Posts by Laura Sanchez23

Grace Ross20 said:Dear Minnie, I honestly can't wrap my head around your boyfriend having three primary tumors—if I understood correctly, they aren't metastases?
You both deserve so much credit for stepping up to such a massive fight. I'm wishing you nothing but the best of luck. He’s young, which gives him a fighting chance, so focus everything on strengthening his system.

As for my Dad, he's stable for now, though he's immobile and non-verbal. We aren't pursuing surgery because they could only remove maybe half the tumor, and even then, it would likely just grow back even larger immediately.
I don't know anymore; I've made peace with the worst-case scenario.
I'm just trying to get through each day without falling into a pit of despair and dragging everyone else down with me. When things get too heavy, I just curl up on the bathroom floor and cry. It helps.
I try to keep Dad's spirits up, even though I think he's becoming less aware of his surroundings. It's a small comfort, but at least he isn't in pain.

If he has to go, I hope it's at least in the spring. I know how much he loves the spring. 🙂

Oh man... those images are so familiar... and I am truly sorry about your Dad.

Going through this with the people who mean everything to you is incredibly hard... but there is some solace in knowing he isn't suffering.
That's what I realized with my sister once I saw that she wasn't in any pain. When you see the sheer agony people endure through this terrible disease, knowing there's no pain has to be some kind of relief.

That bit about the spring really got to me...

"If we ever have to say goodbye, let it not be in the spring..."

placidcobra7 said:Thank you for everything. My Dad passed away on Thursday. Once the initial shock and grief subside, I plan to look into exactly what happened at the hospital. It’s hard to wrap my head around how someone can go from walking around independently and functioning perfectly fine to being immobile and on a feeding tube in just eight days. People were dying in that ward left and right, and the records office told me they couldn't even keep up with processing all the death certificates. It’s harrowing.

Mark Ruiz4, I am sending you all the strength and courage in the world.

Please accept my condolences; I truly wish you nothing but strength. My sister passed away at the Mayo Clinic just a month ago. In only fourteen days, she was gone—transformed from someone who could walk, laugh, and hold a conversation into someone fighting for her last breath. It is difficult to believe how quickly a person can be dismantled like that. Though, in her case, the diagnosis was an incredibly aggressive and brutal type: mesothelioma.
We are still in shock, likely not even fully grasping the reality of it yet... there is just sadness at every turn.

Angela Wright said:Unfortunately, yes. It’s incredibly aggressive and progressive—a rare malignant diagnosis with very limited treatment options.
Most cases involve exposure to asbestos particles, though a variety of genetic factors can trigger the mutations that lead to the disease. For instance, workers at industrial plants like US Steel or residents living near old manufacturing sites were most exposed, as were those spending long periods in buildings with outdated asbestos insulation. In the US, these are the primary groups affected by mesothelioma.

I am so deeply sorry. Please accept my condolences. 😢

Thank you.
I’ve already read up on all of this; everyone keeps asking when she might have been exposed. Given her background as a mathematical engineer, she never worked anywhere near an industrial site like that. I realize other factors can play a role, but it’s just such a massive shock. It feels cruel when life doesn't give you even a fighting chance... nothing. The worst part is the lack of symptoms; by the time they actually show up, it’s usually too late. You don't even get time to process it before she's gone.

I wanted to reach out and say hello to everyone here. I never quite found the right words to post while my sister was fighting her battle with peritoneal mesothelioma. Unfortunately, our story didn't have a happy ending. I’m still in shock because everything moved with such terrifying speed; she went from her first symptom to passing away at just 42 years old in the span of only two months. To be honest, I hadn't even heard of mesothelioma before this happened, and I can't help but feel angry that she wasn't given a real fighting chance. Is this disease truly that aggressive—so relentless that you don't even have time to process what's happening? I truly hope someone else here has some more positive stories to share.