Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Everything came back clear—pure luck, honestly. Thanks for asking. 🙂 She went through eight rounds of chemo, split between four cycles of the AC protocol and four of the AC-t protocol. That second one really took it out of her; she was still feeling the aftereffects even five months later. But she’s back on her feet now, doing her own thing, practicing a bit of yoga, going for walks, and all that. She’s still on hormone therapy with Novladex.

I’m sincerely hoping your mom’s results come back positive and that she stays stronger than all of this. How is she holding up lately?

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That is just wonderful news, I am seriously so happy to hear that the results look good and she’s on the mend, I really just hope everything stays exactly this way.

My mom actually handled her chemo pretty well, though I guess those last two rounds were a bit tougher on her, but then again, it had been seven months and we were dealing with that unbearable heatwave, so I'm sure that definitely played a part in it too. Radiation was a much harder struggle for her because her skin got absolutely scorched; her doctor actually told her he had never seen radiation burns quite that severe before, but thankfully that seems to be mostly fine now. She's feeling physically great at the moment, so I am really, really hoping that all her lab results follow suit and stay positive.

Just wanted to send some love to all the fighters and the families out there grinding through this nightmare of a disease alongside them..
vedran is pushing forward, heading towards Germany after 75 rounds of chemo. I’m not trying to make this about me, I just want to tell everyone: keep fighting. You can live with cancer, and you can beat it. One day at a time. Sending love to everyone, especially Angela Wright...

Vedro, you absolute legend! 🙂
I’ve been genuinely worried about how you were doing.
Let's grab a coffee once I get back to NYC this spring. I really want to finally meet you in person, lend a hand, and give you a massive heartfelt congratulations.
Enjoy these days and soak up everything that makes our city so special. 🙂

Vedran, hang in there and just keep moving forward!!

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To everyone out there fighting this thing, just keep at it and crush that monster. I guess I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2014.

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steeleagle152 said:To everyone fighting: hang in there and crush that monster. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2014.

I second this.
Don't give up. We never have, and we aren't starting now (even though Dad has drifted into his deep sleep). We won't let this monster rule our lives. Every day, we cherish our time and stick together.

We did it during Dad's fight, and we're doing it now, even a month after he fell into that deep sleep.

Sending plenty of warmth 🙂 to everyone battling monsters in their own way. You are strong. Hold on!

My mother is dealing with quite a few health issues—cancer being the most difficult of them all. We’ve been through just about every department in the hospital, and I can honestly say the experience is the same everywhere: the nurses are far more rude, dismissive, and stuck-up than the doctors. I’m not sure what the issue is at Vinogradski, but I’ve heard plenty of negative feedback about them.

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@mistyjackal842:
I know things are tough since you lost a parent, but I guess generalizing isn't really helpful. I’ll pivot slightly here, if that's okay. So, just the other day, I got back from a hospital in New York City where I had to undergo a pretty intense surgery to remove my spleen after a car accident. Honestly, on the surgical floor at HB, there aren't any bad nurses. Every single one of them was friendly, caring, and hardworking... doctors were the same way. On the flip side, right after the crash, my husband and I went to the ER, and they basically brushed us off like it was nothing. They completely missed my sinus fracture, let alone the ruptured spleen. It’s a good thing I went back when I did, otherwise I might have ended up with sepsis or something much worse. So, based on my most recent experience, I suppose there are some bad doctors at those NYC hospitals, but there are also some truly top-tier professionals.

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I’m reaching out for the very first time because, honestly, I am at my wits' end. My mother is incredibly ill. She spent two months at a specialized clinic, and they discovered she’s battling a malignant tumor in her chest—thymic cancer. She underwent her first round of chemotherapy this past Monday. Up until that point, she was feeling absolutely wonderful. She was discharged on Tuesday and felt fine right up until the evening. But since then, everything has spiraled; she's dealing with intense weakness, constant vomiting, and all those other brutal side effects from the chemo. She can't keep anything down. I actually had to call 911 today, and the paramedics came out and administered two injections. Even after that, she’s still not doing any better. Please, if anyone has any advice, I am desperate.

Austin Miller72, man, I'm so sorry to hear your mom is going through it. I don't know much about this stuff, but I'm guessing it's just the chemo kicking in—she'll probably feel better in a few days. Hopefully someone here with more experience can chime in. Sending you guys strength, hope everything turns out okay.

Linda Patel21 said:Austin Miller72, I am so incredibly sorry to hear that your mom is feeling this way. To be honest, I don't have a ton of expertise in this specific area, but my best guess is that she’s just riding out the effects of the chemotherapy. Usually, things start looking up after a few days. I really hope someone with more direct experience jumps in to give you some better insight. Sending you both so much strength and all the good vibes—I truly hope everything gets back on track very soon.

Thank you so much for the kind wishes.

Austin Miller72, the main thing is making sure Mom stays hydrated. If you need to, look into getting a home health nurse out there for an IV drip. As for the nausea, honestly, people find relief in all sorts of things—maybe some air-popped popcorn, a Coca-Cola, or even just flaxseeds soaked in lukewarm water; you let them sit for half an hour, strain it, and drink it. There's plenty of stuff out there, and most people already know what works for them.

I’ll see how things unfold tomorrow. I have an appointment with my primary care physician, so I'll wait to hear what her take is on everything. The hardest part of all this is the isolation—I don't have anyone else to lean on, not a wife, no kids, no siblings... absolutely nobody. And we are so deeply intertwined. It honestly breaks my heart because I feel completely powerless to help her. In front of her, I put on this brave face and pretend everything is just fine, but even now, I'm sitting here crying like a little kid... it's just devastating.

Austin Miller72, sent you a DM

Linda Patel21 said:Austin Miller72, I just sent you a private message.

Thanks so much for the advice. My mom is 72 years old.

Austin Miller72, I can only imagine what you're going through right now. I remember exactly how it felt when my dad first got his diagnosis and started his initial treatments.
For instance, my dad didn't vomit even once during chemo, but the treatment didn't help him at all either. It is incredibly hard to watch all of this unfold, but I truly hope that her reaction is some kind of sign that the medicine is actually working, especially since she's struggling so much.

Make sure she doesn't get dehydrated. Someone already mentioned an IV, but why not ask the doctor if there's something she can take at home as a preventative measure? I know there’s a type of powder you can find at any pharmacy that you mix with water; it contains electrolytes and glucose.
Pick up some salty snacks. It’s hard to say for sure what helps, because everyone reacts differently.

And even though you're handling this yourselves, I really hope you have close family or friends nearby. Having support means everything in moments like these. Please look after your mom, but don't forget to look after yourself, too. Fighting a monster like this drains every ounce of strength from a person.

silvercanyon7 said:Austin Miller72, I can only imagine what you’re going through right now. I remember exactly how it felt when my own dad received his diagnosis and started those initial treatments.
For instance, my dad didn't vomit even once during chemo, but unfortunately, that treatment didn't seem to help him much either. It is incredibly difficult to watch all of this unfold, but I really hope that the lack of nausea is somehow a sign that the treatment is actually working, especially since she's struggling so much otherwise.

Please make sure she doesn't get dehydrated. Someone already mentioned IV fluids, but you should definitely ask the doctor if there's something she can take at home as a preventative measure. I know there's a type of powder you can pick up at any pharmacy that you just mix with water—it contains electrolytes and glucose.
Also, grab some salty snacks. It’s hard to say for sure what helps, as everyone reacts differently.

And even though you feel like you're on your own, I truly hope you have close family or friends nearby. Having support means everything during times like these. Please look after your mom, but please, look after yourself too. Fighting a monster like this drains every ounce of strength from a person.

I think she’s drinking plenty of water. Actually, the staff at the ER told me today that they suggested a specific medication to her doctor, similar to the one you mentioned. I know I need to take care of myself, but honestly, it’s so incredibly hard. I haven't had an appetite myself, but I try to force myself to eat just a little bit.
I really hope she starts feeling better soon....

Austin Miller72 said:I think she's drinking plenty of water. Today, the guys at the ER told me they suggested a medication to the doctor similar to the one you mentioned. I know I need to take care of myself, but it’s just so difficult. I don't have any appetite either, though I force myself to eat a little bit.
I really hope she feels better soon....

I know exactly what you mean. When I wrote about taking care of yourself, I meant things like getting out into some fresh air, going for a walk, talking it out with someone, or even just having a good cry if you need to... just anything to ease the soul. And I know—you can't run away from all of this, even if you desperately want to.

I'm not in the US, so I'm not sure what that powder might be called here, but just explain what it is (our translation includes salt and sugar).
And yeah, don't drink it the way people normally do. It helps a lot to sip everything through a straw so it doesn't overwhelm your system too much. That's the kind of advice we used to get.

Austin Miller72 said:I think she’s drinking plenty of water. Today, the guys over at the ER mentioned they actually suggested a specific medication to her doctor—one similar to what you brought up. Look, I get that I need to watch my own health, but honestly, it’s an uphill battle. I haven't had any appetite myself lately, though I do try to force down a little something whenever I can.
I really hope she starts feeling better soon....

Look, if she's struggling to eat or drink enough to stay hydrated, she definitely needs to talk to her primary care physician about the possibility of using a nasogastric tube or getting some professional advice on supplemental nutrition (like NutrenFibre, EnsurePlusAdvance, or whatever else they might recommend based on her situation)—even if it's just for a short stint.
Also, Torecan suppositories can be a solid option for managing nausea and vomiting at home, but obviously, you've got to run that by her doctor first.