Posts by Carl Brooks4

Rachel Williams said:We haven't picked it up yet because Mom isn't really struggling with her weight right now—honestly, over the last year, she’s managed to stay steady at around 120-125 lbs despite the Megostat—and since we don't absolutely need it, she doesn't want us spending extra money on it. My husband and I help her out financially since she's retired, so she's pretty careful about that. But, if things were more urgent, we would have bought it in a heartbeat... especially since when she first got out of the hospital, it was probably the Megostat helping keep her afloat, because back then she had dropped all the way down to about 103 lbs.

I actually gained some weight back thanks to Megostat too, but ever since I stopped taking it, the weight has been slipping away again—I've already lost 3 lbs and I'm down to 110 now—so I definitely need to get back on it. My daughter and son help me out with everything since my Social Security check is barely even $300, so honestly, without them, I'd be toast! Sending all my best to your mom, and thanks so much for the reply!

Rachel Williams said:My mom is actually on Megostat right now, and since it’s been out of stock, we went ahead and asked her godfather—who happens to be a pharmacist—if there was a substitute. He told us Cachexan is basically identical to Megostat, just from a different manufacturer. Both our family doctor and my mom’s pulmonologist (she's battling lung cancer, poor thing) confirmed the same thing, so there's really nothing to worry about! You can definitely stick with that until Megostat shows up again. 🙂

Thanks for the reply! I actually started taking it today myself—I'm dealing with tonsil cancer. Are you buying this without a prescription too?

I wanted to jump in here with a question too! After my radiation therapy, I lost quite a bit of weight—it was pretty intense—but then I was prescribed Megostat, which has been working wonders for me. It’s been a little while now, and I’ve already managed to put back on three hard-earned pounds! My local pharmacist suggested a substitute that costs about $283 per bottle, which sounds fine, but I’m curious if anyone here knows anything about this specific medication called Cachexan. Apparently, it’s manufactured in Poland, but since it isn't covered by Medicare, I went ahead and
bought it myself. If anyone has any experience with it, please let me know. Thanks so much!

I haven’t tried that specific tea myself, though I’ve definitely heard people talking about it—honestly, I have no clue what the actual nutritional breakdown is! Lately, for the past four weeks, I’ve been doing this routine where I take half a lemon and a teaspoon of Sodium Bicarbonate every morning and night. I struggle with digestion myself, you know? Some folks told me this combo basically flushes everything out from top to bottom, so... we'll see how it goes! I figure I should give my father-in-law anything he can handle; it shouldn't hurt him, and who knows, maybe it might actually help a little. I’d definitely recommend Megestrol if he can take it, but otherwise, just follow his gut. Good luck—and like Ivanna says, stay positive! Though, let's be real, that isn't always the easiest thing to do.

If I can offer any help based on what I went through—I didn't actually do chemo, I had radiation instead. It basically scorched my throat and mouth, leaving them covered in these painful sores... I think they call it radiomucositis? Anyway, I was on IV drips for about a week before going back in for more radiation, and man, over those three months, I dropped more than 20 pounds and fell down to about 88 lbs. I couldn't really handle much beet juice because everything hurt and stung so badly, but I did take some beta-glucan, some high-quality hemp oil, Megestrol, an energy drink, and even propolis—though that was pretty tough on my stomach. Fast forward a year later, and I’ve gained back about 26 pounds and honestly feel a whole lot better. I just ate whatever felt okay for me, whether it was meat or anything else that didn't sting.
Regardless of all the advice floating around, I just listened to my own body. That said, I definitely recommend Megestrol because it seriously works wonders for your appetite—you just feel hungry all the time.

Sweetie, thank you so much for those kind words—I’ve been following your posts and I truly know how tough this all is. I lost my Dad when I was only 27, and then Mom when I was 37... honestly, even though I had a husband, it felt like I was completely on my own. Regarding my kids—I don't think I explained it very well before—they are totally independent and living their own lives, they've got great jobs and hopefully great partners too! But, thanks to how things work here in the States, we all live together in the same house, which keeps us really close. It’s actually quite lovely having breakfast waiting for you in the morning, and clean laundry, and lunch, and dinner... it gives me that feeling again that I'm actually useful and needed, you know? They are so incredibly tight-knit that I truly believe when the hard times come, they'll face them together. That’s how it was when my own unfortunate story started—they aren't the type to dwell on things no matter what happens, but I think they processed most of it while I was still in the hospital. I know this forum is mainly about family support, so I try not to make it all about me, but—well, my daughter acts all "cool" and pretends everything is fine, yet I catch that look in her eyes the second I start to Cough—and my son? He's such a worrier, he immediately tries to push me toward the doctor! So, that's why I don't usually talk about my struggles or fears, but I figured I'd pop in here for a bit.

Thanks so much for all the support—it really means a lot. I tried calling the local society, but I don't know if I just caught them at a bad time or if the info online is totally outdated, which honestly just made me feel even more frustrated... like every door was being slammed in my face. It’s not that I’ve given up, per se, I think I'm just going through a really rough patch right now, so I reached out to you guys hoping someone else might be dealing with something similar. My surgery was pretty radical—they basically almost detached my head from my neck! They spent seven hours in there just cutting and clearing everything they could, which is why I didn't go the chemo route and went straight to radiation instead. Though, looking back, I really can't tell which one is tougher. I'm 60 years old, and honestly, if it were just up to me, I wouldn't mind leaving this world behind, but I have a son and a daughter who are so incredibly close to me. We all live together—they aren't married, so yeah—so if things go on much longer, I'm thinking about them. I used to love life so much—dressing up, going out, just living—but now I can't even drive. My mouth is crooked, chewing and swallowing is a struggle, and I've just kind of retreated into myself lately... anyway, thanks again for the support.

Sorry to bother everyone—I actually tried posting this as its own thread before, but I didn't really get much traction, so I’m giving it another shot here. There are plenty of support groups out there for people battling breast cancer, colon cancer, and all those other nasty things... but for me? It feels like nobody's looking. Since tons of people have barely even heard of tonsil cancer, finding any kind of real support has been almost impossible. It's been about a year and a half since my surgery and the 35 radiation sessions I had to go through. As for the aftermath—well, I’m dealing with partial facial paralysis, I can’t produce saliva, and speaking and swallowing has become quite a struggle. They actually took some Muscle from my right breast area to help support my neck, so now my arm and shoulder function is pretty weak, too. Right now, I'm just waiting on my next check-up... I've got this dry Cough, and then throughout the day, I'm dealing with a lot of phlegm I have to spit up—sorry, just being honest! Mostly, I'm just scared. Really, really scared. But I don't want to weigh down the kids who have already been through hell, or any of you guys who are fighting your own battles right now. So please, if you have any advice, any help, or even just an opinion... anything at all... please don't ignore me. Thank God for this community.

Alex Walker5 said:Are you folks in favor or against this? I'd love to hear your thoughts, experiences, or any advice you might have.
Personally, I support the legalization of cannabis in America for both medical and recreational use.

I am definitely on board with this—I'm 60 years old and have been dealing with Cancer in my tonsils, so believe me, I've been through the wringer. Luckily, I had access to a great supplier and found some high-quality oil that really helped me out after radiation—helped with my appetite, sleep, and even my immune system. My doctors even told me it wouldn't hurt and might actually help! Honestly, I just wish I could smoke a little bit too, just to take my mind off everything for a moment. So, yeah, I totally support the new law, but at the end of the day, it's up to each individual whether they want to use it or not.