe when that kind of coughing is actually most effective? I’m asking because this happened a few months after the actual coughing stopped—and honestly, no matter how hard Mom tried—she could barely clear anything. She was drinking milk the day before and trying all sorts of other things, but it just felt like there wasn't any more "congestion" left to move.
Ugh, honestly—there was just so much misinformation being pushed about what they call "latent" tuberculosis. It’s exhausting. 🤷
She underwent a bronchoscopy at the infectious disease clinic—they were looking into potential chronic bronchitis—but they didn't end up keeping her there since the phlegm samples didn't show anything conclusive.
The pulmonologist and the infectious disease specialist have both washed their hands of this—they basically just sent us right back to the oncologist. And now, apparently, the oncologist thinks the other guy isn't exactly the brightest bulb in the box. I guess we're just stuck in this loop—it's pretty frustrating, honestly. 🤷 I'm forwarding the paperwork over to the medical board—their latest recommendation seems to be a follow-up PET-CT scan.

Hi everyone.

How exactly do they detect lung metastases? Which test is considered the "gold standard"? What should we be doing here?

Because honestly—we’ve been spinning our wheels for months now—and it feels like we're right back at square one, repeating tests we’ve already done.

My mom had breast cancer surgery over two years ago—radical mastectomy, chemo, radiation, the whole works.
Regular checkups—everything seemed fine.
Her lung scans looked clear, but a family friend who happens to be a doctor noticed some irregularity in the imaging and urged us to get more testing.
In the meantime, at his suggestion, she was tested for tuberculosis—since she had this killer cough for a while, though she didn't have a fever, so her primary care doctor just suggested tea, honey, and lemon. The blood work suggests TB, but the sputum sample doesn't confirm it.
The PET/CT—they keep assuring us there is no substitute for this when it comes to finding metastatic clusters; they say it's highly accurate and we'll finally have answers.
The conclusion—there's increased glucose metabolism which could point toward secondary growths, but it could also be a dozen other things; they even mentioned a possible scar. Basically, the report is just a massive pile of question marks—no definitive confirmation.
Tumor markers, mammogram, biopsy—everything comes back normal. The oncologist keeps repeating that the markers aren't spiking, so we're essentially stuck.
So, next step: bronchoscopy. They say that's the most reliable way—take a sample and then we'll know for sure.
And once again... nothing. We're back to a conclusion full of question marks, and the oncologist is still insisting the markers look fine—WTF?
Basically, they can't prescribe further treatment because nothing is "black and white" yet. Okay, but what are we actually supposed to *do*???
It’s just a loop. My mom is going back for another PET/CT tomorrow!
Every single time, they convince us this will be the final word, and my mom is struggling so much mentally with this—she's just exhausted.

Thanks for any insight you can offer.

I read somewhere that they’ve been approving the fewest loan applications over at Wells Fargo 😉
btw—which bank are you thinking about going with for the mortgage? and did you find a place yet / where did you look? *honestly*

cosmicgull76 said:I went into Wells Fargo and they just gave me this blank stare—like, "What even is the Associated Press?" 🙂

🤦 🤣Wait—doesn't Wells Fargo offer a fixed rate for the Associated Press program? (And I don't just mean for those initial four years—it stays fixed for the duration, even if the rate adjusts after year four... it remains steady until the end.) 🤷
I guess that might be what sets them apart from the other banks...

mistyjackal842 said:I'll send you a DM—if you're looking for a dentist in Chicago.

Yeah, in Chicago—thanks. 👍

mistyjackal842 said:I’ve actually never heard of that Kaptol Clinic. Is it really right by Capitol Hill? Honestly—if I were you—I'd look for a private dentist who still takes Medicare. In my experience, they tend to have much more modern offices and better equipment, but since they're covered by Medicare, the prices for fillings and other repairs end up being lower than those at fully private practices.

The address is Ves 7, near the Kaptol Center
( I live nearby, so I figured I'd check it out )
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good private dentist then!? 👍

Kaptol Clinic

Any experiences? Impressions? Pricing?
Any info at all would be great 😉
I need to get rid of a cavity 😁
Thanks so much for the help.

Since this thread seems pretty active, I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction.
Where can I find a wig and a prosthetic breast in a city like Chicago!?
My mother is covered for both through Medicare—we just aren't sure where to actually go to pick them up.
Thanks so much 🙂

Hi everyone. I've been sitting here all evening reading through your posts and just trying to soak it all in.
Basically, my mother has breast cancer—stage 2—and she’s heading in for surgery soon.
I wanted to reach out and ask for some opinions or advice, but
to be honest, I think I lost track of half the details because I'm still in such a state of shock.
She had her blood work done today for the markers, so now we're just waiting on those results.