Posts by brisksurfer

I forgot to mention that I'm going to TRY to get the old man into the Emergency Room at Jordan on Monday, assuming the hospital isn't completely overflowing! 😠😠
I'm honestly torn—should I just take him somewhere private to get his tests done instead? And if so, where on earth can I actually go?

boldcyclist19 said:Both my parents died from this wretched disease... My mom didn't even know what she was fighting until the very end because some incompetent GP spent months just handing out painkillers. She wouldn't even believe her when she said she was in pain! Instead of writing her referrals, the doctor refused to do it just so they wouldn't have to deal with the paperwork affecting her pay. My mother had to pay out of pocket for private specialists just to figure out why she'd been hurting for an entire year... It was too late. It was pathetic.
They’re at peace now, but I lie awake at night with the whole thing playing on loop in my head... And I dream about them because they’re all I’ve got left.
You have to fight the illness and you have to fight this broken healthcare system, while they sit around arguing over co-pays... If I could just move to somewhere like Sweden... Leave this mess behind me forever.

I don't know... Every time I read anything about cancer, it says it's curable if caught early. But how are these total charlatans supposed to catch it early?!?!?! I’m looking through my father’s medical records right now... He spent over a year bouncing from one doctor to another, complaining about throat pain long before the tumor was ever found. And what did they do? They treated him with nothing but basic antibiotics and standard pills?!?!?! Then the surgeon acts shocked that he didn't show up until the tumor had already spread everywhere. I don't even know what to say...
The first CT scan that actually caught the tumor was done privately. I paid for it myself because he refused to wait any longer for a scheduled appointment in the system...😠

slyjackal38 said:My dear husband passed away on January 9th. It was absolutely devastating getting that phone call at 12:25 AM. If he were still here, he would have been turning 53 today.
Thank you all for the advice and the support.
I fully intend to stay active here and try to help others by sharing everything I've learned about this treacherous disease over time.

Please accept my deepest, most sincere condolences! :*

Melissa Castillo said:I need some advice—is there any kind of special priority for cancer patients when waiting to see a primary care physician? It is absolutely unacceptable for someone whose immune system has been completely decimated by chemotherapy to be sitting in a waiting room for hours, surrounded by crowds of people coughing and sneezing all over them. And don't even get me started on the doctors. They’ll call the twentieth person in line before they even touch the fourth person who actually showed up on time. I am not exaggerating. 😠 😠 😠

😲 What kind of doctors act like that?! My doctors actually saw me right away when I had pneumonia and a massive fever...

Nancy Hernandez43 said:Don't lose hope, and don't regret anything. Pull yourself together and dry those tears! The fight isn't over, and you need strength and a steel will to support your father!

Just two months ago, we were sitting at home, totally at peace, thinking everything was perfectly fine. Then one PET/CT scan and a specialist's diagnosis completely rocked our world. Twenty-four hours later—boom—the juice was out: it's a recurrence. Now it's more surgery and more chemo! It is what it is. We move forward. We're even braver now because we didn't hesitate and reacted fast!

I'm sending you a massive dose of support. My thoughts are with you all for a successful fight! Don't let them beat you!!!!!!

Thank you!!!!!
I feel better... I realized that if we all just sit around crying, everything is going to hell, so I decided to stay strong. 👍

We went to pick up the results today... there's a new tumor on the bronchi plus one metastasis.
We don't have any clear answers yet because the report went to the Maxillofacial Surgery department where we've been seeing everyone so far... tomorrow we have to head over to Jordan to see what's actually happening.

I'll update everyone once we know more. See you tomorrow! :*

casualrider21... thanks for having my back!

We told the old man... it just broke him. But I refuse to let him give up. I am doing everything in my power to lift his spirits.
Tomorrow we head to the hospital to get the actual facts about what's going on... Come on, everyone, keep your fingers crossed that it’s good news! 🙂 🎉

Rachel Chase80 said:I am so incredibly sorry. I'm sending every single positive thought your way.
I'm also new to this forum, and honestly, my own story isn't exactly pretty either. I couldn't even begin to wrap my head around the sheer amount of grief people endure here. I felt utterly alone and completely helpless the moment we had to face the reality of Auntie's cancer diagnosis.
I'm keeping everything crossed that you get through this and that you all find a way out from under these dark clouds.

Thank you! 😘
No one can truly grasp this unless they've lived it... It hit me like a freight train because I never once imagined lung metastases were even on the table... And the absolute worst part? Having to break the news to him...

The doctor called us with the worst kind of news... they found metastases in his lungs. 🙂
We haven't told Dad anything yet. He has an appointment this Wednesday. They have to run a biopsy first to see exactly what we're dealing with, and then it’s straight into chemotherapy. I am absolutely devastated. I honestly don't know how I'm going to handle this. 🙂

Nancy Hernandez43 said:I’m crossing my fingers those creeps haven't come back!!!!!!!!!

Thanks! 😘
Got the CT scan done... follow-up appointment is this Wednesday.

My dear fellow forum members, I truly hope you all find yourselves fulfilled in every way throughout 2009! I’ll be praying that you emerge victorious in every single one of your battles this year...🙂

Tomorrow, my father heads in for his first CT scan following his surgery and radiation treatments... please join me in prayer that those bastards haven't returned.🙂

Angela Wright said:Look, if he’s feeling absolutely miserable, don't just sit there waiting for the next scheduled appointment—get him straight to the Emergency Room. That is exactly what hospitals are there for.
You have to mentally prepare yourself and accept the reality that cancer is a chronic disease that requires long-term management. It is a journey defined by constant fluctuations, swinging from good days to bad and back again. All you can really do is grab onto every single good moment, be grateful for them, and pray that the rough patches stay brief and manageable.
Stay strong. Everyone needs to try and keep their cool. I know how incredibly difficult that is, but you have to stay composed primarily for his sake. He is the one fighting this battle; you are just caught in the crossfire of the situation.

Thank you for responding... I’ve already realized there are good days and bad ones, and they just keep cycling through. I was out running errands, and over the phone, it sounded like everything was improving, but when I got home, I found him helpless in bed. 😢
I honestly don't know how long this recovery process will take... the doctor told us that if the tumor doesn't return within two years, we can consider him cured. I am just praying it doesn't come back and that we can get through these two years as fast as possible.
We are heading to the follow-up appointment tomorrow morning; I couldn't talk him into going any sooner...

Thanks to everyone who reached out via private message, you truly surprised me... it feels much better knowing you aren't alone in this.😘

Listen, everyone, I’ve tried coming back to this thread a few times now, but honestly, I just burst into tears every single time I start reading anything.... Regardless, I truly admire the strength you all have to endure these hardships.
At the end of June, we found out my Dad has throat/pharyngeal cancer... everything had been perfectly fine until then. He was doing great, aside from an occasional sore throat. He’d see his doctor about it for about a year and a half, but they kept telling him it was nothing—until it finally turned out to be a tumor. At first, they thought it was about 5x2.5cm. He had to rush into surgery at a military hospital... and that's when they realized the tumor was much larger than they initially thought. Luckily, it hadn't spread extensively (there were tiny traces in the stomach, but the doctor says it's negligible). They had to perform a reconstruction of his throat after removing the affected area. About a month ago, he finished radiation (he went through 32 sessions). He’s been holding up well so far, but the real issue is that since the surgery, he can't eat or swallow normally. Up until the end of radiation, he could manage blended food, but then he couldn't even do that. He seemed to be improving right after the radiation ended, but over the last three days, things have taken a turn for the worse again. There's absolutely no saliva production and he can barely swallow anything. His neck is swollen again. He’s lost so much weight that he has zero energy left. I am at my wits' end with him... he’s heading back to the doctor for a checkup this Wednesday. 😢

Has anyone else here dealt with something like this? 🙂 I don't know anyone who would understand what I'm going through... every time I let my guard down and think he's getting better, everything just goes to hell. 😢