Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Dear Angela Wright,

Mom had her surgery today. She handled it well, and Dad managed to catch a glimpse of her in the hallway
while they were moving her back to her room so they could say a quick hello. The nurses let him stay in the room with her for just a tiny bit... she was doing okay, totally lucid. The nurse told Dad to come by tomorrow after rounds, and that’s when he can actually sit down and talk to the doctor in charge of "her case."
We all felt such a massive weight lift once the surgery was over; the tension had been killing us (even my little one started kicking around in my womb like crazy)
First off, I want to thank you for everything you've written. I really value how honest you are, and I honestly admire your patience and the empathy you show all of us. I have to admit, I've never looked into these kinds of topics on forums or even tried to research this stuff before. We didn't exactly have "reason" to—to put it bluntly. It’s just that when your whole world suddenly flips upside down like this, you finally start paying attention and becoming aware of these tragic stories. This is the first time cancer has hit our family (not even in my husband's side), so we are being forced, quite suddenly, into the middle of this entire agony involving this disgusting, cursed disease. So, even though we understand Mom's condition, we're trying our best to wrap our heads around all the medical jargon and find any similar stories out there that might give us a shred of hope that things will turn out alright.
When you mentioned "terminal stage" and "palliative care"—believe me, I went straight to Google to see what those terms actually meant. Maybe it sounds silly or ridiculous, but it completely blindsided us. I think we're only just beginning to accept that the disease has progressed so far that there isn't really a cure. That's why, on one hand, I'm actually glad the doctor I spoke to on the phone gave me the realistic version of things (I hope you understand why I say that). I haven't stopped hoping, but still...
By the way, regarding those patches—Dad finally managed to read which ones they are (Matrifen 50mcg). She had two of them a few days ago.
I have a few more questions that might sound a bit naive. I don't really get it—if a patient is in that final stage, how is it possible that they can be perfectly fine one day (lucid, chatty), and then experience a total shift the next? For example, Mom has been her "old self" for two days now, just like she was before she ever stepped foot in the hospital. Dad is very attached to her, and I'm worried he thinks she's getting better (not that I think she's cured, but...) as if everything is under control. How should we handle this with him?
And one more thing... I was reading the previous post... Mom had radiation scheduled for August 2nd, but they pushed it back because of this surgery. Given that she has metastases everywhere, I wonder—won't it be too late for her by the time the radiation actually starts? (Apparently, the plan is to start with physical therapy to get her back on her feet first). What do you think? Should we push the doctors for answers? (Even though I know they don't like people "meddling" in their business.) I just want her to fight, and I want us to fight right alongside her!
Again, I can't provide specific medical records or anything like that since Mom is in the hospital full-time... (Dad just mentioned seeing her chart, and it looks like it's about four pages of tiny print covering her history and diagnosis...)

Thanks so much

Linda Morales66 said:Dear Angela Wright,

Mom had her surgery today, and she handled it well. Dad saw her in the hallway
when they were moving her to her room and they shared a quick moment. The nurses let him stay with her in the room for just a very short time... she was doing okay, totally alert. The nurse told Dad to come back tomorrow after rounds, and then he can talk to the doctor managing "her case."
We all felt such a massive weight lift off our shoulders once the surgery was over; we’ve been so incredibly tense (even my little one was kicking around in my womb).
First off, I want to thank you for every single word you've written here. I truly value it because you stay grounded, and at the same time, I admire your patience and the compassion you show to all of us. I have to admit, I’ve never really looked into these kinds of topics on forums or sought out this kind of information before. We didn't exactly have "reason" to—to put it bluntly. The truth is, it's only when your whole world gets turned upside down that you actually start paying attention and becoming aware of these tragic stories. Especially since this is the first time cancer has hit our family (not even in my husband's side), so we are being forced, quite suddenly, into the middle of this entire agony of this disgusting, cursed disease... so—even though we realize Mom's condition—we are trying our best to wrap our heads around these medical "phrases" and terms, searching for any similar stories that might give us a shred of hope that everything will turn out alright.
When you wrote "terminal stage" and "palliative care"—believe me, I Googled exactly what those meant. Maybe it sounds stupid or whatever (kind of ridiculous?), but it completely blindsided us. I think it's only now that we're all slowly accepting that the disease has spread so much that there really isn't a cure. That's why, on one hand, I'm glad the doctor I spoke with on the phone gave us the reality of the situation (I hope you understand me speaking like this)... I haven't stopped hoping, but still...
By the way, those patches—Dad finally managed to read which ones they are (Matrifen 50p)... she had two of them a few days ago.
I have a few more questions that might sound silly. It isn't clear to me—if a patient is in that final stage—how is it possible for one day they are perfectly fine (alert, talking), and the next day there's a total shift? For instance, Mom has been her "old self" for two days now, just like she was before she ever ended up in the hospital. Dad is very attached to her, and I'm worried he thinks she's getting better (not that I mean she's cured) rather than... well, like everything is under control (I don't know how else to say it). How should we approach him regarding this?
And one more thing... I read the previous post... Mom had radiation scheduled for August 2nd, but they postponed it because of this surgery. Given that she has metastases everywhere, how does it look—won't it be too late for her by the time the first radiation starts? (Apparently, physical therapy is planned first to get her back on her feet). What do you think? Should we push the doctors? (Even though I know they don't like people "meddling" in their business). I just want her to fight, and I want us to fight right alongside her!
Again, I can't provide specific medical records or anything like that because Mom is in the hospital full-time... (Dad just mentioned he saw her file had four pages of tiny print covering her history and diagnosis...)

Thanks so much

It’s hard to say exactly how things will unfold for her, but you can expect anything at this point. Since the tumors are in the liver, as the bilirubin levels rise, her consciousness will likely fluctuate or decline. On the other hand, some people stay lucid until the very end. I honestly don't know which of those two scenarios is the lesser of two evils. Perhaps the worst evil of all was what my own mother went through with her brain tumor—where for a solid year, we couldn't gauge her condition at all because she couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't signal anything to us... maybe that's the absolute worst. I think it's necessary to be calm and honest with Dad; a person has to face it and find a way to accept it. Still, it might be a relief for him that she'll be placed in a facility where he won't have to witness every single detail firsthand, even if he's there by her side. The most important thing is that she isn't in pain, that she stays clean, comfortable, fed, and hydrated, and above all, that she feels loved and knows you are right there with her, making sure everything is okay.
Regarding radiation, in your mother's case—given her overall condition—it would have been palliative, meaning the goal would just be managing symptoms and improving her quality of life. Instead, they opted for surgery to physically remove the source of her discomfort, which is actually the superior move, and honestly, it’s great that she advocated for herself. When we talk about curative radiation, the intent is different: it's meant to actually cure the disease. In this situation, the metastases are sitting right near the primary tumor in the lymph nodes, so moving fast is critical to shrinking that mass and making surgery a viable option.

@Lisa Ward52/">@@Lisa Ward52
It would be the ideal scenario if they could just surgically excise everything at once. From there, you'd follow up with radiation and potentially chemo depending on the stage and severity. Summer is hands down the worst time to get hit with a cancer diagnosis 🙄

Well, I guess we got ahead of ourselves thinking everything was going to be fine..
God, this is just so hard..
Dad called a little while ago (he was talking to the doctor), and they’re discharging her this Friday.
The thing is, she’s in the middle of heavy hallucinations and is totally out of it, right on the edge of being aggressive.😢
She was doing okay yesterday, totally lucid... she was my "old" mom again.
She told Dad to open the window so she could jump out, and she practically chased him out of the room with the language she was using... we know it's the illness talking, but still... it's just so much to take. She's even trying to rip off those patches...

Today was the first time I actually broke down; I woke up sobbing uncontrollably. I dreamed about Mom—specifically, that I was looking at old photos with my daughter (who's 5), and in every single picture, she was smiling and talking to us. It was all those photos from the good times, the little stories we shared... it just completely wrecked me.

And now comes the worst part. Just when I was thinking about telling Dad that maybe it’s best if Mom comes home to her familiar surroundings—since she seemed fine (lucid) earlier—how that damn disease can trick you...🙂 after what happened today, we don't have a choice. Dad is going to start looking into assisted living facilities. My heart is breaking; I feel like it's tearing in every direction because I could never forgive myself for putting her in a facility. Maybe we could help her, you know, make things easier... basically stay by her bedside and watch over her alongside a visiting nurse... but it's just not doable. I'm only realizing that now... and it's so hard to accept.
I'm waiting for Dad to get to our place, and I need to be strong for him, even though I'm falling apart inside. I also have my own hospital appointment tomorrow (waiting on the baby)..

Damn this cancer! I just want to scream.🙂

Angela Wright said:@Lisa Ward52/">@@Lisa Ward52
It would be ideal if you could just go in, have everything surgically removed all at once. Then you’d follow up with radiation and potentially chemo, depending on the stage and severity of the disease. Honestly, summer is the absolute worst time to be hit with a cancer diagnosis. 🙄

We’re headed to a second hospital tomorrow for a second opinion. Honestly, it’s a blessing to have someone in the family working in healthcare; I guess you just can't navigate this system without some inside help. It's a shame it has to be this way. 😢

The issue is this one lymph node that’s proving incredibly difficult to reach. I'm left wondering if they can even successfully remove it—at least, that's what the doctor told my dad during his hospital stay.

Now we’ll see what the other doctor has to say about it.

We probably would have started radiation much sooner if we’d known for certain that surgery was off the table. You can't just jump straight from an operation into radiation therapy.

To be honest, my dad is holding up incredibly well, which makes this whole situation a lot easier for me to handle.

Linda Morales66 said:Well, looks like we got ahead of ourselves thinking everything was fine... turns out we were wrong.
God, I am struggling so much right now...
Dad just called—he was talking to the doctor—and they’re discharging her this Friday.
Look, she’s deep in a heavy hallucination right now—totally out of her mind and right on the edge of becoming aggressive.😢
She was perfectly fine and sharp just yesterday... that's the thing about my old mom.
She told Dad to open the window and jump out. She kicked him right out of the room using such foul language... I know it’s the illness talking, but still... it’s just so incredibly hard on all of us. Now she's even trying to rip off her bandages.

Today was the first time I truly broke. I woke up sobbing uncontrollably. I had this dream about my mom—we were sitting there with my five-year-old daughter, just flipping through old photos. In every single picture, she’s smiling at us, and she keeps talking about all those beautiful moments and little inside jokes we used to share. It just completely overwhelmed me.

And now comes the absolute worst part. I was just sitting here thinking about telling Dad that it would be better if Mom actually came home—to be back in her own familiar surroundings where she feels safe. She seemed okay, almost herself, for a moment... but that’s exactly how this damn disease tricks you. It gives you a glimmer of hope just to pull the rug out from under you.🙂 So, after everything that happened today—it's basically a done deal. Dad is heading out to finalize her placement in an assisted living facility. Honestly, my heart is just breaking; I feel like I’m being torn apart because I know I’d never forgive myself if we just handed her over to a nursing home. Part of me keeps thinking maybe there’s another way, maybe we could actually help her—you know, make things easier by staying right by her bedside and watching over her while the home health aides come in and out. But it’s just not realistic, and it's only hitting me now. It’s incredibly hard to come to terms with this.
I’m just sitting here waiting for my dad to get home, trying my best to stay strong for him while I'm absolutely falling apart physically. It's tough. On top of that, I’ve got my own hospital appointment tomorrow—we’re expecting a baby, so things are pretty intense right now.

Damn cancer! It makes me want to scream. 🙂

Look, even if she’s as sweet as freshly baked bread, based on what you've told me, her dad is simply not equipped to care for someone that sick. I remember being home taking care of my mom when I was young and full of energy; now I'm 35 and my body is paying the price. My spine, my shoulder, and my hands are absolutely shot. You have to lift them, turn them, change them, wash them... a 150-pound person becomes like a heavy sack of flour once they're completely limp. I still get a knot in my stomach remembering one time she fell; I could barely get her back onto the couch. I actually had to drop down onto the floor myself just to roll her over and leverage her up against me, then struggle through that awkward transition from a squat to standing just to get her settled on the edge of the sofa. It’s a brutal, soul-crushing kind of work.
If she’s out of her mind, it won't matter one bit that she isn't home. On the flip side, I'm pretty certain her dad is going to be glued to her side most of the time anyway.
I am incredibly sorry you’re having to deal with all of this while you're pregnant. But please, try to wrap your head around one thing: as much as you love your parents, they are their own people with their own lives. You have your own children to think about now, and that has to be your priority. Please, just try to stay focused on that—you don't want this stress to mess with the baby or turn an already bad situation into something even worse.

Lisa Ward52 said:We’re headed to a second hospital tomorrow to get a second opinion. Honestly, it’s such a relief having someone in the family who works in healthcare; you can't just wander into these situations blindly without some guidance. It’s a tough reality. 😢

The main issue is this one lymph node that’s proving really difficult to reach. According to the specialist my dad saw during his hospital stay, there’s a question of whether they can actually get it out.

Now we just have to wait and see what the second doctor's take is.

We would have opted for radiation much sooner if we had been 100% certain surgery was off the table, since you can't go straight into radiation immediately following an operation.

On the bright side, my dad is holding up incredibly well, which makes this whole ordeal a lot easier for me to handle.

All I can say is I'm rooting for everything to go perfectly and for them to be able to remove something via surgery after all. If that happens, he'll be in a great spot, because the timing for radiation would line up perfectly right after the procedure.

Lisa Ross81 said:Hi everyone.

How exactly do they detect lung metastases? Which test is actually the "most reliable"? What should we even do?

Because we've been spinning our wheels for months now—we feel like we're back at square one, repeating tests we've already done over and over.

My mom had breast cancer surgery over two years ago (radical mastectomy, chemo, radiation).
Regular checkups—everything seemed fine.
Her lung scans look okay, but a family friend who happens to be a doctor noticed an irregularity in the images and sent us for more testing.
In the meantime, at his suggestion, she was tested for tuberculosis (since she had this killer cough for a while, though she didn't have a fever, so her primary care physician just suggested tea, honey, and lemon)—bloodwork suggests TB, but the sputum sample doesn't confirm it.
PET/CT—they keep insisting there's no better way to find metastatic clusters in the body; that it's extremely accurate and we'll finally have answers.
The conclusion? Increased glucose metabolism which could suggest secondary growths—but it could also mean a million other things—and they mentioned a possible scar. Basically, the results are just a massive pile of question marks; there’s no definitive confirmation.
Tumor markers, mammogram, biopsy—all normal. Her oncologist keeps repeating that since the markers aren't spiking, we're fine.
And then, we go in for a bronchoscopy because apparently that's the most reliable way to get a sample and finally know for sure.
And once again, we know nothing. Just another conclusion full of question marks, while the oncologist repeats that the markers are stable—WTF?
Basically, he can't prescribe further treatment because nothing is set in stone yet. Okay, but what are we supposed to do???
So we're right back where we started; Mom is going in for another PET/CT tomorrow!
Every single time, they promise us this will be the final word, and it's taking a massive psychological toll on her—she's just exhausted by it all.

Thanks for any input you can give!

Just quoting my own post here—the previous PET/CT showed existing clusters, but no new ones (is it even possible for them to disappear if she hasn't been treated or taken anything for it?)
The oncologist isn't available until August 20th, so we won't see him until then. Though, I suspect he still won't want to authorize any further treatment.

Anyway, I wanted to ask if anyone has experience with Dr. Myko san - Mushroom Health ( )
Ever since this illness started, I've been hearing about mushrooms—could they help, or perhaps just cause more harm?

Lisa Ross81 said:just quoting myself here—the new spots on the follow-up PET/CT are still there, but no new ones have popped up (is it actually possible for them to just vanish if nothing was treated or used specifically for that...)
the oncologist isn't available until August 20th, so we won't be seen until then. though, I honestly don't think they'll want to prescribe any further treatment anyway.

Anyway, I wanted to ask if anyone has experience with Myko san - Mushroom Health ( )
Ever since this diagnosis, I've been hearing about mushrooms. Can they actually help, or are they just a distraction?

Anything is possible. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; just wait until you hear what the doctor has to say regarding next steps.

As for Myko Sana, sure, there are published studies and evidence regarding efficacy, but frankly, most of that is just massive marketing fluff on their end. They are essentially trying to price themselves high enough to fund the purchase of incredibly sophisticated cytostatics and smart drugs—medications that undergo far more expensive and exhaustive research before ever reaching clinical application. Given the prices they're asking, there really isn't any justification for it.
The core foundation of those mushrooms is beta-glucan, which you can get in much cheaper encapsulated forms.

Linda Morales66 said:Look, we got ahead of ourselves thinking everything was going to be okay...
God, this is so hard..
Dad just called (he was talking to the doctor) and they’re discharging her on Friday.
But she’s having severe hallucinations, totally out of it, and right on the edge of being aggressive.😢
Just yesterday she seemed fine, lucid... my "old" mom.
She told Dad to open the window so she could jump out, and she yelled him out of the room with such harsh words... we know it's the illness talking, but still... it hurts so much... she's even trying to rip those patches off...

Today was the first time I truly broke down; I woke up sobbing uncontrollably.. I dreamed about Mom—about me and my daughter (who's 5) looking at photos of her, and in every single one, she's smiling and talking to us, all those beautiful moments and little stories we shared... it just completely crushed me..

And now comes the worst part. Just when I was thinking about telling Dad that maybe it's best if Mom comes home to her familiar surroundings since she seemed fine (lucid)... how that damn disease tricked me🙂 — after today, we don't have a choice... Dad is going to look into assisted living... my heart is breaking, just shattering, because I could never forgive myself for putting her in a facility—but maybe we can help her, make things easier... by staying by her bed and watching over her once the home health aide arrives... but it's just not feasible, I'm only realizing that now... and it's so hard to accept..
I'm waiting for Dad to get to our place, and I have to stay strong for him, even though I'm falling apart inside... I also have my own hospital appointment tomorrow (waiting on the baby)..

Damn cancer! Sometimes I just want to scream.🙂

Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. I'm going through all of this with my mother too, except she is still herself, though sometimes she gets so worked up that I have to run out of her room. I know how much she's hurting; I massage her legs because they go numb when she lies down—it could be from the medication (Tramal, Zaldiar), or maybe the tumor is pressing on a nerve or a vein. My heart breaks too, because she is a part of me (we've been together for over 50 years; she raised me as a single mom). She built me, and she is my entire world—aside from her, I have no family left (I have a few relatives, but I haven't seen them more than a handful of times in my life, and everyone else is gone...). The only thing that helps a bit is when I take four Normabels; it eases the ache in my heart slightly, but I can't get more than one box a month, which isn't enough. I'll need to see a psychiatrist, but I just don't have the time.... Anyway, I wanted to say that I will never, under any circumstances, give my mother up to a nursing home. I simply couldn't live with it—I won't be able to sleep. I'm going to care for her until the end, unless I pass away first.🤷

Angela Wright said:Anything is possible—but I guess we shouldn't jump to conclusions. It might be better to wait and see what the doctor suggests regarding the next steps for treatment.

Regarding Myko Sana—well, there are some published studies and evidence suggesting it works, but honestly? It feels like they’re mostly just price gouging at this point. They're looking to pull in enough cash to fund some incredibly sophisticated cytostatics and smart drugs—the kind that undergo much more expensive, massive clinical trials before they ever hit the market—so the price they're asking doesn't really seem justified.
The foundation of those mushrooms is beta-glucan, which you can find in much cheaper encapsulated versions.

I get it—price gouging was also the reason I didn't buy that scarf I wanted for Mom during her chemo (at Quincy $93). :O
Basically, my Dad was the one who brought up these mushrooms; he says they come highly recommended. We faxed over all the lab results, and tomorrow we finally get the proposed therapy plan and the cost.
And honestly, I just don't have the strength to turn it down by using the excuse—"let's wait for the doctor"—because, well, I've been saying that for eight months now.
He was also pretty blunt about it... unless the markers are spiking, he doesn't think there's anything definitive to worry about.
But it's just so hard to ignore those bad test results and just sit there waiting for things to get worse—just so the oncologist will actually react—while we do nothing in the meantime.

Does anyone know of any good supplements for digestion? My dad hasn't really eaten much for months now—maybe because he isn't moving around as much—and his gut pain is just constant and brutal.
He’s dealing with these intense cramps, but he can actually go to the bathroom, so we aren't looking for a laxative to empty him out... we just need something to help relax those muscles.

Chloe Gray5 said:Does anyone know of any supplements or meds for digestion? My dad hasn't been able to eat for months, and maybe because he isn't moving much, his gut is in constant, agonizing pain.
He’s dealing with intense cramping, but since he actually can go to the bathroom, we aren't looking for a laxative—we need something to relax the intestinal muscles instead..

Spasmex or Buscol-na, rectal suppository.

vividsailor7 said:Spasmex, Buscol-na rp.

Thanks!

Austin Moore said:It’s awful. Truly devastating. I’m going through all of this with my mom right now, though she’s still lucid—it just gets so overwhelming sometimes that I actually have to walk out of her room just to catch my breath. It breaks my heart. I try to massage her legs because they go numb when she lies down, which could be from the medication (Tramal, Zaldiar) or maybe the tumor pressing on a nerve or a vein. She is my entire world; we’ve been inseparable for over 50 years, and since she raised me as a single mother, she is everything to me. Aside from a few relatives I barely know, there isn't anyone else left in my life... everything else just fell away. The only thing that helps even slightly is taking four Normabel, which dulls the ache in my chest a little, but I can only get one box a month, which isn't enough. I really should see a psychiatrist, but I just don't have the time... Anyway, what I meant to say is that I won't put my mother in a nursing home under any circumstances. I simply couldn't live with myself. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night; I intend to care for her until the very end, provided I don't pass away first.🤷

Unfortunately, we don't have a choice but to move her into a facility. We found a private one, and the costs are 🙂, but we just can't do anything else. It’s gut-wrenching. My dad is there alone with her (we're in a different city), and he’s already struggling with high blood pressure and heart issues... I don't think having a visiting nurse come by occasionally would be enough. She needs around-the-clock, 24/7 care.😢
Today, my dad ended up back in the hospital. She’s having severe hallucinations; she even tried to rip the stitches out of her leg. She kept telling him to take down the bed rails and open the window so she could wait for him in the car while she climbed out the window... seeing that is enough to make a man break down, and that’s just one small part of it. A few days ago, she was fine, totally present, and then suddenly this happens. It’ll likely keep coming in waves.
Dad was born in '39, so he just can't handle this. It's hard for him to witness, and even harder for him to accept. He's just weeping from the grief.
Now he's terrified—what if things go wrong when they transport her directly to the facility instead of home? Because in her mind, everything is fine and she's just going home. Again, this is a private facility, it's expensive, and I pray they don't turn her away. If they reject her because of her condition, I don't even want to think about how bad things could get.
We've played out every possible scenario in our heads a hundred times, and there is no other way out unless we're missing something obvious. I honestly don't know anymore.
How is your mother doing? Sending you so many hugs...

Checking in briefly. We went to get a second opinion, and honestly, it’s a relief. They told us things aren't quite as bleak as what we heard at the first hospital. Surgery is definitely an option. They'll be running more tests tomorrow and the day after, and if God wills it, the next step will be the surgery itself. If that happens, the radiation schedule should work out fine for us.
I wish everyone else here nothing but strength and the best of luck in their fight!

Lisa Ward52 said:I'm checking back in briefly. We went out to get a second opinion, and honestly, it was a relief. They told us things aren't nearly as bleak as what the other hospital had suggested. Surgery is actually an option. Over the next couple of days, they'll run more tests, and if God wills it, we'll move straight to the operation. If that happens, the radiation schedule works perfectly for us.
Wishing everyone else tons of luck and strength as you keep fighting!

Thank God for that second opinion!🙏

Angela Wright said:Anything is possible, I suppose. But let's try not to jump to conclusions—it might be better to just wait and see what the doctor suggests regarding the next steps in treatment.

Regarding Myko Sana—look, there are some published studies out there regarding efficacy, but honestly, I feel like they're mostly just grasping at straws. They’re essentially trying to fund the purchase of highly sophisticated cytostatics and smart drugs—treatments that undergo much more expensive, exhaustive research before ever hitting clinical use—so the price tag they're asking for doesn't really seem justified.
The foundation of those mushrooms is beta-glucan, which you can find in much more affordable encapsulated versions.

Angela Wright, do you have any recommendations for a more budget-friendly beta-glucan? I think I'll start with that first while I decide on the mushrooms—the price totally shocked us, so it's going to take some time to scrape the money together.
I'm heading to my parents' place this Saturday to check the results. Honestly, trying to interpret their reading of things is exhausting... the latest word is that there are indeed new growths, and the old ones have increased in size. In short—the PET/CT scan looks worse than the one performed back in March.

Lisa Ross81 said:Angela Wright, can you recommend a cheaper beta-glucan? I want to start with that before committing to the mushroom extracts. The price of the mushrooms absolutely floored us, so it's going to take some time to scrape the cash together.
I’m heading out to my parents' place this Saturday to check their test results. Honestly, listening to them try to interpret medical jargon is exhausting. The latest word is that there are new growths, and the old ones have expanded. Basically, this PET/CT scan looks worse than the one they had back in March.

You can pick it up at any local pharmacy, though prices fluctuate—usually around $500 per$267 bottle, and I think the concentration varies too. Personally, I wouldn't even bother with Myko san; you might end up dropping a ton of money on it only to find out nobody can stand the taste. Online marketplaces are crawling with desperate people trying to offload those doses just to get a little bit of their money back.

Regarding beta-glucan—we usually order my mom's from the US. I stick with Solgar because they seem legit. We get 60 capsules delivered for about $20, whereas here it's closer to $83 if I recall correctly.

That said, when you're buying stuff online, you really have to watch your back. There are plenty of scammers out there trying to sell junk.

We’ve had some bad luck ordering similar supplements for other health issues in the past, unfortunately.

Around here, prices start at $83 depending on which brand you pick, the concentration, and how much you're getting.

Susan Gonzalez22 said:Regarding beta-glucan—we actually order my mom's supply straight from the USA. I stick with Solgar because they seem reliable enough. We usually pay about $20 for a 60-capsule bottle including shipping, whereas here in the States it would be closer to $83 if I recall correctly.

That said, when you're buying stuff online, you really have to watch your back regarding who you're buying from and what exactly is in the bottle; there are plenty of scammers out there.

Unfortunately, we've had our fair share of experience ordering similar things for other health issues.

Around here, prices start at $83 and go up depending on the manufacturer, the concentration, and the quantity.

I honestly don't get how you manage to get that stuff. As far as I know, it's impossible to legally import any kind of medication or supplement from the USA unless it's already registered here in America.

Angela Wright said:Thank God for a second opinion!🙏

Man, I honestly don't even know what to say. At the first hospital, they told us the attending physician decided against surgery. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to catch the attending myself; I only spoke with a resident who can tell me whether the procedure will happen or not, but I just couldn't wrap my head around the logic of the whole situation. That said, I’m actually quite happy with that department. The resident wanted to check in with me constantly, and he would always stop by to talk to my dad before rounds. They let me stay with my dad whenever I needed to, and the nurses were incredibly accessible and kind. The attending is highly respected here in the States.
I still don't grasp the logic behind choosing radiation over surgery. I guess I just don't see the point.
Look, I’m no doctor, and I have no business meddling in their professional field, but you should at least do some digging. You need to ask questions and actually read up on things.

At the other hospital, they told me they can't wrap their heads around why surgery wouldn't be the obvious move here. And the doctor there? He’s highly regarded.
He actually went so far as to tell me everything was fine—as if having cancer isn't a massive problem—but he claimed things weren't nearly as bleak as that first hospital made them out to be.

Look, I have two different opinions from two highly qualified doctors. So, maybe try being a little more sensible. 🙂

I’m leaning more towards that surgery—you know, the one to remove the section that metastasized to the lymph nodes. I guess we’re probably going to go with that option after all.