Posts by Angela Wright

With those liver issues and her regular digestion, the swelling in her abdomen and ankles is a dead giveaway to me. Even to a layman, it’s obvious she’s retaining fluid—that's pretty much standard when dealing with diagnoses like hers, from what I understand. If they haven't run the specific tests > mentioned to rule things out, and Mom has already been discharged, then the doctors have committed a blatant and incredibly unprofessional oversight. You need to get her to the ER right this second; they'll stabilize her immediately by draining the fluid and getting her started on diuretics. This could turn critical fast if that fluid starts pressing against her lungs or heart!

vividsailor7 said:1. First things first: you have a primary care physician who knows this stuff inside and out. They should have been the one walking you through exactly what needs to happen.
2. Plus, I’m pretty sure all of this was clearly laid out in the discharge papers.
3. Honestly, I have no idea how they caught a polyp in her large intestine during the checkup, but that's a major part of the diagnosisa/e listed right there in the discharge summary.

I'm with you on this. It is genuinely bizarre that she didn't pick up on anything from those discharge papers and that her GP didn't flag it for her. To me, it feels like there might be some subconscious denial happening here—ignoring the reality just to push the illness aside.
At the end of the day, she needs to step up, be more assertive, and take charge of her health. She also needs actual logistical support from her family and friends—people to actually drive her to appointments and sit in on consultations so nothing gets missed.

My wife is adamant that daily liners, especially the scented ones, are the absolute worst thing you can put in your underwear. She swears they're a direct ticket to all sorts of allergies and infections—like yeast infections—so, yeah, there's a real chance this could be caused by them.

My uncle lived with prostate cancer for over 20 years and made it all the way to 95. During that time, he only had about three minor procedures to clear things out, took some chemotherapy, and even dealt with a situation toward the end where he fell off a step stool, hit his head, and developed a malignant growth from the wound—which they managed to fix successfully. He was under the care of Dr. Smith at the Vineyard clinic. I can't recommend that approach enough!

Draining pleural fluid might offer some quick relief, but if you rely on it too much, you’re just setting yourself up for an even bigger buildup down the road. It's really a last resort—something doctors only turn to when things have hit a breaking point and diuretics simply aren't cutting it anymore.

It’s entirely possible you’re dealing with some kind of inflammation. Blood is basically a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, especially now that the weather is starting to warm up. You really need to step up your hygiene game—maybe try using a probiotic wash; I’ve found Lactogyn works wonders for me. Once your period wraps up, keep a close eye on your discharge and go get some swabs done just to give yourself some peace of mind.

For these kinds of tight spots, you really ought to keep some activated charcoal in your home medicine cabinet. Its ability to soak up just about anything that hits your stomach can be a total lifesaver. Plus, the stuff just passes right through your system, so there's zero risk of an overdose.

Kimberly Cook5 said:Ear pain is just the starting diagnosis.

I haven't done any research yet because I was buried under a mountain of homework.

Money is incredibly tight right now, so I definitely don't have the cash to go out and buy a bunch of stuff to "boost my immunity."

I’m sorry you’re going through this, but you really need to get your priorities straight. Throwing antibiotics at everything and popping Tylenol in those quantities—which, by the way, costs as much as a whole bottle of Centrum—is just masking symptoms of something potentially much worse. Your doctor is being completely reckless; prescribing two different courses of antibiotics without even glancing at a blood panel or a urinalysis is just plain irresponsible. Without more detailed testing, nobody can give you a smart answer, especially not people on an online forum. I strongly suggest getting a thorough dental exam, specifically looking at the molars on that side. It's common for a granuloma to hide away and manifest as ear pain, while the tooth itself doesn't actually hurt or look decayed until a dentist drills down deep.

ruggedmarlin2 said:It’s not covered! We asked the oncologist, and they said it's just Zofran—everything else (better stuff) has to be paid out of pocket.

Did you actually look at the indications? It's specifically for people on certain protocols. George mentioned which drugs qualify, and the dosage matters too if you want to exercise your rights under insurance; they can get Aspirin from the hospital's formulary. So, it isn't just available to everyone, at least not from what I could gather.

Kimberly Cook5 said:I first took Amoxicillin 10mg for ten days (though I missed one dose and wasn't strictly following the 12-hour schedule, sometimes spacing them out by 2 or 3 hours), followed immediately by an Augmentin 7 day course—which I tried much harder to take consistently. It wasn't until today, my last day of Augmentin, that the sweating finally started.

At first, my ear was killing me (there was this ringing in my left ear that hasn't quite stopped) and my whole left side felt off, including my pelvis and a tooth on the left side. The antibiotics cleared all that up. John Doe is doing fine.
I called my doctor today and already took two 500mg Tylenols; I'm going to stick to three times a day now, and if things don't improve, I'm heading back to the doctor at the end of the week.
I spent some time sitting out in the sun in front of the house today, and honestly, it’s helping. I'm thirsty, so I've been drinking plenty of fluids.

On top of everything, I'm also taking Synthroid, Risset, and Luxet.

Look, you need to be a bit more specific about how this all started and what initial diagnosis actually landed you those antibiotics. What did your blood work look like? You're just throwing things out there without much context. And watch your Tylenol dosage. You really need to boost your immune system with some probiotics because after that many rounds of antibiotics, your gut flora is probably completely trashed. That’s likely why the sun feels so good right now—your body is trying to kickstart some Vitamin D production.
You have to take something to get yourself back on your feet.

Aspirin might be on the approved list here, but I’m not sure if it’s available in the US—we should probably double-check that.

Kevin Bishop10, if you check this link http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2005218-overview, you'll see they list both drugs as effective when used in combination. As for the specific protocol involving both of them together, you’re definitely going to have to hammer that out with an oncologist. It would be totally unprofessional for anyone else to try and give you an answer on something that technical.

Kevin Bishop10, I already sent you that link where all the protocols are laid out clearly.
Try eating some air-popped popcorn; you can pick up one of those cheap machines pretty easily. It actually helps a lot of people. I also suggest rubbing some crushed flaxseed dissolved in lukewarm water on the area—let it sit for an hour, strain it, and then drink the liquid. For some folks, Coca-Cola works wonders too.
Ask your doctor for something else to handle the nausea. Aspirin, for instance, is a solid option.

This is a perfectly standard recovery window. Honestly, sometimes it takes three full months. As for those hair loss prevention treatments—just forget about them. It’s a necessary evil, and if you're lucky, it'll be the only real downside to this whole ordeal. You just have to accept it; grab some beanies or a wig, and you'll get through it. It isn't as catastrophic as it feels. Regarding Alicia, those are injections administered on chemo days specifically to prevent nausea; they require a prescription and an oncologist's recommendation. You'll definitely be offered something, but whether it's Alexa or a different brand is strictly a professional medical decision. We're talking about serious medication here, not some over-the-counter supplement. Whether it's covered by your insurance or out-of-pocket, I can't say. Just check with your local pharmacy.

neonheron32 said:My uncle underwent throat surgery yesterday for squamous cell carcinoma. It had spread slightly, but based on the initial scans, it looked localized to the neck area, so the doctors decided to go ahead with removal to try and dodge chemotherapy altogether. However, during the procedure, they discovered something near the base of the skull and sent it off for pathology. According to the medical team, if those results come back malignant, the prognosis is pretty grim.

Does that mean there's a chance the tumor has metastasized to the skull or the brain?

That’s exactly why they took a biopsy for analysis. Just because they found something involving the skull bone doesn't automatically mean it's invaded the brain itself.

boldranger9 said:Hey there.

Back on Nov 5, 2012, I had a CT scan of my abdomen. I didn't follow up on anything after that, even though I had appointments lined up for a colonoscopy. It wasn't until just now that I actually sat down and looked at what the report said.

The abdominal findings show focal lesions in the right lobe of the liver, specifically segments IVa/VIII and V, which most likely look like cystic changes? There's also a focal lesion in segment V that looks suspicious for a hemangioma? Unclear etiology? The report also points to a cyst in the left kidney, some mild changes in both kidneys, and a few individual lymph nodes around 8-12 mm in size.

Seeing this now has me seriously worried. Can anyone help me make sense of this?

To give you some immediate peace of mind, a hemangioma is a benign tumor, kidneys are naturally prone to developing cysts, and those enlarged nodes could easily be the result of simple inflammation.

You absolutely need to follow through with those additional tests—get that colonoscopy done, check your markers, and see an internist.
The report definitely shows some changes that need to be addressed, and you have to rule out the possibility that anything here is malignant.

Just wrap this up so you can finally head out for your vacation 😉

Jamie Chase said:The oncologist wants us to get a CT scan and run some blood markers this Tuesday. We’re debating whether we should take her to the Mayo Clinic for a second opinion. Is it even worth trying surgery again to see if they can clear more out, or is it smarter to go straight to chemo first?

Just wait until you have the CT results and the blood work in hand before making any big calls. My take? If there's an opportunity to cut it out, you take it. Take those scans over to the specialists in Rochester to get their take on things. You don't have to rush into anything immediately.

Grdana, try to view your situation through the lens of life itself and its core principles: nothing is certain, there are zero guarantees, and everything is constantly in flux. We’re the ones who decide how we handle that volatility. Even when it feels like an impossible task, it really just comes down to a choice. You have to find the guts to set things up in a way that actually works for you and keep constantly weighing those options in your mind. That's why some people choose to stay in the dark—they'd rather ignore it until they're forced to face it. It's all about those fluctuations... you know what I mean? 😉

nimblepanther14 said:What are the odds that this is actually a tumor spreading from the kidney?
(I hate asking this, but I have to)

Slim to none. Someone already broke it down for you. You’d need a damn trophy for that kind of luck, and honestly, I doubt it. If I had to guess, those issues with your kidney before things turned benign were likely triggered by massive amounts of stress. That’s not even rare.
My old man went through the exact same thing back when my mother was sick.