Posts by Angela Wright

coppergardener said:I find it quite peculiar—honestly, a bit unsettling—that they didn't bother scanning my father's head at all. They only did the abdomen scan. "No metastases," they tell us. Now, I am left wondering... should I actually press them for answers, or is it one of those situations where they "know exactly what they are doing" and I should just stay quiet?

They probably know what they're doing, either because it’s unnecessary or because the cancer is so widespread it could be in his pinky finger by now. Still, if I were in your shoes, I’d definitely ask the doctor exactly how they reached the conclusion that there's no spread.
If it had migrated to the brain, I suspect you'd notice pretty quickly; neurological symptoms usually pop up fast, and the first sign is often something like facial drooping, similar to a stroke.

Oh my God, I am truly sorry you're having to deal with all of this 😢
Stay strong😘

James Watson84 said:Apparently, Caesar was just born that way, though I find that incredibly hard to swallow.

Why? Look, they’ve found mummies in Egypt where CT scans show clear evidence of cranial surgery—actual traces on the skull suggesting they performed open-brain procedures, and the patients actually survived and lived for quite a while afterward. It’s a reminder that ancient civilizations were far more sophisticated than we give them credit for today.

vividowl10 said:Grace, hang in there......... 😘 ......just keep pushing......and you'll prove everyone wrong by being stronger than they ever imagined

Can anyone please offer some advice regarding palliative radiation therapy? I'm looking for ways to manage things during and after treatment to help someone feel a bit more comfortable.
My dad is actually feeling slightly better after his second round... though I'm worried the anemia might come back to haunt him. How can we help him maintain his strength?

Angela Wright....huge hugs from Ines
Ines

Beets and broccoli are absolute essentials. I know people swear by drinking strained beet juice, and obviously, all those supplements we're constantly discussing here can really help make a difference.

casualpanther1 said:...

Hey lady, what's the latest update?
I'm hoping everything is still staying under control.🙂

Anonymous said:Has anyone actually looked at this page?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...t-cancers.html

We've already covered this ground in this thread. Sadly, nothing has come of any of it yet.👎

Check your inbox, I sent you a PM.

Scott Kelly3 said:I really appreciate all the advice and support. I’m starting therapy with Dr. Griffin next week. Honestly, I wouldn't be standing here without my wife; she’s been absolutely breaking her back to take care of me. It hasn't spread to the organs yet, but they found some thickened lymph nodes... looks like I caught this just before it could settle into the vital organs. I've got some luck on my side.

I've heard Dr. Griffin is a top-tier oncologist, but he's so "swamped" you practically have to hunt him down through the hallways of the hospital. My advice? Try to get on his good side early.
Back when he was covering my mom's oncologist, we were constantly playing cat-and-mouse with him just to get basic referrals, wasting hours sitting in outpatient clinic waiting rooms just hoping to catch a glimpse of him. You need to stay one step ahead of his schedule. For instance, ask him upfront to write out all your lab orders for blood work at once. That way, you aren't trekking down to the clinic every single time you need a finger prick just to beg him to scribble a note, wasting half your day in the process. With our previous doctor, we had a much smoother system: she’d bundle all the necessary orders for an entire cycle of treatment into one go. Mom would just head to the lab on her own according to the schedule, grab her results in twenty minutes, and we’d only bother calling the on-call doctor at the clinic if something actually looked off.

Scott Kelly3 said:Thanks for getting back to me; after reading that, my confidence in your expertise—based on real experience—is even stronger. You help so many people, and you can feel that coming back to you... just keep going. How is your mom doing? Your fight for her really touched me. It’s made you someone special.
I found out today that my cancer has metastasized (testicular cancer) to the lymph nodes in my abdomen—tomorrow I find out exactly what stage we're looking at, depending on how thick those nodes are. What I'm really wrestling with is which treatment path is actually better. Some people say to avoid radiation because of the risk of creating new complications by damaging healthy tissue. But then again, they say radiation is the most effective option specifically for testicular cancer. Can you recommend an oncologist for this type of tumor—someone you know is actually good? I've had some terrible experiences with doctors, so finding a solid professional is my top priority right now. I've already decided to seek out second opinions once I have all my results in hand. Thanks in advance, and sorry if I sound a bit on edge while writing this...

Your post really hit me hard😳, damn this disease😠! I honestly can't recommend an oncologist to you because I don't have any firsthand experience or knowledge regarding this specific kind of cancer. One thing I would suggest, though, is having a serious talk with your doctor about the future—specifically regarding the possibility of becoming a father, if you aren't already. I assume radiation plays a role in that, since it definitely causes tissue damage, and the big question is how that affects fertility. I'm not sure if there's a sperm bank nearby, but I'd highly recommend looking into that before you start any radiation, just to be safe.
You absolutely need to get a second opinion, if nothing else just for your own peace of mind. I’d suggest emailing your medical records to some of the major world-class clinics. Vpavi did exactly that, sending her husband's files to Houston, and they got a response immediately with some incredibly interesting suggestions—completely different from what they were being told at the local hospital. This is all part of the battle, and it would be great if someone close to you could shoulder some of this burden, because you're going to need to save every ounce of your energy.
My mom is doing very poorly; the only thing worse than this would be a coma. I can see it reaching its end, and I'm feeling this overwhelming mix of sadness that it's happening and relief that the suffering will finally stop.

I truly believe you can beat this. Even though we haven't met, I just have a gut feeling about you. You're going to be okay, and you'll come out of this episode stronger and more resilient. Just believe in yourself and the one above.👍
Hang in there, my friend.

dustysurfer10 said:Thanks, Ivancic.
I’m going to try this—for the hundredth time, probably... I’ll also try to get her over to the Mayo Clinic for a consultation if I can actually convince her... Does anyone know if getting there is a hassle? We’re in a bit of a rush since it's already been over 30 days since her first chemo session.
I assume the maximum gap allowed is six weeks.
I tried using some Monk remedies, but honestly, she didn't even have much nausea until we got closer to the second round of chemo. That Native propolis sent her blood pressure through the roof, and since she has a heart condition, we can't touch that again.
Is there anything else that works like Reglan? He says it slows her digestion down way too much, and Zofran just makes her completely constipated.
Does anyone know of any other clinics? Everything I find online only operates for a few hours a week, and between the cooking, cleaning, work, and hospital trips, I need something with more flexible hours.

I find it hard to believe her blood pressure spiked from propolis; most sources claim it actually helps normalize blood flow and heart function.
The Mayo Clinic has a center specifically for psychological support for breast cancer patients. It might be worth reaching out to them.

dustysurfer10 said:Hey everyone,
I've been scrolling through your posts all day hoping someone might have some insight here.
My mom is battling breast cancer and just finished her first round of chemo...but whether she realizes it or not, she’s digging her heels in against doing more. Right before her second scheduled treatment, she had some stomach pain a few days prior... things calmed down for a bit... we waited for that second round, but by the time we actually got to the front of the line after five hours in the waiting room, she was hit with such intense nausea that they sent her home to 'recover.'
Before that, she had some issues with her white blood cell counts and ended up spending ten days at the hospital...
Her reasoning is basically that the treatment is killing her, that she can't handle swallowing this many pills anymore, and that they're tearing up her stomach...
I've tried explaining the necessity of it, but I'm hitting a brick wall...
Does anyone have any advice on how to move forward?
I heard there are specialists over at the Mayo Clinic... but they only see patients on Wednesdays, and I'm in a real time crunch here...

I went through the exact same thing with my mother, though in her case, it was glioblastoma where the survival odds are pretty much zero regardless of whether you do chemo or not. She didn't want to spend what little time she had left suffering, so she opted for alternative treatments instead. (Mind you, once a recurrence showed up, she did decide to go back to chemo and radiation.) As much as it crushed me to watch her make that call, I had to force myself to respect it. It's her life, and she was making an informed decision while she still had her wits about her.

If I can offer one piece of advice: if your mom is still lucid and the prognosis isn't hopeless—meaning there's actually a shot at recovery—try talking to her again. But don't go in hot. Don't get angry or pushy. Just lay out the cold, hard facts and ask questions like, "Do you think it might be smarter to try this..." or "What are your thoughts on..." That way, you aren't steamrolling her; you're leaving her enough breathing room to feel like she's still the one in the driver's seat.

Whatever she decides, you're going to have to accept it. There's no other way. It's a fundamental human right to make decisions for oneself—honestly, if we were in her shoes, we'd probably be making the exact same choices.

At the time, I selfishly viewed my mom's decision as a lack of courage because she always had a sensitive, fearful nature. Looking back now, I realize how much strength it actually took to make a choice like that. I was the selfish one; I felt this desperate need to "save" her simply because I needed her there for ME—to help me through MY crises, to meet MY kids, to be present for MY husband, to stay in MY life. She knew all of that, and frankly, my desperation only made it harder for her to decide. My mom loves me endlessly, and I'm sure yours feels the same about you.

Respect her choice. I know it's incredibly painful, but I truly believe that's what defines us. It's what makes us mature compared to people who never have to face the gut-wrenching weight of watching a loved one choose their own path. It was the hardest, most important lesson my mother ever taught me.

I'm sending you all the strength in the world to handle whatever happens next.😳

p.s. If she does end up going back to chemo, check out the forums here. We've talked quite a bit about supplements that help manage the side effects. When my mom started her rounds again, she knocked back some Native propolis and Monk extract without any trouble at all. That might give you some leverage! Let her read some of the testimonials from people in the same boat over at www.hedera.hr

Scott Kelly3 said:I'm wondering if, following tumor surgery, markers taken afterward showing significantly lower values means the tumor has retreated and the threat is gone... or if there's still a chance it remains. What diagnosis is the most precise way to know if it's still present in the body?

Be a Fighter for life!

Look, removing the tumor should theoretically drop the amount of cancer cells circulating in the blood, but I have no clue to what extent that happens or how much time it takes for the blood to be completely "cleared." That’s essentially why doctors push for chemotherapy or radiation after surgical procedures where the tumor was only partially or fully removed—those methods are designed to wipe out any lingering cells left behind, hopefully preventing a recurrence or metastasis. After the surgery, they run those marker tests to get a baseline right before starting formal oncology treatment so they can compare it to future results.
In my opinion, CT scans and MRIs are the most reliable diagnostic tools, though even they aren't perfect since cancer can still exist at a cellular level and develop over time (which is why they rely on markers, even if those markers aren't 100% foolproof). Usually, doctors use a combination of several different diagnostic methods to ensure they can reach the most accurate diagnosis possible.

Carol Sanchez2 said:I’m honestly just livid because...

My sister over in the States pulled together a care package for my mom, who’s fighting breast cancer. She bought little things to cheer her up—hats, a wig, linen shirts for when she needs to be out in the sun, special toothpaste for mouth sores, some photos, scarves, a specialized bra, and even some educational brochures. Since she can't be here with us in America, this was her way of being there for her.
She sent everything via FedEx on Monday, and we were expecting it to arrive today. Instead, US Customs decided to hold the whole thing hostage because the value exceeds the $800 limit allowed per person. Now, they’re going to rip the package open, inventory every single item, and demand receipts for everything? My sister clearly listed every item inside, stated she was covering all costs, paid everything upfront, and specifically marked it as a gift for someone battling breast cancer. But apparently, our government needs to squeeze every cent out of people who are already suffering. I’m beyond angry and heartbroken; my mom is so upset because she can't get her hands on these simple comforts that would actually make her feel better. I know there are bigger problems in the world and this might seem trivial to some, but should we really be this rigid over something like this?😠

Unfortunately, bureaucracy and the law don't care about feelings; they apply the same way to everyone. If she had thought to send it through a humanitarian organization, an American expat group, or even a church charity, it might have gone smoother. Those groups always have people traveling back and forth who could easily pick it up and hand-deliver it. They have their own channels, and usually, humanitarian aid doesn't get hit with these kinds of customs fees, provided it's registered correctly. Next time you need to send something, it’s definitely best to go through one of those routes.

Nicole Davis7 said:I’ve been on birth control pills (Diane) for five years now without any issues—in fact, they actually helped me out quite a bit by clearing up my skin, smoothing out my PMS, and getting my cycle on track. But about six months ago, things took a turn. I started gaining weight even though my appetite hasn't increased; if anything, I've cut back on food and I'm hitting the gym for an hour every single day. Since I drink plenty of water, I've noticed it seems to just sit in my stomach. I never used to have a bloated belly, but now I can't even squeeze into the jeans I wore last summer. I've heard that these pills can frequently cause this kind of water retention. Has anyone else dealt with this, and does anyone know how to flush all this extra fluid out? Between the bloating and my period, I feel like I look like an elephant! I know I'm not overeating, and I'm being really disciplined with my diet and exercise. One more thing—can I just take the pills right before sex, or do I need to take them consistently every day? I'm at a loss for how to stop this bloating. (I'm 30.)

You have to take the pills every single day; otherwise, you aren't even protected. You should talk to your OB-GYN about switching to a different brand. Personally, I take Yasmin, and the packaging specifically mentions they help reduce fluid retention.
Also, make sure to check your blood pressure and your thyroid levels, because the root cause might not even be the pills.

feralheron44 said:Greetings to everyone here.
I have a rather difficult question to pose—my colleague’s father (a 75-year-old gentleman from San Francisco) has been diagnosed with small cell lung carcinoma. To be blunt, the doctors aren't offering much hope regarding his prognosis, though they have prescribed chemotherapy. Interestingly, they mentioned there aren't any metastases present at this stage.
I was wondering if anyone here has dealt with a similar situation within their own family? Furthermore, does anyone have advice on how one might provide even a modicum of support during such a grim time?
Thank you!

On the "support for families of the critically ill..." forum, you'll constantly see people posting about having this specific disease in their families.
Here's a link so you don't have to wander around looking for it.

Unfortunately, this is an incredibly aggressive cancer that spreads lightning-fast; people actually call it "the 100-day cancer." It’s also the most common type of carcinoma seen in smokers.
I lost a dear friend to this exact disease, and it happened within that damn 100-day window.
There was another woman from Miami I met through a well-known holistic healer who opted exclusively for alternative treatments because her prognosis was so grim. She fought for three years before losing the battle, but according to her last scans, the small cell version had shifted into a different type that could actually be surgically removed, requiring only radiation afterward. Because she stubbornly refused conventional medicine from the very start, she made the same choice then—and unfortunately, she suffocated. She didn't have any metastases elsewhere in her body.

It's absolutely brutal, but you have to fight and try everything possible.

Melissa Kim45 said:Thanks. 🙂

Right now, my head is just a complete void. Maybe that’s actually the norm. Sometimes, honestly, I even scare myself.

I get those moments too—where both my head and my heart feel totally hollow. Every single time it happens, I end up spiraling because I start thinking I’ve become this empty shell of a person, devoid of any actual thoughts or feelings. There are times when I feel absolutely nothing, even toward my boyfriend, who is literally my entire world. I’m convinced it’s just a defense mechanism; we basically go into autopilot and switch our emotions to standby mode just to get through the day. It’s probably just a necessary part of surviving this trauma.

Melissa Kim45 said:...

Just take it easy and keep pushing forward with some positive vibes in your head.🙂

Scott Kelly3 said:Hey everyone,
Here’s my situation:
I was diagnosed with testicular cancer (right side), and it was removed 13 days ago. The surgery went down at the Mayo Clinic, performed by Dr. Castellan. Most of the time, doctors just drift in and out without actually saying anything meaningful. It’s the exact SAME thing every single day—total silence. I’ve been waiting on my results, but nothing has come through. It makes zero sense to me how two weeks can pass without a single word regarding the CT scan or the markers, and then they have the nerve to tell me I’ll have to wait a third week because they're "busy." What if I don't have three weeks left?
Wouldn't it be more decent if they just told me to get it handled privately and then check back in once I had the results? Or better yet, send me somewhere where I won't be stuck waiting for three weeks or who knows how much longer... this kind of attitude toward patients is irresponsible and dangerous.

You should be getting the pathology report along with those CT scans and markers. Maybe the radiologist is on vacation and nobody is around to read the CT,🙄 it happens. Or maybe they just screw up the filing, like shoving your image into someone else's folder, and then it takes days to track it down. My mom didn't get her MRI results for five months because some woman went to look at her own scans and realized someone else's imaging was mixed in with hers.
I know you need this info more than anything right now, but you need to be a bit more aggressive and direct. At your next appointment, demand a straight answer. In my experience, the agitators are the ones who always get what they need, even if the doctors and nurses roll their eyes at them. But hey, whatever—it's your life on the line, isn't it?😠
Fighter, fight!!!🙂

Mike, honestly, I feel for you, but I’m also glad you were selfless enough to share those realizations with us.
There’s this biblical saying my aunt used to tell me after I lost my grandmother—the woman who raised me and meant everything to me:
"Bury your dead and move on."
There is something strangely comforting about those words; they offer a sense of hope.😳

Ryan Fisher64 said:Apologize if I'm being a nuisance, but what exactly is going on here? 🙂

I'm just going to paste my response back to you from when this actually went down.🙂 :

The upcoming tests will determine if there's a neurological component at play, which is definitely a possibility. Just hold steady until you get those results back; all this preemptive fretting about what it *might* be is pointless, especially given your mother's medical history—it could be anything at this stage. From my layman's perspective, I can't rule out the possibility of a stroke. Did she seem slurred or have trouble speaking when you last spoke? This weather is absolutely brutal, too; people really struggle when the heat hits like this and the barometric pressure starts jumping around.
Stay brave and hang in there.

I honestly think we’re looking at a classic case of choosing the lesser of two evils here.😳

P.S. Was that actually what you were asking about?😕

Ryan Fisher64 said:It’s been exactly one week since the tragedy hit our family, and the official medical reports confirmed it was indeed a stroke. For the first four days, I honestly thought I’d lost my mother; she couldn't speak, and neither could anyone else—they tell you that's just how strokes work. But I refused to let her sink into that darkness, so I decided to sing to her. And man, did she sing!!! She sang like she was in the prime of her life, fully aware and joyful—as if to say, if speech is gone, singing is still an option. I kept massaging her helpless right arm and leg, and though I don't know where the impulse came from, while she was drifting in that half-conscious state, feeling isolated by everything happening to her, I just said, "Mom, let's sing together." Her eyes opened, and we started on her favorite song, "Golden Leaves of Our Love... don't cry, darling, I'll come to you." It’s actually the song she used to sing with my late father (I lost him when I was only 13), and somehow, we just connected. Now, every single morning before work, my sister and I go to see her and do the same thing, and we do it again in the evenings. We’re giving it everything we've got because that's exactly what she always did for us. Then yesterday, Sunday, she woke up and told us she feels her speech coming back. I can barely wrap my head around it. This past week has been the absolute worst of my life, even if I didn't let anyone see it.

Given the circumstances, I can finally say, "Thank the Lord everything turned out okay"🙂 She’s going to recover; it’s going to take time and grit, but seeing how you're handling this, I don't think that'll be an issue for you.
I wish I could feel that sense of relief myself.😳

Hey everyone, sending love from San Francisco!😘 😘 It’s absolutely sweltering here, but I somehow managed to sleep like a rock despite the heat. You know how exhausted I get when I don't rest properly.😬
I'll be back online with you all as soon as I get back to New York City.