Posts by Angela Wright

Brenda Cooper3 said:Look, if you’ve realized the meds aren't working, then they just aren't working!
The bottom line is you have to find another way out. Maybe it’s aromatherapy, hitting an aerobics class, spending more time outdoors, getting social, or digging into some deep-seated personal issues from your past—like finally choosing to forgive someone or accepting their forgiveness. It could mean changing your work environment or your social circle, or even pursuing some kind of spiritual renewal...
There are endless alternative paths, just as there are endless things that can crush a person. Years of chronic stress, dissatisfaction, and disappointment can spiral straight into depression. Clearly, this isn't just some minor chemical imbalance, because if it were, the medication would actually be doing its job.
If your family truly gives a damn about you, they’ll try to dig out the actual root of the problem, because that’s where all these ailments stem from. Maybe you lost faith—in yourself or in others. Who knows?
You can vent to us here, or you can talk to a professional.
I don't know, I hope I helped somehow...
And yeah, nature heals.👍

It’s obvious from your post that your intentions are good, but Zalasta is stepping into territory where there is no "natural cure"—we're talking anything from manic depression to schizophrenia. Because of that, your advice completely misses the mark. We aren't talking about the kind of blues that a walk in the park or a game of chess can fix; we are talking about conditions that require precise, targeted, and highly cautious medical therapy just to get a person to a baseline where they can function at all.
You need to see a psychiatrist and demand a change in treatment, since the current one is clearly failing...
I don't know the diagnosis, and frankly, how can any of you even know or monitor whether she’s taking her medication exactly as prescribed and in the correct dosages?
Try asking over on a psychology forum; they actually understand these kinds of matters.

casualrider21 said:My angel is gone😢🙂 😢🙂🙂🙂🙂
The pain and the grief are just too heavy. They’ve completely broken me.

He was strong and so conscious right until the very last second. The nurses called me from the hospital because he was calling out my name. I ran like a madwoman. Even through all that agony and suffering, he was looking for ways to make things easier for me—he didn't give a single thought to himself. He managed to say everything he needed to say. And then, he told me he wasn't in pain. My hero.
That night killed me.

I hope that in time, finding comfort in words and memories might help.
But right now, none of that matters.

I am beyond heartbroken.😢🙂

Oh, dear casualrider21, I am so incredibly sorry.😢
You had the chance to say goodbye... let that be some small comfort to you, because so many people would give anything they have just to have had that one final moment.
May he rest in peace, and I wish you peace in your heart.

Laura Ramos45 said:Has anyone ever heard of anything like this happening?

I was practically shivering from the stress just hearing about this yesterday... It involves a young guy (my nephew) who struggled with severe allergies and was incredibly thin his entire life. Once he hit 18, he finally put on some weight and seemed to stabilize, so we all assumed those nasty allergy issues were behind him. Now, at 23, he’s suddenly bleeding from both nipples. He went in for allergy testing, but the doctors are basically playing dumb, saying they "don't know" what's causing it. Everything is extremely raw right now. The kid is being super guarded—he won't talk about it and is hiding his medical reports. He told my sister about the issue, but she’s being just as tight-lipped; she just mentioned there's some bleeding and he's had tests done, but she doesn't have any answers yet either.

...we're all speculating that there might be a link back to his allergies...

Is it actually possible for this to happen because of a specific allergy?

Let's just hope everything turns out fine and it isn't breast cancer. It’s rare, sure, but men can definitely get it too.
He definitely needs an ultrasound and some nipple discharge swabs. A specialist visit is non-negotiable.

We were at Congress yesterday. Here’s the report:

Edward Wright2 said:Hey everyone.
I’m 22 years old, I eat like a normal person, and my weight is rock solid. Everything is perfect—knock on wood.
I’ll get straight to the point. About three or four weeks ago, I started dealing with this constant nausea and these nagging little cramps in my stomach. My diet hadn't changed at all—I was eating just fine—and my digestion seemed pretty standard, nothing unusual in terms of color or consistency. I went to see my doctor, and she immediately pegged it as gastritis. Honestly, that diagnosis felt like a total gut punch; it's one of those labels that makes you feel like you've just lost two years off your life expectancy.😁It didn't work, honestly. She handed me some pills, but I only managed to swallow two before my stomach started doing somersaults. I felt incredibly nauseous—like I was about to heave—but nothing would come up. I just slept through an entire day, and once I finally hit the bathroom, everything cleared right out. It was like the whole issue had vanished into thin air. My mother dealt with the exact same thing, though she couldn't get any relief until she actually started vomiting.
It’s been three weeks now... I tried one of those spicy chicken skewers—just one stick, actually, because it was a bit too hot for my liking and I had to stop—but by this afternoon, I'm dealing with the exact same issues I was having three weeks ago.
Is this just some reaction to those burgers I grabbed, or am I dealing with some leftover bacteria from that bug I had three weeks ago? I’m losing my mind here. Should I bother heading back to the doctor, or am I just spinning my wheels? I'm going crazy...!!!!
It feels like my stomach belongs to someone else entirely...😁 I can’t tell if I’m actually hungry or just full. I just got home from the graveyard shift, inhaled two bananas, and now my stomach is already cramping up again. It’s the weirdest thing—my brain is screaming for food, but my gut is completely shutting me down.
Look, I’ve honestly never had anything in my life that felt truly "new" to me... I guess I'm just wired that way. I hope nobody’s going to sit here and laugh at me for saying that.😁ž
Hey there.

You’re better off just getting a referral for a gastroenterologist. It could be gallstones, but honestly, there are plenty of other underlying issues that could be causing this.
Peptoran is basically my first line of defense when things start going south.

Terry Rogers, I'm so sorry 😢
Keep being brave

quietmason45 said:I just have one quick question... I was at my OB-GYN earlier and she prescribed me Yasmin pills...
She went over all the side effects and basically warned me that taking birth control while smoking is a bad combo...
But I totally blanked on asking her if that means I can't even have one or two cigarettes during the day... I mean, I feel like there’s a massive difference between smoking ten cigarettes and just having two in a 24-hour period, right? Do you guys think doing that would actually cause issues or lead to any real problems?
I'm honestly lost here and could really use some advice—or just an answer, really.
It’s super important to me, so...🙏 thanks in advance!🙂

You're looking for advice?😉

Just quit smoking altogether, because it's garbage for your health no matter how you look at it.
If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be sitting here calculating whether one or two cigarettes a day is "safe." Honestly, if you have the willpower to limit yourself to just one or two, then you already have the strength to kick the habit entirely.

If you want to help us fight for access to life-saving medications, reach out to the "For a New Day" Association.
Over the past year, we’ve successfully fought to get expensive drugs like Sutent and Tarcev added to the Medicare coverage list, and we aren't stopping there. Late last year, we wrapped up a massive petition demanding that the government take full responsibility for covering all treatments for cancer and other debilitating diseases.
The issue with Avastin is systemic: doctors are being discouraged from prescribing it because they keep hitting the limits of hospital budgets allocated for Avastin. It’s a rigged game where hospital administrators put immense pressure on physicians, essentially threatening their jobs if they blow the budget by providing necessary care.

We have to stand up and make some noise together, because silence and passivity are just invitations for things to stay broken. Our small group of five running this Association is incredibly loud, but we need a movement behind us. If we had a real crowd backing our play, we’d likely have secured much more than just these two drugs. 👍

We said our final goodbyes to Zoki last Thursday. Today, his family laid his urn to rest in a private ceremony.
I didn't want to be the one to break the news here. I honestly expected slyseal28 to post something herself.
She’s doing okay, a true fighter... but man, she misses him. We all miss him. She’s dreading the days ahead because she knows just how heavy things are going to get. He was a real friend—the true "power behind the throne" for our association. It’s still hard to wrap our heads around the fact that this is it. He was just too vibrant a soul to simply vanish... he just drifted off to sleep.

Samuel Long3 said:Hey everyone! I just wanted to reach out and send some strength to all of you fighting this battle, or those of you supporting loved ones who are. Last summer, I found myself facing a nasty breast cancer diagnosis. At 28 years old, with zero genetic red flags, I went through the whole gauntlet—chemo, radiation, the works. What really pulled me through was staying on top of my nutrition (leaning into a semi-macrobiotic diet), keeping a positive mindset, leaning on the love and empathy of those around me, staying active, and using various herbal supplements. If anyone needs a bit of advice or a sounding board, please don't hesitate to ask.

It’s been proven that genetics aren't the deciding factor when it comes to developing cancer; it’s your lifestyle and what you put on your plate that counts.
Keep eating well, stay healthy, and hang in there.👍

feralridge3 said:The box says 3-4 times a day. 🤷
I was actually thinking about taking it just once a day.

When you're healthy, sure. But when you're sick, the rules change entirely.
I have no idea how we ended up using Mom's dosage. I think Dad had a conversation with someone over at Heder... I can't quite recall the details.

Kate Reed63 said:We also picked up some raw propolis, so we’ll just have to wait and see how it goes. When can we actually expect to see results?

Look, it’s hard to give a definitive answer, but here’s the reality: my mom, even without her gallbladder, handled oral chemo incredibly well (her blood work stayed right within the normal range the whole time). Plus, during the entire 1.5 years she was completely bedridden, she didn't deal with a single infection or a single pressure sore.
With patients facing struggles this intense, avoiding an infection is absolutely critical because it can be a death sentence.
Raw propolis isn't some magic cure for cancer; it's a dietary supplement designed to boost the immune system.
While she was undergoing both chemo and radiation, Mom was taking heavy doses—about three sets of five capsules every single day. In fact, she took her very last bit of propolis just minutes before she passed. She choked slightly on some porridge and stopped breathing. She died from the direct impact of the tumor itself, not from some secondary infection, which is what usually takes down patients in such a fragile state.

feralridge3 said:I picked up some propolis today.
Should I take the capsules before eating?

About half an hour before meals.

Carol Newman21 said:I didn't think you were administering the chemotherapy on your own, but rather under his supervision—where he tells you exactly what to do regarding blood work and such. You can just get that done at a local lab and fax the results directly to him. I sent you a private message; let me know so we can figure out the next steps.

That’s not quite how the process works. Blood tests are handled at the outpatient clinic. Before starting any new cycle, they draw blood from a vein, and then after the treatment, they do a finger prick to check your status. Our doctor would have already written the orders for the labs in advance. If anything comes back outside the normal range, you’d have to contact the on-call doctor at the clinic immediately. We've never dealt with a situation like that before.

As for the dosage, you receive a vial for each cycle to take home. You drink it in the morning on an empty stomach and follow whatever specific instructions the doctor gives you regarding blood draws or other potential scenarios.

Honestly, the best move is to write down every single question you have on a piece of paper and go through them one by one with the doctor so there isn't any confusion.

feralridge3 said:what do you recommend?

Native propolis👍

Look, honey, those aren't tonsils, those are adenoids.😉 Take a look at this photo: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...zuendung01.jpg
Tonsils sit much deeper in the throat, so you aren't going to be able to spot them just by using a mirror.
It looks like you've got a nasty case of tonsillitis, likely bacterial, so you really need to get to a doctor to get a swab done and get some antibiotics prescribed.

feralridge3 said:I’m mentally bracing myself for the struggle, and then you just let me down like this. 😁
Did she get weaker, and how was she actually feeling?
Honestly, if I could just catch the scent of the mountains during chemo—nothing crazy, just a little stroll for an hour or two at my own pace—that would do more for me than seeing five different psychiatrists.

The only side effect we really dealt with was this heavy, crushing exhaustion. My mom started declining pretty rapidly toward the end of her treatment, but that wasn't because of the Temodal; it was because the disease itself was just moving faster than the meds could keep up. She had a completely different diagnosis than yours, too.
Keep a close eye on your overall health and focus on boosting your immune system. Walks are fine, just don't push yourself too hard and always make sure you have someone with you. And stay out of the sun!

feralridge3 said:I made a note to grab something for nausea.
My first round of chemo was clearly a walk in the park. I didn't deal with much—just some headaches for a few days after the dose. I could still get out, go for walks, enjoy nature... it was a breeze. Now? It probably won't be that easy. 😢

If I'm doing five days a week, it would actually work better for me to hit the hospital on Mondays and Fridays. I can just take the meds at home on the other days. I'll try to work out a plan. Honestly, driving into Chicago every single day in an ambulance during a sweltering summer sounds like a special kind of hell. 🙄

I casually asked about Temodal at my local pharmacy here in town, and the lady told me they’d have to order it in. Someone mentioned a pharmacy near Times Square once, saying they stock those high-end, expensive drugs.

You guys mentioned having four boxes—twenty 20mg and some 100mg ones? So, two boxes of one and two of the other?
Thanks again.

My mom was only on Temodal and threw up twice, and even then, it was just water.
She didn't have any real issues.

Sam Murphy33 said:I am in complete shock. My mom's initial tests, markers, and CT scans suggest colon cancer with liver metastases. She’s heading to the hospital this Wednesday, and from what I've read online, it looks like it would be almost Stage 4. Otherwise, she’s doing fine—totally vibrant—though she did have some minor digestive issues and hemorrhoids. I honestly don't know how to handle this. Please, tell me what to do and how I should act around her. This is horrific.

Just be there for her, just like you always have been. Your mom hasn't changed, and neither should your role in her life. Try to pull yourself together as quickly as possible, because keeping her daily routine feeling as normal as possible is absolutely vital right now. And please, stop Googling ahead of time—the internet is useless when it comes to pinning down a specific diagnosis for your mother. Once the doctors give you the actual facts, you'll be in a much better headspace to actually start fighting. To get a head start, she can begin boosting her immune system immediately to prepare for the treatment ahead.
Whatever the verdict is, you're going to fight it. Your mom isn't an alien; she's just a human being facing a disease that hits millions of people every single day. Don't waste your energy asking "Why?" or "Why her?" It’ll just drain you dry, and there are no answers to those questions.
No matter what happens, just know that this is something you can fight too!
Be her rock and her logistics coordinator. You need to stay focused!
Hang in there and keep us posted.

feralridge3 said:I have plenty of questions, I just constantly forget what I actually wanted to ask. 🙄

If they aren't monitoring me, does that mean I can just take my capsules at home following their instructions?
Last year was an absolute grind—I was commuting to Chicago every single day for radiation treatments, right in the dead center of the summer heat.

Where did you guys pick up the Temodal?

I’m guessing you went ahead and bought all six cycles worth of doses at once, seeing as that's what you have left. Does the oncologist insist on having all the doses delivered upfront, or will they let me pick them up one cycle at a time? Honestly, doing it per cycle would be a hell of a lot easier. 🙄

I'll probably come up with more questions down the road; I just need some time to sit with it. 😁

There’s really no point in buying all your doses upfront, and honestly, it’s not even a good idea. Your dosage isn't set in stone—it can shift based on your body weight or other specific health metrics. It's better to stay flexible.