Posts by Angela Wright

Linda Peterson37 how’s your dad doing? Did you guys manage to get him anything sorted to help ease his discomfort?

restlessorca35 said:It’s just heartbreaking to me. I always think back to a colleague who told me when I was finishing my PhD to go ahead and print my business cards, only to look at me like I was crazy before adding that they'd probably serve better as tools for doctors and butchers alike 😁. That was a long time ago, back when there were actual shortages in the grocery stores. I get it—their job is grueling, they deal with all kinds of people, and modern doctors who act like Google experts can drive them absolutely insane, but I just can't find an excuse for being rude or arrogant toward those who are more vulnerable.

Honestly, same here. And don't go thinking my stomach wasn't turning every single time; I had to play along, but since we were dealing with a situation where whether they complied or not meant the literal difference between life and death for my mom, I swallowed that crap. My only priority was making sure she got what she needed. I guess that's just how you toughen up in a country where "expertise" is sold by anyone with an internet connection.🤷
If that were even the worst part of this valley of tears. I thank God every day that I didn't turn out as stuck-up and silent as some people.

restlessorca35 said:I have no idea what their actual job description entails, but I know for a fact that my brother and I ended up carrying mom ourselves because the ambulance showed up with just a driver lugging a 45-pound stretcher and a nurse who wouldn't even bother checking if my sister had her insurance card ready. Mom has been disabled since she was a kid, so she was already barely mobile long before this brain tumor showed up. When I asked why they weren't helping with the heavy lifting, they basically told me they used to call the fire department for that, but they don't feel like doing it anymore, and suggested we move to a building with an elevator.
The sheer ignorance and subsequent arrogance of certain doctors is something I don't even want to dwell on. I’ve never gone around calling myself anything other than "nurse" or "doctor," but there were times I actually had to bring up my dissertation topic just to get them to actually listen to me. It's pathetic.

I find that ego absolutely fascinating too, especially when it comes from the head nurses. Once I realized how they operated, I started playing the game myself—adopting that same "oh, I'm so incredibly competent" tone. Thank God I'm well-read and know my way around a search engine, because they’d often condescendingly address me as "colleague."😂 Using that kind of attitude usually got me exactly what I needed.👍
Basically, you just have to constantly stroke their egos and act all sympathetic toward their "difficult and unenviable circumstances," and then they'll be eating out of the palm of your hand.

brightgardener8 said:Where is Amy Hayes28??? 🤷

dina9 and d_seed, I am so glad to hear some good news!

Mom got some mannitol yesterday, so she actually perked up a bit by the afternoon; she even sat down for a game of Sorry! with me and my sister. 😁
She wasn't exactly sure what the pieces were for or how the dice worked, but honestly, the win is just that she showed interest in anything at all.
We’re keeping our heads up and staying positive...😢

Oh, thank God for the mannitol🙏! Is she taking Dexedrine?
Please, walk us through how they finally admitted her—what did you tell them, what was their response, all that stuff—just so people have a blueprint to follow if things get heavy for them.

Kate Ramos40 said:I’ve been lurking here for about a month now, ever since this whole nightmare hit us—we're dealing with a brain tumor.
I’ll try to lay this out chronologically so it makes sense. This concerns my father-in-law; he’s 64.
About a month and a half ago, a CT scan confirmed a brain tumor. At first, the doctors thought it might be a metastasis, so they immediately ran a chest X-ray, which came back clear. The surgeon decided to move forward with surgery, which took place on February 7th, 2008. The procedure itself was a success, and my father-in-law has been recovering beautifully. We had another CT scan seven days later, and the results looked good. However, we were still stuck in limbo without an official diagnosis while waiting on the pathology report. It felt like forever. Finally, after a full month, we got the news: Glioblastoma Multiforme, Grade IV. Now we’re all just reeling, scouring the internet only to realize how brutal this thing actually is. Despite everything, he’s still doing well and hasn't started any treatment yet. Last Monday, March 10th, we finally sat down with the oncologist to go over all the findings, and they recommended starting radiation in about a month.
Is waiting two months—or likely much longer—too long? What’s the actual wait time situation like in Washington, D.C.? Where do I even start?
Just so we're clear, we're coming from Miami.

Look, Kate Ramos40, I have to be honest—before you dropped that post, neither I nor anyone else really saw this coming. slyseal28 We haven't really heard much about this specific type of brain tumor before—it’s actually a sarcoma.😕.
We did some digging online and found that the treatment protocol for this type of tumor is essentially identical to how they handle glioblastoma. It’s a standard three-pronged attack: surgery if the situation allows—which, in this case, it did—followed by radiation and chemotherapy. For glioblastoma, the go-to chemo drug is usually Temozolomide.
The clinical presentation here is textbook. We’re looking at a classic case where the symptoms point directly to a specific diagnosis, and the diagnostic workup confirms it without much ambiguity. It’s one of those medical scenarios that serves as a perfect teaching moment because everything aligns—from the initial physical findings to the laboratory results. When you look at the patient's history and the way they presented, it’s clear there was a significant physiological trigger. The progression from the early symptoms to the acute stage follows a very predictable pattern. It really highlights why understanding the underlying mechanism is so much more important than just memorizing a list of symptoms; once you grasp the "why," the "what" becomes obvious. It’s a great reminder that while modern medicine relies heavily on high-tech imaging and complex labs, a solid foundation in clinical observation still carries immense weight. If you miss the subtle cues in the physical exam, you might miss the forest for the trees. This case is a masterclass in connecting those dots.
Here we go. Here. I’ve been digging through the various clinical trials currently underway here in the States, and it's pretty clear that immunotherapy is taking center stage in so many of them. Looking at what we have going on here in this forum, it's a massive field. Grace Fowler Dealing with ovarian cancer is a heavy burden to carry, and honestly, there aren’t enough words to capture how much it shifts everything in your life. It's an uphill battle that tests every bit of your mental and physical strength. Elizabeth Gonzalez55 Whose husband is battling melanoma? I know a few people who have gone through immunotherapy for their specific type of cancer, and honestly, the results they’ve seen so far have been incredibly promising. You should really do some digging online—there might be similar clinical trials or breakthrough treatments currently underway in Europe as well.
I don’t see the logic in delaying radiation therapy. Given that the patient just went through surgery, we shouldn't be sitting around. In my opinion, you wait just long enough for the surgical wound to heal, and then you hit them with the radiation immediately. You want to wipe out those lingering cells as fast as possible to shut down any new growth and stop cell division in its tracks before they get a chance to multiply.

So, I'm actually messaging with... slyseal28 Someone told me she’s going to check in with the folks over at the Mayo Clinic to get some specifics on this particular type of cancer and see if there’s a better protocol out there. We’ll touch base as soon as we dig up more info.
Hang in there.

Please, if it isn't too much trouble, could you... Non-profit forum Should I start a dedicated thread about glioblastoma? Since we're dealing with such a rare type of brain tumor, maybe someone out there has actually encountered it and can offer some real, concrete answers or personal experience.

steelhound74 said:My father goes for regular chemo because he’s fighting lung cancer, and I’ve been driving him back and forth to the hospital over distances of 62 miles. One time, he was dealing with intense hip pain on the way home from an appointment, so I asked the transport service at our local community health center if they could help get him up to his apartment, which is on the 4th floor. Instead of helping, they just handed me a stretcher and told me I’d have to carry him up to the 4th floor myself.

So here is my question: Is the transport service at a community health center actually obligated to move a patient that heavy up to a 4th-floor apartment, or is that something family and neighbors are expected to handle?

(I've already sent this inquiry over to the Department of Health and Human Services, but I want to hear what you all think about it)

In my view, that is absolutely their job.☕Next time you find yourself stuck in a situation like that, demand that they put it in writing—have them sign a document stating they aren't competent to provide that specific service, complete with their full name. Let's see how they react when you ask for a paper trail.

Amanda Miller69 said:Hi everyone,

I’ve been lurking on this forum for a while now, and I finally decided it was time to step up and join the conversation. My mom is fighting ovarian cancer—it was caught two years ago in one of its final stages and has since spread to the peritoneum. She’s already endured two surgeries, nine rounds of chemo, and six doses of cytostatics. Things actually looked stable for a bit, but she recently developed ascites in her abdomen. We’ve been seeing specialists at the Mayo Clinic, and she’s heading back into the hospital this Monday, followed by a HIPEC procedure the week after, which apparently takes an entire day. Another doctor we consulted mentioned that based on the CT scan, the tumor looks operable, though he warned they might find out otherwise once they actually open her up. My dad passed away from a heart attack three years ago, so facing the possibility of losing my mom too is hitting me incredibly hard right now. Does anyone here have firsthand experience dealing with this specific type of cancer?

Grace Fowler you are fighting this battle incredibly bravely. I'm sure she'll reach out to you herself. Have you checked the non-profit's website yet? There is an entire dedicated thread there focused exclusively on ovarian cancer.

Linda Peterson37 said:Forget about any medication... Mom went to see the neurologist who handled his case during the hospital stay, and after basically telling us, "Speak up, I don't have all day," she said he was given steroids while in the hospital. However, they didn't notice any positive effect on him, so they decided it wasn't worth continuing.
So, you just have to play it smart now... Yesterday morning he was incredibly drowsy again—I couldn't even wake him up—but then by the afternoon, he was suddenly upbeat, chatty, cracking jokes, just full of energy...
Meanwhile, we're still stuck waiting for the radiation machine to be repaired. It is honestly mind-boggling that in a major hospital serving the entire Midwest region, the radiation equipment stays out of commission for this long.

Since I have massive respect for everything the "For a New Day" non-profit does—seriously, hats off to them for taking the initiative—there is one thing I find strange that maybe could be addressed down the road: when I tried to take leave to care for my father, the doctor told me that according to the law, leave is only granted for caring for a spouse or a child. In my opinion, caring for a parent should definitely be included in that.

Linda Peterson37, if this were my mom, I’d head straight to a private pharmacy, pick up some medication, and give her at least 12 mg. If I saw an improvement, I’d keep going. Look, there is no harm in trying this for your dad. This is a terminal illness, and everyone knows exactly where this is headed, but if there's a way to make him more comfortable, then do it. If the doctors won't, you do it yourself. That is the reality of "palliative care"—it's just a buzzword politicians throw around when they're busy defending euthanasia as an option.🙄😠
I wouldn't leave that doctor alone until they provided the necessary treatment for the swelling. For heaven's sake, you people are right there with him; you see how much his condition has plummeted. It is glaringly obvious that the edema is spiraling out of control. Try getting him to a neurological ER, and if you have to, scream at them until they actually do something to provide some relief.
Listen, people, you have to be direct and forceful when you're asking for help. You can't just sit there and wait for things to happen; you have to demand that he gets the care he needs.

Joshua Garcia9 said:So, I just stumbled upon this forum where that doctor I see for my questions hangs out—I’ve already gone through the whole registration process and everything—but for some reason, I haven't received the confirmation email needed to verify my account. It's driving me a little crazy! I have no clue why it isn't showing up. Has anyone else tried logging in or attempting to register recently? I'm trying to figure out if it's just me or if my computer is being impossibly slow today

I can give it a shot if you send me the link.😉
Send it over via PM.

Joshua Garcia9 said:😢 So, here’s my story—I’m currently navigating this whole unknown process, and honestly, I’m a little terrified! I could really use some clarity from you all. About 23 days ago, my husband and I headed over to the Vuk Vrhovac clinic. On the first day, he had his initial exams and provided a sample for a sperm count. I went in the following day for my own checkup and to get registered. Now, I’m feeling a bit lost—once the doctor finished my treatment, why did he send me straight back to the same desk where we were just standing the day before? Is he suggesting I should get my husband scheduled with an andrologist right away, or am I supposed to wait until those test results arrive at our house? Should I give the doctor a call once the results are in, or should I just reach out to his nursing staff to book the next appointment? I am so incredibly sorry—I was just so overwhelmed with anxiety that I completely blanked on everything the doctor told me. Also, does anyone happen to know how this procedure typically moves forward? Any idea how much longer the waiting game might last?

I don't personally know their specific protocols, but honestly, your best bet is to just give them a call and explain that you missed that specific detail.
Don't spiral over nothing.😉

loneorca25 said:I don't have any lower back pressure, and nothing burns when I pee!!
No, no, no.
That is absolutely not what I said...

You totally missed my point🙄, I was suggesting you tell them exactly that so they’ll finally run a decent battery of tests, you know?😉 There are tons of women on this forum who went straight to the ER because their primary care doctors were playing guessing games—prescribing antibiotics for phantom parasites without ever running an antibiogram. They went to the emergency room, used the approach I suggested, and got the full panel done immediately, finally heading home with the *right* medication.
Honestly though, I admire your patience. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't put up with that nonsense for even an hour. Blood in your urine is not normal, and it sure as hell isn't just "the flu."😳

slyseal28 said:"An American cancer league has decided to launch a national awareness campaign titled 'Stop Chemotherapy Nausea and Vomiting.' The goal is to shine a light on effective treatments available to prevent nausea, vomiting, and other side effects faced by patients undergoing chemotherapy or other cancer treatments. This initiative is primarily aimed at cancer patients and their families, but also reaches out to the medical community and the general public.
For more details on managing chemo-induced nausea and vomiting, visit here."

I’ll just add one thing—it’s about damn time. 🙏

If I were to walk outside right now, I’m pretty sure a chainsaw would drop from the sky and hit me square in the head.🙄
Does this campaign actually have anything to do with us?!😕🤷

It’s going to be quite an experience when our own brochures finally hit the streets.😈

swiftangler91 said:So, here’s the situation. I’m 16. My period started right before 7th grade and it’s always been irregular. It finally seemed to settle down earlier this year—I could actually predict when it was coming—but that only lasted about two months. I haven't had any sex with my boyfriend, just heavy petting. Based on my math, I should have gotten it a few days ago, but nothing. Instead, I’ve had this brown discharge with a really unpleasant smell for a couple of days now. I'm starting to get a bit worried because I have no idea what this is or why my period is missing again. Last year, I would skip two or three months at a time and then it would just show up out of nowhere and everything would be fine. Usually, when it does come, the bleeding is incredibly heavy. But right now, I’m lost. Please let me know if you know what this might be or if you've dealt with something similar. Thanks in advance..

Honey, you need to see a doctor. You likely have some kind of inflammatory process caused by a bacterium. This definitely needs treatment, so please don't put off seeing a specialist; if you leave it alone, things can get much more complicated, and trust me, you do not want to deal with those kinds of complications.
In the future, when you're petting, make sure both you and your boyfriend have clean hands, because you can pass stuff like this around with dirty hands. If you guys practice oral sex, you absolutely have to use a condom. The mouth is also a breeding ground for bacteria that you can pass to him, and he can pass back to you; if he's carrying something, it can settle right into your throat or tonsils.

brightgardener8 said:Angela Wright, if they already turned down Mom's request for a home health nurse, I have absolutely no clue how they’re going to approve home health aides! It makes zero sense. Since home health services aren't even under the jurisdiction of primary care—they're handled differently depending on which region you're in—I'm going to try pushing that angle too.
It’s a silver lining, really—since the woman looking after my mom while we're all at work actually knows how to administer injections, we've been able to manage everything this way.


Linda Peterson37,
I should probably point out one more thing: you can't just call home health services and expect them to come by to give injections. That’s not how it works. You actually need to get a referral from your specialist or primary care physician first to secure a visiting nurse. Make sure you keep that in mind.

We ended up in this mess because I used the wrong terminology when I was making my request. Home health nurses. We missed out on those two months of benefits because our primary care doctor decided to play smart with us. He wouldn't budge until I finally lost my cool and practically screamed at him that the oncologist explicitly confirmed Mom was entitled to that coverage. Only then did he try to pivot with some technicality, claiming, "Sure, she's eligible, but that’s a medical nurse, not home health care." 😈 And just like that, everything was settled...
Maybe you guys have found a better doctor than I have...

For God's sake, what exactly is a home health nurse supposed to be if not a registered nurse doing field work?! It’s not like they're out there giving haircuts.🙄
Look, if you can actually find a doctor and a nurse who aren't complete tools—someone who still acts like a real medical professional or a decent home health aide—you can usually work things out behind the scenes. You can bypass all the red tape and the bureaucratic nonsense from Medicare entirely.
We managed to get a bit of a lucky break on our end.
Honestly, I have no clue what these people are blathering about when they talk to you.🤷We finally got the specialist's recommendation for home health care added to the medical history. We headed over to the primary care physician, who then dispatched a field nurse to evaluate the patient's condition and determine the best course of care. Based on that assessment, the GP writes up the official proposal sent to the review board to get everything approved. Everything clicked because a visiting nurse from an agency contracted with Medicare came out, and she had already been in contact with my mom’s doctor. This woman went above and beyond—she did absolutely everything required, from brushing teeth and changing diapers to dressing wounds when a nail fell off, and even stayed through lunchtime to make sure she was fed. Honestly, I think it all comes down to those internal connections between decent people, if God wills it.

brightgardener8 said:From what I understand about this whole situation, brain tumor patients are kept on dexamethasone throughout the entire illness—basically as long as there’s any edema present...

My mom has been on dexamethasone for about a year now, with just a few short breaks.
At first, we were driving her to the clinic every single day for her shots, but six months ago, she finally qualified for home health nursing to administer them.

But today, I got word that the board rejected her!!! Basically, they decided she doesn't qualify anymore. 😠
What does that actually mean to some bureaucratic board (🙂)? It means a woman with glioblastoma who has been fighting this for a year, who is incontinent, barely mobile, completely disoriented, and suffering from dementia...?! Apparently, she's perfectly capable of walking herself down to get an injection...

I'm filing an appeal tomorrow; I don't know what else I can do!

The primary care doctor is suggesting we just buy the Dexice ampules from a pharmacy in the city and have the home nurse handle it.
Honestly, dealing with Medicare and their "VIP" review board gives me such bad diarrhea at least twice a day!

Linda Peterson37 said:While he was hospitalized, he was receiving dexamethasone, but since they discharged him a week ago, he hasn't been getting it because they didn't include it in his discharge papers.
It’s all a bit confusing for us; my mom is heading to the doctor today to see if we can manage this at home... I mean, is it even possible to give this at home? We are total laypeople here, and the doctors aren't saying much, so we don't even know what questions to ask or what medications should be administered... the discharge summary just left it out.😕

What a mess.🙄
Ever since my mother had her relapse, she was constantly on dexamethasone, which we would adjust up or down based on how she seemed to be doing—basically eyeballing it, following the doctor's suggestion that there isn't much more precise way to determine the dosage than by clinical observation. You can take Dexice at home in 0.5mg tablets via prescription, but you'll find yourselves running back to the primary care physician every few days for a new script if, say, he needs 18mg of dexamethasone daily—which is highly likely given the condition you described. That would mean taking 36 tablets a day, which is essentially three whole boxes every single day. A doctor can usually only write for six boxes at a time. There isn't a "large dose" version of Dexice other than those 0.5mg tablets. There are higher doses in vials, but those aren't available by prescription because they are strictly for hospital use.🙄 Basically, if your primary care doctor is an honest person, they might provide those vials from the clinic's supply, which is intended for patients exactly like your father. We weren't that lucky, so we ended up going to a private pharmacy to buy the vials ourselves along with syringes and needles, and then I administered the injections to my mom myself, just like the visiting nurse showed me how to do. Fortunately, she passed away before we even reached the point where I'd have to start managing IV drips.🙄 Now, a visiting nurse could technically administer those injections once a day when she visits, but honestly, they often hesitate to step in.🙄 Try talking to her and making a real plea. I actually told mine that I would sign a written statement taking full personal responsibility if anything went wrong (and you can imagine how easily things can go wrong for someone whom the doctors have already essentially given up on☕).

My advice? Call 911 and get him to a neurological or oncology ER so they can stabilize him with immediate first aid—mannitol, followed by Dexice injections—and make sure they write down the specific therapy regimen so your primary care doctor can actually write the prescriptions for the tablets.That is exactly how we handled it when my mom hit that stage, and it stabilized her.
Ideally, the visiting nurse would give him half the dose via injection in the morning, and then you guys could split the rest into two doses throughout the day using the tablets. To make it easier for Mom, we used to crush the tablets in a mortar and pestle and mix them into yogurt so she wouldn't choke and could swallow them more easily.

Your dad's edema definitely flared up because of medical negligence.🙂

Linda Peterson37 said:My life feels so incredibly bleak right now that I can't see a way forward, let alone how to comfort myself... I just don't know. My dad is doing very poorly (brain tumor); his condition plummeted so fast from the start of the week until yesterday, when we couldn't wake him up at all for the entire afternoon. He's just drifting in and out of consciousness and snoring... This is the first time it's been this bad—he was so lethargic that we all panicked, thinking he had slipped into a coma... We could barely communicate with him while trying to give him dinner, and even then, he couldn't really swallow and kept coughing...

I've been following the discussions here over the last few days regarding alternative treatments, and I have to say I agree with most of what’s been posted, especially what Nusazvrk and Ivanica wrote. I mean, if there were a cure that was 100% guaranteed to fix my dad, wouldn't I—and everyone else—grab it in a heartbeat to save him? Personally, I believe in alternative options because my dad still uses various "alternative" supplements today, and while I truly believe they can provide significant support, they haven't cured him... Even now, he’s taking flaxseed oil, shark cartilage, cat's claw, and a whole laundry list of other things, yet his condition continues to decline...
Throughout his entire illness, I believed—and I still want to believe—that alternative methods can do a lot of good when used alongside modern medicine. But as much as I want to believe that alternative therapy is some kind of magic bullet, reality keeps slapping me in the face.

I personally know a woman who had colon cancer back in 1991 and was helped by macrobiotics, but I also firmly believe that what works for one person doesn't automatically work for someone else. We are all different, and every disease and physical state is unique. Sometimes, even when two people are diagnosed with the exact same illness, the stage of the disease varies, their bodies react differently, so what saves one person might do nothing for another...
Maybe I'm rambling, but I'm just completely lost right now.

There is a high probability that edema flared up when his condition took such a sudden turn for the worse. It would be ideal if he could get an IV drip of mannitol to help reduce the swelling, and then perhaps increase his dose of dexamethasone to keep him in a more stable state, likely via injections. Is he even receiving dexamethasone at all?

Hey, people!👋
Not a single one of you has stepped up to answer the fighter's call to share a quote or a meaningful motto. We want to provide something for those newly diagnosed and their families—a tiny spark or a compass in the sudden darkness they've been thrown into. Just think back to how you felt when you were going through it. Now, you have the chance to actually make a difference for others and provide the support that nobody provided for you. These quotes will go straight onto the brochures we’re putting together; all we need now is your wisdom and the funds to get them printed. Come on, send over those quotes so we can take this completed brochure and start knocking on the doors of the Department of Health and Human Services and potential sponsors or donors.

On that note, I’m also calling on anyone who can spare a few bucks for this noble and vital cause—our "first aid" brochures. Please send your donations to the association "for a new day" account. When you fill out the transfer, just write "donation" instead of "membership fee."

Post your quotes here

Everyone, thank you from the bottom of my heart to those responding to our "knowledge against cancer" campaign. This is on behalf of everyone facing such an incredibly difficult and extreme life situation!

Hey Anna,
Speaking as someone whose mother spent her first six months relying solely on macrobiotics, bioenergy, and homeopathy—only to end up with a relapse—I’m telling you straight: you cannot treat CANCER using nothing but alternative methods.
I appreciate you sharing what you know, but your claim is fundamentally wrong and totally baseless. Real medical claims require rock-solid scientific evidence backed by years of rigorous clinical studies and peer-reviewed research.
In my view, the effectiveness of what you mentioned is about as significant as the benefits of noni and aloe vera. They're healthy, they won't hurt you, and they might help support overall wellness, but for heaven's sake, they don't cure cancer. We see countless people claiming they were healed just by using noni and aloe, but anecdotal stories aren't truth; truth requires legitimate proof. Can you wrap your head around that? My mom took noni every single day from the moment she was diagnosed until just before she passed away—that's two years and four months of following the recommended dosage—and it didn't cure her. Believe me, there is a massive crowd of people just like you who worship this stuff as an absolute panacea for everything. Let's stop deluding ourselves and presenting something incredibly obvious as fact when it simply isn't. It is beyond irritating, especially for those of us who have stared this problem in the face and actually taken the time to dig deeper into the reality of the situation.

loneorca25 said:I was at the hospital today... they didn't even ask for a urine sample. The doctor just checked me over, did a quick finger prick for blood, and told me it’s probably just the flu. He said to come back Monday to see how I'm doing, and then maybe we'll run some actual tests.
Seriously? That's what you think...

🙄🙂
Advice? If you have intense, unbearable, vague pain radiating through your lower abdomen along with pressure in your lower back, and it burns like hell every time you pee, head straight to the ER. They should admit you immediately and run every single test, including a urine culture. I honestly can't tell if we're just a bunch of hypochondriacs who see a tree and mistake it for an entire forest, or if this guy is completely blind—unable to see the tree, let alone the forest.☕