Posts by Paul Garcia

Kate Wells44 said:The symptoms you're describing sound a lot like what we call Superior Vena Cava syndrome... What did the CT show? If there's a tumor or some swollen lymph nodes putting pressure on the SVC, it makes it really hard for blood to flow back to the heart, so the body tries to compensate by developing collateral circulation—which usually shows up as those enlarged veins on the skin of the chest. Please, just type out the CT findings for me here. I'm an oncologist.

Hey there!
I'll send everything over via DM...

🙂

Angela Wright said:if they're on corticosteroid therapy like Medrol, it's probably because of that...

Sent from my iPhone using Reddit

He hasn't actually started the corticosteroids yet.
Today marks day seven of treatment, and man, those first three days were brutal... he was dealing with such intense lower back pain even while taking painkillers. Things are looking a little better now—the pain has dialed down a bit and the facial swelling has gone down too, though it’s not totally gone, and his neck is still pretty swollen. He keeps saying his throat feels tight, maybe from the lymph nodes, though they seem to have shrunk since a few days ago...
He just feels so weak, like he has absolutely zero energy left in him. Some days he'll feel okay and be a tiny bit more active—he managed to walk around a little more, bent over a couple times—but then today he’s just wiped out again. His breathing is heavy, like his lung capacity isn't quite there yet. On top of that, he can't sleep, which I guess is a side effect, and he has this occasional cough... and everything else...
Oh, and his capillaries burst on his upper chest area... we aren't really sure if that's from the heavy coughing and all the strain from before or something else entirely... honestly, I have a million questions swirling in my head...
He’s struggling, for sure... but compared to those first three days of treatment, he's doing much better right now.
I'm just relieved the facial swelling is easing up, so I try to stay positive and tell him things are moving in the right direction... but I'm still so terrified about what those initial test results might show...
I just really want to believe that miracles happen and that this new medication is going to be the miracle we need...
If anyone out there has any experience with Keytruda, I would be so incredibly grateful if you could reach out...
😢🙂

Jack Diaz4 said:It might be swelling because of some of the medications they're on. Honestly, my whole face used to swell up from the corticosteroids I was taking between chemo sessions

It feels like it could be related to the lymph nodes...

Is it Keytruda?
Has anyone else dealt with this or had any experience with it?

Hey everyone,...
Has anyone else here, or maybe someone you know, actually gone through immunotherapy with Keytruda...?
I’d love to hear what you guys have been through... please share your experiences if you can...

So, my father just got diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer, and he’s already started his first round of treatment...
It’s only happening in my face—my arms and legs seem totally fine—but this swelling started up about five days ago... Before... So, about those initial rounds of therapy... does anyone here have any actual experience with this? I'm just wondering if anyone knows what might be causing all that swelling to kick in...

I am so incredibly sorry. Sending you all my love and deepest condolences...
Thanks so much for getting back to me.
It’s just one of those heavy truths we all eventually have to face (if we haven't already), and honestly, nothing hurts quite like losing someone you truly love...
But look, you were so lucky to have such an amazing mother who loved you deeply, and you were such a wonderful daughter to honor her wishes and respect everything she felt...
And man, that really is the ultimate wealth right there... at the end of the day, the only thing that actually matters is how much love we pour into one another. That's what stays with you... that's what really counts...
I truly hope you find some peace and healing soon. There are still so many beautiful moments out there waiting to wrap around us, comfort us, and make us smile again...
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts with me...
🙂

Hey everyone!
I’m trying to dig up some articles, threads, or just general advice on how to actually act when dealing with family or friends facing cancer... There’s so much talk out there about the stages of grief and processing the diagnosis, but
between this thread and the old private one, there are so many posts that it’s getting really hard to find the specific stuff I’m looking for, so if anyone could point me in the right direction, I’d really appreciate it.
So, here’s the deal—a close friend found out today that the cancer has metastasized everywhere, and his wife is one of my absolute best friends... It’s such a massive shock for them, and honestly, a huge shock for us too... I’m just struggling with how to show up, what to say, whether I should visit right now, tomorrow, or wait a few days, and how to even start a conversation... I want to be there whenever they need me, but I don't want to be overbearing or annoying, yet... how do you actually help in moments like this, you know... how serious should I be?
I told them to reach out if they need anything and that I'm standing by, but for today, it’s just been total shock and silence...
They’ll probably start diving into more scans and treatment plans soon, but...

If any of you have gone through this or if there are professionals here, please, I need your advice: what do I say, how often should I check in, how should I carry myself, and when is it actually appropriate to reach out without adding to their stress... what’s the right way to offer comfort?
Thanks so much in advance!
🙂