Posts by Angela Wright

Nicole Harris7 said:Is that actually possible? Can someone really sign up as a dependent? I mean, I'm an adult... does my age play a role in this? And where am I supposed to go? To the social services office? What kind of story am I even supposed to tell them? Like, "Look, I'm unemployed, I lost my health coverage, and my parents are supporting me." Do they actually buy that? Wouldn't I need some sort of official proof that I'm not working? I read somewhere on a forum about some procedure involving paying around $100 or so for coverage. How does that process even work?

Isn't your employment history basically the proof that you're out of a job?
Think about stay-at-home moms who don't have a paycheck—how do they get coverage? They're covered through their husbands, obviously, because he supports them.
Look, just head straight to your local county office, hit up the info desk, and lay out your whole situation in detail. There might be other options available besides this one that actually fit your circumstances better.

brightgardener8 said:Is this the specific medication you guys were mentioning? I remember seeing posts about it about four months back over on page 28.
Karen Fox36, radiation itself doesn't usually cause nausea. It’s when they bundle it together with chemotherapy that things get rough.
As for skin burns, my mom cruised through all 30 sessions without any major issues. Her ears peeled a little bit, but that cleared up fast once she finished her treatment. She lost her hair about halfway through.

No, this one is straight out of Mexico and they're insisting that either a family member or the patient shows up in person.

Karen Fox36 said:I’m not sure if we’re talking about the exact same medication, but here’s our routine: we brew a super concentrated St. John’s Wort tea, then drop 7 white drops into it every morning. In the evening, we mix 25 ml of this green liquid—which honestly tastes and smells absolutely revolting—into the tea as well. My mom hasn't had any side effects at all from the Medication; the only thing is she gets a bit flushed, but that clears up as soon as she eats, so it seems like some kind of high-proof alcohol effect. I was pretty terrified when she first started the treatment, constantly worrying about how her body would react, but thank God she’s handling it beautifully. This Friday marks 30 days on this regimen, and we’re already heading out tomorrow to pick up the next round. I’ll check back in with everyone in a month to let you know if there’s any actual improvement.

As for the radiation, my mom only does two minutes every single day, which is probably why she isn't dealing with burns or nausea. From what I understand, her oncologist has scheduled her for 20 sessions total, at least for now.

That's it—those drops go right into the St. John’s Wort tea.

jadetinker42 said:...

Welcome. Thank you for opening up and sharing your story with us, even though it’s such a heavy and heartbreaking thing to carry.
Honestly, there is some small comfort in knowing that when things reached this inevitable point, he wasn't left to suffer indefinitely. You did everything humanly possible as a family to support him, and he passed away having truly lived a full, happy life. He closed his chapter on his own terms, even if it feels like he still had so much more to give and so much more time to spend with all of you. He was surrounded by a family defined by warmth and love, and that is quite possibly the greatest legacy any person can leave behind. People raised in homes like yours go on to build new families with that same foundation, passing that light along to a world that desperately needs it.

Karen Fox36 said:We actually picked up some kind of remedy from a guy out in Mexico. He makes it using various herbs steeped in alcohol. He claims he finished medical school and survived cancer himself, so he spent time trekking through the mountains until he found this one plant that supposedly cures everything. We've been using it for about a month now. Since we can't get a CT scan done right away—we have to wait a month because of her radiation schedule—I'll let you guys know if we see any positive changes. If anyone wants his phone number, just shoot me a private message. Best,

Is it like a dark green liquid, or specifically more like a milky substance when you drink it?
We also reached out to a herbalist from Mexico and bought his preparation. My mom only took it twice because she had horrific reactions—stuff like vomiting and fever. It acts like a natural version of chemotherapy. She got spooked and refused to take any more, especially since she had a course of Chemotherapy coming up and was terrified of potential contraindications.

@Amy Hayes28/">@@Amy Hayes28
Unfortunately, skin burns during radiation are pretty much a given. The doctors strictly forbade my mom from applying anything to her skin while undergoing radiation, except for this purple liquid they gave her in a little vial—it’s basically meant to be sprayed onto the burns.
Since my mom was doing radiation and chemo at the same time, her hair fell out completely overnight. Sadly, because of the radiation, the follicles on part of her head were totally scorched, so the hair won't grow back there at all.

Nicole Harris7 said:Um...
So, here’s the situation. I left my last job, but they dragged their feet on returning my paperwork—tax forms, termination notices, all that stuff. Because of their delay, I missed the one-month window to register for health insurance coverage. It’s done, though; there's no going back now. Currently, I’m unemployed and haven't
registered with the unemployment office yet. My last day of employment was back in February.

Now I'm facing the inevitable question... What happens if something goes wrong and I end up in the hospital? Say, for an emergency appendectomy or something along those lines. How much is the healthcare system going to bleed me for on average? Also, is there any way to get my insurance sorted out retroactively? I’ve been through a mountain of interviews, but nobody has hired me yet. Is there some kind of workaround where I sign up at the unemployment office and then deal with Medicare later? I know people are probably going to mock me for this, but they didn't have to deal with the shady firm that screwed me over.
I really need some advice; I honestly have no idea what my next move should be.

You don't actually have to be registered with the unemployment office to qualify for socialized medical coverage anymore. Nowadays, that agency is basically just a placement service for finding work. From what I understand, you can list yourself as a dependent under a family member, and they can claim you as a tax deduction later on. Your best bet is to call Social Services or just walk into their office and ask them directly. That’s the smartest move.

I really appreciate everyone reaching out with such kind words and support during this time.

electricgardener14 said:Hey everyone,
first off, my heart goes out to Angela Wright regarding her brother—I am truly sorry for your loss.
Now, we have to focus on fighting for our own—those who aren't healthy, but are still with us, and they mean everything.
My husband's doctor suggested it might be a good idea to start him on
Microsoft, which apparently comes in 4 mg vials administered via IV. She claims it works well for bone metastases. I did a little digging online and found that it’s actually covered on the standard insurance formulary, but the doctor insists that isn't true and says one vial costs $567. Apparently, he should be getting one every week at first. At least, that's her take, though she also admitted she hasn't actually prescribed this specific drug to anyone yet.
So, I'm asking you all: if anyone here—or anywhere else—has any experience with this medication or knows what the actual cost is, please let me know ASAP.
Hang in there, everyone.
Diana

Try contacting Medicare to get an email confirmation proving the drug is on the covered list, then show that to her. Since the doctor hasn't used it on a patient yet, there's a real chance she's working with incorrect information.

Karen Fox36 said:Hi everyone, I'm writing to you from Boston. Sadly, my mom was diagnosed with Grade IV glioblastoma just over a month ago. Everyone initially assumed they were brain metastases, but they couldn't find a primary tumor anywhere. A biopsy eventually confirmed it's a glioblastoma. Mom is undergoing radiation now, and her oncologist actually suspects metastases too, because the pathology doesn't quite look like a typical glioblastoma (apparently it has some sort of butterfly shape????). Is it possible for there to be an error in the pathology report? I can't believe we're dealing with this uncertainty on top of all the pain we're going through. Does anyone know who I could email my mom's results to, just to get a second opinion? I don't even live my own life anymore; I don't think about myself at all. I spend my entire day either at the hospital or online. I often feel incredibly depressed, and the moment I'm home alone, I just break down and scream at the top of my lungs. Thanks to everyone who can help, especially Angela Wright, whose posts always brighten my day.

Anything is possible, including a mix-up with the pathology. If I were you, I'd send them over, or better yet, hop on a bus and head to New York City to take those files directly to the Knight or one of his neurosurgeons to have a face-to-face conversation. Paul actually emailed her husband's medical records all the way to Houston, and they gave her a proper response.
That glioblastoma supposedly comes in various forms. There are even transitional stages from Grade III astrocytoma to MF glioblastoma, and all of that dictates how successful the treatment will be and how fast the tumor progresses.
I truly hope things become clearer for you very soon.😢

Benjamin Cruz86 said:Are we talking about those little knots, you know, like lactic acid buildup in the muscle? (Sorry if I’m totally off base here)🤷?
Does this mean I finally have a legitimate excuse to demand a daily massage from my girlfriend?

Exactly.🙂

Myogelosis involves a vertical thickening within the muscle tissue that can occur due to things like overuse or specific muscle contractions. These areas are usually painful and become particularly problematic when they sit right above a bone, causing pressure and discomfort—like when you have issues near the sacrum, the shoulder blade, and so on. We're looking at irreversible changes where the muscle shifts from a fluid state into a gel-like consistency (hence the term myogelosis). While you can't revert it back to its original state, certain physical therapies can alleviate the symptoms and kill the pain; ultrasound therapy is extremely effective for this type of tissue, a process known as gelotripsy.
Applying heat to these muscles is also an option.

Porter Perić, M.D., PhD
Physiatry & Rheumatology Specialist

You've got enough there to guilt-trip your girl into massaging you👍, but honestly, you need someone who actually knows the fundamentals of medical massage to really work those spots out. You could even take it a step further and nag the club manager to hire a professional masseuse for the group.
Regardless, go see a doctor, because your assumption might be off. A physiatrist will give you a proper exam and prescribe the right treatment to get you sorted.

Benjamin Cruz86 said:My whole arm goes numb in the middle of the night, and my hand just feels totally lifeless... I’ve got a feeling my circulation might be a bit off, at least when it comes to my arms. This numbness in my limbs keeps happening.
How would I go about getting this checked out?

Look, since you’re into rock climbing, certain muscle groups are taking way more of a beating than others. It’s entirely possible you’ve developed myofascial trigger points—basically those hard, knotty lumps in the muscle that pop or click when you massage them—somewhere in your back, probably near the shoulder blades. If one of those knots is pressing against a nerve, it’ll send that numbness straight down your arm. It sounds like you aren't finishing your sessions with enough massage work or gradual stretching, which is why those knots are forming. A few months ago, a girl on this forum posted about waking up one morning with her entire arm completely paralyzed😲—you can imagine how much she panicked—only to find out it was just a stupid muscle knot pinching a nerve. She ended up getting an ultrasound and some physical therapy to break it up.
Go see a doctor, get an MRI of your spine, and ask for a referral to a physical therapist.

Benjamin Cruz86 said:Hey everyone!
So, a few months back, my left arm started acting up. It gets this intense numbness paired with some pretty gnarly pain. It’s honestly such an uncomfortable sensation, and most nights it hits me so hard it actually wakes me up from sleep... I do a lot of rock climbing, and I've noticed it usually flares up after a heavy training session, but sometimes my arm just goes numb even if I'm just chatting on my phone for a few minutes or keeping it totally still. Do you think this could be a pinched nerve or maybe some kind of muscle injury?

Are we talking the hand or the whole arm?
If it's just the hand getting numb at night, making it hard to grip things or relax, that can be one of those early warning signs for degenerative issues like osteoarthritis.

Alright everyone, we've officially become the hot topic when it comes to health discussions.👍
I truly hope this space continues to serve as a small glimmer of hope—a little matchstick in a dark tunnel—guiding those of us struggling toward the light at the end.

Today is a heavy one for me😢. We lost my cousin last night. He succumbed to cancer after a six-month battle where doctors couldn't even pin down exactly what they were fighting. He suffered through so much pain. Just the night before last, he was conscious, sitting up in bed, talking to us; then, by morning, he just wouldn't wake up. They rushed him to the ER, and once they realized there was nothing more they could do, they sent him home with an explanation that turned out to be all too accurate: time had simply run out. He spent nearly a full day in a coma before he stopped breathing. He was only 50. He leaves behind a 14-year-old son.

I’m feeling the absence of my mom intensely today, too. But honestly, I am endlessly grateful she was right there by my side when I was 14, dealing with all those things every teenager has to navigate at that age.
Mom is having a slightly better stretch lately; she's eating well and actually seems a bit more herself. She was even watching TV earlier.

rowdylynx38 said:Thanks, 🙂

But looking through Italian medical texts—at least the ones I can find—I’m not seeing the term "macchia" used in a clinical sense, unless we're just talking about skin spots or blemishes. 😢

Anyway, I did dig up this phrase: sbavatura cervicale, which translates to an cervical smear or basically a Pap smear.

rowdylynx38 said:I'm working on translating a discharge summary and I'm stuck on the term "smear" and its plural form. Can anyone help me out with the English side of things? I'm translating this into Italian...

Thanks!

In English, it's "smear"👍
In Italian, I'm getting "macchia" or "sbaffo," but I'm really not sure if those actually work as synonyms within medical jargon.🤷

Patrick Moore53 said:I’ve got terrible bad breath and I’ve tried absolutely everything under the sun, but I just can't seem to shake it. It’s crushed my self-confidence so many times that I’ve actually considered going under the knife for surgery just to fix it!😢 😢 😢 😢 😢 😢

What’s the status of your teeth, stomach, and tonsils?

We already covered this over at:
http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?p=7920421
http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=241702

Andrew Miller10 said:He’s cut out all alcohol and even stopped drinking soda. He used to be a huge meat eater, but he hasn't touched it for a week now. As for smoking, he went from two packs a day down to just seven cigarettes.
He's pretty terrified because his dad passed away at that same age due to liver failure following chronic Hepatitis B. Right now, he’s taking Vitamin E, garlic pills (if that's what they're called), and soy lecithin. He also has gallstones—could those be causing the elevated ALT levels?
The doctor told him to take B12 injections and Liv 52 until his checkup.

Look, I’m not a medical professional, but I can tell you what happened when my mom had high liver markers. Back then, her Hepatitis A levels were also questionable. See, when she was a young woman, her grandmother took in a relative who had Hepatitis A to care for him. My mom was basically the "Mother Teresa" of the family, always treating everyone with herbal remedies. I suspect she picked up the virus back then, but it never fully developed because her immune system kept it in check. I know gallstones can mess with the liver, but whether it manifests exactly like this, I honestly don't know.🤷
Given that your grandfather dealt with Hepatitis B, it seems more likely that your dad might have contracted it somehow while being close to him, and now that his immune system is compromised, the virus is resurfacing. He definitely needs to ask for specific hepatitis panels.
Regarding liver support, Milk Thistle is excellent. Over at Johnson & Johnson, they actually make capsules specifically for that called Silymarin.
http://www.johnsonandjohnson.com/Default.aspx?sid=196
http://hepatitis.16.forumer.com/a/silymarin_post24.html

Andrew Miller10 said:I could use some clarification here. My dad had an ultrasound, and they told him he has fatty liver. Because of that, he went in for blood work, and everything looks totally fine except for
ALT, which is at 108.0 U/L, even though the normal range is listed as 0-40
Is this dangerous, and what does it actually mean?

The highest concentrations of ALT enzymes are found in the liver, kidneys, heart, and skeletal muscles, and to a
lesser extent in the pancreas, spleen, and lungs.
REFERENCE VALUES:
Women (>20 yrs)
10 to 36 U/L @ 37°C
Men (>20 yrs)
12 to 48 U/L @ 37°C

EXTREMELY ELEVATED IN CASES OF:
liver cell necrosis, shock, acute anoxia, extensive skeletal muscle trauma, myositis,
myocarditis
ELEVATED IN CASES OF:
cirrhosis, liver tumors, muscular dystrophy, myopathy, myocardial infarction, hemolytic diseases,
chronic alcoholism

and when ALT > AST in acute or chronic
viral hepatitis

Source:

They’ll probably send him in for hepatitis markers next.
He needs to strictly avoid alcohol, soda, and greasy foods.

jadesailor14 said:It’s just that since we're hanging out in the health subforum, I think the whole conversation carries a slightly different vibe here!

I get what you're hinting at, but when I used the word "post," I was talking about the literal meaning of the message itself.
Think about it—the person who started this thread might not be talking about starvation; they could just be refusing certain foods for health reasons, religious beliefs, or whatever else, and they're simply asking if that's actually bad for them.
Real life isn't as neatly compartmentalized as our forum categories are.😉

Kyle Nelson2 said:Look, I'm no expert, but...
If you aren't getting enough protein, angiogenesis just can't happen—you know, the process where your body builds out new blood vessels...
Plus, from what I understand, when protein levels drop, the body starts cannibalizing itself. It usually goes after the muscle tissue first... which is probably why those people look so gaunt and wasted away...

With the Breuss protocol, it's mostly about drinking specific teas and juices.

I suspect that's exactly what happens with the Breuss approach: the cancer essentially starves itself out. Metastases can't take hold because there aren't any new vessels being built to feed the tumor. Sure, the recovery outlook remains shaky, but at least there's a fighting chance.

with the Breuss protocol, they drink mostly teas and juices

Which likely keeps the body functioning just enough to stay alive without providing the fuel the cancer needs to grow.