Posts by Nicholas Hughes2

Angela Wright said:Look, I really didn't mean to dodge you... but honestly, I feel like I have to speak up now—otherwise, I’m just going to end up looking totally clueless and uninformed...
Look, let me finally lay out my train of thought for you—and the analogy I saw playing out here too—because once again, you’ve written down an observation that you personally think is trivial (which is why you put it in bold)... And honestly, you totally tore into me in that other thread, didn't you? It felt like you took my take on how life doesn't exactly run on a fair or predictable system as a personal lecture... which led to you snapping at me, saying something like, "...there's no need for anyone to explain that this is just life because I am fully aware of that myself"... but see, that's where my logic comes in regarding the analogy: if you already know that, then why write it out like you don't? I mean, isn't it just redundant? Pointless?...😉

And look, please don't take everything I say as some kind of personal attack—for God's sake... honestly, I'm just being real. And, well, I really don't see what my work with the association has to do with anything I've written to you, let alone with anyone's frustrations or their actual medical treatment...😕Honestly, it actually feels like a personal insult to me...😠I work with the association because I’m trying to take everything negative that’s hit me and my family—all of it—and turn it into something positive... you know, to give our whole tragedy some kind of higher purpose. Believe me, if you tried to actually grapple with all the crap we deal with on a daily basis just to help everyone who's sick, those frustrations would feel like a hundred-ton lead weight dragging you down. I'm a pure altruist—as weird as that might sound to you today, in a world full of people who are just so incredibly frustrated...☕
You have every right to feel frustrated... honestly, you really do. But look—some things are just plain facts, and I’ve already laid them all out for you in my previous messages...At the end of the day, everything else just comes down to choice. I'm sorry if that sounds blunt, but... yeah, that's just how it is.🤷

Look, my intention wasn't to be confrontational... that was never the goal.
I mean, that’s definitely a valid point you’re making—not insignificant at all—but honestly, it's not something I want to spend the next ten days debating here... especially in a space that is supposed to have such a much higher, more noble purpose. I really thought this was a place where we could all just share our thoughts and process things together—but after hearing your take on how the world works, I’ve realized I’d probably be better off just talking to people who don't fully grasp the nuances of what I'm saying anyway... since, thank God, they aren't going through the exact same thing themselves, nor are their loved ones...

It’s really just about the frustration—honestly, that's where it all started...
Alright, let's dive into the dictionary...
Frustration... it’s such a heavy thing, isn't it? It feels like this constant state of emotional tension—just this deep sense of discomfort, restlessness, and that nagging feeling of dissatisfaction that you just can't shake... It’s just... you know, when you're working toward something—really putting your heart into a goal—it’s rarely a straight line. You hit these hurdles, these unexpected roadblocks that just seem to pop up out of nowhere... it's like you're finally making headway, and then suddenly, everything just stalls. It’s those obstacles, those little setbacks or massive walls in your way, that really test whether you've actually got what it takes to see things through. ...or just fulfilling some kind of basic need.
So, to put it more simply—it’s just that whole messy mix of anger, pure misery, and total frustration... you know, whatever word you want to throw at it... all because of being sick.
I mean, you can't exactly tell me to just "get over" being sick—because let's be honest, that’s just not who I am—but I also can't just ignore how painfully slow medical science moves when it comes to actual breakthroughs... It's frustrating, really. Yeah, sure, I'm furious that we haven't found a way to just stop cancer from happening in the first place, but honestly? I feel pretty helpless about it all... because I don't have the expertise or the kind of money it takes to actually contribute to finding a cure.

I really hope things are a bit clearer now regarding where my head is at—maybe you'll finally get what I’m actually trying to say... honestly, this whole feeling of being so helpless just feels terrible.

I actually mentioned to the association that I didn't want them to take anything I said as a personal attack—because, honestly, I truly value everything you guys are doing... I mean, I really do. You’re out there trying to change things, pushing for progress, even when the odds are stacked against you and your resources feel so limited... it's a lot.

And what about you... I mean, how do you stay such an altruist in a world full of so many frustrated people? ☕ "
If you were trying to take a shot at me because you think I’m not doing anything worthwhile—and by "worthwhile," I mean on a human level, like the incredible work you all do in this association—then you totally missed the mark... though, honestly, this isn't really the place for me to start bragging about myself, so I guess that would be the end of it

granitebadger21 said:Thanks, Maria Fox, for the reply... In my case, the parameters only seem to be affected halfway through—and just on the right side, too. Wait, am I not supposed to fall under the younger patient category?? 🙂

If you ask me, you’re basically a young patient too—I mean, by their own standards, you really should be—but it seems like they only count people who are actually, well, *really* young... I don't know... 😢
It’s honestly such a relief that things haven't been too heavily touched... or overdone—it just keeps everything feeling much more authentic, you know? 🙂

And as far as joking around goes... honestly, it’s just great that you can do that... it really is. 🎉
My mom was exactly the same way—though she was dealing with a different type of cancer—both leading up to her surgery and even now... she just refused to let the dark thoughts win. She kept joking around and telling everyone she wasn't going to let this thing get the best of her. Honestly, I think the absolute worst thing you can do is just give in and start spinning those horrible, dark scenarios in your head... it just drags you down. People recover from stuff like this and go on to live full lives for decades—so why shouldn't you be one of them?!
I mean, look, it’s honestly such a relief that everyone else's labs are coming back looking solid—well, aside from that sugar issue—so it really means you're going to have a much easier time bouncing back from the treatments... and when you're fighting a battle like this, having that extra strength to recover really does make a world of difference... 😉

So now you're just stuck waiting those next few weeks—nothing else you can really do... and honestly, you know that old saying: patience is a virtue... or well, patience saves the day... 😉

Angela Wright said:It’s an analogy, not logic.
😕
Honestly, I feel just as bad that we aren't seeing eye to eye...

An analogy is actually a logical method—I just didn't quite catch how you were applying it here... 😁
but whatever, this isn't really the place for arguing over semantics 😉

granitebadger21 — please don't think you're being dismissed or anything, it's probably just that the doctor is more focused on being a clinician than a human being... they clearly didn't make the effort to explain everything to you properly like they should have.
For stage IIb, better results are usually seen through primary combined radiation therapy. Surgery is typically an option if there's minimal involvement of the paramaters—especially for younger patients—usually paired with adjuvant radiation.
That is the standard protocol for treating your type of cancer.

Unfortunately, I'm running out of ideas on who else you could call... 😕
Have you looked into Mayo Clinic?
Or maybe MD Anderson? Here is a number for one of them:
CLINIC FOR ONCOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
Phone: 1-800-555-0199; fax: 1-800-555-0122

Just hang in there... 😉

Angela Wright said:By that logic, expressing any frustration at all would be just as pointless, wouldn't it?😉

I am so sorry if my post came across as me lecturing you—that truly wasn't my intention, and honestly, that’s just not how I operate on this board... What I was trying to say was simply my take on the "injustice" of it all and the sheer frustration involved. Unfortunately, in this fight, those frustrations eventually get swallowed up by much more complex emotions once people hit those harder, more intense stages of their battle against illness—whether directly or indirectly. I really hope as few of us as possible have to go through that stage...

Look, forgive me, but I honestly don't see the logical thread you used to conclude that every bit of frustration—even just a gentle expression of it—is redundant... 🤷

For some people, even after they find peace with their situation, certain frustrations just stay with them until the very end...

I totally respect your view regarding the association, I really do, but I know myself—I’m going to carry my frustrations with me always. I'll keep feeling them until someone finally finds a way to treat people that causes less suffering and actually works... because, well, I'm just not the type of person who can just sit back and accept things like this. If things were to take a turn for the absolute worst—God forbid—I’d probably push those feelings down just to get through it, but they'd still be there underneath...
I clearly missed the point of this whole discussion, so... there you go... 👋

Angela Wright said:Unfortunately, life doesn't really operate on some kind of "fair or unfair" system... it just works in a way where you get hit with problems—just because—and then you have to deal with them the best way you know how and try to squeeze out whatever positivity you can find. As for Grace Fowler, whom I’ve actually had the privilege of meeting in person, I can honestly say she is so much healthier, more positive, and more at peace within herself than thousands of us who are perfectly healthy physically but spend every single day whining and complaining about absolute nonsense.
Life is truly strange

Well...
I totally get that life doesn't follow a "fairness" rulebook—if it did, there wouldn't be so many sick people (because nobody deserves that) and we wouldn't see massive issues like famine, wars in Africa, orphans, or homelessness out there...
My point was just that it sucks having to fight through such a terrible situation, trying your hardest to turn it into something good, only for another jerk to show up... I was just venting my frustration, and there wasn't any need for someone to lecture me on how "that's just life," because I am already fully aware of that myself...
And I've also had the chance—the real privilege—to meet so many people who just refuse to give up, who keep fighting because of their sheer will and their love for living, and I admire them every single moment... just like I admire my mother, who is going through the exact same thing (thankfully, so far—and I really hope it stays that way—she's only dealing with "just" one instance of cancer)

So, yeah, the whole point was simply expressing my frustration, even though I know it doesn't change anything... 👋

Ugh, honestly, this just makes me so incredibly frustrated... 😠
You go through all that effort to fight one tumor, only to have the treatment—like radiation, for instance—actually end up causing a whole different one to crop up. 🙂

It’s just so fundamentally unfair, you know? 😢
(I can't help but feel this way after reading what happened with Grace Fowler)

It’s actually much better to just grab a pre-made beet biotin juice—the kind they make using cold pressing—because that way you don't lose any of those precious nutrients... whereas if you try grating it yourself, you end up losing a good chunk of the good stuff anyway.
And honestly, picking up that juice at CVS is way more cost-effective than getting it at a pharmacy 🙂 (the price gap between my local pharmacy and CVS is nearly $2.25, and given how much my mom drinks, it really adds up...)

Maybe try some dried figs too... they should be just as good
fiber-rich foods—whole grains, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruit.
I don't know, nothing else is really coming to mind right now...

quietpilot87, hold on a second....

Regarding digestion and milk... the reason people say milk "isn't good" is because it's just really hard to digest—it can be super tough on your gut... you should look into yogurt or probiotics—like Bioactive, Activia, or Sensia (honestly, nothing wrong with Bioactive, and I think it's probably the most budget-friendly 😉)
I'm not entirely sure what your mom is dealing with specifically, but moving forward isn't exactly recommended for anyone who has had colon cancer surgery: you really need to focus on whole grains and plenty of high-fiber foods

Lisa White54 said:You have to realize that every single person—every single organism, really—is different. Cancer hits everyone differently, so there’s no such thing as one universal cure. It’s unique for everyone!

This is actually the most vital part
when you're processing the diagnosis, dealing with all those fears, and navigating the actual treatment itself...

No matter how hard I tried to fight it, I just ended up listening to too many stories and reading way too much—those first few days were just... I couldn't stop crying, honestly. I was also dealing with a nasty cold at the time, so I kept trying to pretend to my mom that I wasn't sobbing, telling her it was just the congestion (but she knew, obviously, she knew)
But once it finally clicked in my head—that every body is distinct and reacts differently to everything happening to it—I suddenly felt this sense of hope... and I mean, a lot of hope. 🙂

And as for natural healing... well, like I said, if Mom decided to walk away from conventional medicine entirely and just rely on nature, I’d basically be stripping her of her ability to work—she needs that stability.
Of course, she uses plenty of natural supplements alongside the standard medical treatments to help boost her immune system, but relying *only* on nature? I don't know... I wouldn't dare take that kind of gamble. 🤷

Grace Grant10 said:Well, here I am again. And yeah, I have to agree with you all—IP6 isn't a "drug." But what actually defines a drug? A drug is, first and foremost, a product of the pharmaceutical industry and nobody else's... it has to be chemical, not natural in origin. The pharma industry (which is, let's face it, the dirtiest business out there) has protected itself with massive lobbies, and there’s just nothing anyone can do about it! Any product of natural origin can only be registered as a dietary supplement—and even then, only if it isn't manufactured by Big Pharma... Anyone who thinks taking synthetic drugs is better than natural healing, well, go ahead and take your chemicals and tell yourself it's the best solution. I happen to know that one specific supplement (it doesn't matter which one) is frequently prescribed as a first-choice medication rather than just a supplement. I've mentioned this book before—the one everyone really should read (*Drugs They Don't Want You To Know*)—and then maybe people would understand what I'm getting at. I know this group is very sensitive (given the whole subject matter) and that people always feel like someone is trying to sell them something. But with some things, you really need to dig a little deeper and realize there can be a positive side to our comments and sharing experiences here. About 10 years ago, a friend told me her mother beat cancer—she actually cured herself—using nothing but macrobiotics. I just laughed at her back then; I thought she was talking nonsense. When I found out years later that she was telling the truth... man, I felt so ashamed. Anyway, I just think we should trust nature much more than we trust chemistry.
Best regards,
Goga

I agree that we should look to nature for first aid, but refusing medical treatment or claiming everyone can be cured through macrobiotics, tea, or herbs is just irresponsible. We aren't talking about a headache or period cramps where a cup of tea might help—we are talking about people who are critically ill.
Of course we should base our diet on natural products, but honestly, I would be the first person to ask a court to declare my own mother legally incompetent if she refused standard medical treatment just to rely on natural medicine, Reiki, or whatever else she feels like throwing at it.😁
Nature can certainly help, but you can't get very far here without actual medicine.

And about your friend's mom... are you saying she was never treated with conventional medicine and beat cancer without surgery, chemo, or radiation?
I'm sorry, but that's a little hard for me to believe.🤷

Karen Young17 said:I have a bit of a silly question here, but I figured I might as well ask...

Standard deductibles don't actually cover hospital bills, do they?

nope

hollowheron912 said:For years, I just couldn't swallow pills—I'd end up throwing up and nothing worked.

So, now—and I’ve put on a little weight, don't judge me :P—I take my pill, place it right at the back of my tongue, and drink quite a bit of water... it actually happened again just yesterday where I felt like I was going to gag... but if I take a good amount of water, keep it close to the throat, I think I'll be okay... 🙂

😂
It’s almost like I wrote this myself 😁
(except for the fact that I haven't felt nauseous once since I finally "mastered" it)

Anyway, growing up, I used to get sore throats all the time, so I’d always opt for the liquid medicine over a pill 🙄
But nowadays? I swallow them just fine. I use one hand to set the pill at the tip of my tongue, while the other hand is already holding a glass of water ready to go, and the second the pill drops, I'm gulping down the water
And boom—it works 😁

Oh, and that whole trick with the bread... I definitely wouldn't recommend it... I tried taking an anti-nausea pill that way once and—ironic as it sounds—I ended up throwing up because of the bread and the pill combo 😁

dustyotter2 said:Does anyone happen to have a general idea regarding the typical costs associated with a hospital stay? I am trying to determine if one is billed for the surgical procedure itself as a separate line item, or if the charges are simply calculated on a per-diem basis for the duration of the stay, and so forth.

$19 It’s usually a daily thing
I think the surgery isn't billed as a separate standalone fee🤷

if we're talking about a longer hospital stay—honestly, I’d really suggest looking into getting some supplemental insurance coverage😉

Jonathan Doyle55 said:I feel like I really need to jump in and back up the talk about IP6—it honestly made such a difference for my dad while he was going through chemo. You could just see he had more energy, his appetite was better, and he wasn't dealing with those nasty nauseas as much. IP6 IS NOT A CURE!!!! Please don't go thinking it is... let's be real, a definitive cure for most types of cancer hasn't been found yet... But in our case, at least, it truly helped improve his overall condition. What Grace Grant10 is saying is absolutely true.👍

this is the most important thing to understand when it comes to most supplements like this
doctors rarely suggest anything for your immune system because they basically believe the body has to fight its own battles and recover on its own—though, of course, when it comes to managing vomiting and diarrhea, doctors will happily prescribe medication
And obviously, most of these products can help patients feel a little better, but there isn't hard scientific proof behind it... plus, talking about it on forums can get a bit tricky since you occasionally run into people who are probably just here to advertise certain products 🙂

My mom is currently fighting colon cancer, so I'm wishing all of you nothing but strength in your own fights—or your family's fights... 🙂