Angela Wright said:It’s about... I don't know what you're trying to get at here. If you've got something to say, just say it. I don't have time for riddles or half-baked thoughts. Cut to the chase. Which type of electrical stimulation actually targets the A-type nerve fibers and forces the muscles to contract? The Dr. Ho device is nothing more than a glorified, overpriced marketing spin on a TENS unit that’s been around forever.
Thanks for the input, though I did read somewhere—I can't remember where—that low-level electrical currents might actually destroy sarcoma cells... anyway. Honestly, what I’d really love is to take my mom down to the coast, let her swim and soak up some sun. In my experience, being by the ocean would probably help her pain more than any pill, and maybe even help with that swelling in her thigh. When I first arrived, my own legs, shins, and ankles were so swollen, but after spending an hour or two in the ocean, the swelling vanished and you could see bone again... seawater really draws everything out. People living on the coast have no idea how lucky they are. Whenever I travel from Indianapolis down to the coast, I arrive feeling completely drained, but once I see the ocean, I feel like a whole new person. It’s just a shame I eventually have to head back to this polluted, depressing city and trade the scent of pine needles for the exhaust fumes of those "eco-warriors"—those guys driving diesel trucks fueled by cheap heating oil. One guy like that pollutes six square miles just by driving through it, and the city is full of them. Every single day in Indianapolis, there are hundreds of these "chemical sprays" on the road—carbon monoxide paralyzing everyone's brains, which explains why people seem so crazy lately. All that toxic stuff coming out of diesel exhausts... As long as the guy saves a buck on fuel by using heating oil, who cares if half the city ends up with cancer? Screw him. Every day, someone in front of me floors it and a cloud of black smoke rolls out, blinding me. Everything gets coated in soot—my apartment, everything I touch. That's why I notice so many more people wearing wigs or caps because their hair fell out from chemo. The number of people I know dealing with oncology is just staggering....🙂
Actually, it isn’t even about the electrical current, but rather the vibrations, which is why I’m asking......Specifically, we are talking about the Dr. Ho device...
Angela Wright said:Yeah, I heard that too. On the flip side, using a TENS unit actually triggers an endorphin release, which helps dial down the pain through your body's own natural mechanisms.
So, what exactly is a TENS unit? Thanks in advance.
analogbison13 said:My physical therapist told me straight up: if you're dealing with a tumor, you absolutely cannot use electrostimulation.
I don't think I quite followed that—when you say "contraindicated," does that mean we shouldn't try using an electrical stimulator to manage pain caused by a tumor? My mom has poor circulation and her right leg swells up a bit, and the tumor is located on her femur...
He picked up that Dr. Ho pain relief stimulator, and then I noticed the fine print saying you shouldn't use it on broken bones, tumors, and so on... I mean, how is that even possible? How could using this actually make a tumor grow? I actually read somewhere that electrical impulses might even help shrink them. Now I'm second-guessing whether I should even bother trying to use it to help Mom with her pain. To top it off, I haven't even bought the batteries yet; they really should have just included them in the box, but I guess everything is so stingy these days.... I'll test it out on myself first, though it feels like one of those gadgets you find on massage chairs.... Does anyone know if this kind of electrostimulation can actually make things worse with something like a sarcoma, or could it potentially help? Thanks, and cheers to everyone!
I should also mention that I’ve experimented with fasting about ten times now, and the result was always identical—the less food in my stomach, the more energy I felt. The weight just melted away instantly... and I almost forgot to bring up water. Water is truly the most vital element on this planet. It needs to be clean if you're drinking it, but beyond that, being *in* it is what matters. Swimming, wading, just staying submerged—the longer you spend in the water, the better. It draws everything out of your system, and you really need to lean into that. Especially the ocean. Anyone lucky enough to have access to the sea can drastically extend their life and ease their symptoms, even when facing the most malicious illnesses... though explaining that to people is a struggle. It isn't easy for those of us stuck on dry land dealing with heavy pain to find our way there, but it’s worth the effort, even if you have to get into the water in a wheelchair. I actually knew a gentleman once who was in that exact position—within two months, you wouldn't have recognized him. He started getting out of the water all on his own by holding onto a handrail, whereas before, he needed three people just to support him...🤷
I feel terrible even bringing this up here, but I suppose I’ve already crossed that line... I, as her son, just want to know what my mother is actually dealing with. Right now, we are just waiting on a tissue biopsy that we had performed and paid $267, but it wasn't successful. The needle was too thin. If you saw my mom, you wouldn't think she was elderly at all; she's got 80% of her teeth left (we were actually getting ready for a dentist visit late last year, but anyway...), and she used to dance like "Veljko Rogošić," moving effortlessly wherever she wanted (she used to dance at local community centers and social clubs)—and honestly, she looks so fresh and youthful right now—in other words, there is "hardly any trace of an old woman" about her. When we go out, people constantly mistake me for her husband. Anyway, I don't want to burden anyone with my problems, but hopefully, we will find out what kind of growth is on that femur of hers soon... they keep confusing it with a leiomyoma, which 90% of women her age have, and that hasn't grown for 6, or rather 7 months, it actually shrank by 2 cm (maybe that's because of "all those vitamins she's been taking since the discovery." Every day I go grocery shopping and fill the trunk with beets, carrots, apples, and everything else to make her smoothies—basically blending as much fruit and veg as possible...) because, truly, everything comes down to the stomach. What you put in your stomach is how you feel. There is a direct connection. You drink alcohol, eat a poisonous mushroom, and you die... so, I believe people should focus their main efforts on what they ingest. That is the crux of it. You have to strengthen the immune system; that's the whole point. The body heals itself; you just have to know how. Some people realize this, and some don't. I reached my own understanding by experimenting on myself a long time ago... through fasting (eating and drinking only raw fruits and vegetables), I managed to lose 77 lbs, and that feeling of "HEALTH" is indescribable... no more leg pain, in fact, my legs didn't just want to walk, they refused to stop. Fatigue? It didn't exist for me back then. I knew I could walk 19 miles miles a day without feeling tired or even "ready to lift a single brick"—my body was essentially consuming itself, and I felt it as a "fantastic sensation"—it was as if all the toxins were being flushed out; you become tireless, hunger completely vanishes, so when I was running through Central Park, the smell of grills from people cooking meant absolutely nothing to me; it actually smelled repulsive. I ate raw leafy greens and enjoyed them, raw carrots, drank fruit smoothies, and that was it. I was a free man, independent of food, alcohol, and cigarettes, possessed by inexhaustible energy. But everything comes to an end... after summer came autumn, and I slowly started returning to "conventional food," smoking, and drinking, and well, here we are. I could write a novel about it, but I don't want to be tedious. I am starting a similar endeavor again these days, though this time I need to drop 132 lbs, which should go easily in 3 or 4 months. The only thing hindering me right now is my mother's illness... but considering that in 2 or 3 days I'm heading to get an MRI on my knee, which has been hurting for over a year—and it certainly isn't from an injury, but likely some "more serious" condition—mother and I will have to settle for a "shared diet"... "or a shared grave." There is no reason to fear death, really. Why? Because I was already dead before I was even born....😉
Does anyone happen to know where I could get this "biopsy"—specifically a cytological puncture—done? I also need an ultrasound with Doppler. A private clinic tried the puncture, but it was unsuccessful; they said the needle was too thin, apparently, and there wasn't enough of a sample according to the folks at Mercy... and I already paid $267....🤷
Yeah, it’s just hard when you aren't 100% certain it's actually a sarcoma... the thing is, my mom's diagnosis still hasn't been fully confirmed. If it turns out to be a uterine sarcoma, it really should have grown since January 11th of this year, because those things tend to spread fast—but hers actually seems to have shrunk instead. I'm talking about the uterus here, though the one in her femur stayed the same size or maybe even grew slightly (depending on whether you look at the MRI or the CT, so it really depends on who's doing the measuring)... right now, we're just waiting on the orthopedic specialist and an ultrasound with Doppler. Anyway, more than half of what I'd call the "worst year of my life" has already passed... I think I'll need to ask a psychiatrist for something to help me stay calm, because I am completely falling apart. Best regards!
melloworca6 said:Is your mother in the hospital or...? If she’s admitted, you really should insist that the doctors walk you through what all of this actually means.
She isn't in the hospital yet; we're still in the process of gathering all her test results.... Unfortunately, it’s hard to get anyone to give us a straight answer... everyone seems to have their own opinion... and right now, there wasn't even enough material for a full analysis...
Dear forum members, could someone please clarify the following finding: "Within just a few smears, clusters of spindle-shaped Vimentin-positive cells were found, while DEZMIN-negative cells were present," noting that processing wasn't possible in other samples due to an insufficient number of cells...??? Essentially, I was wondering if anyone could explain what these "Vimentin" and "DEZMIN" cells actually are? For context, this is from an iliac bone puncture. Thank you very much.😕🤷
I headed up to Mercy Hospital to pick up my results myself. They claim they faxed them over back on June 1st, but nothing ever showed up on my end—though I finally have them in hand now. To be honest, the report is pretty much a wash because the sample was considered "insufficient." Now they’re suggesting I either redo the puncture using a "thicker" bone marrow needle... or just go straight to a bone biopsy if they can't get enough material through aspiration. It's enough to drive a person crazy... then again, I feel like I've already lost my mind, so what does it matter? As for what they actually found, the report mentions that several smears showed clusters of spindle-shaped vimentin-positive cells, but desmin-negative cells. That's basically all there is to it. Now I just have to figure out my next move...🤷
Thanks for the advice. It looks like I’ll have to head back to that clinic for more tests anyway. I already $20 wasted money on parking just to get those results (it was a red zone area) and for what? Who knows what they'll actually say on the reports... maybe more bad news. If that happens, I’m seriously going to see my doctor to ask for a referral to a psychiatrist. I just can't deal with this anymore. At least if they could prescribe something to calm me down, because what I've been dealing with lately—this "so-called normal" feeling—is something I moved past a long time ago...🙂😵
A private clinic performed two biopsies on my mom's hip, and they sent the tissue samples over to Mercy Hospital for analysis. They were supposed to be ready by last Monday, but I’ve already been down there five times and still nothing (trying to reach them by telephone is a nightmare). Apparently, they need to send the results via fax.... Does anyone know if they can just email the results directly to me if I send them my confirmation and order via email? I desperately need these findings to move forward with her treatment.... Does anyone know which email address I should use to check on the status and ask if they can send them straight to me? Thanks so much.🤷
Yeah, that’s exactly it. Regardless of how we look at it, it seems like Mom is going to have to go through with the surgery (and maybe it's better not to mention the leiomyoma just yet). If everything goes according to plan, they’ll likely need to install some kind of artificial joint or implant, though I honestly have no idea who the best specialist would be or how much risk is involved—even if it seems like "half the city" does this procedure. I really need to do some digging there. But first and foremost, we’ve been waiting a week now for the biopsy results from the tissue taken from her femur... hopefully, those results will finally give us some clarity. Ideally, that analysis should show whether it's malignant or not. Thanks again, and all the best.🤷
Today I was back at Petrov with my mom, and we got a second opinion stating that "primary uterine sarcoma bleeds and rarely metastasizes to the gluteus." My mother hasn't had any bleeding, nor is she in pain there—her uterus looks fine. This essentially means it isn't a "primary uterine sarcoma with pelvic metastasis," which was the diagnosis she received at that private clinic a while back. The truth is, a few years ago, she just tripped at the entrance to the beach and banged her backside—specifically that iliac bone—and the pain has persisted ever since. Back then, the doctor wouldn't even order imaging because they claimed "the trauma is in the past," and that was that... but it kept hurting, though she figured it was just old age. Then, about six months ago, she started limping, so I drove her to a private clinic for an MRI. They happened to find an enlarged uterus during the scan, and since then, everyone has been convinced it’s all about the uterus. But the actual pain is in her hip; she can't sit or lie down without agony, so she's taking Tramal. It wasn't even that bad initially—she was just limping, didn't even need a cane—but last week, while we were at another private specialist, a nurse reached out to help her up from the exam table, she slipped right onto that right leg, and now she can't walk a step without a heavy-duty walker... anyway, the gynecologist at Petrov recommended that once we get the tissue samples from the hip, we head to an orthopedic surgeon for further treatment.... honestly, I just wanted to say: why does every single injury have to be linked to "cancer or metastases"? Maybe it isn't that. Maybe it's just that after all the radiation and chemo, you end up with "real cancer"... I'm not saying my mom definitely doesn't have some undiscovered metastasis (God forbid that's the case), but everywhere we go, everyone jumps straight to CANCER—it's cancer this, it's metastases that, it's this or that. But maybe it's just a simple, untreated injury from trauma—even the top specialists occasionally mistake a sarcoma for a sports injury... anything is possible... and yet, even now, six months later, I still don't know exactly what's wrong with my mom... the testing never ends... the only thing is, the uterus hasn't grown during this time; if the UZV is accurate, it actually shrank by a centimeter or two... etc.....☕
True, but where can a person even turn when everything costs so much... if it really is a sarcoma, I’ve read that surgical removal is usually the best bet, even if there's a fifty-fifty chance of it coming back. Still, one oncologist is suggesting radiation therapy instead (though I've heard sarcomas aren't particularly sensitive to radiation or chemo?...)
It’s incredibly frustrating because I’m getting totally conflicting advice. One doctor insists everything has to be surgically removed, while another says surgery isn't even on the table—suggesting radiation will just burn away the pelvic tumor and the pain will vanish along with it. It’s all so contradictory... I’ve read that Leiomyosarcoma is such a rare diagnosis that most doctors might go their entire careers without ever seeing a single case, yet my mom gets hit with it immediately after her CT scan—just like that! "Matches the profile for Leiomyosarcoma," they say, as if they deal with this every single day... meanwhile, I've read that these kinds of diseases are notoriously difficult to prove, requiring a full PhD analysis of the tissue samples. Most people just want to hear, "Please, just let it not be cancer." They get a mountain of test results and feel a momentary sense of relief when a report says "no malignancy," only to follow an orthopedist's recommendation for a CT scan, despite already having an MRI that mentions "Open etiology," only to be slapped with "Sarcoma"... how do you even find it? The odds are like one in a thousand... I honestly can't wrap my head around it...🤷🙂🙂
Actually, I’m a bit confused here: can "osteolysis" and "leiomyosarcoma" really be the same thing? They seem like two completely different diagnoses to me—"osteolysis" refers to bone breakdown (demineralization), whereas "leiomyosarcoma" is a tumor of the smooth muscle or soft tissue... When it comes to the lesion on my mom's pelvic bone, one group of doctors says it's one thing, while another set says it's something else entirely... Since the treatment would likely be totally different depending on which diagnosis is correct, I'm just trying to make sense of it all....😕
Does anyone here have firsthand experience dealing with this condition? Also, which oncologist in the US would you recommend as the absolute best and most experienced for this specific issue? Thanks in advance.