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Posts by Gary King2

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Hello again everyone.
I just received the diagnosis for my cousin: secondary malignant lymph node tumor, specifically malignant melanoma. loneridge80 it looks like it’s the exact same diagnosis your sister had. Over the last few days, I’ve read so much conflicting information about this that I’m starting to spiral into a depression myself. I’ve spoken to so many people, yet everyone says something different—either too vague or just plain useless. I honestly don't even know what the next move should be. I already received some PMs after my first post, so thank you all for reaching out. To give you the rundown: after my cousin finished his first round of chemo, his doctor, Tom at the Mayo Clinic, discharged him without prescribing any specific medications for home care, aside from a recommendation for Procter & Gamble products and Nexium. He didn't even explain why those were being used or what they were for. It’s been about 15 days since his second cycle, and the doctor still hasn't even written the discharge summary, so I have no idea what the latest test results show. Meanwhile, my cousin has become anemic and dropped 35 to 45 pounds in just two months. He’s lost so much weight he can barely coordinate his movements or take care of himself. His next cycle isn't scheduled until May 27th. The whole process feels far too simplistic and agonizingly slow for such an aggressive cancer. While some have pointed me toward alternative therapies, I just ordered several boxes of Amway capsules, hoping they might help. In my conversation with a representative from GNC, the distributor here in the States, the feedback was very positive, but we won't know if they actually work for another two weeks or so. >, if your sister isn't already taking immune-boosting supplements like these, I’d suggest looking into them. I’m no expert, but the consensus seems to be that you can't fight this kind of war without extra weapons.
That’s my update. If I had known life worked like this, I would have studied medicine. Getting straight answers from doctors—in this case, an oncologist—is nearly impossible. It feels like you're begging them for basic information rather than asking for a medical update.

Positive thinking, >? I've tried searching for that, but I just end up more disappointed every time. That doesn't mean I'll stop looking, though.

To lighten the mood: I just set fire to a trash can because I couldn't be bothered to get up and reach for the ashtray during a moment of "inspiration." Those cigarettes are going to cost me dearly one day, haha. Hello to everyone, and wishing for a speedy recovery.
Thanks for the heads-up on this. I’m actually in the middle of talking things over with my family right now to see if we can finally get moving on a solution—assuming it isn't already too late. It seems like everyone else gave up before they even started. Since I'm 373 miles working out of state for business, I can't be there to handle everything in person, but I'm hoping to make some headway regardless.
I really didn't want to spark any unnecessary friction among the members here. I appreciate everyone weighing in; at this point, it's better to try something than to do nothing at all.
I'll start by introducing myself as Alice, and hello everyone!!

I'm new to this forum in general, and specifically to this thread. My time is limited—I’m actually typing this while at work—but I’ve scrolled through some posts and I have to say, I'm impressed by what I've read. At the same time, I want to offer my sincere empathy and support to all the members here and their families.

I stumbled upon this forum by accident while searching for information about cancer, hoping to find some way to help my loved ones.
To be blunt, about six months ago, I found out my cousin, Brady, has cancer. Using that word feels heavy, and honestly, the disease itself is even heavier. I don't have a medical background and I'm still trying to wrap my head around the differences between various tumors and melanomas, so please forgive me if I get the terminology wrong. He’s 29, the same age as me; we've been close since we were kids. Now that he needs help more than ever, I'm trying to provide it in any way I can, which is why I'm posting this.

I don't have a full picture of his illness yet, but I know this: he had a mole on his leg that accidentally got scraped off during a soccer game. Even though it bled periodically, he didn't see a doctor, thinking it was pointless—a hellish mistake that turned out to be the root of everything. Eventually, things took a turn for the worse. After his immune system crashed and his blood work showed something was seriously wrong, he was rushed from the hospital in Indianapolis to Washington, D.C., to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, where they diagnosed him with a malignant tumor that has spread to his stomach and lungs. After his first round of chemo (I don't know the specifics, just that it was five infusions over five days), it reportedly receded from his lungs, but stayed in his stomach and spread to his head. To make matters worse, he contracted hepatitis while at the hospital in Indianapolis, and he suffered paralysis on the right side of his body because he was given an IV in a hallway due to massive negligence, which only devastated him further.

I didn't think I needed to go through his entire medical history, but I'll find out more and update you. Mostly, I wanted to ask about anyone's experience with that hospital or the institute, since I haven't seen much mention of them here. Also, are there any specific supplements he should be taking to boost his immune system? He lost 20 pounds in three months, and the oncologists haven't prescribed anything for weight or immunity. On his own, he's been taking pills to try and stimulate his appetite.

One more thing I haven't seen discussed: he has swollen lymph nodes all over his body, some as large as a fist, and nobody seems to be doing anything about it. Shouldn't they be surgically removed if they can't be managed otherwise?

I don't know how clear this description makes his situation, but I'm looking for some guidance on what the best next steps might be.
Thanks in advance for any help!!