Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Lisa White54, so glad you checked in with the good news. Fingers crossed for those test results!

Lisa White54, I am just so incredibly happy for you...

I'm really glad to hear things worked out for you, Lisa White54. Just keep pushing forward, I guess. 😉

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Lisa White54 said:Hey everyone... I have some great news!
The surgery is done! And my doctor told me that, by all accounts, it wasn't cancer.. 🙂 I'm just waiting on the pathology report to be 100% sure..

I am so happy...

Sending good vibes your way....
Honestly, the surgeon's word is what matters most right now; the lab results just confirm what they already saw.
Keep staying positive!

That’s such wonderful news. I’m just... I guess I'm a little confused about the process. How could they have told you it was cancer, only to turn around now and say it isn't? I mean, what were they actually looking at during those initial exams to make that call? Surely they weren't just guessing at that stage.

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Lisa White54 said:Greetings, everyone. I have some rather pleasant news to share—here I am at last.
The surgery is behind me. My doctor informed me that—all things considered—it wasn't actually cancer. 🙂 I am still waiting on the PhD results—just to be absolutely certain...

I am simply overjoyed...

🙂🙂
🎉🎉

jHey everyone—I realize this might be a bit out of line for this specific thread, but I feel compelled to bring it up regardless...
Roses—you and your husband are practically playing doctor with carcinogens at this point. 🙂🙂
.........🙂🙂🙂 You cancer-ridden little pests—you don't stand a chance against this family.

Lisa White54—you’ve truly brightened our day.
Best of luck moving forward.

mistyjackal842 said:I wish you all the best, and I am certain your father will pull through this. How old is he now?

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He’ll be turning 64 in just two days.🙂

Nancy Lee, we are currently at Mayo Clinic. My father underwent his first round of chemotherapy today—it’s a PE protocol.

Ashley Murphy said:🙂🙂
🎉🎉

I didn't catch that. You just dropped a single letter there. What's the deal? If you're trying to start a conversation or ask something, you gotta actually say it. I'm sitting here ready to go, but I can't exactly read your mind. Just hit me with the full thought next time.Hey everyone, I know this might be totally out of line for this thread, but I gotta get this off my chest anyway...
Roses? Seriously, you and your husband might as well be working for the cancer research labs or something. 🙂🙂
.........🙂🙂🙂 You cancer-ridden losers don't stand a chance in this family...

Lisa White54, you seriously just made my whole day.
Good luck with whatever you think you're doing.

Ljubac... 🙂

Angela Wright said:Forgive my bluntness, but I honestly don't understand people like you! You clearly see the risks involved in waiting, yet here you are on the forum asking for advice on whether to hold off... please, just get on the phone, send an email, or write a letter and push for this until it’s scheduled! Do you really think anyone cares enough about us to just sit around and check in? People, please, take charge of your own lives, be assertive, and stop waiting for someone to feel obligated to call you!

You are absolutely right. My only mistake was being too passive instead of calling the right people immediately. Regardless, everything is moving forward now and the surgery is scheduled. Thank you all for the support. Now that I have one thing settled, I have another question for those with experience: what is the recovery process typically like, and what should I expect? It is for lung cancer. Thank you.

Michelle Cook83 said:I know from firsthand experience that you don't wait with operations like this; my surgeon told me just last month that there's simply no waiting period. I honestly don't understand why they haven't called you if this is an emergency.

Thank you, you've been such a huge help!

quietpuma19 said:You're absolutely right. My only mistake was sitting on my hands instead of calling the right people immediately. Anyway, things are moving forward now—the surgery is officially on the calendar. Thanks to everyone for the support. Now I'm facing a new hurdle: I’d love to hear from anyone who's been through this. What does the recovery look like? What should I actually expect after lung cancer surgery? Thanks.

Recovery isn't one-size-fits-all. It’s highly individual because there are so many variables at play. You'll see some people up and walking the very next day like nothing happened, while others need a much longer runway to get back on their feet.
My advice? Just take it one step at a time and deal with the situation as it unfolds.

Hello. I am only 20 years old, yet I have already been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and I must say, life feels incredibly heavy right now. Every single day is an uphill battle. Honestly, I find myself questioning whether I am living in reality or if I am trapped in some sort of dream state. I have been seeing a psychiatrist for about two years now, and since the diagnosis was confirmed, I have spent a great deal of time researching my condition. The hallucinations I experience are quite intense. I see a man walking through my house, saying terrible things to me. He pressures me to harm animals—to implant chips in their heads so I can supposedly "resurrect" them using technology. He insists that I need to become a master surgeon to control these animals via the chips. It goes much deeper than that; he tells me I must consume their organs daily so they can live my life for me—speaking, working, and eating in my stead. He also constantly urges me to eat raw meat and drink blood. Sometimes, the struggle becomes so overwhelming that I am forced to remain completely motionless in a single position for several minutes at a time. If anyone here happens to be dealing with similar symptoms, I would truly appreciate it if you could share your experiences with me. Thank you for being here.😢

Arthur Scott5, I’m really sorry you’re going through such a rough patch right now, but I think you might be slightly off-base with this thread. This specific discussion was primarily established to address malignant diseases. Since you’ve already started your own dedicated thread, you’ll likely find much more targeted support and relevant advice over there. Plus, if you head over to the psychology section, there are plenty of active discussions that would be far more appropriate for what you're dealing with. I truly hope you get the answers you're looking for very soon.
From what I've seen, as long as you have the right treatment plan in place, you can live a perfectly normal life without any major issues.

quietpuma19 said:Thanks, you really helped me out!

No problem at all! Honestly, though—the whole surgery thing depends entirely on what kind of cancer we're talking about and where it’s actually located. Some people bounce back super fast if it’s just a smaller tumor, but if it's a bigger one... man, that's a real grind. Feel free to shoot me a DM with the specifics.

I really need some advice here...
So, my dad's been stuck in the hospital for ten days now. He hasn't eaten a single thing. At first, they were worried about his lymph nodes acting up again, but he had a PET scan today and apparently, there’s nothing there—just heavy swelling, which they think is probably just from the last round of radiation. The problem is, he hasn't touched any food during this entire ten-day stretch. He gets an IV every day, but I guess it's not enough, because he's just getting weaker and sleeping more and more.
The doctors decided he needs a PEG tube so they can feed him directly, but they've been stalling on actually putting it in for a week now. I have no idea where they're waiting on. Is that kind of thing something you can just buy somewhere? Because tomorrow is already Thursday, and I'm honestly terrified of what's going to happen if they don't get this done by the end of the week.

It’s the same thing with my mom—they actually wrote in her discharge papers that a nasogastric feeding tube was recommended, yet they never even put one in. They just gave her IV fluids once she stopped eating, and honestly, I have no idea if that was even the right call. I just don't trust that hospital at all. My mom was unconscious back then because of sepsis, so I saw everything on that paperwork. Is your dad able to speak or stay conscious? Is he having any trouble breathing? I used to feed my mom myself while she was still in the hospital and able to eat. The food service in these places is just... it's terrible. They rush through it, if they even bother at all. Hang in there. I really don't want to scare you, but based on what you're describing, things don't sound good. How old is your dad? And about that tube—I don't think you can just pick one up at a local pharmacy. One of the biggest issues with critically ill patients is how easily doctors just write them off. At least that's what happened at the Mayo Clinic where my mom was. She didn't even have cancer; it was just an amputation and some other leg issues. Since she was only 68, I'm certain she would have recovered if she'd just had proper nursing care and actual attention from her doctors.

My dad passed away. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone here who shared their own stories. Reading through them gave me so much much-needed hope—and strength, really—plus some genuinely helpful information when things felt overwhelming. Thanks to the support from this community, and especially thanks to Angela Wright, we managed to make sure his final day was peaceful... and finally, mercifully, without all that intense pain. Angela once mentioned that letting go is actually the ultimate expression of love, and honestly, I was a little scared to believe that at the time. But looking back on these last few days, I can see she was absolutely right. Even though I'm an adult, losing him makes me feel like a lost kid again, I guess. If only I could have just one more moment...

Taylor Jackson14, you have my deepest sympathies.😢
A new chapter starts now—consider this the final step in finally growing up. Let your dad rest in peace and just move forward. Honestly, he’s in a much better place now, completely free from all the heavy lifting of life here on Earth.

Taylor Jackson14, I am so incredibly sorry. I know exactly how much this hurts. I’d give anything for just one more moment with him, too. I really like to believe he’s in a better place now and that we'll cross paths again someday.

Taylor Jackson14, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss.😢