Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

The latest update from the local news outlet: after finishing the fifth round of FOLFOX, we had the CT scan done, and honestly, things haven't actually gotten worse since June—there’s even been a tiny bit of improvement regarding the kidneys and liver... though that abdominal tumor is still massive and seems to be pressing on the ureter from the left kidney down to the bladder, which means urine is backing up into the kidney, and that pelvic one is still right where it was, so both are causing some pretty intense pain.
The oncologist is pushing for surgery to place a stent to prevent a major infection, along with an attempt to remove both tumors, but Mom is just so incredibly weak that she can't even walk on her own anymore, and for now, she isn't interested in going under the knife again... radiation isn't really on the table either, because if she goes through with that, surgery becomes off the table.

Kate Brooks2 said:Things are actually looking great here—maybe even too good given our diagnosis. His blood work is excellent... he’s eating like a horse, laughing, moving around, just full of energy like nothing is wrong. He even managed to gain 1.5 kg after losing so much weight at home. Of course, we’re thrilled and trying to keep it that way. We’ve stripped his diet down to the healthiest stuff possible, maybe making one exception a week if he really craves something. No fussing about it, and he drinks beet juice, Noni, teas... basically everything along with tons of fruit and veg. I just wanted to share this so you all don't give up; there might still be hope. Best wishes.

Bravo to all of you! 🎉

I'm fine, working and waiting for the next chemo cycle. My oncologist retired, so I have a new doctor now; we seem to get along well enough, I guess.
My blood counts dropped a bit, so we pushed back the next round of chemo at the hospital. Since I ran a fever and broke out in a rash last time, they want to keep a closer eye on me.
Anyway, I'm doing okay and everything will be just fine, probably..

Sending kisses and positive thoughts to everyone—hang in there..

Dad had his follow-up appointment with the gastroenterologist yesterday, and honestly, the doctor said things are looking stable given everything he’s battling. We also had a home health visit—basically a nurse and a doctor will be coming by the house now—so he’ll be getting an IV once a week and Vitamin B shots every other day. He really needs to be drinking some Prosure, but he just refuses 😢. I’m feeling a bit lost—is there anything else we can even do to help him at this stage? The hardest part isn't even the physical stuff; it's the mental toll. He’s just... surrendered. It’s heartbreaking. Just a month ago, he was out driving his car, and now? He won't move, he just stays in bed constantly. He’s even refusing food. Physically, he says nothing hurts, except for the vomiting—which seems to be tied to his mood, too. Sometimes he gets worked up and starts throwing up, and other times he’ll go two days without it. Could his psychological state be triggering the nausea like that?

Hannah James76 said:Dad had his follow-up with the gastroenterologist yesterday, and they said things are looking okay given the disease he’s battling. We’ve even got home health care coming out now; a doctor and a nurse will be visiting him at home, giving him an IV once a week and Vitamin B injections every other day. He’s supposed to be drinking Prosure, but he just refuses it 😢. I honestly don't know if there's anything else we can do for him. The biggest hurdle is that he's struggling so much mentally—he won't move, he just stays stuck in bed. It’s hard to believe that just a month ago, he was still behind the wheel driving a car. He has simply given up. He's refusing food, too. The thing is, nothing actually hurts besides the vomiting, and we've noticed that sometimes when he gets worked up, he starts throwing up, but other times he goes two whole days without it... Could this be tied to his mental state?

That vomiting is definitely connected to both his physical condition and his mental state.

vividsailor7 said:That vomiting thing... it’s tied to both the physical stuff going on with his organs and his mental state.

I gotta say, it’s already been two weeks since my brother finished head radiation. The doctor told us we wouldn't see him again for six weeks—which honestly makes zero sense to me. Why wait six weeks if the standard window is supposed to be two to four? I don't get how our doctors make these calls, especially since my brother handled the radiation pretty well...
Anyway, chemo is next on the menu, specifically CCNU and Vincristine...
The other option isn't even officially on the table yet; it's just hanging there in mid-air...
-They basically told me this is the only viable path for brain tumors... hm...
🤷
To me, it feels like... we're just treating him however we can, with whatever we know, and then... well, we'll see what happens...
He's scheduled for an MRI, but our local clinic sent him out to some small town in the Midwest—anyone have experience with those places?
--I honestly think the only reliable, fast option is the Mayo Clinic...
-So there's really no other way... and I don't know how he or I am going to survive the waiting game while we wait for the results to come back... He knows more than he lets on, but he just denies everything... you can feel it in the way we talk...
I'm 😢 just completely exhausted by the system and everything else...
It's a constant battle against the healthcare system, and a battle within the family too... 😢 His issue right now is taking anything—milk, propolis, beta-glucan, turmeric oil, Tegretol... he's on Dex injections now... for another two weeks, at least. /Like he said, we won't know the full story until month four...
I know it sounds pathetic, but when you have to do it, you do it...
Sometimes I feel like I'm just tilting at windmills...
...When I suggested seeing a psychologist, he just told me I should go instead... 😢
I'd love to... if only I had the cash 😉 for all of it...
-We've had some nasty blowouts because he refuses to listen to certain things... or because he thinks the doctors aren't actually doing their jobs properly. A patient needs to be kept in the loop, but instead, it's always "this is for you," without any explanation of why...
-I need to get one more test done on my own initiative, and if it comes back positive, then I'm going to really lean on the insurance company 🤣 to make things happen...
..Honestly, I'd leave this country in a heartbeat if I could just find somewhere else to go...

Angela Wright said:The issue isn't about having enough space for Hospice facilities. It’s way easier to just build a house or repurpose an existing facility—I mean, look at that new hospital over there being used as a warehouse instead of actually treating people.
The real headache is finding the actual staff to run them. Palliative care is its own specialized branch of medicine (distinct from preventative or curative fields). They only recently established a palliative care department at the medical school in Chicago, so we basically have zero specialists ready to step up right now. That goes for doctors, but it hits the medical technicians even harder, since they're the ones doing the heavy lifting with patients on the ground.
And honestly, you can't lump geriatrics in with palliative care. An elderly person reaching the natural end of a long life has completely different needs than someone fighting a terminal, aggressive disease.

Angela... maybe that’s why there’s such a massive push for caregivers at the Bureau... I mean, they seem to be taking in anyone who shows interest, regardless of their educational background. As long as they sign up for whatever course they're running through RK and pay the monthly tuition plus travel costs...
maybe that's how they're trying to manufacture a workforce... doesn't really matter what kind of profile these people have, because if you go by the psych tests, it looks like they'll take pretty much anyone :P

Kate James38 said:It’s been two weeks since my brother finished his cranial radiation, and the doctor is telling us we won't see him for follow-up for another six weeks. I honestly don't get it. Why wait six weeks when the standard protocol usually calls for a check-in within two to four? What kind of math are these doctors actually doing when they make these assessments? Especially considering my brother handled the radiation remarkably well.
It’s mostly chemo—specifically a combination of CCNU and vincristine.
The second option isn't being recognized, so it’s just hanging there in limbo.
So, they told me this is the only viable good option left for brain tumors... hmm.
🤷

Honestly, I think you gave up way too early. You clearly didn't do your homework. If you actually bothered to Google the clinical studies, it would be painfully obvious that for a diagnosis like his, Temodal is the gold standard for first-line treatment. You should take that advice to doctors who actually focus on patient outcomes rather than acting like they're the gatekeepers of the hospital budget or Medicare.🙄 Even damn Wikipedia actually manages to provide text backed up by real evidence: Oligodendroglioma is a specific type of primary brain tumor that originates from the oligodendrocytes—those specialized cells in the central nervous system responsible for producing myelin, the insulating sheath around our neurons. When these cells malfunction and begin uncontrolled growth, they form these tumors, which are classified as gliomas. From a clinical standpoint, these tumors are typically slow-growing compared to more aggressive malignancies like glioblastomas, but they still pose significant challenges. They are most frequently found in the cerebral hemispheres. One of the defining characteristics used by pathologists to identify them is the presence of a "fried egg" appearance under a microscope, caused by the way the cells are arranged and how they hold onto their internal structures. Genetic testing is absolutely critical for a proper diagnosis here. Specifically, doctors look for a specific mutation known as the IDH mutation and the co-deletion of chromosomes 1 and 6 (1p/19q codeletion). If a patient has that 1p/19q co-deletion, it’s a huge deal because it almost certainly confirms the diagnosis and generally indicates a much better prognosis and a better response to standard treatments. Treatment isn't one-size-fits-all; it depends heavily on the tumor's size, location, and genetic makeup. Often, the first line of defense is surgical resection—getting as much of the mass out as safely possible. Depending on what the surgeons can achieve, doctors might follow up with radiation therapy or chemotherapy, such as the regimen involving Temodal. In some cases, symptomatic treatment often includes The Use of anticonvulsants for seizures and steroids for brain swelling to manage the secondary effects of the tumor's presence.
Kaže:Since these tumors tend to grow slowly, and because surgery, chemo, and radiation all carry such heavy risks, most neuro-oncologists aren't going to jump straight into aggressive intervention. Instead, the standard move is usually "watchful waiting"—keeping a close eye on things while focusing on managing whatever symptoms pop up. In practice, this means symptomatic treatment often includes the use of anticonvulsants for seizures and steroids for brain swelling. When it does come time to hit it with chemo, the PCV regimen—a cocktail of Procarbazine, CCNU, and Vincristine—has proven itself effective and remains the go-to choice for tackling anaplastic oligodendrogliomas. However, there’s a newer player in the game that's largely taking over: Temozolomide. This stuff is a standard chemo option, and it turns out oligodendrogliomas are actually pretty sensitive to it. Most doctors go with it as the first line of defense, mainly because it doesn't hit you quite as hard as other chemo drugs tend to do.[14]
It’s the classic playbook: first, you have to completely wreck a person’s nerves and stomach, leaving them in this state of total paralysis where they can't even react properly. Then comes the endless cycle of overthinking—endless deliberation, endless meetings, endless second-guessing about whether to pull the trigger or not. By the time everyone finally reaches a consensus, the tumor has already grown, and the inevitable conclusion is that it’s too late to bother. It’s a predictable, tragic script.

To me, it just looks like we’re doing whatever we can, using every tool in the shed... then we just have to sit back and see how it plays out.

That is easily the worst possible stance you could have taken. Your brother deserves nothing less than the best treatment available, and that means getting him on Temodal. You have to fight tooth and nail to make sure he gets it because it is his absolute right. He’s in no position to be wrestling with bureaucratic red tape and deciding which medical protocols to follow right now—that’s your job. You need to step up and fight those battles for him. It’s blindingly obvious what’s happening here. There is absolutely no way that someone working at the Mayo Clinic—someone who literally holds a doctorate specializing in exactly these types of cases and is likely one of the top two oncologists in the country dealing with rare tumors—is getting the treatment wrong while the folks at ST are somehow right. It’s impossible for the exact same diagnosis to be handled differently within the same country under the same healthcare system. I don't think you fully grasped how serious I was being when I suggested moving back to the city. Now that treatment has already kicked off at ST, making that move is becoming an absolute nightmare. Things have become systematically complicated.

He’s scheduled for an MRI, but our local clinic sent him over to a facility in rural Wisconsin—anyone have experience there?
--Honestly, I think the only reliable and fast option is Neuron..
-So there’s really no other choice... and I don't know how I'm going to survive the wait there while we wait for the results ...for him and for me... He knows quite a lot, but he refuses to face it and just denies everything... especially during our conversations..
I am 😢 and because of the system and everything else, I'm just done...
It's a constant battle with the healthcare system, and a battle within the family too... 😢 His issue is taking milk, propolis, beta-glucan, turmeric oil, Tegretol.. he's on dex injections now.. just two more weeks to go... /as he put it, we'll know everything in April....
I know it all sounds ridiculous, but when you have to, you have to...
Sometimes I feel like I'm just tilting at windmills...
...when I suggested seeing a psychologist, he basically told me to go by myself.. 😢
I would love to.. if only money wasn't such an issue 😉 for everything..
- We've had some nasty blowouts a few times because he won't even listen to certain things.. and then there's the fact that doctors don't always seem to be doing their jobs properly, and a patient actually needs to stay informed.. instead of this "it's best for you" attitude, but why?!
- I need to get one more test done on my own initiative, and then I'll really corner the insurance company 🤣 if it comes back positive...
..honestly, I’d leave this country in a heartbeat if I could find somewhere to go...

Whether you like it or not, he is a grown man who is fully conscious, and as such, he has the right to decide for himself what he wants and how he wants it, whether that sits well with you or not. Try putting yourself in his shoes. All you can do is provide him with all the information and give him the opportunity to choose.
As for dietary supplements, no living person can digest that many things at once. Let him pick a maximum of two or three items and stick to them from start to finish. This kind of constant pill-popping does more harm than good.
Regarding everything you mentioned about patient rights and being kept in the loop, you both need to stand up to the doctors clearly and loudly and insist on it. You can find patient rights guaranteed in the Constitution online, so print out several copies and hand them to the doctors to flip through, along with studies proving the effectiveness of Temodal in this specific case and demand a written explanation as to why they are recommending something else instead of this.
And yes, it often feels like fighting windmills; as soon as you knock one down, another one appears, but there's no other way, that's just how it goes. Forget any illusions about a quick fix to the problem right from the start; it'll be easier that way.
You have to go full throttle, and from experience, I tell you that the bigger you go—especially when you come prepared with evidence and ways to make their lives difficult during this election season (that's when they're most sensitive)—the more they will fear and respect you.
Be sure to reach out to the Association so we can see what we can do together, and don't give up right at the starting line!

Angela Wright said:Honestly, I think you guys gave up way too early without doing your homework. If you’d just bothered to Google some studies, it’s blindingly obvious that for his diagnosis, Temodal is the gold standard for first-line treatment—provided you're dealing with doctors who actually care about patient outcomes rather than just guarding the hospital budget or Medicare funds.🙄 Even freaking Wikipedia backs this up with actual evidence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligodendroglioma
Says here:Because of the indolent nature of these tumors and the potential morbidity associated with neurosurgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, most neurooncologists will initially pursue a course of watchful waiting and treat patients symptomatically. Symptomatic treatment often includes The Use of anticonvulsants for seizures and steroids for brain swelling. PCV chemotherapy (Procarbazine, CCNU and Vincristine) has been shown to be effective and was the most commonly used chemotherapy regimen used for treating anaplastic oligodendrogliomas,[13] but is now being superseded by a newer drug: Temozolomide. Temozolomide is a common chemotherapeutic drug to which oligodendrogliomas appear to be quite sensitive. It is often used as a first line therapy, especially because of its relatively mild side effects when compared to other chemotherapeutic drugs.[14]
So, basically, they want to wreck a person's gut and stomach first, wait for them to have a miserable reaction, and then spend forever debating whether or not to act while the tumor just keeps growing... until they eventually decide it's not worth the trouble. That's the classic scenario right there.
This is honestly the worst possible mindset you could take. Your brother deserves the best available treatment, and that is Temodal. You need to fight tooth and nail to get him that because it is his right! He can't be expected to battle through bureaucratic red tape regarding treatment options right now—that's your job. You have to do it for him.

Whether you like it or not, he's an adult who is fully conscious, and as such, he has the right to make his own decisions about his life, whether that sits well with you or not. Try to put yourself in his shoes for a second. All you can really do is give him all the info so he actually has a choice to make.
As for those dietary supplements, there's no way any living human can digest that much stuff at once. Let him pick maybe two or three things max and stick to them. Shoving all that down his throat is going to do more harm than good.
Regarding everything you mentioned about patient rights and staying informed—you have to stand your ground against the doctors and demand it. Your rights are guaranteed under the Constitution, so print out copies of those and hand them to the physicians to look over, along with the studies proving Temodal's efficacy in cases like this and demand a written explanation if they insist on anything else.
And yeah, half the time it feels like you're just tilting at windmills. You knock one down and another one pops up, but there's no other way. That's just how it goes. Forget any illusions about a quick fix; it'll be easier if you go in knowing it's a grind.
You have to go full throttle. From experience, I can tell you that the more aggressive you are—especially when you show up armed with evidence and ways to make their lives difficult during election season (that's when they're most desperate to look good)—the more they'll fear and respect you.
Definitely reach out to the Association so we can see what we can do together. Don't throw in the towel right at the start!

Yeah, yeah, I hear you...
me too...
The doctors were basically useless...
I haven't given up, and I’m not about to. I printed out everything, gave them every single bit of data—three different studies... but he just told me he wasn't interested, and that was it. Period.
Honestly, this is more about convincing my brother... I'm going to send him a link to a clinic in Boston
They do specialized screening, and it should be wrapped up in about two weeks, once the shipment gets sent up there tomorrow...
So, we should probably aim to meet up north by early November.
To be real with you, I'm done messing around with these people. I don't feel like getting into a shouting match with some doctor just to get what we need. Fighting is exhausting and honestly just a waste of time; I'm not going to beg for care. I'm going where I'm actually welcomed.
I'm just waiting on this test result, then I'll check in once we're up there.
thanks

Kate James38 said:Yeah, yeah, I get it...
for me...
those words came straight from the doctor...
I haven't given up, and I'm not giving up. I printed everything out, handed everything over to the doctor... three different studies... he just said he wasn't interested in that kind of approach, and that was that.
this is more about convincing my brother.. I'll drop a link to a clinic in Linz
that handles screenings; that should be wrapped up in two weeks, while the shipment goes up there tomorrow..
so they should be able to meet up there by early November.
-honestly, I'm done messing around with this, having to practically get into a physical altercation with someone. I'm tired of fighting; it's exhausting and boring. I'm not going to waste energy battling over stuff like this—I'm going where I'm actually welcomed.
I'm waiting on this test result, then I'll check in once we're there.
thanks

Please, tell me—which doctor is this who refuses to respect patient rights and thinks they have the authority to dictate treatment instead of letting the patient decide?

It’s blindingly obvious what’s going on here. There is zero chance that someone working at the Mayo Clinic—someone who actually specialized in cases exactly like this and is probably one of the top two oncologists in the country dealing with rare tumors—is getting it wrong while the folks over at ST are right. It’s just impossible for the exact same diagnosis to be treated differently within the same country under the same healthcare system. I don't think you fully grasped how serious I was being when I suggested heading back to the city... once you start treatment at ST, it becomes a nightmare to pivot. Everything gets bogged down by the system...

I reckon they're from the same generation, too. They won't admit his findings are correct... but honestly, that's beside the point now...
we had to go to Miami because we couldn't afford to wait even one more day for radiation!! There was NO choice in the matter...
-- What does it matter now? Where would we even go?
-- They told us it wouldn't be an issue since the healthcare system is the same all across the country.
-If I have to, I'll show up and knock on their door and wait for hours... they won't just shut me out...

Angela Wright said:Seriously, can you please tell me which doctor thinks they can just ignore patient rights and decide on a course of treatment without even asking the patient first?

Tomislav Omrčen

Kate James38 said:It’s blindingly obvious what’s happening here. There is simply no way that a specialist working at the Mayo Clinic—someone who actually specialized in these exact types of cases and is likely one of the top two oncologists in the country dealing with rare tumors—is getting it wrong while the people at ST are right. It is impossible for the exact same diagnosis within the same country, under the same healthcare system, to be treated in such wildly different ways. I don't think you fully grasped my suggestion about returning to the city, because now that treatment has already started at ST, it’s become incredibly difficult to pull off. The whole thing has become systematically complicated.

I think those two are from the same generation; they won't admit what he wrote... but that's beside the point right now...
we had to go to the hospital in Miami because we couldn't wait another single day for radiation!! There was NO choice in the matter...
-- What does it matter now, where would we even go?
-- They told us there wouldn't be any issues since the healthcare system is the same across the whole country.
-if I have to, I'll show up and knock and wait for hours... they won't just shut their doors on me...

It matters. I would always choose the facility that offers me better medication and, above all, one that doesn't deny my right to make my own decisions regarding my treatment based on reasoned proposals.
And as for this idea that there are no problems and the doors are always open...🤣...to hell with the Association, why did we even bother founding it then?

As for the doctor, that’s exactly what I was thinking—that it's all about him. 🙄

Angela Wright said:It doesn't matter. I’d always choose the facility that offers better medication and, more importantly, one that doesn't deny my right to make my own decisions about my treatment based on solid medical reasoning.
And all that talk about how there are no issues and doors are always open...🤣...to hell with the Association, what was even the point of starting it then?

As for the doctor, I honestly thought that’s what it was all about. 🙄

I know it’s an issue, but since we were already accepted there, we should have the right 😉 to go back, I guess. I know it’s tough, but that’s exactly why we have the Association, and I’m just glad it exists.
-Going back to what I said before, if we hadn't had any choice in the matter, I would've been knocking on every door in every city trying to get a radiation appointment between July 25th and August 29th. When we finally got in with Tomislav Omrčen, I really have to hand it to him... he actually went out of his way for us and lent a hand. The Mayo Clinic was constantly lagging because everyone was basically on vacation in August... 🙂 summer vacation is sacred, I guess 🙂
-Getting the radiation done was the priority. Now we have to think about the next phase, which means actually doing something about it...

Kate James38 said:I realize this is an issue, but since we were already up there, we should have the right 😉 to go back, I suppose. I know it’s tough, which is exactly why we have the Association, and I'm honestly just glad they exist.
-Returning to my point about having zero options—I was basically knocking on every door and driving through every city trying to secure a radiation slot between July 25th and August 29th. We finally got accepted by Tomislav Omrčen, and I really have to tip my hat to him... he personally stepped up and reached out to help us. The facilities in the city kept dragging their feet because everyone seemed to be on vacation in August. 🙂 Vacation is sacred, I guess. 🙂
-The priority was getting the radiation done. Now, we have to focus on the next phase and actually take action.

Forget about the idea of transferring from one hospital to another. It’s an uphill battle, especially when you're dealing with drugs funded directly by the hospital budget—like Temodal in this specific case. As for the radiation in the city, I’m certain that with his diagnosis, my brother could have pushed through if we had stayed the course there.
But it is what it is. You know how I feel about Temodal. Just think everything through carefully.
I actually know Tomislav Omrčen personally, but don't expect him to stick his neck out and take a hit just to fight for a patient. Forget about it. 😳

Lymphoma.
Could someone share some personal experiences regarding people living with lymphoma?
What's the best way to actually be helpful?
😢

Nicole Grant48 said:Lymphoma.
Can anyone share their personal experiences with people living with lymphoma...?
How can I help them?
😢

First off, just be there for them in whatever capacity they need without being a nuisance. Beyond that, I don't have enough to go on. The word "lymphoma" is way too broad; it doesn't give me enough specifics to offer anything more than what you could easily find with a quick Google search.

Hello everyone!
I have some fresh updates from our end. Following the third cycle, we went in for blood work, urinalysis, and a CT scan. The blood and urine results were nothing short of spectacular—the doctors actually remarked that you rarely see someone so healthy even in a standard screening. The only outlier was an elevated sedimentation rate. They brushed it off as perfectly normal, though I’m honestly not convinced, so if anyone here could shed some light on why that might be, I’d truly appreciate it.
As for the CT scan, we are absolutely thrilled; the tumor has shrunk from 133x123x127mm down to 97x97x110mm. The medical team is very pleased with this progress, and naturally, we are even more ecstatic. During the consultation, they simply confirmed that the shrinkage is significant and emphasized that we must push forward with the treatment plan. For now, they are recommending three more rounds, specifically using KT Ifosfamide. And so it goes... a new cycle begins tomorrow. What are your thoughts on all this? I'm particularly interested in hearing from those of you who have more experience with these protocols. Best regards

Kate Brooks2 said:Hey everyone!
So, we've got some fresh updates from our end. After finishing up the 3rd cycle, we went in for bloodwork, urine tests, and a CT scan. The blood and urine results were actually amazing—honestly, the doctors even remarked that it’s rare to see someone even perfectly healthy with stats this clean. The only thing that came back elevated was the sedimentation rate. They brushed it off like it was totally normal, though I don't really get why... if anyone here knows what that means, I'd love an explanation.
As for the CT scan, we are absolutely over the moon—the tumor shrank from 133x123x127mm down to 97x97x110mm. The doctors are really happy with the progress, and obviously, we're even happier. At the multidisciplinary meeting, they just pointed out how much it has shrunk and said we definitely need to keep going with the treatment. For now, they're suggesting three more rounds, specifically using Ifosfamide. So... the next cycle starts tomorrow. What do you all think about this? Especially those of you who know their stuff. Cheers.

I'm so happy for you guys👍👍
this is huge!!!!
just keep doing exactly what you're doing.

Thanks so much for the support, Emily Edwards19 🙂

Kate Brooks2 said:Hi everyone!
Here is an update from our side. After completing the third cycle, we went in for blood work, urine tests, and a CT scan. The blood and urine results were excellent—honestly, the doctors remarked that it’s rare to see someone even in perfect health with such clean numbers. The only outlier was an elevated sedimentation rate. They mentioned that this is perfectly normal under the circumstances, though I’m not entirely sure why, so if anyone could explain that to me, I’d appreciate it.
As for the CT scan, we are absolutely thrilled. The tumor has shrunk from 133x123x127mm down to 97x97x110mm. The doctors are very pleased with the progress, and we are, naturally, even happier. During the consultation, they simply noted that the tumor has significantly decreased in size and advised us to push forward with the current treatment plan. For now, they are recommending three more rounds, specifically using KT Ifosfamide. So... the next cycle starts tomorrow. What are your thoughts on this? I’d especially love to hear from those of you who have experience in this area. Best regards.

Keep up this momentum. You've won a battle, but it's far too early to celebrate the end of the war. 🙂