Posts by Angela Wright

cosmiclynx14 said:Hey everyone... how's it going? How are your loved ones doing?

Angela Wright I’ve been going through this old thread, reading everything you wrote about your mom. I had absolutely no idea. I am so incredibly sorry. Honestly, though, I haven't encountered a group of people this brave all in one place before.

Does anyone actually know what mucinous adenocarcinoma means? I’ve got a few specific questions, but every time I try to look it up, Google throws a bunch of contradictory nonsense at me. It's frustrating when you're looking for clarity and just get hit with conflicting info.

Is this the kind of aggressive cancer that spreads like wildfire, or does it take its sweet time? I’m talking about metastasis—does it jump to other organs in a matter of weeks, or is it a slow burn? Also, when you look at the clinical data, how much of an impact does standard therapy actually have on these numbers?

One more question: why isn't radiofrequency ablation ever actually offered to patients at the oncology center? They claim they perform the procedure in their literature, yet when you're actually sitting there, it’s nowhere to be found.

It isn't just the fact that it’s a mucinous adenocarcinoma that dictates the nature and trajectory of the disease; it's also those specific codes buried in the pathology report that signal the grade of malignancy and the actual stage. Those markers are everything. They are the deciding factor in whether a patient is even a candidate for a particular treatment protocol. That might be exactly why they aren't suggesting that specific route for you.
To be honest, I don’t have the most glowing opinion of Memorial Sloan Kettering. Don't get me wrong—you have to hand it to the individual doctors for their sheer dedication and hard work—but you can't ignore how often you hear about cases where things were "professionally" mishandled. If it were my life, I’d always go looking for a second opinion just to make sure what they’re doing is actually right. It feels like they're so bogged down by the bureaucracy of the healthcare system that they end up prioritizing the machine over the patient. They’ve become way too pragmatic for their own good.

feralsurfer72 said:Dad finally got home from the hospital this Thursday.
Dg:
K921 Melanea
Hematemesis (vomiting blood) is a serious medical situation that shouldn't be taken lightly. It’s essentially an internal alarm bell signaling that something is wrong further up the GI tract. Whether it's caused by a perforated ulcer, severe esophageal varices, or even just significant irritation from heavy alcohol use or NSAIDs, you need to take it seriously. If you or someone you know is dealing with this, don't sit around waiting for it to pass—get to an ER immediately.
The sheer audacity of that lizard-brained moron's latest power grab is nothing short of a toxic innovation.
The C787 Meta hepatitis situation is a mess.
Secondary malignant neoplasm of the lung, C780.
Chronic gastritis, unspecified.
Iron deficiency anemia triggered by chronic blood loss.
K317 Gastric and Duodenal Polyps

Bottom line: We have a 66-year-old patient hospitalized for melena; he’d also reported vomiting blood at home. Because of epigastric pain and significant weight loss, he had already started a surgical workup as an outpatient. An abdominal ultrasound showed multiple secondary lesions in the liver, reaching up to 10 cm, suggesting a possible primary liver tumor. There were also changes near the pancreas that could point to enlarged lymph nodes or a primary pancreatic malignancy. A colonoscopy performed three weeks prior was clear of tumors but did show signs of colitis. Outpatient CT imaging revealed diffuse liver metastases and a large mass about 8.5 cm in diameter. While there is suspicion of a duodenal tumor, we can't rule out a malignancy extending from the pancreas. Peritoneal dissemination is also present. Currently, the patient is eupneic, afebrile, and normotensive. Digital rectal exam confirms melena, and labs show anemia, elevated inflammatory markers, and high GGT and ALP levels. Tumor markers—specifically CEA, CA 19-9, NSE, and CYFRA 21-1—are all elevated.
Repeat endoscopy performed: Chronic gastritis with regional infiltration of the angularis, a cardia polyp, and pathology confirming chronic gastritis along with a hyperplastic gastric polyp. No malignant cells were detected. Anemia was successfully managed with three doses of concentrated iron via IV alongside a proton pump inhibitor; symptomatic abdominal pain has gradually subsided, and the most recent stool test was negative for occult blood. Regarding the papular skin lesions on the back, I saw a dermatologist who recommended a course of treatment. A follow-up chest CT was also conducted: aside from a tiny nodular lesion near the caudal portion of the hilum in the lower lobe—subcentimeter in size and likely secondary in nature—the rest of the findings are unremarkable. The patient was seen by an oncologist who isn't recommending active chemo—just symptomatic management for now.

DISCHARGE MEDS: Controloc 40 mg, Ramzid, Spamex PRN, Reglan PRN, Tramundin, Transtec 35 mcg, Megostat 10 ml, Prosure 2x1 pack. A pancreatic MRI is scheduled for April 22nd.

The oncologist didn't even actually lay eyes on him; he just went through the paperwork. They suggested we seek a second opinion, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm looking for a private specialist right now and hope to have everything sorted by next week. Honestly, I'm flying blind here—if anyone has advice on how this whole process works, please, let me know...
Dad is up and walking a bit, eating everything in sight, and taking visitors... He was even humming a tune yesterday.

Tumor markers are: CA 19-9 117, CEA 6.7, CYFRA 21-1 30.2

Where was your dad being treated? My apologies to everyone, but there are so many of you here that I can't keep track of who's who or whose situation is what.

In any case, the standard procedure is to request the tissue/puncture samples (the actual slides) from the hospital's pathology department on a release form, then take those to a different hospital with its own pathology lab for a repeat biopsy. You really want to aim for a major university hospital like Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins, because local community hospitals usually just send their samples to the big university labs anyway; if you aren't careful, you'll end up circling back to the exact same lab that did the first analysis. I believe you can even get a referral from your primary doctor for this purpose. All you need to do at the original pathology lab is submit a formal written request stating you are withdrawing the samples specifically for a second opinion and a repeat biopsy.
I know the pathologists at Mass General are quite good. If you don't find what you need there, you might look further afield—maybe somewhere in Europe, like Germany, for instance. Most of this can be coordinated via email and sent by mail; there’s no real need to travel.

Regarding the oncologist himself, Dr. Smith is a private practitioner who does solid work, but you should still try to get into a different hospital system if possible. Having a fresh biopsy report will make it much easier for them to accept him, since hospitals are often hesitant to take on patients diagnosed elsewhere due to budget constraints and insurance bureaucracy.

wiredraven82 said:Can someone please help me out? I can't for the life of me remember the name of this PRIVATE clinic in Washington, D.C. I heard about a year or two ago that they were actually better than the Sister of Mercy hospital when it comes to ear issues, tinnitus, or anything else involving the ears... I just cannot wrap my head around the name of this private practice. It’s strictly an EAR clinic—maybe ENT, but I know for a fact their specialty is all about ear problems. Please, just throw out some names or mention any you know because I am drawing a total blank, and the most ridiculous part is that I can't even find it on Google...🙂 It's like it just evaporated into thin air; it's unbelievable that I can't track down the name.

My neighbor is dealing with absolutely unbearable ear issues—constant ringing for several years now, combined with intense pressure in the ears and all that. He asked me to look into it.

Maybe one of these?

Jason White17 said:Hey,
I’ve been struggling with biting my nails my entire life. Even though I knew it was a disgusting habit and constantly tried to quit, my nails were just too weak; as soon as they grew out a little bit, they’d just snap off. About six months ago, a friend recommended using iPhone 8 nail strengthener.
The stuff is like magic because you can actually see the results after just two or three days, and you can't even bite them anymore because those layers of polish make them way too thick to chew through. 😁
So, that's my story on how I finally kicked this nasty habit. Hopefully, it helps someone else out there. 🙂

That sounds like a solid fix for guys. For women, honestly, getting acrylics is the best move—once you invest that much money into them, you aren't going to want to ruin them, so you stay focused on keeping them intact. Most of the girls I know who deal with nail-biting have solved their problem that way.

Chris Ruiz2 said:...

Try fighting for Erbitux.
About five years ago, back when they were first registering Erbitux in the States and negotiating its inclusion on the Medicare coverage list for colorectal cancers, I spoke with a Merck representative here in the US. She told me straight up that Erbitux showed incredible results for head and neck tumors—and if we were talking about a breast cancer drug with those kinds of numbers, Medicare would have greenlit it instantly. But because head and neck cancers are relatively rare and often hit a demographic that doesn't carry much political or social weight, there’s just zero interest in fast-tracking it. Basically, the drug is FDA-approved and indicated for use, but the catch is that it isn't on the hospital's approved formulary for this specific indication. If an oncologist recommends it and tries to push it through a hospital board, the facility would essentially have to foot the bill out of their own budget. Given how the bureaucracy works at a place like a major metropolitan hospital in Chicago, getting that request seen by a board is a massive uphill battle. On the flip side, if your doctor writes you a private prescription, you could technically try to seek reimbursement from the hospital, but people don't do that. It's a total gray area. My advice? Sit down with your doctor and have a blunt, honest conversation about that option, and absolutely make sure you get a second opinion. You don't need to fly across the ocean for that; just find a private specialist who isn't tied up in the red tape of the public system.
Furthermore, you should definitely look into joining one of these open clinical trials. Since we're part of the global medical community, it's much easier to get into one, especially since they're dealing with rare tumors where researchers are constantly desperate to meet their patient quotas to keep the studies moving. Check out the European clinical trial maps online; they show exactly which countries have active studies running. For instance, I believe there are about 15 active trials running in Italy right now. If you manage to get enrolled in a study, your dad could potentially get the medication for free for as long as it's effective and needed, even after the study officially concludes. There wouldn't be any costs involved, aside from maybe travel expenses for check-ups. And if you can coordinate with his primary oncologist, it might even be possible to perform some of the routine monitoring locally and just send the data over to the study coordinators.

I really hope it's not too late to take action.

My advice to everyone is this: never, ever give up, especially when someone tells you it's over! It might be "over" according to our healthcare system, our funding limits, or our current medical knowledge, but there is always something else—even if it's just palliative care meant to extend quality of life. That's why the old saying "Google is your friend" actually holds serious weight when you're navigating cancer treatment.

Here’s this link to an interesting piece from Time Magazine featuring an interview with Drs. Đikić, Pleština, and Vrdoljak regarding six new cancer treatment methods. I wanted to highlight this specific excerpt from Dr. Đikić since we were just debating this very topic here the other day:

We are never going to "solve" cancer, says Prof. Đikić, because these cells are an intrinsic part of our own biology. Tumor cells are simply our own cells that have mutated and begun acting without restraint. The number of cancer cases continues to climb, which isn't just due to people living longer, but also because of environmental factors, various types of stress, and much more advanced detection methods. We diagnose cancer far better today than we used to; in the past, people were still dying, we just didn't know what was killing them.

“In a healthy human body, over a hundred—sometimes even a thousand—tumor cells appear every single day. Our immune system wipes them out so efficiently that we never even realize these transformed cells were ever created or destroyed. Cancer as a clinical disease only manifests at the moment those cells become resistant to our body's natural defenses and begin multiplying in one spot, forming a primary tumor mass,” Prof. Đikić explains.

Thanks for the reply. My doctor’s finally back in action and scheduled me for Tuesday; I’ve got some tests running tomorrow, so hopefully that gives us the full picture.
Regarding that suspected lesion—it showed up on the ultrasound, but they didn't mention any folding, and the report actually noted there was no thickening present.
I'm really curious to see what the next steps are. Since you have to keep an eye on suspected polyps to make sure they aren't growing, I'm guessing I'll be headed back for another ultrasound in about a month.

Jerry Chavez49 said:Thanks for the reply. Even though Google shows these massive numbers, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around them being true 😲

Why "brutal"? Look, the brain is a sensitive organ. It doesn't bounce back as fast as skin or muscle, for example, so that recovery timeline actually makes sense. The bottom line is that we just need to ensure things aren't getting any worse.

redgardener5 said:So, we’re dealing with a patient who's one year out from surgery for cancer—they had some abdominal lymph nodes removed back then—and now this lymphedema is kicking in, hitting both legs and even spreading to the abdomen.
Is there anything at all we can do to help ease the discomfort besides just pushing diuretics? Physical therapy isn't an option right now since they're bedridden following a recent procedure, and the swelling is just getting worse by the day—which honestly feels like it's eating away at their chances of recovering and getting back on their feet.
Does anyone here know what might work? Like, where do we even start? Is there some kind of device for home use, or maybe a specific cream or something else entirely?!
I would be beyond grateful for any info you guys could share

Given the abdominal swelling and that history of malignancy, you really need to rule out whether this is actually ascites first... An abdominal ultrasound should give you the real story.

Jerry Chavez49 said:Hey, I'm trying to get an idea of how long it takes for a subdural hematoma to clear up. Roughly speaking, of course.
The specifics are a bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal lamellar subdural hematoma, measuring 3mm and 5mm. There’s no sign of expansion, just that it should eventually absorb on its own -> so what kind of timeframe are we looking at here?
Thanks.

It varies from person to person, but you could be looking at anything from 6 months to a full year. That's the standard timeline we see with premature infants dealing with brain bleeds.

A 103.3°F fever? That’s what my kid’s pediatrician told me once. If the child is otherwise healthy, a spike like that usually points to a bacterial infection. But honestly, with a temperature that high, you really shouldn't just sit around. You need to get them to an Urgent Care or a hospital immediately. Chasing the fever with meds without actually tackling the underlying cause is like putting a Band-Aid over a leaking pipe—you might hide the symptom for a minute, but you're just masking a much bigger problem that could turn into something way more serious down the road.

electricotter92 said:There were 15 sessions at 30 Gy targeting the abdomen, pelvis, bladder...

I’m honestly not sure about the maximum dosage limits. I think I recall seeing somewhere that 70 Gy is the ceiling, but whether the specific body part being treated changes that threshold is something I don't know. If there is any actual benefit to more radiation, I’m certain an oncologist would prescribe it if it made sense. You really need to have a direct conversation about this—either with the primary oncologist or the doctor currently handling palliative care.

When it comes to radiation exposure, everything hinges on the specific dosage received, and honestly, you're going to need an oncologist to give you a straight answer on that.
As for managing pain, you really need to get in touch with an anesthesiologist at a specialized pain management center; they're the ones who can tailor a custom cocktail of medications and fine-tune the dosages specifically for you.

Hey guys, if you recall my situation with the gallbladder issues and those spiked liver enzymes...
I ended up getting an MRI, and the results show that the lesion on my liver has cleared out just like the sludge in my gallbladder. However, unlike what the ultrasound showed, the MRI reveals my gallbladder is actually kinked in a knee-like shape, and there’s something in the bile duct that looks like either a tiny stone or maybe a 3mm polyp... I won't bore you by repeating myself, so I'm heading over to the OR section here is the link to the specific thread, where I'd love some input since my gastroenterologist is still out sick.

Nicole Adams3 said:Hey ladies, 🙂
I’ve got a situation here and I’m honestly lost on what to do.
So, I missed my period for two months straight. Last month, it finally showed up—nothing unusual there, just lasted five days like it always does.
But then last week, I started dealing with some pretty intense lower abdominal cramping, and by Friday, my period came back again. By Saturday morning, the pain was so debilitating I could barely move (which isn't normal for me, as my periods usually aren't that brutal), and the bleeding was heavy. It's been five days now. I am bleeding excessively, feeling lightheaded, and I'm having to swap out pads every single hour. This definitely doesn't feel right to me.😢
I really need some advice from you all.
The cramps are still hitting me hard.

Are you absolutely certain you weren't pregnant and experiencing a miscarriage, or potentially an ectopic pregnancy? Regardless of the cause, if there is even the slightest possibility that you were pregnant, you need to seek medical attention immediately—like, right now.

melloworca6 said:You’ve got your wires crossed here; she mentioned MSM (Methyl Sulphonyl Methane) earlier, which is absolutely nothing like MMS (Miracle Mineral Supplement).

MSM is used for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and similar conditions. You'll find this ingredient in plenty of natural joint support supplements. Here's the lowdown: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supple...ONYLMETHANE%29, http://www.msmguide.com/. For instance, this is what I used to take for my joints, and it definitely contained that stuff: http://www.vitamini-hr.com/calivita_...nt_protex.html

We need to keep these two things separate because one is literal poison, while the other is a common ingredient found in many over-the-counter supplements you can grab at a CVS or Walgreens—stuff doctors actually recommend quite often to help slow down disease progression.

You're right, my bad, Scott Harris14!

edit: Just to jump back into this discussion, I didn't mean to imply that Scott Harris14 was suggesting anyone should ditch their prescribed meds for supplements. Look, supplements can be incredibly helpful, but you have to know what you're taking, how much, and who's giving you the advice. It's like anything else—moderation is key. I'm a firm believer in picking two or three specific products and sticking to them for a while, maybe rotating them, rather than just swallowing everything in sight. Especially with cases like that guy; his experience isn't a blueprint for everyone. Every body is its own unique ecosystem. You have to look at medical history, the patient's overall health, the specific type of cancer, and all that jazz (and let's face it, we don't even fully understand why certain diseases trigger in the first place—so my reason for having rheumatoid arthritis might be worlds apart from my neighbor's, and we could react to the exact same thing in completely opposite ways).
My advice? Find a doctor who doesn't turn their nose up at alternative options—someone who will actually tell you, "Okay, this is fine, but stay away from that because it'll mess with your treatment." There are doctors out there who won't roll their eyes the second you mention something natural; you just have to hunt for them. If you play doctor on your own, we're all just asking for trouble, especially when we're talking about long-term use.

I never said she was making that suggestion. I was simply referring to the example of Ben Williams to point out how someone might mistakenly conclude it's okay to swap medication for supplements and go rogue. I thought I made that distinction clear in my last post.

Carol Bailey98 said:I wanted to let everyone know that my M. has passed away due to complications from metastasis. I want to thank you all—and a special thanks to Angela Wright—for the posts here; they truly helped us navigate this situation. Unfortunately, the cancer spread far too quickly and aggressively. Sending strength, faith, and patience to all the other fighters out there and their families as you battle this devastating disease. 😘

😢
I am so sorry. Please accept my deepest condolences. I wish you nothing but peace in your heart.

wiredbison3 said:Once the tests are ordered, does everything happen on the same day or what...?
thanks!

It really depends on what kind of testing we're talking about. In my case, the nurse was actually pretty cool—she went out of her way to draw my blood right then and there and sent it straight to the lab. I didn't want to deal with dragging a small child back to a hospital on the other side of town just to do it all over again the next day.

Nancy Robinson26 said:I’ve never advised anyone to skip chemotherapy or ditch their prescribed medications.
Besides, that isn't even the point here. Everyone mentioned followed through with their chemo while simultaneously adhering to these specific protocols—and none of these protocols were cooked up by Jean Wallace herself.

Scott, you brought up Ben Williams as an example of someone who is strictly on supplements and has stopped taking his meds. Even if that wasn't your direct intention or your actual stance, people are going to interpret it that way. On a forum like this, where things can get misinterpreted easily, you can't play around with health advice. People get banned for less than that.

To me, these experiences actually mean something, and they probably mean something to others too. And as for those unverified supplements? Clearly, they didn't do any harm.

I think you’re being a bit overly precious with that conclusion. The reality is, we have zero insight into their actual medical histories, their precise physiological states, or the complex lives that influence a massive range of biological variables. Some consequences might not show up until much later, though they might not show up at all... but life and the odds are far too precious to gamble with so casually. Shark cartilage certainly won't hurt him, but will it actually help? Probably not. But as for MMS—I wouldn't dare put my neck on the line there. For me, these stories simply show that there are people still fighting the disease in their own way, and honestly, that's something beautiful to read.

Cancer wasn't as big a deal back in the day...

That’s partially true and partially wrong.
Basically, over the last two centuries, the human lifespan has extended specifically because of leaps in technology and medicine. Today, we can successfully treat diseases that would have wiped out entire populations and halved the census in a single year just two hundred years ago. Back then, people died young from dehydration or the flu; kids died from simple stomach bugs. They never lived long enough to reach the age where cancer incidence spikes due to DNA mutations caused by aging. Furthermore, people died of cancer without ever even knowing they had it. Thanks to modern tech, we have diagnostic tools that let us catch cancer incredibly early, allowing us to remove it or treat it effectively for many types.
Of course, we can't ignore the massive number of triggers that cause early mutations in young people and drive up cancer rates—environmental pollution, ozone depletion, food being saturated with hormones, pesticides, herbicides, GMOs (whatever people want to call them these days), and, in my opinion, STRESS is the primary trigger. In the past, the amount of information a person received in a single day would have taken them a year to process bit by bit. Nowadays, you could find out about an earthquake in Japan and see a live stream of the resulting tsunami wiping out 20,000 people—seeing the rescue efforts, the bodies being pulled from the mud, children screaming, mothers pulling their hair out in horror—and you're expected to digest all of that and stay unaffected. You can't tell me that doesn't take a toll.😉
Unfortunately, cancer has always taken lives, and it always will. Even if we eventually stumble upon a cure that turns it into a manageable chronic condition—much like how diabetes was once a death sentence but is now something people live with daily—we aren't out of the woods. People still die from complications related to diabetes today, and that’s exactly how it’s going to play out with cancer too.
From what I’ve gathered looking at the data, the raw number of cancer victims has essentially stayed within a consistent range. You have to factor in that the global population has exploded over the last twenty-five years; when you account for that massive surge in people, the actual scale of the issue hasn't shifted as much as it looks.

wiredbison3 said:What’s a first appointment with a hematologist actually like?

Aside from taking your medical history and chatting about why you were referred in the first place, they just order some tests. Once those results are back, you go back in to figure out the game plan.

So now we have people acting like cancer is some brand new phenomenon. As if we weren't already losing people to it way before this.