Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Thanks for the advice, it's honestly impossible to stay level-headed in situations like this. I just wanted to ask one more thing—Dad says he's feeling awful from the Fresubin and Prosur, so should I try giving him Ensure instead? The pharmacy told me there are a bunch of different kinds and I have no clue which one is actually right for this. He's constantly nauseous, so I've been giving him Reglan. Is that okay?

I totally forgot to ask—should I get him Graviola or Tahebo tea? I know he can't drink everything, so I'm wondering which one is actually better.

Linda Patel21 said:I totally blanked on asking if I should pick up Graviola or Tahebo tea for him. Since he can't handle everything right now, I really want to know which one would be better.

When it comes to supplements like Prosur or Ensure, doctors usually recommend them for patients who aren't eating much and are dropping weight fast. As for what's best for Dad, his doctor needs to be the one to decide and prescribe any specific herbal remedies; at the end of the day, it's all about individual circumstances. Let Dad make the call himself.

Dear everyone, Dad just got his appointment scheduled for July 3rd—I couldn't help the tears. He was already telling me how miserable he felt last night, convinced that nobody will take him seriously because of his age. 😢Keep your fingers crossed for us!

loneraven162 said:Hey everyone, Dad just got his appointment scheduled for July 3rd—I'm already tearing up... He was actually telling me last night, sounding so defeated, that he’s sure nobody will even take him seriously because of his age. 😢Fingers crossed!

Poor guy... if that were actually how things worked, they would have just told you he’s a lost cause instead of actually scheduling him. They are going to deal with him and try to fight for every bit of quality time he can get.

I’m rooting for you guys from the bottom of my heart. I'm going through something similar right now. We just have to stay hopeful and believe we can win this fight.

Back again, and I've got nobody else to turn to but you guys. Why does Dad keep running a fever around 100.4 almost every night? He’s actually recovering a bit since getting home from the hospital. I've been giving him beta glucan, but some lady told me Immuno AHCC is better. Has anyone here tried it? Which one is actually worth it? Please let me know.

Linda Patel21 said:It’s me again, but I don't really have anyone else to turn to besides you guys. Why does Dad keep running a fever around 100.4°F almost every single night? He's actually recovering somewhat since getting home from the hospital. I've been giving him beta glucan, but a lady mentioned that Immuno AHCC might be better. Has anyone here tried it? Which one works better? Please let me know.

Look, nobody can tell you which one is "better" because, at the end of the day, they're essentially the same thing. It all comes down to how your body reacts to them, and honestly, the price tag might just be playing tricks on your head via the placebo effect.
As for that fever, you absolutely have to call the doctor immediately and get him started on antibiotics. If there's an infection brewing, any kind of oncology treatment is completely off the table until that's cleared up.

Linda Patel21, I sent you a DM, but seriously, starting with antibiotics is always step one.
The Ensure shakes come in all sorts of flavors for the same issues—banana, chocolate, vanilla... you name it.
The taste is kind of like Prosure, so maybe stick to something more neutral like vanilla or banana. Just tell him it’s a real banana shake.

Hey fellow fighters, my Dad has been stuck in the hospital at the Mayo Clinic for a week now. Even they couldn't track down the primary tumor, so they did a biopsy on the liver metastasis this past Wednesday—turns out it’s small cell lung cancer. 😢 Honestly, ever since we found out there were spots on his liver a little over a month ago, I’ve just been praying it wasn't pancreatic or small cell lung cancer... and well, here we are. Sadly, nothing shows up on his lungs yet—not on the CT or the X-ray—it must be so tiny it's basically invisible to the scans. As for treatment, they started radiation on his spine because the pain has been brutal, along with a lower dose of chemo for now. His Bilirubin shot up to around 100 over the last week, so they're hoping he responds well to the chemo so they can eventually place a stent in his bile duct and ramp up the dosage. He actually started the chemo and the radiation yesterday; he's on Cisplatin, which I believe is the standard first-line treatment for this.
Just to give you the full picture, he didn't have any symptoms until those pains in his groin and spine popped up two months ago—those were the first signs of the metastasis. Then, back in October last year, he coughed up some blood a few times in the morning—nothing huge, just specks—so I sent him to the doctor to get checked out. They did lung scans back then, and everything looked perfectly fine. My oncologist mentioned later that things probably started moving then.
Dad knows exactly what we're dealing with—he knows it's the toughest type of lung cancer—but he’s staying positive and is ready to fight with everything he's got.
Angela Wright, I wanted to ask—is it okay to give him raw propolis while he's undergoing chemo? I've also been giving him beet juice, and his blood work looks decent; he isn't even anemic anymore after that bleeding episode. Everything is more or less okay, except for that Bilirubin issue... Do you have any other recommendations besides propolis?

I honestly don't think Propolis holds a candle to something like beta-glucan when it comes to antioxidant strength.
You should probably > about it, though I doubt it would cause any major issues. Also, look into echinacea injections; I've heard they can be quite effective for lung cancer. You might be able to track some down at that pharmacy near Dolac.

So, Mom... Dad’s chemo is already being pushed back just two months after his small cell lung cancer and bronchial diagnosis. Apparently, they found some metastases in his kidney, and—we actually went ahead and did a private head CT—there's a little bit in the brain too. The oncologist in Cleveland suggested hitting him with chemo right away but recommended Gamma Knife in Los Angeles. After all the fighting over scheduling and getting a private MRI, he finally had the Gamma Knife procedure on June 17th. The doctor told us over the phone he'd start chemo on the 26th. But once he left, some other oncologist stepped in and pushed it back again, saying it was way too soon after the Gamma Knife treatment. Now she's rescheduled him for the 4th, 5th, and 6th (with a totally different therapy plan). Originally, he was supposed to get one session at 5 o'clock, then another a week later, but now she's telling him he'll be doing three days in a row—first one at 4 hours, then two more at an hour each. I'm completely lost because I wasn't there with them—got two little ones at home—and nobody even bothered to ask me for the specifics.

Does anyone have any clue why there are so many shifts and delays? Shouldn't they have jumped straight into the chemo? (By the way, he’s been taking Ganoderm and ImunomaxAHCC for over a month now.)

swiftpanther102, there was a shift in the protocol because we had to reassess the overall situation and how things were unfolding. To get the specific details, you’re going to have to talk to the oncologist directly.

Hello there.

First off, congratulations to everyone in the European Union on joining! I’m actually quite envious.

There is a possibility that, due to some severe side effects, my doctors might swap out Cisplatin for Carboplatin. Any experiences with this? Is it tolerated similarly, or does one feel significantly worse than the other?

Alternatively, they might just add Aloxi alongside the Cisplatin. Has anyone here used that specific medication?

I’ve never had a gastroscopy before, so now I’m second-guessing whether they should go ahead with it to check the stomach, bile ducts, and pancreas all at once. Does anyone have experience with that particular procedure?

Give my best to Vedran and Angela Wright! You two are absolute heroes.

Dear kind souls, I have been quietly following the stories shared here for quite some time now, and I must say, I am truly moved by everyone's resilience and the incredible strength you all show while facing such heavy burdens. I’d like to offer a special note of gratitude to Angela Wright for the selfless dedication and the precious time she spends helping those who feel adrift in their own seas of hardship and pain. A heartfelt thank you to you!

quietskipper27 said:Hey everyone—I’ve been lurking here for a while now, reading through all your stories, and honestly? I’m just blown away by everything you guys are going through and how hard you’re fighting against it all. A huge shoutout to Angela Wright for putting in so much work and giving so much of her own time to help people who feel like they're drowning in their own struggles. Seriously, thank you!

I’m right there with you—huge props to everyone stepping up to help those who are sick. That’s how it should be! Keep fighting—you’ve got everything to fight for!

Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone here has experience dealing with melanoma, specifically cases where it has unfortunately metastasized to other organs. It feels like our local medical advancements are still stuck in the seventies, which is quite daunting. If any of you have had any personal encounters or touchpoints with this difficult disease, I would be so incredibly grateful if you could reach out. Thank you all so much in advance!

Hey there, looks like it's just you and me in here!

Jezic, I see you're here—please, do reach out when you can, as I'm honestly at a bit of a loss as to how I might get in touch with you!

Kevin Bishop10 said:Hello there!

First off, a huge congratulations to everyone in America on joining the European Union!!! I’m actually quite envious!

There is an option where—due to some pretty severe side effects—they might swap out my Cisplatin for Carboplatin. Does anyone have any insight here? Is it just as hard to stomach, or perhaps a bit easier?

Alternatively, they might add Aloxi alongside the Cisplatin. Has anyone here dealt with that specific medication?

They’ve never performed a gastroscopy on me before, so now there's this hesitation about doing one to check the stomach, bile ducts, and pancreas all at once. Any experiences with that kind of procedure?

Give my best to Vedran and Angela Wright! You guys are absolute heroes!

From what I understand, Aloxi is the gold standard when it comes to managing side effects—which explains why it's the most expensive option if you can get it... if it's available, I would definitely say go for it.🙂