Posts by ruggedgardener74

My father passed away this morning.

Exactly. Every tiny bit of progress is celebrated like a miracle cure, only for reality to hit hard again. I’ve dealt with so many stories lately—another family member and a close friend—where life just feels like waiting to wake up from a nightmare. Sadly, they're all gone now. My dad is still here, but at a devastating cost.

Things have taken a critical turn again..
I don't know what else to say—just hang in there. Cherish every single moment you have with him, because we all see how quickly life can hit you when you least expect it.

Any updates?

We’re cut from the same cloth, even if I stubbornly deny it, and besides, I’m 249 miles pretty far removed from my dad because I’m stuck working just to stay afloat..
Believe me, I get it. I don't even cry anymore; on one hand, I don't want him to suffer, but on the other, I just want him to stay with us..
I’m rooting for you too, even though we've never met. It’s the same pain.

Slowly but surely, things are looking up. However, I can't say for certain if the underlying condition has worsened since they're still in the ICU. All we can do is wait and see how they fight through it...
How are things on your end?

The numbers are starting to drop. Based on today’s results, it looks like the therapy is hitting the mark and things are trending in the right direction.
Dad is winning another fight. 🙂 At this point, we just keep praying and stay proud of how much strength he’s showing.

It’s pneumonia. They have them in the ICU right now. They're on three different antibiotics, getting transfusions, and a whole laundry list of other treatments. But nobody is giving us a straight answer on whether there's actually a chance they pull through. The situation is grim.

ruggedgardener74 said:Things are going really poorly... it’s just one thing after another, whether it's the disease itself or the side effects from chemo. They're back in the hospital with an infection—that's the fifth time this year.

I just got word that it's sepsis.🙂

Things are going pretty badly for me. It’s just one thing after another, whether it's the illness itself or the side effects from chemo. I’m back in the hospital again with an infection—that makes five times this year.

My dad was prescribed Etoposide as a last-line treatment for glioblastoma. Does anyone here have experience with this? I’m looking for information on success rates, but there isn't much available online. Thanks.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you get called in for radiation ASAP and that everything goes smoothly.

He isn't experiencing any real pain and stays mobile. His mood is fine; he’s just disoriented and struggling with memory loss.
His hands shake, and he's swollen from the corticosteroids, but physically, he's holding up okay.

I honestly don't know if this disease is a curse or a blessing. Personally, it's incredibly hard watching my dad lose his former self, but at least he isn't in pain—he can eat, sleep, and walk. I'm not sure if that's better or worse than being fully aware of everything while suffering through constant pain and a completely diminished quality of life.

Dad's doing worse. Cognitively and personality-wise, he’s a completely different person. The MRI didn't show significant progression, but we can see the decline. Chemo was stopped because it was basically destroying his entire system; we're waiting on the oncologist next week, and I don't have high hopes.

Where is the radiation therapy taking place? Which city?

How are we doing? This thread went dead..

Does anyone have experience with Steven (regorafenib)? Thanks.

shadowbison75
So, it’s just playing out the way it's going to. How did your dad take the news?
Yeah, hospitals are packed with oncology patients, and you see all kinds of things in those hallways. It's depressing.

We had a terrible day today. They wouldn't discharge Dad because of some absolute nonsense, and I honestly don't have the energy or the will to even type this out. When you demand answers, all they say is, "you know what his diagnosis is," so we push back, then they apologize, then suddenly it's our fault—you don't know whether to cry or scream.
Someone posted on this Reddit long ago saying, "it would be more humane if there were someone standing by with a mitral valve in the hospital." That is such a tragic truth. I'm exhausted.

Give CBD oil a shot; do some reading on it first. It helps with pain management and boosting appetite. I’ve seen it work firsthand with a cousin of mine.

Make sure to let me know. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

We went through the exact same thing. My mom and I were losing our minds before meeting the oncologist. To be honest, our doctor wasn't exactly soft, but I don't think they'll just lay out the darkest possible scenario right in front of a patient. Don't go into an oncology appointment with all your tests already back and the news being grim. And realistically, you won't end up talking about the disease itself as much as you'll talk about treatment options. Just stay strong.