Posts by Angela Wright

crimsonmason44 said:Thanks for the reminder, Angela Wright. I actually filled out the intake forms last time, but I just haven't had a chance to swing by the post office since I'm stuck at work all day. I'll get those sent over ASAP.😉
Because this is seriously HUGE!!
My dad hasn't improved; he's still in the hospital, and his vertigo is so bad he can't even walk. The CT scanner is broken again, obviously, but they're transporting him to New York City today for an MRI instead. Hopefully, we'll have some actual answers later today. I'm terrified.

Look, try not to spiral before you have the results. An MRI is going to give them a much clearer picture than that CT scan ever could anyway.
Listen, if it turns out to be the absolute worst... just let us know.

jadesailor14 said:If you ask me, you can absolutely do that—it’s not some big commercial advertisement, after all.

Just frame it like click this link, something like www.xxx.com
In my experience, that first approach definitely grabs more attention.

Alright, thanks.👍

Charles Newman said:I'm in. Count me in. You have my full support for as long as I can manage—if you need help with the website or the servers, just say the word.

Alright, for you and anyone else looking to join the fight, head over to www.zanovidan.org. You'll find a link right on the homepage to a PDF containing the registration form and the association's bank details.
Once we hit about thirty members, we'll organize a meetup somewhere so we can actually put faces to names and divvy up responsibilities based on what everyone is good at. This association needs to establish branches in other cities and towns across the country, too; honestly, the need for us is probably even greater in those smaller communities. We’re also planning to hit the media soon, which should hopefully give our numbers a bit of a boost.
Let's go, people—this is a battle for everyone!👍

@administrators and moderators:
Am I allowed to add the link to the association's website in my signature?

Look, I have to be blunt: we are seriously disappointed with how little people are stepping up to join the association.😢 We all agreed a long time ago that this organization was necessary, but now that it actually exists, everyone seems to have gone silent. Just keeping the website running is expensive, and that’s before we even touch the actual projects we need to pull off. We need to print educational pamphlets about diseases and treatments to distribute at hospitals and local clinics. Sure, a handful of us enthusiasts will pour our own time into writing those materials for free, but we can't just conjure printing costs out of thin air. Don't let everything fall apart right after we've done all this heavy lifting. Help us help you.🙂 To support us, you don't even necessarily have to become official members; honestly, just donating whatever you can spare—even if it's just a few bucks—makes a difference. Or just spread the word and lobby for the association wherever you can. Even corporations and legal entities can step up as donors.

This past Saturday, we sat down with a very prominent oncologist who gave us some data that honestly made my hair stand on end. Here is the reality: we are standing on the precipice of a cancer epidemic. Current statistics suggest that one in three people will face some form of cancer... hello? One in three! Think about a family of three; statistically, one of them is going to get sick. All these new oncology departments being opened up lately are meant to handle the volume of patients we saw fifteen years ago. Today, the demand for capacity has exploded. We have to work tirelessly on prevention, education, and eventually providing support when the worst happens, and all of that comes with a massive price tag.
Please, people, show some more interest and enthusiasm. Those of you in the thick of this struggle should be the most sensitive to the issue. There was so much noise and interest when we first announced we were forming this group, but since then, only about six people from this forum have actually signed up.
The ten of us can't carry this entire weight alone. Our personal lives and careers are taking a hit because of this, but we don't regret a single second because we know we are doing the right thing.
Come on, speak up. We are open to all suggestions. This is YOUR association.

Charles Newman said:Look, once she was discharged, everything just backed up. She couldn't pass anything—everything was coming back up through her mouth. I honestly suspect it's her gallbladder because she’s reacting poorly to everything, even sugar.
She'll take sugar, then grease, then milk with grease, just constant grease. And she’s wasted away, God help her; looking at those photos of emaciated concentration camp prisoners, she looks even thinner now. She can't even stand on her own two feet! She's barely clinging to life.

Did you mention the possibility of bile to the ER staff? Listen, if we're talking about the gallbladder, that needs immediate intervention. If there's a rupture or a leak, we're looking at a life-threatening emergency.
Is there any yellowing in her face? I truly don't get why they didn't admit her just to stabilize her, regardless of the circumstances. I mean, they give those IV fluids for basic food poisoning, let alone for a situation this severe.😠 If I were in your shoes, I’d call 911 again and push the gallbladder theory hard.
Leaving her in this state, just waiting for some protocol-driven IV drip tomorrow, is beyond unprofessional—to say nothing of the complete lack of basic humanity.

Aaron Sanchez12 said:Thanks, but those reference ranges don't seem to account for kids or even a young woman, so I have no clue what counts as a normal deviation, if such a thing even exists...

From what I’ve managed to dig up on Google, the ESR reference range for girls aged 8 to 19 is somewhere between 2 and 20.
As for the Mayo Clinic data, it looks like they use the same values for everyone.
I'm sure someone with actual medical expertise will chime in soon to clear things up.

Charles Newman said:Hey everyone, it’s been a while since I last posted!
The last time you heard from me, my mom hadn't even started her radiation and chemo yet.
Fast forward a few months, and while the tumor has actually shrunk, things have taken a massive turn for the worse due to some brutal complications. She had internal radiation on her lymph nodes, and she’s lost so much weight—she can't keep anything down. She’s constantly vomiting this green, foul-smelling stuff and can't drink or eat a thing. A few hours ago, she was in agony, so we rushed her to the ER, but all they did was toss her some painkillers and call it a day. My mom is just staring off into space right now; she doesn't even realize anyone is in the room with her.
The nurse isn't supposed to be here with the IV drip until tomorrow. I am a total wreck right now—just sitting here crying my eyes out. I don't even know how to process this. Honestly, I'm terrified because until yesterday, she seemed relatively okay; she was talking, sipping water, eating tiny bits here and there.
I don't even know why I'm posting this, probably just needing to vent to someone so I don't lose my mind. Sorry if I'm intruding. Wishing you all the best.

Look, that green, stinky vomit sounds exactly like bile to me. My advice? Call the ER back immediately and demand they admit her and get an IV started right away. Just handing out painkillers is a lazy, half-assed way to handle this. If she isn't getting fluids and glucose, her condition is going to spiral fast. Even if it is bile, that can only be properly diagnosed at a hospital, and if it is, it needs urgent medical intervention. You need to be more aggressive and firm with the people at the ER. Don't let them brush you off.

Aaron Sanchez12 said:Can someone please make sense of these labs for my daughter? She’s 15 and I can't get a doctor to actually sit down and explain anything to me... she looks deathly pale, too.

MCHC 365
ESR 4

thanks

MCHC measures the average concentration of hemoglobin within a single red blood cell, which is calculated using both hemoglobin levels and the hematocrit percentage.
REFERENCE RANGES:
320 to 350 g/L
More about MCHC

Determining Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate :
REFERENCE RANGES:
Women (>50 years old)
5 to 28
Men (>50 years old)
2 to 23
Women (20-50 years old)
4 to 24
Men (20-50 years old)
3 to 13
INDICATES ELEVATION IN:
The ESR test is an extremely useful tool for monitoring the progression of an infectious process.
An accelerated sedimentation rate can be seen in acute or chronic infectious diseases, rheumatic conditions, neoplastic syndromes, and degenerative diseases.
Source:http://www.mayoclinic.org/hematology

Alright, let's see if Karen Thomas46 actually managed to dig up anything concrete. It would be a damn miracle if there was actually something tangible out there that could improve this mess and finally get it under control.

jadesailor14 said:they don't get sick
so how on earth can they claim to have experience treating a disease with traditional medicine if they don't even suffer from it themselves?
What exactly is their basis for this supposed expertise?
How could they possibly develop drugs or treatment methods when they had no one to test them on?

That’s the catch right there.
And let's be real—since there's currently no successful cure for MS, desperate patients would sell their souls to find one, and they'd gladly liquidate every asset they own just to fly off to China to try anything.

Look, it sounds perfectly logical to us based on what you said, but couldn't we assume that perhaps people were suffering from these conditions a thousand years ago, even if we have no historical record of it? They could have built their entire body of knowledge on that lost history🤷. Plus, according to their traditional medical philosophy, almost all illnesses are viewed as disruptions at an energetic level. That's how acupuncture works, for example—it "reconnects" the flow of energy through those energy chakras. They aren't really diving deep into the actual pathology of the disease itself.
I completely understand the desperation of a patient—you know better than anyone that we've dealt with that in my own family—and I see how easy it is to be scammed. But what I'm trying to say is that we shouldn't immediately dismiss everything just because it doesn't align with our current logic.
It's certain that we need to investigate this more thoroughly and remain open to things we can't scientifically explain yet (which doesn't mean they won't be scientifically explained eventually).
Has anyone actually asked what they base their treatments on if they don't have MS patients among them? It's not like they're all just blindly running into a fog without any foundation.😕

Joseph Morris12 said:Besides, how am I supposed to treat multiple sclerosis when the yellow race doesn't even get that disease? Sure, teas and diet can help bolster your system, which is fine—it’s basically just macrobiotics—but it isn't going to pull you out of a hospital bed. It won't cure MS, and it won't cure cancer. You aren't going to suddenly regain your sight or speech just because you drank some herbal tea. I might sound harsh to some, but that's the reality. People, stop being sheep. Triple-check everything at three different sources before you go handing over every cent you own and drowning yourself in debt and credit cards!

I'm lost here, but is it possible that's exactly why they don't get sick?😕?
Look, the world is crawling with charlatans, I get it, but there are actual alternatives that work—think acupuncture. Western medicine tends to be incredibly guarded, if not outright hostile, toward anything labeled "alternative."
About a year ago, I met a woman who finished medical school and specialized in a specific field (I can't recall exactly which one), and she was deeply frustrated by certain rigid stances in the medical establishment, especially in those grim cases where doctors basically wash their hands of a patient because there's nothing left to do. She ended up going to China to specialize in traditional Chinese medicine through one of their medical universities. She told me that in Chinese hospitals, they actually run classical medicine and traditional Chinese medicine side-by-side. They use traditional methods to effectively neutralize the brutal side effects of chemotherapy, for example.
China is an entirely different universe with a massive history—if you look at it chronologically, there's no real equivalent in the West, maybe something rooted back in ancient Mesopotamia—built on solid foundations of philosophy and a specific way of interpreting how things work. Just because our traditional Western worldview makes it impossible for us to wrap our heads around something doesn't mean it's a scam. Our inability to comprehend it is actually the core issue. If you want real insight, find some Chinese friends and ask them what they think about this from a layman's perspective. It might actually be helpful.😉

Joseph Clark98 said:Hi everyone. I’ve been active over at www.zanovidan.com, but this is my first time posting on this forum. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer two months ago; she’s undergone six rounds of chemo and starts her fourth next week. Thank God, she’s holding up well so far. To help detox her system, she’s been drinking nettle tea, but two or three days after her therapy sessions, she gets nauseated by it and barely touches it. Does anyone know if there’s another tea with a similar effect?
Also, I read somewhere that you shouldn't take antioxidants for a few days following treatment 😕 does anyone have insight on that? What kind of antioxidants are we talking about—the ones found in food or specific supplements? And what about raw propolis; should that be avoided during that window too?

And just for "Megan Perez67," I want to share an example from my dear aunt, who had advanced breast cancer. She went through a major surgery where they removed the breast, followed by nearly 30 radiation treatments and several cycles of chemotherapy. Today—three or four years after being cleared—she is alive, healthy, and feeling fantastic. Of course, that doesn't mean every woman will follow that exact path, but there is definitely hope, even in severe cases. I think the most important thing for your mother right now is preparing herself for the upcoming treatments—primarily boosting her immune system with nutritious food and, if possible, daily walks in nature.
Staying informed is absolutely vital, and with the internet, we have incredible resources at our fingertips... I suggest you spend whatever time you can browsing and reading up on the disease, the treatments, nutrition, and so on. Wishing you both the best of luck.

Best regards to all

Based on some experiences I've seen, Taheebo tea and green tea have worked wonders. Both are heavy hitters when it comes to antioxidants. Regarding the idea of avoiding antioxidants during and immediately after chemo: the logic is that many believe antioxidants might bind to those free radicals (the toxins) released by the chemo that are actually meant to target and destroy the tumor, potentially weakening the treatment's impact. Now, I’m no doctor, but I find it hard to believe that a cup of green tea could significantly alter the efficacy of such incredibly toxic chemotherapy. By that logic, eating a kilo of apples would also diminish the results. Personally, I think the best approach is to just live off air and water during and after chemo.🙄I know plenty of people who successfully beat it while still drinking their herbal teas, taking propolis, or using aloe, so there you go.🤷

Megan Perez67 said:First off, hello everyone. I don't even know where to begin because so much has hit me all at once lately that I'm feeling completely overwhelmed. Three years ago, I went through a divorce after twelve years of marriage—there were good times and bad, but that’s the least of my worries right now.
I moved past that and started moving forward, though being unemployed and relying on my mom was tough, but that passed too. I met a guy who actually made me believe in love again, and just when things seemed to be looking up last year, my dad suffered a stroke and he's still recovering. I kept telling myself that after all the chaos of 2007, the storm was finally passing—I found a job, I'm planning to remarry, but! That damn "but" arrived at the end of December: my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery on Tuesday, and the doctor isn't exactly pouring optimism on us; he says the situation is grim and she'll likely need radiation and chemo. We're waiting on more test results. It’s all so foreign and new to me; I feel terrified and lost.😕
Sometimes I just want to spend the whole day crying, and then there are moments where I just refuse to accept reality, pretending none of this is happening—until my mom calls me and drags me right back to the reality I'm trying so hard to escape.

Look, honey, running away doesn't work. If anything, it just makes the hole deeper. What happened, happened, and the sooner you face this head-on, the better equipped you'll be to help your mom fight. As for the doctor's grim outlook... look, having cancer is bad enough by itself, but keep in mind that breast cancer is treated incredibly well these days; there are far more survivors than there are people who lose the battle. Doctors aren't going to sit there and promise you a 100% guarantee that everything will be perfect. No one on this planet can make a promise like that. What I can tell you is that life is unpredictable, which means the outcome of your mom's treatment is unpredictable too. But you can do everything in your power to ensure that outcome is positive. She’s going to get treatment, and she’s in good hands, but beyond the chemo and radiation, family support and love are just as vital. Without that, even the most manageable illness becomes an uphill struggle. Support and love have to be part of the treatment package. So pull yourself together, embrace the weight of being an adult, and step up to fight for her. She needs you more than ever.
If you need anything at all, reach out here for help and support. Thanks to this little forum, plenty of people have navigated their darkest hours successfully.
You can also reach out to our association at www.cancerhelp.org which was founded specifically to assist people in your exact situation.
Sending kisses. Stay strong and get in the fight.😘

wiredranger21 said:...

Like Elizabeth Gonzalez55 suggested, give DCVax another shot. Just stay strong and push through!

Elizabeth Gonzalez55 said:Well, I’ve basically written you guys an entire novel at this point—if there happens to be any question left hanging that I haven't tackled, just let me know..

Honey, everything is going to be fine. Don't let the negativity take root. I get it, fear is completely irrational, but you really have to try and neutralize those thoughts as much as possible.

To wrap this up:
Are we specifically talking about DCVax immunotherapy here? More specifically, this. It only mentions melanoma. What really trips me up is that according to their own graph, they're still stuck in pre-clinical stages.
The only logical takeaway for me is that their website isn't being updated. It's the same story with DCVax-L, where it claims to be in Phase 2 clinical trials, because it makes zero sense to them giving therapy to patients while they're still in the pre-clinical phase.😕

brightgardener8 said:Bendamustine, how did the surgery go??? Is everything okay?

Regarding this vaccine, I asked my mom's doctor, but he just mumbled something under his breath—nothing concrete at all.
The truth is, he won't tell me anything until we get back with the new head scans. We had the MRI done today, so once I have the images next time, I'll see if I can squeeze some actual information out of him.

Everything feels completely off to me too.😕I asked my aunt to double-check with her specialist over at Mount Sinai who brought up DCVax back in the summer.
My theory is that even though it's technically a Phase II clinical trial, anyone paying for it is essentially participating in that trial, effectively funding the research with their own money. I read on the DCVax website that it's open to all patients🤷, but now I'm hearing it isn't available in Switzerland. It makes me wonder what they are actually offering here in the States—is it really DCVax, or is it something else entirely?😕

Bendamustine, how are you doing? Did everything go alright?

ruggedowl2 said:Nicotine isn't heroin. The withdrawal isn't some massive physical shock for me.

Sure, it doesn't hit you like coming off OxyContin, but don't brush it off. The physiological stress your body goes through during quitting is scientifically documented, and you shouldn't just ignore it.

ruggedowl2 said:I don't see the point in wasting money on nicotine patches. A nicotine withdrawal crisis isn't some huge deal; I'm actually going through it right now (five days clean).
The goal is to get nicotine out of your system, not just drag out the addiction with patches, right?

Sure, but quitting cold turkey can absolutely wreck you. It’s much smarter to taper off gradually. Like someone else pointed out, the crash hits once you finish that last tiny dose, but at least it's a smaller shock to your system.

Amy Hayes28 said:My dad is finally getting discharged from the hospital today. He's heading home.😢
Word on the street is that the radiation levels have only gone downhill from here.
The tumor is just spreading, and on top of that, we're dealing with burns and diabetes. It's a mess.
There’s absolutely nothing left for me to do here. Let them go home... just let them pack up and head out. What am I supposed to do? How does it even work? Where do they go from here? It doesn't matter.
Dammit... now what?
It’s as simple as that—there’s really no other way. Just send them home... they can take their insulin and wait it out.
And what? Are we just supposed to sit here and wait for them to die or something?

There just has to be some kind of alternative.😢
I know that feeling all too well. If he had just gone for the immunotherapy, radiation would have remained a last resort. But now? Now we’re playing a completely different game.😢
I’m at a loss for words. I honestly don't know what to tell you.
Is it up and running?

Laura Kelly91 said:Hey everyone,
I’ve been off the grid for a while. Unfortunately, things have taken a devastating turn. My dad passed away on January 10th after suffering through several days of excruciating pain. His condition just spiraled out of nowhere... It was horrific, and honestly, it still feels that way. He left us just eight months after my mom, who fought cancer for twenty days before losing her battle. He was diagnosed with a tumor only three and a half months ago... At least they're together now, though I am beyond heartbroken—actually, I feel completely numb.
That said, I want to be here for you all in this fight. Despite everything, I truly believe winning is possible. We have to try everything; there are just too many success stories out there to ignore. So please, keep pushing and keep fighting. Never, ever give up!

😢 My heart breaks for you.
Mila, I am so incredibly sorry. Life can be brutally, unforgivably cruel sometimes. You are such an incredibly strong person, even if you feel like you're falling apart right now. I really hope you aren't facing this alone and that you have people surrounding you who love you. If you need anything at all, or if you just need someone to listen, please reach out.
Take care of yourself.