Posts by Austin Stewart2

Hey... I've been MIA for about four months now since my dad passed. It happened fast—just ten days once sepsis set in, despite everything the doctors tried to do. He was 62... (had colon cancer surgery back in July, then by September, things just spiraled despite him handling chemo well). A lot of you on this forum reached out with support... there's a massive void left behind, but my heart is full of pride and love for him. I just need to call out to him and I feel a little warmer inside; honestly, I still feel like he's guiding me through life and watching over me from somewhere up in the heavens...
On Saturday, I took my 90-year-old grandma to the hospital. She’s lived a long, good life (my dad's mom). She had this cough, and the doctors thought it was the start of asthma—makes sense at her age. Last September, her lung scans were totally clear. We did them again on Saturday, and the results showed her lungs are full of metastases. She didn't even complain. They were supposed to run more tests today to confirm if it's definitely metastases or something else... but she ended up being put on life support. I know how this goes. If it's time for her to go, let her go without pain... that's a blessing. To everyone else here fighting cancer... fight with everything you've got. Win the battle. And if you lose the battle, you still win... because your loved ones have moved on to a place where there's no pain, no needles, no IVs, no shots... no vomiting or cramps. I'll keep reading your posts, and I'm rooting for all of you to come out on top.......

Hey everyone... unfortunately, we lost the fight. My dad passed away on Thursday... he went too soon. At the start of July, he had surgery for Stage 3 colon cancer. We breezed through the first round of chemo without any issues, and he actually showed up for the second round with great stats—white blood cell count was at 11. But then, just a week after that second round, he collapsed. We rushed him to Mount Sinai Hospital, and he was gone in less than two weeks. Honestly, I don't think the tumor killed him in the end; it was the chemo. His body was just too weak to handle it—his whole system basically just gave out. So, listen, please look after yourselves. If you suspect something is wrong, get to a doctor immediately. If my dad had sought medical attention even slightly earlier when the illness first started, maybe his body wouldn't have been so depleted, and maybe we’d still have a shot. When things hit the fan, you have to fight with everything you've got (my dad did). Along with the chemo, boost your immune system and listen to the people who have already walked this path. And let your loved ones fight, too. It's going to be brutal, but don't back down. My dad fought, and our whole family fought right alongside him. It's some small comfort knowing he passed without pain and didn't suffer for long. In the end, we had to find the strength to tell him to let go and trust in God, because there's no pain, no nausea, and no fever there. Don't be selfish in those final moments. Be brave and keep the faith.

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. Honestly, things are just going downhill here by the day. We checked him into the hospital on Sunday, and his initial labs showed low white blood cell counts. He’s also been complaining about abdominal pain. He had two abdominal CT scans yesterday, but the internal medicine team and the surgeons are basically stumped. They're dealing with a massive intestinal infection, but they can't tell if his gut looks like that because of dehydration or if tissue necrosis has actually started. Since he's in such rough shape, he isn't even a candidate for surgery right now. They moved him from internal medicine to surgery today, he's on a feeding tube, and things look pretty grim. I'm still holding out hope we can beat this infection despite the bad prognosis, but it's hard. I just can't wrap my head around how he could crash this hard overnight. His oncologist is just as blindsided—he showed up for his second cycle looking better than ever, but then everything fell apart just a week after finishing that cycle, and within forty-eight hours, he's completely tanked.

Need some advice... I dropped my dad off at the hospital today. He finished his second round of 5-FU chemo for Stage 3 colon cancer about a week ago, and honestly, everything seemed fine until yesterday. He had some nausea, and he developed some mouth sores that made eating tough, but they were just rinsing with sage and he’s been taking beta-glucan and aronia to try and boost his immune system. Yesterday, he could barely eat anything, and then last night he passed out while heading to the bathroom and hit his head. We called 911, he ended up in surgery for head scans, but everything looked okay there. He’s back home now, but he hit a fever of 101.3 last night, which we brought down immediately. This morning he ate breakfast and lunch pretty well—whatever he could manage. His temp was 98.6 this morning, and he didn't have a fever during the afternoon, but then he fell out of bed while napping. He snapped out of it right away, but then he vomited and it looked like he blacked out again for a second. Then this massive chill hit him and he was shaking uncontrollably for at least half an hour. I rushed him straight back to the hospital. Initial labs show his white blood cell count is tanked—only 1. They suspect an infection and are waiting on more results before they start hammering him with antibiotics. Is it actually possible for things to go south this fast overnight? (His WBC was 11 before chemo started). Also, what are your experiences? Do people pull through infections like this, and what happens to the rest of the chemo schedule? Thanks.

Thanks a ton for the advice on dealing with mouth sores... he’s being a pretty stubborn patient. We're at home trying to throw everything at him—lots of over-the-counter stuff doctors won't even bother suggesting to help boost his immunity—but he just blindly follows whatever the docs say. If it isn't a prescription, he won't touch it. It's like he thinks natural remedies are somehow "cheating" or going to mess with how the chemo works. We finally managed to talk him into taking some beta-glucan and aronia, but I really wish he'd open up to other natural options instead of relying solely on chemotherapy.

Question... maybe this has been asked and answered already, but if you don't mind helping me out again... my dad just finished his second round of chemo for Stage 3 colon cancer, and now he’s dealing with those mouth sores that always seem to pop up with treatment. What should he be using for rinsing or topical relief? Any suggestions? (Just a heads up, he’s taking beta-glucan and aronia to boost his immune system—not sure if that’s enough or if he needs to add anything else to his routine.) Also, does anyone here have experience with Graviol? Thanks, thanks.

Just wanted to lighten the mood here for a second... my heart goes out to anyone who has lost someone close to them.....
My mom dealt with ovarian cancer just over 20 years ago (she was 34 at the time)... stage three, everything gynecological removed, 12 rounds of chemo... back then, things were different—we had to source meds from abroad because we didn't have all these supplements they push today. But she did everything she could to gear up for those chemo cycles; goat milk, quail eggs, artichoke, kombucha, aloe vera... she can't even remember half the stuff she forced herself to take. After finishing two years of chemo, a routine checkup revealed kidney cancer... she had that removed too. Everything was fine until about ten years ago when she started bleeding. They found a tumor on her bladder... basically scraped it out. The cause? Years of daily cytostatics destroying her healthy cells along with the bad ones. Once she stopped the chemo drugs, she’s been living life to the fullest. Her mindset was huge, and her faith in God really carried her through. Now, my dad just finished his second round of chemo for colon cancer. He’s dealing with some brutal nausea right now, so he went for a walk to clear his head. It's rough... he's fighting, even if he isn't as optimistic as she was. He’s taking aronia and beta-glucan... and three days ago, he even had a bit of bacon and sausage. Look, I'm not going to stop him from eating. I just want him to eat. No matter how much this illness hits us, or how quietly and sneakily cancer crept into our lives, the whole family has stepped up to fight this with everything we've got. And we aren't backing down. People ask me about the prognosis... I tell them I don't care. To me, the prognosis is simply getting up every day, surviving it, and being able to lie down in bed at night. Don't think I haven't read the stats for Model X... I know exactly what they say. But we fight, and every single day survived is a win. That’s my message to everyone else who might be at the beginning of this, feeling lost or helpless... just listen to your loved one who is fighting cancer and stand by them. Because when it comes to fighting cancer, we're all in this together.

Quick question for anyone who knows their stuff. My dad just finished his first round of chemo using the Mayo protocol for Duke C1, T3N1MX colon cancer, and he’s gearing up for the second round now. His bloodwork shows low red blood cell counts—hemoglobin is at 97—along with low hematocrit, MCV, and MCH. Platelets look fine, but his white blood cell count is slightly elevated at 11.1 (normal range is 3.4-10.0). He’s taking 500 mg of beta 1,3 D glucan daily alongside the chemo. Should we be worried about those high white cells? It could just be some inflammation, but I'd love to hear if anyone has more insight on this. Thanks.

Jamie Chase said:Hey
My mom’s getting these red patches on her hands and legs from chemo, and sometimes her scalp gets blotchy too. Her doctors gave her some B vitamins and claimed it’s just sun exposure. Problem is, she isn't out in the sun much—just driving home after treatment, and even then, her legs aren't hitting any direct sunlight. Is there something we should pick up for her, or is this just part of the deal?

Just have her primary care doctor write a referral for a dermatologist. It’s the easiest way to handle it... skin changes are a common side effect of chemo. My dad actually deals with his scalp peeling off because of it. He got a referral to a specialist who’s managing his treatment now, so he's basically under expert care while he goes through the chemo cycles.

Sorry if this thread already exists, but I could really use some insight here. My dad just finished his first round of chemo for Stage 3 colon cancer. To try and boost his immune system and get him ready for the second cycle, we decided to start him on beta 1,3 D glucan Transfer Point. From everything I’ve read online, nobody seems to mention side effects—just how much it helps their immunity. But since my dad started taking the beta 1,3 D glucan Transfer Point, his nausea, stomach cramps, and intestinal issues have spiked, plus he’s got this constant metallic taste in his mouth. He can’t eat anything and looks like he’s wasting away right before our eyes. He’s only been on it for a week. Is it actually possible to have such a violent reaction? Should we push through or just stop immediately? If anyone has used this stuff and dealt with nasty side effects, please let me know... thanks.