Posts by Angela Wright

dustyjackal10 said:I’m looking for some guidance regarding patient rights and the actual procedure for someone in this situation:

1) They have Category A supplemental insurance.

2) They are battling a malignant tumor of unknown origin. After six rounds of chemo, the primary tumor has shrunk significantly, but the carcinoma has metastasized throughout the body, and their overall condition is deteriorating.

3) The treating specialist has essentially given up because they don't know what other therapies to apply.

4) The patient wants to seek medical treatment abroad.

I want to know if it’s possible for Medicare to fund—or at least partially cover—this trip abroad. We are looking at Germany.

If there is a way to make this happen, what does the process look like?

Thanks.

For a patient to get treatment overseas, the doctor at the current facility has to formally state that all options within the domestic system have been exhausted—meaning the necessary expertise, specific drugs, or specialized equipment simply aren't available here in the States. That documentation then goes to Medicare for review. If they give the green light, they may reimburse the costs, but only at specifically approved clinics; alternative medicine won't be considered. In theory, that's how the machine is supposed to work, but in reality, it usually falls apart at the physician level. You'll rarely find an oncology department head or a hospital director willing to sign off on something like that.

As for legal rights, that’s a massive question. What specifically are you trying to find out?
What exactly is the diagnosis?

Go get yourselves to the beach! Honestly, I think a proper vacation would do both of you a world of good—there’s something genuinely healing about being by the ocean. Just watch out for the scorching sun and those high temperatures. I'm currently down in Miami, and let me tell you, it is absolutely blistering here.

Chloe Gray5 said:We were told Dad is coming home this Friday. We don't think he's fully ready yet—he isn't as lucid as he used to be—but things are looking up.
We're going to try to get a hospital bed while he recovers.
Now we'll have to manage his pressure sores ourselves. I need to know how often wounds like that need dressing, what supplies are required for wound care, etc.
Angela Wright, if you could answer me, you mentioned something about this last time; any info is gold. Thanks 🙂.

Go straight to his primary care physician right now and arrange for a visiting nurse to set up home health care, which Dad is entitled to. A field nurse will come out to handle the pressure sore dressings and take care of all the necessary medical needs, including bathing him once a week.
Regarding the bed, your best bet is calling nursing homes—both private facilities and state-run ones—to ask if they rent them out. Many of them keep beds in stock and rent them for about $300$133 a month. Also, make sure you specifically ask for that specialized mattress I mentioned before. Nothing else works quite as effectively.
Check with Catholic Charities too; they might be able to help by lending you a bed, though they usually require a written request along with a copy of the discharge papers. The Hospice Friends Association is another option; they typically just ask for his medical history and will provide a bed upon signing a waiver, but again, that's all dependent on what they have in stock. Try to get all this organized immediately so Dad can actually get home.

EDIT: Make sure you insist that when Dad arrives home, his doctor performs a house call to assess the situation and get a firsthand look at his condition. It’s their responsibility, and it is absolutely critical for building a strong relationship with the doctor, which is vital when dealing with patients in this state!

Aaron Gray said:If she actually had one of those conditions, what symptoms should we be looking for? What kind of issues would typically pop up?

Think of Chron as a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, whereas Celiac disease is an intolerance to gluten in food. Both trigger changes within the digestive system that might—or might not—show up as physical symptoms, if you catch my drift.
Instead of me listing everything out for you, your best bet is to just plug both diseases into a search engine and look over the symptom lists yourself.

Basically, any of this could be the underlying reason why someone would develop colon cancer at such a young age, and it’s absolutely vital that the root cause gets treated right alongside the cancer itself.

Another possibility crossing my mind is that we aren't even dealing with carcinoma here, but rather some type of soft tissue sarcoma that mimics cancer during this stage of diagnosis. To be honest, those types of neoplasms are actually more common in younger people than standard carcinomas are. You won't get a definitive answer on what we're actually facing until after the surgery and the pathology analysis of the removed tissue is complete.

Aaron Gray said:If I’m reading the doctor correctly, then yeah.

As far as I know, there isn't anyone else in her family who dealt with this specific type of cancer.
However, her aunt—who is my mom—had breast cancer, her grandma had it too, and her grandpa had lung cancer.

That doesn't really move the needle; the crucial detail is whether they were all fighting the exact same tumor. They absolutely need to rule out things like Chron or Celiac disease, or any other kind of autoimmune disorder.

Olivia Cooper64 said:Hi, I don't know if anyone is still reading this... but I would love some answers. My dad was just diagnosed with Grade IV glioblastoma. He’s had surgery and is supposed to start radiation and chemo tomorrow... he’s getting lost in conversation quite a bit; mostly when we talk about time, he doesn't realize what hour it is and it takes him longer to process things. Can you please tell me everything you know about treating glioblastoma?? Is it actually possible for someone to survive more than 10 years now with modern medicine, or maybe alternative medicine? Please let me know... money isn't an issue.

I don't have anything pleasant or positive to say regarding glioblastoma treatment. 😢
There are people who have lived longer, but they are a tiny minority—almost statistically insignificant.
From my own experience, surgical removal and radiation are the most effective routes. Temodal seemed to do more harm than good for me, and as for "alternative" medicine, I could write an entire book on how they fleeced us and ripped us off for absolutely nothing.
The only thing giving me any shred of hope is the application of nanotechnology in treatment. I recently watched a documentary on CNN about medical nanotechnology featuring a clinic in France that uses glucose-based nanoparticles administered via IV during an MRI scan. Since an MRI uses such a powerful magnetic field, and because tumors crave glucose, the cells pull in those particles along with the sugar. Because the particles are small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier—which is the massive hurdle in brain tumor treatment—they heat up within the magnetic field and literally cook the tumor cells from the inside out. Apparently, their results are incomparable to the success rates of either radiation or chemo, but thanks to the massive pharmaceutical lobby and their obsession with profit margins on drugs, they can't push it through major studies or widespread clinical use. This method isn't invasive and can be repeated multiple times for recurrences, unlike something like radiation.
Honestly, I haven't sat down to Google which specific clinic in France it was, so you should look into it.
EDIT: I found one study posted here; it looks like they are trying to push it as a carrier for chemotherapy, which is the only thing I could find: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2964525/, but that's not it. This is specifically about pure nano + glucose used during an MRI.

Aaron Gray, your support is worth its weight in gold. Don't waste your energy pitying her; instead, focus on helping her maintain as much of her normal routine as possible. Having a malignant diagnosis doesn't automatically mean she's facing Death—it means she’s entering a fight. And if you want to win a high-stakes fight, you have to understand your enemy inside and out and ensure your support system is rock solid. That’s where you can truly make an impact.

If I'm reading this right, we're talking about a tumor in the colon roughly a meter in size?
She is incredibly young to be dealing with this. Usually, people don't see this type of cancer until they're at least 50. Has anyone else in the family dealt with this specific type of tumor before?
If there's no family history, it's entirely possible that an underlying condition, like Chron or Celiac disease, caused changes in the colon that eventually progressed into cancer.

Megan Williams6 said:Actually, it isn’t even about the electrical current, but rather the vibrations, which is why I’m asking......Specifically, we are talking about the Dr. Ho device...

It’s about... I don't know what you're trying to get at here. If you've got something to say, just say it. I don't have time for riddles or half-baked thoughts. Cut to the chase. Which type of electrical stimulation actually targets the A-type nerve fibers and forces the muscles to contract?
The Dr. Ho device is nothing more than a glorified, overpriced marketing spin on a TENS unit that’s been around forever.

Angela Nelson51 said:I wanted to jump back into this discussion because I’ve been writing about my friend who has cancer... it’s been about a month since I started posting about her. She’s actually been in the hospital for a week and a half now. They were supposed to perform surgery to try and remove part of her bowel because she couldn't go to the bathroom for six days straight and had stopped eating entirely. However, after running some tests, they decided she was just too weak and that there was no point in putting her through more procedures. The last I heard is that she’s mostly lucid, though she drifts in and out occasionally. The day before she went into the hospital, she called me asking me to come see her, but I was sick with a high fever, so I told her I’d come the next day. But when I arrived, she wasn't there. She told me she doesn't want me visiting her in the hospital right now to watch her face Death. Meanwhile, I have this overwhelming urge to be with her, to say my goodbyes, especially since they say there's no hope left. Every three days, they have to drain fluid from her pelvis because it keeps building up... I don't know what to do. Her family is respecting her wishes, so they won't even tell me which room she's in. I feel terrible that I'm not by her side right now... I'm planning to head over to her mom's house now to see if there are any updates.

I am so sorry. 😢
John Doe with her mom and ask her to let your friend know how much you truly want to see her, while making it clear you'll respect her decision if she refuses.
There isn't anything else you can do. 😢

analogbison13 said:I was just chatting with my physical therapist about what can actually be done to help manage pain for a friend of mine dealing with bone cancer. You can definitely try some things, but you really shouldn't touch anything without a professional leading the way.
Regarding that "electrical stimulation" thing, I specifically remember him saying absolutely not.

When you're looking at patients in the terminal phase, I don't think there's much harm in trying things that could potentially offer some relief. That said, you have to assess the situation properly, and that is strictly a doctor's call.

Yeah, I heard that too.
On the flip side, using a TENS unit actually triggers an endorphin release, which helps dial down the pain through your body's own natural mechanisms.

Zachary Stewart9 said:Cheers

I’ve been chewing on a question for quite a while now, and if anyone out there has the answer, I’d really appreciate the insight:

Does anyone know the annual figure pulled from the federal budget specifically for treating smoking-related illnesses and addiction recovery?

Thanks.

I doubt a specific statistical category like that even exists, mainly because it's incredibly difficult to pinpoint smoking as the sole trigger for certain diagnoses.
However, research suggests that the cancer rate in the US would drop by roughly 25% if we didn't have smokers. We see about 26,000 people diagnosed with cancer annually here, with lung cancer being the most frequent culprit. Most patients don't seek help until the disease has reached a metastatic stage. At that point, the best shot they have is high-end targeted therapies—think drugs like Tarzana—which are astronomically expensive and represent the heaviest hits to hospital budgets.

Chloe Gray5 said:We have a dog, and my dad misses him terribly because he’s used to being his constant companion. I was thinking once Dad starts feeling better, maybe we could wheel him out in front of the hospital so he can see the dog; I think that would really lift his spirits 🙂.
I haven't found many forums specifically about amputation, and I have so many questions. How do you learn to sit or walk again? What kind of prosthetics does Medicare cover, and is it possible to upgrade to a better model by paying the difference? How long does recovery actually take, and most importantly, when will Dad finally be able to go home? He’s had enough of the hospital; being stuck here is absolutely destroying him mentally...

Dad will likely head straight into some rehab at a specialized facility, because he needs to start strengthening what he has left and adapting to his new reality immediately. He’ll probably need a wheelchair, too, because honestly, without hip stability, I don't see him being able to use any kind of prosthetic yet. I strongly suggest he takes full advantage of every single benefit tied to his disability status, from designated parking to other perks. Look into that—it's a must!

Chloe Gray5 said:It breaks my heart how much he’s suffered these last few months. He’s such a genuinely good man who never caused anyone trouble and was always there to lend a hand. My sister and I were his whole world since we came into his life later in his life, and he deserved nothing but the best. Instead, he’s been hit with things no one should ever have to endure...

Damn it, situations like this just wreck me—they leave me feeling frustrated, heavy, and just plain sad. I’m so sorry it’s come to this. 😢I honestly thought the amputation would be the end of the struggle.
You know, this kind of crap happens to everyone without warning or rhyme or reason. But when it hits a truly good person, it feels like a gut punch to all of us. Beneath our skin, we're all just vulnerable and fragile. But we also possess this incredible capacity to adapt and a mental toughness we don't even realize we have until we need it.
I really hope he finds that inner drive to live life to the fullest within his new circumstances. If he's a dog person, I can't recommend getting him a dog enough. A dog doesn't care about your limitations or what you've lost; they just see you for who you are, and to them, we're perfect. If he loves animals, having a companion could be the ultimate motivation for his rehab.
When you get a chance, show him this short clip.

Chloe Gray5, do that 24-hour pharmacy right now and grab some Granuloflex patches for those pressure sores. Once you get those applied, you don't touch them for three days. You have to sanitize and seal the area because if Dad has gangrene and that gets hit with a bacterial infection, things could go south incredibly fast. Also, pick up some Dekumil or Dermazine; the silver ions in the latter really help speed up the healing process. On top of that, you seriously need to get an alternating pressure air mattress with a compressor for the house. It’s basically like an air mattress that uses a pump to constantly shift the air so the patient is practically hovering, and the slight vibration helps boost microcirculation. My mom was bedridden from the neck down for a year and a half on one of those, and she passed away without a single pressure sore on her body.

mistybadger55 said:Mom passed away today at 5:20 PM. It was peaceful, quiet, and she didn't suffer much. I held her hand for those last two hours, though I can't be sure if she was even aware of it.😢😢😢

😢 My deepest, most sincere condolences. Hang in there.
Your mom knew you were right by her side. You did everything a daughter should do for her mother. Find some peace, and let her rest easy now.

Sarah Roberts2 said:Just a standard checkup, I'm 35, all my levels are right in the middle of the pack, but this sedimentation rate is worrying me. Left quadrant under the island. #I'm handling it. Could this be caused by a tooth or something else entirely...... cheers

It’s definitely possible. You’re clearly looking at an inflammatory process here. A round of antibiotics combined with getting that dental issue sorted should clear the whole thing up.

It’s entirely possible you’re dealing with some kind of intestinal parasite. You really need to go get tested.
Tapeworms, for instance, can cause some serious damage: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tapeworm/symptoms-causes/syc-20378390

mistybadger55 said:About a month ago, my mom underwent five sessions of whole-brain radiation, but looking back, I don't think it was the right call at all. She started declining at lightning speed right after—going from a relatively mobile woman weighing around 175 lbs to someone who can barely move and is down to maybe 110 lbs. Honestly, she probably would have hit this point regardless because the metastases are everywhere, but at least she wouldn't be suffering like this... we made a mistake... and I feel terrible about it. She’s in the terminal stage now; she sleeps most of the day, stays awake at night, and any conversation we try to have is just short, one-word answers. She eats a little, but I can see she's nearing the end, and she knows it too. At her request, we had a priest come by two weeks ago.😢

The radiation likely slowed the spread of the metastases. Without it, everything probably would have spiraled much faster. It breaks my heart that she's suffering so intensely, and that you're going through this alongside her. I know exactly what this feels like, and even though it's incredibly heavy, I know it's possible to find some strength within it and just endure. Hang in there and spend as much time with her as you can—hold her, kiss her, and talk about the good times and all those beautiful memories you share. When the journey finally reaches its end, those are the moments that truly matter.
Stay strong! Sending you love and hugs!

Skydiver, you've hit on a killer topic here. Honestly, if you dig through the archives, you’ll find this exact subject has been broken down hundreds of times over—complete with deep dives into what every single line item actually means and what those benchmark values are really telling us.