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Posts by Lisa White54

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Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 28, 2009

Hey Barrett,
get in here and talk to us. We all know what you're going through right now. Seriously, we get it. Some days just suck like that. I have those days too—where I’m just being a total nightmare, you know? It feels like you're stuck in a hole with no way out, like there's no help coming and nobody actually gets where you're coming from... But man, it passes. Your husband is going to be okay. My guy has been through the wringer and survived it all, too. It'll work out, just watch.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 28, 2009

Susan Ruiz76 said:Thanks so much,🙏
this whole forum and its "help"—it’s like—all for one, one for all—you’re the only person who actually bothered to respond to my desperate post in three days and gave me some actual support. I wish casualrider21 nothing but the best, for you and your dad, and for everyone out there fighting the good fight. Take care.
As for the rest of you, goodbye. It’s funny how everyone shows up when you have to spend all day on this Forum arguing about some supposed alternative treatment, but the second a real, raw, human crisis hits? Ghost town. No one’s here.

So, yeah, peace out to this entire Forum tonight, while yet another person—just like so many others—is out there struggling for every single breath.

Don't go down that road. Look, I get that you're feeling hopeless, but everyone here is fighting their own battle, whether it's for themselves or someone they love. It’s just as heavy for everyone else. Everyone’s got a heart that's hurting.
Just think about how many people have "left" this place, how many people here have lost their world. And then look at how many of us are still standing right there in the trenches with you. Nobody has it easy. We're all in the same boat. We're all scared, sure, but we're also all holding onto hope for a better Tomorrow!

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 28, 2009

Susan Ruiz76 said:My husband is in the hospital right now. He left home using Duragesica 25, but today they patched him up with the 50, plus they’ve got him on: subcutaneous Lidocaine injections, Zaldiar tablets, Normabel tablets, and the chart even lists Tramal injections—so I’m sitting here wondering if this cocktail is actually okay 😕. Honestly, he’s losing his mind from the pain without all this stuff (he’s dealing with a lung abscess caused by tumor tissue necrosis, which, unfortunately, wasn't caught immediately. Antibiotics started late, though we're praying they kick in soon—the doctors basically told us they thought it was a terminal situation). I feel absolutely terrible—but then again, who am I to complain when he’s going through something a million times worse? I don't know what to do, what to think, or how to deal with the constant ringing of the phone and all the mindless comments and questions from neighbors. I honestly just want to sneak into the hospital, curl up next to him, and watch over him...

Susan Ruiz76,
I’ve been totally out of commission the last few days. Caught some nasty virus and ran a fever.
My husband uses the 50 Duragesic too, along with Tramal drops as needed (and god, the need is getting more frequent lately), plus he takes Praksiten and Sanval every single day.
I know you're struggling, and man, it's heavy.. There isn't much you can do, everything is in God's hands. Just pray He eases the pain.
The nonsense, the questions, the people around you constantly chiming in.. Just tune them out. My take is that most people just want info because they need something to talk about. It feels like my husband has already been buried a million times over in their minds.. I've seen it all. It used to hurt, it used to get under my skin.. But now? Just shut them out.

Your husband is definitely taking the brunt of it, but don't act like it's not crushing you too. You have every right to say you're struggling, that your heart is breaking, that you're terrified, or that you're just plain exhausted..
Hang in there. Things will look better tomorrow, you'll see!

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 24, 2009

casualrider21 said:The day before yesterday, I put my dad's first Duragesic patch on (25 mg/h).
We were practically counting down the minutes for it to kick in because his pain was absolutely brutal.
So, those famous 24 hours pass while we wait for the relief to hit...
But when it came time to change things up, we realized the patch had completely peeled off on its own.😠
Remove that, put a fresh one on. 🤷

In the meantime, we're giving him pills and Tramal injections until things settle down.

I need some info—what can or can't be mixed with these patches?

A patch shouldn't just fall off like that. Press it down hard and hold it there for at least a minute. Just to be safe, you can slap some regular medical tape over the top of it. Also, make sure you write the date you applied it so you don't lose track. That’s huge, because God forbid he ends up back in that much pain!

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 24, 2009

Angela Wright said:I think they can't spot it because tumors soak up the contrast (glucose + radioactive isotope) making those spots light up, but a stone doesn't "soak up" anything since there's no blood flow there. Ultrasound works on a totally different principle—like echolocation. Think about how a bat navigates by sending out high-frequency sounds that bounce off things to map out its surroundings. That’s why it picked it up.
Your husband has classic gallbladder stone symptoms. Honestly, he should get it removed ASAP before things get messy. It’s usually done laparoscopically, and he’ll be back home in three days.

Thanks for the reply. Man, I'm having one of those absolute garbage days. Just feel like crying. One of those days. It'll pass, though.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 24, 2009

brisksurfer said:well, I guess I got ahead of myself! 😢
another medical screw-up... basically, last week my dad went in for a follow-up CT and it showed not only that the lung cancer is still there, but it actually grew from 2.5cm to 5cm. His bronchi seem okay now, probably just thanks to the antibiotics. He went back to Jordanovac today and the doctor told him he couldn't understand why they only did a bronchoscopy last time when that isn't enough (they should have done some kind of biopsy too). We have to wait until May 21st for the next tests, which is when they'll admit him to the hospital. That means it’ll have been 6 months since they first spotted changes in his lungs...
I don't even know what to do... this just totally crushed me. 🙂

You aren't the only one who gets hopeful too early. The doctor at Jordanovac keeps trying to convince me my husband is fine, so I let myself believe it... then, once again, I see that's clearly not the case. Because if it were true, he'd be feeling better. So then, I go back to thinking his blood work looks good and maybe everything really is alright... but then later, I realize illness is sneaky, maybe it's hiding behind decent lab results... and then, once more, I think, hey, why couldn't he be the one to beat cancer? Maybe everything is absolutely fine... and it just goes in circles like that.
Yesterday he had X-rays done because of a possible surgery for gallstones. Honestly, I'm lost. It feels like the ground is just being pulled out from under me. He's not doing well; he's having pains in his upper abdomen. A couple of months ago, during an ultrasound, the urologist said he had a stone in his gallbladder. Now we're going for a new ultrasound. But what if it isn't a stone?? He doesn't even have the typical symptoms for gallstones.. On the last CT scan from August 10th, there's some description about the area under his right rib. I have no clue what that means.
Anyway, I just don't get it—if the stone exists and was seen on the ultrasound back in August, why didn't the CT, and then the PET CT, mention it anywhere? Is it just not seeing it? I don't get it.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 23, 2009

gentletiger46, I really dig your vibe. You’ve got this optimism just pouring out of you. I’ve always been a fan of people like that.
With an attitude like yours, you've basically already won half the battle against this "beast."

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 22, 2009

My husband’s been on Durogesic for a good while now—started back when he was just 25, and now he's hitting 50. He also uses Tramal whenever things get rough. Honestly, it does the trick; he’s mostly pain-free. But we had this one nightmare scenario recently where we totally missed a dose change for his Durogesica. It was absolute chaos. He was in such agonizing pain in his arms and legs... just brutal, until the new patch finally kicked in and started working.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 9, 2009

feralridge3 said:I’m eating plenty of fruits and veggies and taking glucan.
this flu absolutely wrecked me, I was stuck in bed for five days straight.
honestly, I don't even get why they bother with that last round of chemo when everything just comes back anyway.
it’s just pure misery, and what’s the point? 😢

My husband went through the exact same thing. Once the relapse hit, he started new chemo treatments, and yeah, they managed to hold it back and shrink things down again.
I know it sucks right now, but there’s a reason for this. They wouldn't be pushing chemo if they didn't think it actually mattered.
As for the hair—my husband started losing his almost immediately after the first round, so I just shaved his head down to a few millimeters. It actually worked out fine. If a stray hair fell out, you couldn't even tell, but he wasn't totally bald. Plus, when it grew back, it was thicker and curly. Like a little baby's hair.
Hair isn't the main thing here; the important part is whether the treatment is working!

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 9, 2009

feralridge3 said:I didn't dodge it, I just got my dose. 🙄

See!
How are you feeling now? You really gotta watch out for viruses right about now! Boost that immunity with whatever you can find! Hang in there!!

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 8, 2009

Laura Williams2 said:Hey everyone. My dad’s fighting lung cancer right now, and it’s already spread to his bones. It’s brutal. Watching him waste away day by day... it just hits different. He’s actually handling the chemo okay, relatively speaking, but the disease itself? It’s like he’s checking out mentally. He won't talk to us, won't leave his room, nothing. He's just totally withdrawn. Honestly, watching him shut down like this is killing the rest of us emotionally. It’s heavy.😳

Look, you guys seriously need to get it through your heads: he’s the one dealing with the heavy stuff here. He's staring down the barrel of being sick, the fear of actually dying, and the dread of all that pain... it's intense. Plus, when you're stuck in a hospital ward, you see things and hear things you can't unhear. It's a lot.
Look, you guys have to stay positive if you want to actually help him. He’s totally checked out right now, living in his own little world. Who knows what kind of heavy stuff is running through his head? Just do whatever you can to make things easy for him. Back when I was taking care of my husband, I went all out with the cooking. Like, I made food so incredibly good he just had to try it. Every single day, I’d make sure his sheets were spotless and smelled amazing—I’d tell him, "Smell how fresh this bed is," just to make lying down feel easier, more comfortable. We didn't dance around the illness either; we talked about it straight up. He knew exactly what he was dealing with. We sat him down and convinced him that he had to kill this thing inside him. That he could do it. That he *had* to. He isn't about to let that damn disease win.
Look, when things were hitting the fan, I made sure to stay upbeat around him. I had to. I was always convinced we’d pull through—just telling myself that even if today sucked, tomorrow would be better. And honestly? It worked out exactly like that. We’ve been grinding through this life together for five years now.
It’s not always a walk in the park, but honestly? It all comes down to whether you actually give a damn. You just gotta have that drive.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 7, 2009

Joseph Nguyen2 said:If you want my two cents, just try some primordial soup. Seriously, it’s a game changer!

So, where am I even supposed to find primordial soup? We've never messed with it before, but I've heard it's actually pretty good for you.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 7, 2009

feralridge3 said:The numbers are a little wonky.
Monocytes at 14 (normal range is 2-12)
Platelets at 137 (should be 158 - 424)
MPV is 10.9 (range is 6.8 - 10.4)
Everything else looks fine.
Still got the sniffles, but I'm starting to turn a corner.
I'm dying to know if they're actually gonna pull the trigger on this chemo or not. 🤷

My spouse went through something almost identical right before a round of chemo, and they still went ahead with it. Your numbers aren't even that far off. Honestly, I bet they’ll give you the green light for treatment.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 1, 2009

Linda Cox69 said:Hey ladies,
it feels like this is the only place where I can actually vent, since you all pretty much know exactly what’s going on with me...😢

today just sucks. Mom went in for her second round of chemo. She’s being incredibly brave, no complaining at all. She's hanging in there. Honestly, probably just like the rest of us... these crises just hit you out of nowhere. Just like they hit me today.

I'm feeling so low. I'm stuck at work right now, but man, I’d give anything to be home in bed with a massive pile of tissues, the TV on, and nothing to do but zone out on some Normabelles...

I have zero drive. Not even a tiny spark of energy left in me.
Just talked to Mom. She's already in her room. They'll start the therapy soon. Probably more pills today, then chemo tomorrow.

I'm really hoping she gets to come home tomorrow.

Looking at all these little emojis on my screen... none of them actually capture how I feel. This level of pain, this endless sadness... I'm basically in a coma.😢🙂🙂🙂

I just want today and tomorrow to be over with. I want Mom to handle the chemo okay. I really hope she doesn't deal with that same brutal pain from last time—she could barely take it...

Just crying and crying...
God, please help us all get through this nightmare... Here's a little song for everyone—maybe some Tony D will lift my spirits a bit...

Today's post is a total depressant. Sorry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~for the rest of you—since nothing is helping me today...

kisses

I'll check back in once I pull myself together..🙂

I know exactly how you feel. I've been through it all before, and honestly, I'm still going through it. When it hits you hard, go somewhere by yourself and just let it out... cry. That helps me.
Try talking to someone close to you. They might not totally "get" what you're going through, but the main thing is not to bottle it up. You need someone to listen, you need to speak.
Focus on your Mom. She's the one facing the hardest part, but she's tough. She's going to make it. Be her rock, give her all the love and tenderness in the world. She needs you.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 1, 2009

Megan Chase63 said:I’m dealing with something pretty similar here. My mom was diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer with metastases everywhere. The doctors basically told us there was no point in even trying surgery or treatment, so we ended up buying this massive herbal blend from a phytotherapist out in Indianapolis. He uses 180 different kinds of herbs and swears his tea will cure her, but he also told us to steer clear of conventional medical treatment altogether. Anyway, after we bought the tea, the doctors actually decided to go ahead with surgery, and tomorrow—which is 20 days post-op—she starts her first round of chemo. Since the surgery, we’ve been giving her these teas, and now we’re stuck. We don't know if we should keep going with them alongside the chemo or if we’re gonna mess things up because of potential contraindications. We asked the herbalist about it, and he just said it’s fine and she can drink it whenever she wants during chemo, but then he claimed if we asked the doctors, they’d think we were crazy because they won't acknowledge anything outside of mainstream medicine. Now we’re lost on what to do. Has anyone here actually tried the herbal treatments from John Branko, the phytotherapist in Indianapolis?

My husband went through lung cancer about four and a half years ago. It was bad. Like, really bad. He was on chemo and radiation. While he was doing all that, he used Aloe, Noni, Chlorella, and various immune boosters. But zero herbal teas from any random herbalists. Believe me, out of nowhere—and I have no clue how they even found me—these "healers" and herbalists started calling me constantly. I shut them all down. Every single one. Because whenever I asked what exactly was in their little potions or teas that they supposedly guaranteed would "cure" you—and they charged an absolute fortune for them—they’d just say it was their "SECRET recipe"!!
Look, I’m a skeptic by nature. I don’t give my husband anything unless I’m 100% sure about it, meaning I need to know every single ingredient. Doing stuff blindly can be incredibly dangerous. Who knows what kind of chemical reaction you could trigger in the body when you mix mystery stuff with the actual meds your mom is taking for chemo? It's risky.
We stuck strictly to conventional medicine and immunotherapy (you know, Noni, Aloe, Chlorella... lots of fruits and veggies...) but absolutely nothing from those herbalists!

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Mar 20, 2009

Look, we all speak the same language here. We get it. Everyone goes through those stretches where you feel like absolute garbage, totally hopeless, followed by those days where you finally find your spark again and feel like you can take on the world...
But honestly? The main thing is this: we don't quit. Period.

As for the Metformin, my husband was on that about two years ago when he completely lost his appetite. He went through two bottles of the stuff and started eating like a beast. Everything tasted amazing to him, and he actually put some weight back on..
Now, his weight has tanked again, so he tried starting the Metformin back up, but by the second day, he had such bad diarrhea.. Maybe it wasn't even the Metformin, but he's done with it. I have no clue what else to give him to get him to eat.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Mar 19, 2009

feralridge3 said:Maria Lee54 - reading about what you're going through made me realize why my doctors told me I was lucky the tumor was in a spot they could actually get to and just cut out in one go. Well, hasn't even been a year and it's already back. A recurrence. Just my luck. 😢

I totally get how much it sucks having to deal with all this solo. Honestly, it’s the worst feeling because I was basically left high and dry right when I needed support the most. 😠

And look, I'm not gonna hit you with those empty clichés—you know, the whole "stay positive," "don't give up," "it'll all work out" crap. That stuff drives me absolutely insane.
I just hope we both get through this with as little pain as possible and get healthy fast. 🙂

Seriously, I just want everyone to get better and stop hurting ASAP. And I'm done with the "clichés," even though they actually helped my husband and me when things were hitting the fan. Even today, waiting on his test results, I find myself leaning on that kind of talk just to cope. It only gets under my skin when people who have zero clue what this fight is actually like try to feed it to me.
Anyway, didn't mean to offend anyone. I was just speaking from the heart.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Mar 19, 2009

Maria Lee54 said:Hey feralridge3, THANKS, seriously, for all the good vibes. I’m sending those healing thoughts right back at ya... so, here's the deal: I've got a brain tumor. It was partially removed at some clinic overseas, but I need two more surgeries to get the whole thing out. Now, I've been stuck in this waiting game for over a year, just waiting for the next procedure, and honestly? Things have taken a turn for the worse. Ever since this started, the road to getting better has been a total nightmare. Mostly because the healthcare system here in the States couldn't handle what I needed, and then there was all the crazy drama involved just trying to get medical help abroad. I’ve been on Medrol for 21 days now, just trying to keep the swelling down and settle the tumor until I can finally make that final trip to the clinic. I feel like garbage—totally helpless and weak. I try to force myself to eat, but between swallowing issues and my tongue atrophying, food just doesn't look appealing anymore. And man, I could deal with all this physical crap much easier if I hadn't hit that ultimate wall of disappointment... having the person you share your life with, but feeling absolutely nothing from them... I am completely alone in everything that's hitting me right now. I've decided I'm gonna fight hard to get that surgery first—that's the main goal—and then tackle this other stuff, which, believe me, hurts way more than the tumor. Sending love to all of you. Hang in there, Susan Diaz91, Maria Fox, Nancy Hernandez43, Lisa White54, Linda Cox69... I really admire you guys and how you keep showing up for your loved ones. Sending positive vibes to everyone, hope we all get better ASAP!

I wish I were closer to you so I could just grab your hand and give you a huge hug.
Don't you dare give up. Keep fighting, keep looking forward. You're tough, you can handle this.
Eat. Just eat. It's literally part of the recovery process. You'll get your strength back and start feeling human again. When you eat, don't even think about the food—just shove it in and distract yourself with a book or the TV... it makes it easier. You'll end up eating more that way.
I'm so sorry you're hurting, but it'll pass. It has to. Tomorrow's a new day and things will look better.
I really respect your grit. You're amazing.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Mar 6, 2009

I mean, I don't get it, because back in February, we headed over to Jordanovac after just calling the doctor and working things out. He told us to swing by in a couple of days. My dad was actually transferred directly from the local general hospital to Jordanovac and stayed there for his treatment. Then my sister's father-in-law—and man, there were SO many people from our neck of the woods at Jordanovac at the exact same time this past February—he also got a direct transfer to Jordanovac and stayed there too. They found cancer, but since he’s in pretty rough shape overall, the family begged them to skip more testing and just let him come home. It wasn't even a question about whether they'd give him chemo... so I really don't follow what you're saying here.
In my hometown, there are tons of people dealing with cancer. And almost everyone goes to the Mayo Clinic for their treatments. I haven't heard a single soul mention being put on some waiting list for surgery or chemo, especially since we're talking about life-or-death stuff. Just looking at this year—as far as I know, and I talk to pretty much everyone, everyone was admitted immediately and treatment started right away.
Once someone gets a cancer diagnosis, I assume everything just moves automatically in coordination with the doctor. There shouldn't even be such things as "waiting lists" for this kind of thing. Like, what would that even mean?
As far as I can tell, waiting lists are for specialist checkups and routine tests. Once a malignancy is confirmed, everything moves fast and automatic. No delays, no sitting around. I know this from my own family and from the experience of the huge number of sick people from my area.

Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Mar 6, 2009

larazg;19219463 said:

So, Terceva is officially on the approved drug list as of March 1st, I think... or whatever. My husband actually asked his doctor if he’d be eligible for it, but the doc basically brushed him off and said it wasn't necessary for his case. Honestly, I have no clue which hospital you're talking about—like, whose oncology department specifically? At the Mayo Clinic, they didn't play those games; they just treated people based on what was actually happening, and I never saw any weird priority lists favoring younger patients over older ones. As far as I can tell, everyone gets the same shot. My dad is 80, and after being admitted to our local community hospital, he got transferred over to the Mayo Clinic. They ran every test under the sun, including a CT, found out it wasn't even cancer but just pneumonia, cleared him up, and sent him home. What I'm trying to say is, they don't just look at your age and write you off; they put in the work for everyone. Even during my husband's treatment, I saw folks in their 70s and up going through chemo and radiation without anyone blinking an eye.
As for other hospitals... who knows.