Posts by Angela Wright

Kimberly Wright said:did Ostojić just claim on FOX that this is the century of hospice care?
What is he even talking about? 😕

Tell me which show that was on, I'm genuinely curious. Was it on The Washington Post?

vividsailor7 said:Gastropathy caused by portal hypertension—basically high pressure in the portal vein—is what’s driving the ascites and those dilated veins in the stomach and esophagus. He's showing low platelet counts, which likely points toward a vitamin K deficiency.
Cholecystolithiasis means he's got gallstones.
Malnutrition is also an issue here.
He's dealing with Stage III/V chronic renal failure.
The ascites is making it hard for him to urinate properly.

So, getting him on Kalinorm would be a smart move. I'd also suggest something like Ensure or Prosure to help tackle the cachexia.

Charles Flores33 said:Dear Angela Wright,

I’ve spent the last two days absolutely drowning in this thread, scrolling through 384 pages of posts since my wife finally got her test results back.

The role you play within your association and here on this forum is nothing short of noble.
Until yesterday, I hadn't the slightest clue just how vicious and insidious this disease really is. It wasn't until I started digging through various medical portals and forums, trying to scrape together as much information as possible, that the true nature of it hit me.

I’ve heard people mention melanoma, but honestly, most just toss the word around like it's some vague, scary mystery without actually knowing what they're talking about. They hear "cancer" and they stop thinking right there. It isn't just some abstract concept; it's a specific, serious type of skin cancer that you need to understand if you want to stay ahead of it.🤷...
We've been strictly avoiding the midday sun from noon to 4:00 PM for years now. It’s just common sense. My wife, however, absolutely loves soaking up the rays and usually heads out much earlier than I do.
She hasn't exactly been following the rules, though she ticks every single box for developing melanoma.

She’s got light skin, plenty of freckles, and striking green eyes.🙂

The prognosis for this stage looks incredibly promising, so we’re staying optimistic that everything will turn out alright. It’s clear you’ve been through the ringer yourself and really know your stuff, too. I was just wondering, though—what exactly did you mean when you said her melanoma is in a "good" location?

I was reading that melanoma on the limbs is much easier to deal with than when it hits the head... though, I guess technically, the ear is part of the head.😢

It’s right on the head, but the earlobe seems somewhat detached from the rest of the scalp. Plus, it doesn't look like it's heavily engorged with major vessels that would allow cells to spread rapidly through the body. Of course, I'm just speaking as a layman here, so I could be completely off base.

Charles Flores33 said:Thanks for the optimism... I’m hoping everything turns out fine too, but honestly, my stomach is doing knots and I'm running to the bathroom constantly.

When you're dealing with any illness—especially cancer—the absolute most important thing is refusing to let it take the driver's seat in your life.
Right now, the bottom line is that the issue has been located and it’s going to be dealt with in time. Everything else is pure guesswork, and there’s zero point in driving yourself crazy trying to predict the unpredictable.

melloworca6 said:So, how do you actually make that flaxseed tea? Do you grind the seeds yourself or what?

You take a spoonful of seeds—you can buy them pre-ground at a place like DMU—and let them soak in a glass of lukewarm water for about an hour. Then just strain it and drink the liquid. Looking through this forum, I see plenty of people saying it helps. Personally, it was a lifesaver for my heartburn during pregnancy. Honestly, the relief hit me with the very first sip.

Charles Flores33 said:After waiting about 15 days, my wife finally got her results back today, and I’m still reeling from the shock... melanoma cutis (SSM, Clark 2, Breslow 1).

I've been doing some digging online, and it looks like the prognosis for that stage is actually quite good.
It started as this brown spot on her left ear—right on the top of the lobe—that just kept getting darker over time.

The cells are only shallowly invading the underlying papillary dermis.

She's headed to the hospital in a week to have that thing removed.

Beyond the stage being manageable, the location is also a plus. In my view, that shouldn't cause any major issues. Just make sure she stays on top of regular checkups and keeps a close eye on any other moles appearing on her body.

-Razz- said:
I'm looking for something I can give my mom, but she's having a really hard time swallowing after her radiation treatments.
She's just completely wiped out.
I tried searching Google, but nothing really hit the mark.
Here’s what I stumbled upon:

Both licorice and marshmallow root help produce a soothing mucilage that coats the irritated and damaged linings of the throat, esophagus, and stomach.
I highly recommend them. They work wonders for chemo-induced nausea, too.

A lot of people walk around with undiagnosed congenital heart defects, never having a clue they exist until tragedy strikes out of nowhere.

vividsailor7 said:Not in kidney failure. Hyperkalemia is usually present there, and that’s one of the most common triggers for dialysis (alongside other markers), which is exactly what Furosemide is meant to address (to an extent).

Do you think that could be the issue here?
In my opinion, the real issue here is the liver—specifically the ascites caused by the tumor. When kidneys start failing in a patient in this condition, from what I can gather as a layperson, we’re usually looking at just a few hours left. You don't even get the chance to get them on dialysis. And honestly, I haven't heard of it being standard practice to put terminal patients on dialysis anyway; it's just too expensive a "sport" to spend that kind of money on patients at this stage. 😢

Hannah James76Even though everything is looking pretty grim right now, there’s a chance things could get even worse if his electrolytes are out of whack. Usually, when someone is prescribed Furosemide, doctors will also put them on a potassium supplement like Kalinorm to keep everything balanced.
It's pretty obvious my dad is dealing with ascites.
It breaks my heart to see how much everything has progressed already.😢 Based on everything you’ve laid out here, it looks like Dad is unfortunately in the terminal stage.
vividsailor7 laid out a list of potential next steps, but honestly, you really have to weigh the pros and cons here. You need to ask yourself if any of this actually offers him a meaningful benefit, or if we're just talking about more unnecessary suffering.
Stay by his side as much as possible. Do everything in your power to make things easier for him—whatever that looks like. Right now, what he needs most is palliative care, which means... You have to stay on top of this: make sure they're getting IV fluids, glucose, and proper pain management. Don't take "no" for an answer—insist on it.
Hang in there. Be brave and try your absolute best to stay composed. I know exactly how hard this is when you're fighting for someone you love, but honestly, sometimes that desperate, overwhelming urge to fix everything only ends up causing more pain for everyone involved.

Carol Smith17 Asks:
So, I've got this 10x8 cm tumor, but my markers are all within the normal range and, honestly, I feel fine. Is there still a chance this could be malignant?

A single marker isn't some definitive diagnostic tool you can just bank on; you really need to hold off until the pathology report comes back.

electricseal34 said:Would you also classify Alzheimer as a "second major illness"? I don't want to derail the conversation here, but that headline about "helping families..." really caught my eye.

Best regards, 🙂

Of course it is. Nobody's chiming in here because Alzheimer's has its own dedicated thread, so most people just take their stories over there.

Robert Grant84 said:Last July, she had surgery for colon cancer (Dukes C),
followed by the Maja protocol—two cycles followed by three surgeries.
Then three or four cycles of FOLFOX, but the disease kept spreading.
They switched her to Xelod (one cycle), but she can't handle it.
Right now, she’s waiting for her fifth cycle of FOLFOX. She’s been hit so hard by the pain that she can't even walk on her own.

In the US, this stage is typically treated with 5FU/leucovorin-based chemo. While there are two other protocols that could be used at this stage—either Xeloda tablets over eight cycles or the FOLFOX protocol over six cycles—they aren't standardly covered under basic Medicare for this specific indication, though some high-budget medical centers might still use them.
Biologic drugs like Avastin or Erbitux aren't indicated for Dukes C. Those are reserved for metastatic disease. www.zanovidan.com Dr. Radić
That's just how the cards are dealt. 😢
Maybe try posting an inquiry on that forum over there. Someone might actually have more sense than I do.

Robert Grant84 said:2 cycles of Maja folfiri
(irinotecan) 3 or 4 cycles
XELOX 1 cycle
FOLFOX 4 cycles

Look, you need to give me the full diagnosis. Treatment isn't one-size-fits-all; we don't treat every stage the same way.

Daniel Baker76 said:Hi,

I've been struggling with sinus congestion way up in my nasal passages lately. I recently started using >, and I have to say, it actually works. It’s finally allowing me to breathe "normally" like a regular person for once—not bad, considering I also deal with a deviated septum. However, after doing a little digging into the medication, I noticed reports of eye redness and nosebleeds. Has anyone here used this long-term? What has your experience been like?

You shouldn't be using Olynth for more than, what, 5 to 7 days? So don't even bother checking.
Your only real long-term fix is surgery.
I've got someone at home who keeps putting it off and just dragging their feet about it. 😳

Robert Grant84 said:We're talking about colon cancer here. The first line of treatment didn't touch it, and neither did the second. They just wrapped up the fourth cycle of this current round, and honestly, from where I'm sitting, it doesn't look like it's doing much either. 🙂

What was used for the first line? Was it Avastin or Erbitux?

wanderingharbor492 said:If you want to handle gangrene, you can fix it pretty fast and effectively by drinking 7ppm colloidal silver—just take a sip every two hours—and spraying at least 15ppm colloidal silver directly onto the affected area several times a day. You'll see visible improvement in just a few days. I've seen it work.

You've got to be kidding me. 😲

Seriously though, does this stuff also clear up warts? Because mine are growing out of control from dealing with pure human stupidity.☕

Emily Edwards19 said:Kate Brooks2 I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything turns out okay.

A close friend of mine starts a five-day stretch of radiation tomorrow at the local tumor institute.
They couldn't go the Gamma Knife route because the tumor is sitting at about 4cm.
If the radiation manages to shrink it down, they might revisit the Gamma Knife option.
I also mentioned CyberKnife to her; a colleague of hers has some connections over in Germany, so she’s going to look into all the options, but she’s ready to pull the trigger on whatever is necessary.
She’s willing to try absolutely everything.

I was wondering, though—is there supposed to be a specific gap in time between MRI scans?
Her last MRI was sometime early last month; could she, for example, head back for another one this month right after finishing her radiation?

An MRI doesn't involve radiation the way a CT scan does, so there shouldn't be any issue there.

vividsailor7 said:It really comes down to what kind of pill it was, how high the heart rate actually climbed, and whether there were underlying issues involved—like PVCs, PACs, or AFib. Best regards.

If there isn't an existing heart condition on the table, they usually just toss a Normabel at you to see if it brings the rhythm back down. They typically won't even consider pivoting to a different therapy unless that fails to do the trick.

Raymond Jackson38 said:Has anyone here actually dealt with Ms. Kraljeta over in the city? Word is she’s got a massive amount of experience treating illnesses using various teas, creams, and compresses. We actually crossed paths with a woman whose doctors had basically given up on her entirely, but thanks to Ms. Kraljeta's remedies, she's doing significantly better. Her metastases have receded, along with the primary breast tumor that the doctors wouldn't even touch with surgery.
I’ve been scouring the internet, but I’m coming up totally empty. It honestly baffles me how there isn't a single shred of information out there about someone who has achieved such incredibly positive results. Is it possible we're actually looking at...??🤷

I'm listening!!!

You’ll find much better info over on the alternative medicine forums. This specific topic is strictly off-limits here.

Emily Edwards19 said:We aren't backing down!
I dropped by a friend's place today, and honestly, it was surreal. I walk in and there she is, just sitting there watching TV and chatting away like she isn't even sick! She’s walking around, eating on her own, and says the headaches have completely vanished. It's like looking at a different person.🙂
It’s just not all sunshine and rainbows, and she still has a massive uphill battle ahead of her.
It spread to the brain. It’s about 4cm—well, maybe that's centimeters? Honestly, who cares. You all know how this works; you don't just go in for Gamma Knife in a situation like this.
Starting next Monday, they’re going to try brain scans on the rib.

Now I'm really curious about that one. I can't make sense of that. What are you trying to say?So, where can you actually get this done abroad? Is Germany an option?
Can you actually go under the knife if the tumor is 4cm, or does it have to be smaller? DO Four centimeters? That's quite a significant size.

I sent you the link to that woman's post—the one whose husband went through the cyberknife procedure. Send her a private message; she’ll give you all the details. I'm pretty sure she wrote something about this a while back, but honestly, I can't remember which thread it was on.

It’s honestly better for my friend because she finally got that anti-edema therapy. It actually worked to bring down the intracranial pressure that was causing all those issues in the first place.

feralridge3 said:Listen, folks, I was a skeptic myself, but here we are. 😉
If you don't recall, back in May I had a brain MRI, and the results suggested a recurrence was looming. They actually prescribed chemotherapy for me. Well, this past Friday, I paid for a new scan, and my metabolic markers have shifted—the imaging clearly shows there’s no sign of a recurrence.
Honestly, guys, I don't even have the words to describe the sheer relief of hearing those malignant cells have backed off. 🙂🙂

But did you even have them? Every random person out there thinks they can interpret medical scans😳. I guarantee you that if you sent those old images to a different doctor for a second opinion, you’d get a completely different reading.
I still vividly remember a presentation from a neurosurgeon at an oncology conference where he warned oncologists that radiation-damaged tissue often mimics tumor lesions, leading people to undergo unnecessary treatments.

Either way, this is fantastic news. Go enjoy your day. 🙂😍

Kate James38 said:I will, thanks... I just don't get why nobody suggested that to my brother, especially since the other particles are under 0.5cm... hmm...

And what's your take on this article?

My brother is dealing with some weird symptoms... at this point, I can't even tell what's normal and what isn't anymore.

It’s all about weighing the benefits against the side effects. Without radiation, you aren't extending life. These days, we have much more precise methods available, like proton therapy. Radiation remains the most effective tool we have in the fight against tumors.