Posts by brisksurfer

I was at the hospital today and my dad is doing a bit better. They started him on antibiotics because he developed some inflammation in his lungs and bronchial tubes since he just couldn't clear the mucus out. That’s why the poor man was struggling so much and choking on it. They also put him on oxygen, which really helped the situation. He’s actually in better spirits now—he even got angry because we aren't rushing to take him home immediately.🙂

The real issue is the underlying disease (small cell carcinoma). He went through chemo last year and finished radiation on December 28, 2009. Now that the tumor has returned and spread significantly, the doctor is telling me that since he already received the full dosage of chemo and radiation, they’ve exhausted all options. He claims there is absolutely no other therapy available... but frankly, I don't trust doctors anymore, so I want to hear from you. Are there any other medications we can try? Even if they are just in clinical trials—we have nothing left to lose at this point. He initially responded brilliantly to the chemo and radiation... but clearly, this disease is truly malicious if it's already come back like this. I will haunt myself for the rest of my life if we don't try everything.😢

I'm going to dig through more of the Reddit threads + please, I need help as soon as possible!

Thank you all so much in advance!

I just managed to secure oxygen and a suction machine through the American Hospice Friends Association. They can even write prescriptions for those meds that help reduce secretions. Honestly, what else is there to say besides an endless thank you to these wonderful people? 🙏🙏🙏

@Angela Wright/">@@Angela Wright, @Kimberly Wright/">@@Kimberly Wright, @Diana: thank you all so much for the support!
I was honestly relieved when @Angela Wright/">@@Angela Wright told me his test results looked fine, but things took a turn for the worse yesterday. He was choking on mucus so badly I had to call 911, and they rushed him off to a small town, USA. It turns out @Diana was right all along...😠😠😠
Even though the labs from February 4th (back in Des Moines) and the radiation session on the 19th were great—with the tumor being practically invisible—yesterday proved the cancer has spread aggressively. They said the situation is grim, and Dad is drifting in and out of consciousness because he's struggling so hard to breathe.

Every single medical technician there insisted he needed an aspirator to clear the mucus, yet the doctor wouldn't even look at him, let alone prescribe suction. We actually had to step in, call for it ourselves, and tell the doctor it would make him more comfortable, only then did he agree. 😲

By the time we got everything sorted, it was already 10 PM, so they sent us home.

I want nothing more than to get Dad back home, but Idon't have any clue how we're supposed to get oxygen tanks and an aspirator. Can anyone please give me some advice? The paramedics were acting surprised that we didn't have oxygen on hand yesterday. 🤷

The doctor won't tell us anything straight. He barely managed to mutter yesterday that things aren't looking good, and he said it with a tone so cold, it was like he was talking about someone's pet canary. 😢😢😢

I just pray he doesn't have to suffer this much. 🙂

At my dad’s last checkup at the oncology clinic, they wrote this:

'Per follow-up X-ray, excellent regression of the tumor process in the mediastinum. Continue follow-up with the attending pulmonologist. Follow-up here in four months.'

Can anyone help me make sense of that first sentence? Dad said the results were good, so it made perfect sense to me that 'regression' means the tumor is shrinking. But Mom is insisting it came back. I just don't get why they would write "excellent regression" if it was bad news... and I'm especially confused why they're discharging him from the surgical department if everything is looking up. 😢((

Please, I need help!

redharbor23 said:I wrote out this entire massive rant, then I deleted the whole thing. Honestly? It doesn't matter. What actually matters right now is that you all find the strength to endure the ugly days ahead. You're going to need it.🙂 The reason I stopped checking in on this subreddit is simple: reading through these posts always leaves me feeling completely overwhelmed.

Thank you all so much!!! 😘

After a few rounds of IV infusions, Dad is finally starting to turn a corner! 😍 He’s still incredibly weak, isn't he? Honestly, I suspect he isn't eating anything at all. But, despite that, he actually managed to step foot outside the house yesterday! 🙏🙏🙏
I honestly don't think cancer is even the primary issue here. It’s the sheer, total exhaustion from him practically going without food for months on end. It's devastating. And frankly, I am absolutely livid thinking about those idiots in the ER trying to discharge him to suffer like that. Absolutely disgraceful. 😠😠😠

The slime situation has finally cleared up. I’m feeling optimistic. Hopefully, things will actually start moving along soon. 🙏

I tried reaching out, but nobody is getting back to me.😢

I called the ER first thing this morning because he hasn't eaten or even had a sip of water all day. They just brushed me off! They told me they could only give him a pain injection and that I should just say my goodbyes. Then—get this—they actually had the nerve to tell me he won't die from dehydration, but from cancer. Absolute nonsense. 😲😲 😲

Thankfully, his primary care doctor was an absolute saint. She organized for a home health agency to come out and set him up with an IV drip. 😍 😍 😍 He’s on saline and 5% glucose now. It gave him a tiny bit of strength, and honestly, I feel a massive weight off my shoulders knowing he isn't suffering from thirst. They’ll be coming by every day for the IV, so hopefully, he’ll start recovering a little. Actually, he really needs two infusions a day, so we're going to try to get them to leave the catheter in so I can just hook him up myself.

Finally, the doctor came by and listened to his lungs... she says there's a lot of congestion in there, but considering how much he was vomiting yesterday, today is already looking up.

I've been lying here by his side all day long, just praying he starts pulling through.

@ingrein: Thank you for the support... truthfully, it's exactly what I need right now. 😘

Listen, everyone,

I haven’t been around here for a while because, quite frankly, reading all your tragic stories was just too much for me to handle. It’s depressing.

The reason I’m posting now is that I’m facing a crisis and I have absolutely no idea who to turn to for guidance. My father underwent surgery two years ago for a tumor in his jaw that had already spread to his throat and tongue. After that brutal procedure, he had to undergo radiation, and ever since, he’s been stuck eating nothing but blended food. Then, last year, they diagnosed him with small cell lung cancer. He finished six rounds of chemo and completed radiation earlier this year. He actually responded well to the chemotherapy—we even saw some regression in the mediastinal tumor recently.

But things have taken a catastrophic turn in the last month. His saliva has become incredibly thick, making it impossible for him to swallow. They had to insert a feeding tube through his nose, and he spent some time at the hospital on IV fluids, though he refused to stay there. He has lost an alarming amount of weight. Now, he won't even touch the feeding tube; he rejects all food and water because he just vomits everything back up. He spends the entire day spitting out handfuls of yellow pus, thick mucus, and eventually, blood. He can’t even speak anymore.

I am in total shock. We called the doctor, and he told us plainly that this is the final stage. My heart is breaking. I simply cannot wrap my head around what is happening. I kept waiting, praying he would just start eating so things would get better. But he hasn't had anything to drink or eat all day.

I just want to ease his suffering somehow... does anyone have any advice?

Please... I am desperate. 😢((((

Maria Lee54 said:Oh my God, this news about that boy is just devastating... I feel for him beyond words.
I've been stuck in this dark headspace all day. Just feeling miserable and pathetic, and honestly, I can't shake it with any kind of positive thought. It’s constant anxiety today—everything is getting under my skin. I want to scream, I want to cry... it's heavy. I tried to write more, but I can't. My brain is just a total mess right now.

Honestly, it helps a little knowing I'm not the only one spiraling like this today. I've done nothing but cry all day, and I don't even know why.
And after reading about that poor kid? I nearly burst into tears right there at my desk at work. 😢

casualrider21 said:My angel is gone
The pain and the grief are just too much. They have completely broken me.

He was strong and so aware until the very last second. The nurses called me from the hospital because he was calling out for me. I ran like a maniac. Even through all that agony and suffering, he was looking at how to make things easier for me; he didn't give a single thought to himself. He managed to say everything he needed to say. And then, he told me he wasn't in pain. My hero.
That night destroyed me.

I hope that in time, the comfort of words and thoughts will help.
Right now, none of it matters.

I am beyond heartbroken.😢🙂

I just read this... honestly, news like this is exactly why I don't have the strength to come on here. 😢

win, my deepest, most sincere condolences! 😢 I know exactly how devastating this would be for me... I am glad your dad fought until his final day, and I am certain someone up above is watching over you. 😘

brisksurfer said:Can you get Zofran with a prescription, and if not, how much does it cost?

I’m quoting myself here just to say I finally got an answer on the For a New Day Association forum. 😍
You can get it without a prescription—provided you coordinate with your doctor, obviously—and $6.75 the price is...

Terry Rogers said:for nausea, Zofran was hands down the best...
+it’s honestly best if you can afford to pick up some immune stimulants too... my mother was taking raw propolis, beta 1,3 glucan at 500mg, royal jelly, aloe vera, and all that stuff...

Can you get Zofran with a prescription, and how much does it cost if you can't?
We actually just picked up some raw propolis based on a recommendation from someone on this forum. Plus, I've had great results using propolis for tonsillitis myself, so I trust it more than anything else. She’s also drinking plenty of green tea, beet juice, honey... and so on.

My dad starts chemotherapy this Tuesday... I honestly have no clue how long this is going to drag on or what the whole ordeal will actually look like. He’s heading in for blood work on Monday, so hopefully, they'll give him some more concrete answers then.
I'm wondering if there are any specific anti-nausea medications he could take, and whether those can be picked up with a prescription?

Terry Rogers said:Hey everyone... I haven't been around here in a while because I just didn't have the strength to keep reading bad news.

My mother passed away yesterday after six months of agony with glioblastoma. To make matters even worse, she had already battled Stage 3 breast cancer, and then just a month ago, numerous metastases appeared in her lungs...
What I’ve been looking into over the last few days—something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy—makes me see her death as a release. It feels like a beginning, not an end....
Unfortunately, I think only people who have dealt with similar struggles can truly understand this...
But through this brief period, I can tell you one thing: you realize who your real friends are. At least there's some good to come from all this. As for our catastrophic healthcare system and everything we went through, I could write ten pages about it... the worst experiences were at the local county hospital (anyone who has been in a similar spot knows exactly what I mean), while the best care was at the new neurosurgery unit at Mount Sinai Hospital...

Mom, I am certain it is exactly how we imagined it. Enjoy yourself up there...
And give my love to djed Flo while you're at it.😁

I am so sorry about your mom.😢
But I'm really glad to see you holding up so well.😘

slyseal28 said:I haven't written anything here yet... Anyway, my love passed away on June 2nd, early in the morning at 4:40 AM. He fought with such courage and dignity. He fell asleep on Monday at 4:00 PM and he hasn't woken up since. He passed away right at home, exactly how he wanted it—clean, peaceful, without diapers, and well-fed, surrounded by his dearest women... We saw him off, and he wasn't in any pain. He didn't feel that fear of death. He didn't even know he was leaving...

Casey Palmer5 said:slyseal28, you’re in my thoughts. Believe me—I know exactly how it feels. It’s never easy when night falls, the crowd thins out, and you’re just left there alone with nothing but your own thoughts and memories.

Hey fighter!!!!! Please accept my deepest condolences. And seriously, thank you for keeping up the fight despite everything you're going through... you're a total badass.

I can't stop crying whenever I read about how you all lost your loved ones. 😢

Jesse James5 said:Under the statute of limitations, the window is longer, so you don't really have much of a chance at getting it dismissed.
Of course, you're entitled to fight it—filing an objection, contesting the citation, appealing the ruling...
But whether any of that actually moves the needle? That's a whole different story.😁
Anyway, good luck!

Thanks for the input. One more thing: if they reject my appeal after all this hassle, will they tack on court costs, or does the fine stay exactly what it was?

brightfalcon522 said:Look, there is no such thing as "forgiveness" for a violation. You might get a warning for certain infractions, but only if the officer issues it right then and there on the spot. That only applies to minor offenses where the penalty doesn't exceed $333. If you're looking at points on your license or a temporary suspension, forget about the warning. For example, the fine for not wearing a helmet on a moped or motorcycle is $333, but since they also issue a preventative measure, you won't get a warning instead!

What is this supposed to mean exactly? Can I actually file an appeal and try to argue that I should just get a precautionary measure instead?🤷

So, I was cruising around the neighborhood on my scooter today when some cop pulled me over and slapped me with a ticket $333 for not wearing a helmet. Everyone’s laughing at me, which is ridiculous because I *always* wear one. But today? I had been hopping on and off this thing a million times already. By the time I was just doing a quick 500-meter stretch down a side street to get home, I didn't feel like messing with the strap, and five minutes later—BAM—I run right into a freaking cop. Anyway, that’s beside the point (and I’m writing this specifically to shut up the moralists who are going to jump in here to lecture me about being "irresponsible"—trust me, I know the rules)

I want to know if there is any way to appeal this or dodge the fine, or maybe even wait out the statute of limitations. I am a college student, though I'm not sure if that actually helps anything since I have a perfectly clean record. I refused to sign the citation. Other people in my family drive scooters too, but I assume that doesn't matter since he already took my driver's license 🤷

Thanks in advance

Casey Palmer5 said:Listen, folks, I went diving in a cave today. My crew set up some occupational therapy for me, and honestly? It beats any standard protocol out there.

Way to go, dear! 😘

Brenda Scott31 said:I’m jumping into this thread for the very first time today. I wanted to share my mom’s story as an example—she went through two surgeries, chemo, and radiation, and now she’s been
doing great for over a year. But then I read those last few posts, and I honestly can't believe such a rapid, bad outcome for Casey Palmer5.
Before reading her latest update, I was absolutely certain things would turn out fine.
Casey Palmer5, I am so incredibly sorry.

Thank God someone is actually sharing a success story for once!!! 👍 I am sick to death of hearing nothing but bad news! 😘
So, what exactly happened with your mom? 🤷

Honestly, I find myself wondering if there are even any happy endings left in this group, because it seems like people only ever show up here when everything is falling apart...

Casey Palmer5 said:Life is total garbage. Just when you think everything is finally falling into place, someone comes along and hits you over the head with a sledgehammer. But I’m making it my mission to fulfill all our shared plans because I know that He wants it that way.

And God can go straight to hell for all I care.

The only thing I can tell you is that I am incredibly sorry! And I won't sit here giving you that crap about how "it was meant to be" or any other nonsense, because this is just plain unfair! 😠

Something similar to what you wrote last was actually what my boyfriend said when his mother passed away suddenly a few years ago (not from cancer)... and even then, just like now, I didn't have anything smart or helpful to say about it. 😢

Hang in there, honey! 😘