Posts by Angela Wright

Nancy Hernandez43 said:Then I head home, and every single time I walk through that door, I get hit by this wave of terror realizing just how heavy life feels with her in it. Of course, I immediately start judging myself, thinking I'm being selfish because I'm away at college and distant from everything— but that’s what she, my dad, and my brother want for me. Maybe it’s actually better this way... they're shielding me from the world so I don't spiral into negative thoughts.

So, what do *you* actually want? And I mean, give me the honest truth.

It’s completely logical and natural for them to want to protect you, but here’s the thing: even with that protection—which is really nothing more than an illusion—they are effectively keeping you from being by her side. Maybe you need that closeness, but she probably needs it too. She likely feels selfish herself because she feels like she's robbing you of a future if you end up missing a lecture or, heaven forbid, losing a year of college (that's just how mothers are, it's in their DNA). Are you feeling 186 miles any fewer of those negative thoughts deep down?
Speaking from my own gut conviction and experience, I am telling you: college can be made up, but time spent with your mother cannot.
I can sense the fragmentation and the constant internal tug-of-war in your posts. You are an adult, a mature and responsible person, so make the decision for yourself.

The hard truth is that none of us are truly invulnerable, no matter how much we try to build walls around ourselves or our loved ones. My parents, my grandparents, my entire extended family treated me like I was made of glass my whole life. I lived in this little glass bell jar, a perfect little bubble that felt like my one constant reality, until the day my mom ended up in the hospital with a diagnosis so horrific it shattered that shell instantly. For six months, I was a complete mental wreck. I honestly can't pinpoint the exact second I finally snapped out of it and accepted that this happens to everyone, not just us—that my entire previous existence had been a manufactured reality, and the moment I finally decided to
take the bull by the horns.
Don't ever let anyone strip away your freedom, no matter how noble their intentions might seem. Freedom is the only way we can actually become who we are meant to be and fully realize our potential.

mistyranger4 said:My dear friends!
First off, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone here. Your advice has truly made life so much easier for both me and my husband. Sadly, he passed away on October 17th. Once again, a huge thank you to all of you; I pray that God gives you all strength, and may your loved ones find relief from their pain!

I am so incredibly sorry; my heart truly goes out to you.😢
Your husband passed away happy because he had such a strong, selfless, devoted, and loving woman by his side. You should be so proud of the person you are and the marriage you shared. That kind of bond is a rarity these days.
I know how devastating this is, but please realize that your journey hasn't ended—it’s just shifting directions. You will always feel his hand on your shoulder. For now, let your soul and body rest. Let the tears flow; let them wash away the pain so you can eventually find peace. You are going to be okay.🙂

rowdyhawk49 said:I have to go in for surgery tomorrow—specifically for my right breast because of some benign tumor, nothing scary. They told me the procedure should only take about 20 minutes or so, but the catch is they need to put me under general anesthesia since local wouldn't be enough to handle the pain. I'm terrified about whether I'll actually wake up. My pre-op tests all came back fine, but my heart was racing a bit during the appointment... please help!!!

Good grief, don't think like that. Look, there’s always a risk involved in anything, but life itself is one big gamble; you never truly know what's waiting around the corner. Luckily, we have anesthesiologists who are highly trained experts specifically to calculate and recommend the safest anesthetic for your situation. It’s no wonder your heart was pounding like crazy—it’s completely natural to freak out when you hear you’re being put under.
Just try to relax, maybe take a mild sedative if you really need to, and stop worrying. Everything is going to be just fine.😉

Casey Campbell said:I’m asking for my 90-year-old grandmother. Her memory loss started about a year ago, and it feels like a slow, steady decline. I get that she’s elderly, but I truly believe high-quality therapy could make a difference. Who should I take her to see? I need a specialist who won't just shrug their shoulders and say, "Oh, she's just getting old," but will actually put in the work to diagnose her and find a treatment plan. A neurologist? A neuropsychiatrist? Does anyone have recommendations?

Thanks!

The hard truth is, there isn't much you can do here.😢 At most, you can manage medications to improve her circulation, which might help blood flow to the brain. But look at it this way: as people age, brain cells naturally degrade and die off—it's essentially necrotic tissue forming. Some people start losing their grip on memory much earlier, dealing with what's commonly called senile dementia. Honestly, your grandmother is incredibly lucky that these symptoms are only becoming noticeable now at 90. The best thing you can provide is an abundance of love and patience, ensuring she gets the best possible care as things inevitably progress.
There is no cure for aging or mortality; it's a reality we all eventually face.😢

Carol Ramirez said:Because the disease progressed so suddenly, they suggested radiation therapy. A tumor has completely blocked off his left bronchus, so air can't get into that lung at all, and there are signs it's spreading toward the right side, which means he's at risk of suffocating. His markers have gone through the roof. I honestly have no clue how to "unclog" him just enough so he can catch a breath. He’s taking pills to stop the bleeding because he’s coughing up bloody mucus, and we’ve already had to resort to Xanax. We’re just praying we get a date for the radiation soon...

😢 😠
Hopefully, the tumor shrinks enough that they can finally perform surgery. It's absolutely terrifying how fast this took a turn😲

Charles Campbell8 said:So, I’ve been taking those Hawaiian Noni tablets... and honestly? I don't feel a single thing from them. Not even a little bit. Nothing at all.

Supposedly that specific Hawaiian variety isn't even great because of the volcanic soil.

My mother has been taking Noni for two years now to deal with cancer. Nothing sensational happens. She went through her entire course of chemo without any drops in her blood counts, and honestly, she’s still somewhat active even though the prognosis was a maximum of one year. Now, I don't think we can strictly claim Noni is the reason for that, since she's also taking Native Propolis alongside it.

brightgardener8 said:Hey everyone!
After three failed attempts and being pushed back for 17 days, Mom finally got the green light today to resume chemo. We were struggling with her blood counts; nothing seemed to move the needle. We decided to try Beta glucan, and honestly, it looks like it’s actually working. So, we start the third cycle tomorrow... I know the nausea and vomiting are going to hit hard, but that's only for five days.
Regarding the incontinence supplies—for those of you who have been through this, how long does it actually take to get everything approved once you submit the request from the primary care doctor? Are we talking days, weeks, months...? We aren't at that stage yet, but I refuse to just leave things to chance. A friend whose grandmother has Alzheimer's mentioned they waited months (?!).

Wickedangel, Christian Wood63, Apple22, Bednkacin... how are you all holding up?

About ten days, total.

northernfox9 said:I am having such a hard time lately...

Oh honey, you are in my thoughts and prayers. My God, life is just so strange and illogical sometimes... despite all my own suffering, I can see there are people out there going through things much worse than me😢.
Honestly, I don't even know what to tell you, other than trying to catch him during one of those five minutes where he actually acts normal. Use that window to ask him what he wants and how he wants to move forward—realistically. Ask if he wants to go somewhere else if he can't stand being around you or if you're getting on his nerves... you have to reach some kind of agreement while he still has a shred of sanity left. Think about your mother, too; you don't want her to end up sick from the stress. But please, try to push through and support your child just a little longer. It’s the illness talking, 100%

This too shall pass, you'll see🙂. Remember that phase I went through with my old man about six months ago? There was a moment where I just wanted it all to end. It was unbearable. It turned out in the end that he had a thyroid issue that was absolutely wrecking his mental state. He was completely erratic and aggressive. Once he got on the right medication, he went back to being the calm, steady guy he always was

Melissa Kim45 said:It doesn't sound weird at all. It’s just that specific time of year.🙂

When I first found out my mom had cancer, I made two immediate decisions: zero plans—aside from the absolute essentials—and absolutely no asking about prognosis. Honestly, it gave me this brutal, real-world opportunity to actually live through and understand things I’d previously only read about in books.
Sometimes I catch myself daydreaming about "what ifs" and "could haves," and then I scare myself straight, letting the emotions just swamp me. But there’s simply no time or energy left to waste on nonsense. This situation is heavy. Despite everything, and precisely because of it, I have learned so incredibly much about myself and the people around me. Most importantly, I learned that if you let uncertainty and instability run wild, they will absolutely devour you. Through her illness, my mother has become one of my greatest life teachers.
Not to mention, she’s still the one person who knows exactly how to push my buttons. 😁

Jesus Christ, you gave me chills... you’re basically articulating my own realizations and thoughts. If we’ve all arrived at the exact same conclusion, then it has to be the truth, and it has to be right.

Anonymous said:Thanks a million! Regarding Christmas and New Year's, it might sound a little strange, but in my 22 years, I've never celebrated them out on the town. The very first people I personally wish a happy holiday to are always my parents. It's a tradition my mom instilled in me, and it's one I plan to keep alive, no matter what anyone else thinks about it...

And you'll want to do it again, passing that legacy down to your own kids one day...👍
Look, you already know how much happiness those years spent with your parents brought you. Every family goes through their fair share of highs and lows, but the bottom line is staying together. You’ve been incredibly blessed to have that constant togetherness. So many people never get that luxury. Just stay mindful of that and be grateful for it, regardless of whatever life throws at you down the road.

Anonymous said:She’s got a tumor or a cyst pressing against her esophagus, making it impossible for her to eat normally. The doctor mentioned it might be benign, but honestly, the odds aren't great. 😢 She’s been stuck in the hospital for three days now, and I have no idea if she’ll ever actually make it back home. I’m terrified of what’s coming next. I just want everything to turn out okay so we can at least be home together for Christmas and ring in the New Year the traditional way, but I know better than to count my blessings right now...👎

It feels like everyone around me is just dying this year. Life is a total nightmare, period.🙂

Just take a breath. Look, hearing something like that is absolutely gut-wrenching, but you have to maintain some level of positivity. Nothing is set in stone yet. Wait for the actual biopsy results—even if it turns out to be malignant, that doesn't mean it's an automatic loss. You can still fight it.

As for all this talk about death—people die constantly. It happens every single day. From the moment we're born, we're all on the same clock. We all have a limited amount of time on this earth. What actually matters is how we live that time and what we leave behind; that’s what separates people and makes some of us stronger than others. Don't let your own fear turn you selfish, spiraling because your Christmas or your New Year won't look the way you planned. Think about your mom for a second. She wants to come home, and having you spiral like this might actually do more harm than good for her spirit. Be her strength. Give her that positive energy so she has a fighting chance to get back to you. I believe you're a fighter, simply because you reached out here, and the people who show up here are the ones who are fighting.
Hang in there and keep talking to us. You'll have all the support we can give you right here.🙂

electricpanther17 said:Greetings everyone,
I know this topic has likely surfaced here before—I just can't seem to track down the specific thread—but I am curious about your actual experiences with Noni juice. Which brand should one actually buy?
There are several varieties out there, and naturally, the price points vary wildly. Price isn't my primary concern, but I have no intention of throwing money away $133 simply because one person swears by a specific label while another insists a $200 bottle is the superior choice.
Additionally, if anyone happens to know the distinction between Tahitian noni and Thai noni, I would appreciate the insight.
Thank you.

Word is that Tahitian Noni is the real deal—the original stuff. Most of the legitimate studies ever conducted on Noni were actually performed on Tahitian Noni. Apparently, there's a massive difference in the quality of the soil where the fruit grows; if it's grown in volcanic soil, you might be in trouble because it can soak up heavy metals. I wonder if that Thai version is like that, 🤷
My mom drinks the Tahitian kind, which you can only get through direct distributors.

Melissa Kim45 said:Well, we'll see about that. It isn't the priority right now, and frankly, I don't have the nerves or the milligrams left to deal with it.

If you want my advice, get that taken care of as soon as humanly possible. Total helplessness hits you out of nowhere, and more often than not, it’s terminal—at which point talking about "nerves" becomes completely irrelevant. I can't help but think about how some elderly folks spend years grumbling about fixing up their bathrooms, acting like, "Oh, I'm just getting old," only to realize a few years later they can't even climb into a tub and get back out without help... and by then, the ship has sailed, honey. Every single time we try to give Mom a bath, Dad ends up in tears because he waited too long to fix the situation. Now, we're short on cash, and trying to manage contractors, mess, and dust while dealing with her illness for two weeks straight is just impossible given everything else we're facing.
See if there is any way you can pull this off right now.

brightgardener8 said:You’re talking about a visiting nurse, but what does that actually entail? How many hours a day are they really there? Does the patient have to be completely immobile to qualify? Are we talking about home health nursing?
I'm sorry, everyone, I just have a million questions. My mom’s primary care doctor is such a total hack that he hasn’t helped our situation one bit—if anything, he’s made it worse by writing incorrect referrals and withholding vital information.😈

We ended up hiring a woman to look after my mom ourselves; we pay her out of pocket, obviously.

In my experience, my mother received daily care, and that's all determined by the head home health nurse. She’s the one who assesses the patient's overall condition and makes a recommendation to the GP, who then sends it to the review board—which, in our case, has always been approved. The maximum you can get for a nurse is 45 minutes a day, though she always stays as long as necessary to finish her tasks. Sometimes 20 minutes is plenty, but when we deal with complications like bathing alongside the regular routine, she’s stayed for as long as an hour and a half. You can also arrange for care seven days a week. The head nurse (a wonderful woman who has walked through this hell with me three times now, so she truly gets it) offered us that seven-day option, except on Saturdays and Sundays, a nurse on call comes whenever they can make it. That could be anytime from early morning to late afternoon, which made zero sense for us because we couldn't leave the house all weekend, and my dad and I usually handle the bathing together on Saturday mornings anyway. Basically, if someone needs it, they can negotiate, but it all hinges on the "staffing quality" managed by the agency.

Maria Doyle27 said:Starbucks almost certainly won't be available at a local community clinic; you’d need to head to a top-tier, fully equipped lab. I actually had them done a few years back at Rib, and they told me straight up that I was one of the last people who would ever be able to get that specific test through them because they were phasing it out. I have no clue what their current policy is today.

Since I pulled this bloodwork data directly from the official websites for Mercy Hospital—basically the equivalent of Johns Hopkins—specifically from the Department of Emergency Laboratory Diagnostics and General Medical Biochemistry, I'm assuming they still handle it. If they don't, you'll definitely have to turn to private labs.

Melissa Kim45 said:Of course we've all ended up at each other's throats. This whole situation is one massive stress test, and frankly, some people have revealed sides of themselves I never even knew existed.

Yeah, and that’s exactly what cut me so deep... my mom is sick, while you people aren't🙄. It really feels like this kind of suffering only hits truly exceptional people, because they're the only ones capable of enduring it to the end the right way.

crimsonhound28 said:Thanks, Jane Doe😘

I'm really hoping everything can just be handled at the local community health clinic through a standard referral...

The only thing I'm actually unsure about is whether they cover this specific Starbucks test.🤷

Jamie Reyes3 said:Hey everyone... I was wondering if anyone here has experience dealing with blackheads. I don't really know the technical term for them, and I'm definitely not an expert, but I figured someone here might know what's up. :-)

Basically, they're all over my nose, and I feel like I'm constantly squeezing these tiny little black dots that you can barely even see...

Is there actually a treatment for this? Any way to just get rid of them for good?

And sorry if this topic has already been covered elsewhere.

Those are just myths; they're a completely natural and normal thing to have. You can find tons of products and advice at any drugstore to deal with it, but honestly, the best bet is to hit up an esthetician for regular facial treatments to keep your skin clear. Just make sure you're consistently using an antibacterial soap and decent face creams.

crimsonhound28 said:What exactly are these tests, and where can I get them done?
SE, KKS, AST, ASTA.

I know they pull the numbers from bloodwork, and if I recall correctly, AST is related to liver issues.

But what about the others?

SE stands for sedimentation rate.
KKS is a Complete Blood Count—your standard routine hematology panel that checks your red blood cells, white cell count, and platelets.
ASTA refers to anti-staphylolytic antibodies (basically checking if you have antibodies against some type of staph infection that's giving you trouble).
AST is Aspartate Aminotransferase, which is just one of those common liver function tests.

Carol Ramirez said:Regarding my grandfather, Angela Wright, you hit the nail on the head. He was diagnosed with bronchial cancer last November, and the doctors basically gave him two or three months to live. Fast forward six months, and they’re scratching their heads because there aren't any metastases in his bones or brain like they fully expected. This year has been nothing short of a miracle.
He ended up back in the hospital this morning. They're trying to pinpoint the source of some bleeding because he’s coughing up quite a bit of blood. He says he feels this sharp, stabbing pain in his lungs, and I can see it hitting him in real-time—he gets this look of pure agony and clutches his chest. On the flip side, I was actually shocked yesterday by how solid his blood work looks. White cell count, hemoglobin, urea, creatinine, blood sugar, electrolytes... everything is perfect! The man is tough as nails; he's a real fighter.
The ladies at the pharmacy were giving me a hard time, joking that I must have some kind of mad scientist kit at home since I'm constantly clearing out their shelves with his prescriptions. Honestly, I don't care what they think. As long as his blood counts stay strong, there's still hope. If only he weren't such a stubborn old mule, everything would be perfect.🙂 But I guess that crankiness runs in the family.🤣
Sending love, big hugs :*

I'm really hoping this is just one of those "lesser evils" where he's dealing with another bout of inflammation😢. It's a huge relief that his blood work is healthy. Whatever approach you're taking, stick to it—it's clearly working, considering that tumor seems to be staying under control. You've found a combination that actually holds its own. Keep us posted.