Posts by Angela Wright

If you pair that antibiotic with some Throat Coat spray, you’ll be golden. It knocks out the pain pretty much instantly.

Chloe Flores83 said:When we first got my dad's diagnosis—that was actually the first time I'd ever even heard the word glioblastoma—and found out he only had about 9 to 14 months left, we were absolutely shattered. We spent a week unable to sleep, unable to eat, just completely shutting down and not talking to anyone. Then, the big question hit us: do we go through with the surgery or not? In the end, we decided to pull the trigger on the operation, partly because of the advice we saw on this forum. People were saying surgery was the better path. But here’s the reality: immediately after the procedure, the left side of his body was paralyzed, and he stayed that way until the end. For the next eight months, he was completely immobile and entirely dependent on my mother. Even now, I find myself wondering if the surgery was truly the right call. Maybe he would have lived a shorter life, but maybe he wouldn't have been so helpless, stuck to a bed for months on end. I don't know. I don't regret that he passed away—I know he's in a beautiful, peaceful place now—but I do regret that I didn't spend more time with him. We were living 200 miles apart, and if I had known then what I know now about how much I'd miss him, I would have jumped in the car every single weekend without a second thought. I would have spent two days just doing crosswords with him; it used to make him so happy, even when he lost the ability to write them himself. It’s been five years since he passed, and I just felt the need to share this. Maybe it can help someone else.

People who live in the "what ifs" are just wasting their lives.
According to most specialists, glioblastoma is hands down one of the most brutal diagnoses out there. Because of how this disease behaves, the best survival stories I've ever come across involve cases where every single tumor and recurrence was surgically removed, followed by aggressive oncological treatment to manage the state of things.
Ultimately, everything boils down to one thing: trying to squeeze out as much quality time as possible.
If you made the choice and he ended up hospitalized, don't sit there second-guessing yourself. Nobody in this world can give you guarantees. You did what seemed like the best option at the time. If you hadn't gone through with that surgery, and then—which happens almost every single time—he had collapsed into illness a few weeks or months later and just vegetated until he died, you probably would have spent the rest of your life blaming yourselves for not doing everything possible. You'd be thinking, "Maybe if we had done this, he could have had one more month..."
Unfortunately, in his case, the stroke happened right at the start.
Don't torture yourself with those questions. Just move forward and find some peace.
Spend your time with the people you love most, because life is just too short...

Kimberly Booth said:Thanks. Just when you think things are finally looking up, it hits you. It’s a total shock. Now it’s just me, my mom, and my sister left. My sister is 58; I honestly don't know how people find the strength to face this kind of thing. I'm terrified for both of them. My mom is 83... if she goes too...

I don't even know...

Look, what can I actually tell you? That's life. People get sick, they grow old, we lose people... but life is also about navigating these exact situations. No matter how heavy they feel, they are part of the natural cycle, and we have built-in survival mechanisms that somehow keep us upright.
Try to stay rational and, like I said, stop staring at a future beyond tomorrow. You deal with obstacles when you actually run into them and figure out what you're facing. Nothing and no one can truly prepare you for any of this. But we all carry a reservoir of strength inside us that we aren't even aware of until we need it. That’s just my experience. I’ve lost a lot, but life eventually gave back to me, mostly through my kids.
Stay brave. You'll find a way. The most important thing is to hold onto your composure, because once you lose your peace, you lose your dignity.

She’s dealing with some blood clotting issues, which is why they're seeing those thrombi forming... nobody can give me a timeline on how much longer this will last, but she's currently sitting in a high-risk category. It's honestly gut-wrenching. With everything going on, there's no way to process this other than just taking it one day at a time and dealing with whatever comes next. She’s at the Mayo Clinic right now, which is the only place I can actually help her, and they're doing everything in their power to get her stabilized. We're just putting it all in God's hands and praying for guidance.
Stay by her side and try to stay positive. Honestly, having that surgery was the right move—it's the most effective way to tackle the underlying issue.
Don't try to look any further ahead than tomorrow. It's completely counterproductive.

Honestly, if you don't have the specific medical expertise or enough hands on deck to provide proper palliative care at home—which would be the gold standard—you should look into a specialized facility. She needs 24/7 professional support to manage everything from pain management to IV infusions, especially since she can't keep food down anymore.
It breaks my heart. With an ovarian cancer diagnosis at that initial stage, the battle was unfortunately lost before it even truly began. It’s just such a vicious, insidious disease.
Please, stay by her side as much as possible and do everything in your power to ensure she spends her remaining time with dignity.
I'm wishing you all peace and strength during this time.

My family member handles a relentless grind: at least 50 patients face-to-face every single day, plus another 20 to 30 prescription refills or phone calls, on top of two home visits daily. The clinic shifts run either 8 AM to 2 PM or 2 PM to 8 PM, and they rarely even get a break—just shoving a sandwich down their throat while answering the phone.
So, go ahead, do the math. Take that number of patients and try to squeeze them into those working hours.
Mathematically speaking, it’s pure insanity. What’s the point of complaining when you know they’ve already ignored this same issue a thousand times before?
🤦

Bradley Adams34 said:Greetings!

Is there actually an official body where I can file a complaint against a primary care physician that won't just end up in a black hole? I mean, a report that will actually trigger a real investigation? For years, I've had grievances regarding my GP, but since I didn't need to visit often, I chose to look the other way. Unfortunately, I've had to go in more frequently lately for referrals, and frankly, the constant waiting for her to even show up at her desk has become exhausting. Today, for instance, she was over an hour late—and sadly, that isn't even the worst part. She knows better. On top of that, her "breaks" aren't the thirty minutes mandated by regulation and clearly posted on the door; instead, the lady consistently extends them every single time. And don't even get me started on her private phone calls. For the record, this is about a doctor at the downtown Community Health Center. Anyone who visits that location probably knows exactly who I'm talking about.

Thank you.

Look, family doctors are frequently out doing home visits before or after their scheduled clinic hours. On top of actually practicing medicine, they have to wade through the bureaucratic nonsense imposed by the system. All of this friction eventually bleeds into the quality of care, and most of the time, the doctors are the least responsible party for that decline. In my own family, we have a relative with a broken leg who hasn't been able to get to a specialist for years because the system is such a labyrinth, not to mention the sheer amount of stress they deal with daily.
You can file a grievance via the Medicare hotline if something is bothering you. You can find the info on the Medicare website.
You’ll likely just end up making life difficult for the doctors, even though they are probably the ones least at fault for your dissatisfaction with the service.

David Gomez6 said:Followed instructions... took the photos, everything went smoothly. 😉

But they absolutely blasted me with radiation from head to toe...
...it’s a real shame that by the end of this thread, nobody is actually addressing the radiation levels and the actual damage it causes?

The risk is negligible compared to the benefits.

Dana Martin87 said:My father just had surgery for colon cancer, and right now he isn't getting any active treatment. His main goal seems to be gaining weight so he can hopefully qualify for chemotherapy later.

Is it standard practice to hold off on treatment for colon cancer like this?

I wouldn't go as far as calling it "abnormal," but here's the reality: for a patient to even be considered for oncology treatments, they have to be in stable enough general condition to handle the hit. That means being well-nourished enough to actually survive the strain. Most oncology protocols don't kick in until a few months after the initial surgery anyway. Usually, when people first get diagnosed, their nutritional status is exactly what determines if they meet the criteria for treatment, but I can't say for sure if that's the only reason your father is in this waiting period based on what you've shared. Regardless, if you're feeling uneasy about the doctor's plan, my advice is to get a second opinion immediately.

mistypilot19 said:I’m new to this forum, and I’m facing a massive issue. I have never had a period in my life. I’m 25 years old, and honestly, it’s incredibly awkward to talk about this with anyone. I’ve been married for five years now, and I’m currently in my fourth year of college. Between working full-time and finishing my degree, I just haven’t made it to a doctor’s appointment yet. My main concern is whether it’s too late to get checked out—if it isn't, I really want to hold onto some hope. Is there still a chance for me to become a mother? If there is, I am fully committed to doing whatever it takes to make that happen, but if not, I’ll accept it. I’m asking any women dealing with the same thing for advice. Am I too old to see a specialist since I'm 25?👍

Good grief, I’ve read this three times now and I am absolutely floored.
My sincerest apologies if this is just some internet troll, but when you’re in your mid-twenties, juggling a college degree, and already married, you’d expect a bit more self-awareness and basic responsibility toward your own health—and, frankly, toward your husband.
To be blunt, if you actually read this, your fertility issues are just one tiny drop in an ocean of medical complications you likely already have or will face throughout your life.
I truly hope you’ve actually taken some concrete steps by now to address this and that you're handling the situation effectively.
Good luck!

Gary Barrett40, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. 😢
I hope you find some peace in your heart and eventually discover a new sense of purpose to help you carry those precious memories forward. Take care of yourself!

You just have to power through. Life throws things at you and there isn't much room for complaining; you simply have to keep pushing forward and deal with it, one day at a time.
I’ll be blunt with you: that yellowing you mentioned isn't exactly a great sign, and it suggests the liver is involved here.
It is what it is, though. You have to accept the reality and try to make the best of it. Once the actual fight begins, it’ll be a massive psychological relief for him and everyone else.
The initial shock is always the hardest part.

Any advice that isn't "go get imaging done for your head and neck" is just pure irrationality. Honestly, you might be better off looking for some questionable alternative medicine PDF online instead.

Amanda Miller69 said:It’s over. My father-in-law passed away about an hour and a half ago. :-(

Oh man, Fiona, I am so incredibly sorry. 😢
Please accept my deepest and most sincere condolences.

I know plenty of people fighting Cancer who used marijuana or took oil from the very start of their diagnosis, and unfortunately, every single one of them lost their battle. Beyond just taking the edge off chemotherapy side effects, nothing sensational happened.
Claiming that cannabis cures Cancer is scientifically idiotic. Cancer isn't one thing; it’s a broad umbrella term for a massive variety of malignant diseases that differ wildly in cellular structure. It is fundamentally impossible for one single substance to interact with all those different cell division processes in the exact same way. There is no "magic bullet" for Cancer, and there never will be.
We need to get real and put things in perspective: acknowledge that cannabis might offer some relief for specific symptoms or conditions, but admit it is nowhere near a universal cure for Cancer.

The in vivo mouse studies showed promise for certain diagnoses, but now we need large-scale, randomized clinical trials involving human subjects. That’s the only way to actually prove efficacy and determine precise dosages and administration methods tailored to specific diagnoses, disease stages, and malignancy levels.
That is the standard procedure for absolutely every medication and substance before it gets registered and cleared for clinical practice.

Listen, Fiona...😢
Just try your absolute best to stay calm. Take care of yourself.

Matthew Ortiz5 said:Just bumping this thread... I guess it's worth asking: is it possible to import something from third countries if it’s already registered and cleared within the EU (like, if the Compliance check outcome is "Positive")?

Legally speaking, no.

Dana Martin87 said:We haven't actually sat down with the doctor yet... 😢 All I know is what he told my dad—that he’s happy with how the surgery went, he accomplished exactly what was planned, and they’ll decide whether to start radiation or chemo in about six months.

That sounds a bit off to me... Why wait six whole months? Is that just how long it takes for the body to bounce back from surgery?

It’s standard to allow at least a month for recovery after surgery before jumping into oncological treatment.
Which doctor were you even talking to? At this stage, an oncologist is the only one qualified to give you a definitive opinion, specifically specialists like those at Rib Santek or Duke who focus exclusively on sarcomas.

Dana Martin87 said:I honestly don't get this whole GIST thing. I was reading that it usually starts in the stomach, but it can also be in the colon, like what happened with my dad...
Look, let's break this down. What’s actually the distinction between a GIST located in the stomach versus a stomach tumor that has spread, or a GIST in the colon versus a standard colon cancer?

It all comes down to the cellular makeup. A GIST is a sarcoma, which originates from connective tissue, whereas a carcinoma grows from the epithelial cells of the organ itself. Because their cellular structures are fundamentally different—and because of where they sit in the body—they react completely differently to medication and radiation. You can't treat them the same way. Generally speaking, sarcomas don't respond to chemo or radiation nearly as effectively as carcinomas do. In most cases, you're looking at the best possible outcomes if the entire tumor can be successfully surgically removed.

Look, you just have to be straight with him. Tell him, "Here’s the deal: you have this issue and that issue, and here is where things are going wrong." You don't need to go around telling someone they're going to kick the bucket. Instead, you say, "Look, we're going to do everything in our power to get you back on your feet. We'll provide the kind of professional care you simply can't manage at home. We're going to improve your quality of life, but you've got to give us some time and patience."
It all comes down to communicating clearly and finding a way to say it that everyone can actually stomach.