Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Laura Morris16 said:I was wondering if anyone here knows which vitamins are actually best for boosting immunity after an operation like this. He really needs to get his strength up before he can start radiation therapy.
....
Once he’s recovered enough, Dad will have to go for radiation at a hospital in Washington, D.C., so I'm curious if patients like him are entitled to ambulance transport, or if they’re stuck driving themselves into the city every single day from out of town?

At the MD Anderson Cancer Center, they told my mom she’s actually entitled to ambulance transport for her chemo sessions! I’m just not totally sure what the exact procedure is, or if someone—maybe Dad’s oncologist or even his primary care doctor?—needs to sign off on a recommendation first? Maybe some of the ladies over at the Non-profit organization might know how that works...
When it comes to vitamins or supplements, there's honestly a massive amount of stuff out there. Everything from Beta-glucan to Native Propolis (you can find both at most pharmacies)... then you've got Noni, Aloa... and that Imunomax you mentioned...
My mom started out with Beta-glucan and then moved on to BioBran and Green Magma Pro (which you can usually find in health food stores or maybe certain herbal apothecaries). Apparently, you can take BioBran indefinitely, and honestly, I think it really helped her push through her treatments more easily. Her blood work definitely improved... and if you ask me, I'm pretty convinced it was because of those supplements. I mean, I don't think anything could hurt, even though I doubt any of the doctors are going to officially recommend taking extra supplements...

shadowmason6 said:At MD Anderson Cancer Center, they told my mom she’s actually entitled to ambulance transport for her chemo sessions! I’m honestly not sure what the exact process is—like, does someone (maybe Dad's oncologist or his primary care doctor?) need to sign off on a referral first? Maybe some folks from the Non-profit organization would know?
When it comes to vitamins or supplements, there's a ton of stuff out there. Everything from Beta-glucan to Native Propolis (you can find both at most pharmacies)... Noni, Aloa... and that Imunomax you mentioned...
My mom started on Beta-glucan and then moved on to BioBran and Green Magma Pro (which you can usually find in health food stores or specialty herbal shops). Apparently, you can take BioBran indefinitely, and I really think it helped her get through her treatments more easily. Her blood work definitely improved... and honestly, I'm convinced it was because of the supplements. I don't think anything can hurt, even though I doubt any doctor is going to officially recommend taking extra supplements.

Thanks for the reply! I’ll check in with his primary doctor about the transport situation.
Though, chemo is one thing, and radiation is another. Chemo is just once a week... but with radiation, you have to go every single day, and the actual treatment only lasts about two minutes... or so I've heard, since I'm still pretty new to all this.
I already ordered some vitamins from Germany—specifically Orthomol Flavon m, since those are designed specifically for prostate cancer—but I can pick up the other stuff locally here.

Thanks so much!

Lisa Mendoza said:Hello everyone. My wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer (small cell carcinoma of the ovaries) 15 months ago. She’s already gone through two surgeries and 13 rounds of chemotherapy. However, an ultrasound three days ago showed that her lymph nodes have enlarged again. It hasn't even been three months since her last chemo session, and it's been nine months since her second surgery. Now, she's facing another surgery and likely more chemo. Has anyone here navigated this specific path before? I'm wondering what kind of chemo protocols (which drugs) were used, and if there are any supplements that actually helped? Also, did anyone receive radiation therapy alongside their chemo? Thanks in advance.

There is a dedicated ovarian cancer thread over at the Association for a New Day forum here:
What stage is the cancer? For context, my mother went through 9 cycles of Taxol followed by 6 cycles of Velcade (oral chemotherapy). She didn't undergo radiation.
It is also vital that your wife incorporates immune supporters like: native propolis, BioBran, Broccoli extract, and Immunomax. Additionally, if she hasn't already, it is absolutely essential to overhaul her diet—cutting out sugar and red meat entirely, as those are essentially fuel for the tumor.

Lisa Mendoza said:Hi everyone! My husband was diagnosed with ovarian cancer (small cell carcinoma) 15 months ago. He’s already gone through two surgeries and 13 rounds of chemo. Just three days ago, an ultrasound showed enlarged lymph nodes again. It hasn't even been three months since his last chemo session, and it's been nine months since his second surgery. Now they’re looking at more surgery and likely more chemo. Has anyone else navigated this? What kind of chemo protocol or specific drugs did you receive? Also, are there any supplements you found helpful? And did anyone combine radiation with their chemo? Thanks so much!

I dealt with ovarian cancer too, though a different type (epithelial, serous), so the treatment plans and chemo types vary quite a bit. I ended up needing two surgeries because of swollen lymph nodes, and my last round of chemo (which was about five years ago) was just Taxol once a week. For me, combining that with surgery was the winning formula!
Since small cell carcinoma is such a rare and aggressive type in younger women, the fact that they’re moving forward with surgery is actually a good sign—it suggests it hasn't spread too far. I truly believe that with surgery, chemo, and the right radiation, the outcome can be great. Don't lose hope! I actually found this case study about a woman who couldn't handle chemo at all due to health issues but ended up being cured just through radiation (ten years later!).http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19051830
Like many others, I made some dietary shifts... I cut out meat and dairy and really cut back on sweets. I take Broccoli extract regularly—6 capsules a day—and try to drink at least 1.5 liters of water or unsweetened tea (something I never used to do). I also took things like Noni, Aloa, and Immunomax every now and then...
Hang in there, stay strong!👍

My sincere thanks to everyone, and please forgive me—mistyping mistyridge5 was a complete slip of the finger on my part.

Al, oh, don't worry about it at all—I was actually thinking 😉

Please, feel free to ask if there’s anything else you might want to know.
Best wishes to you both 👍

Laura Morris16 said:Once he’s recovered, my dad will need to go to a hospital in Washington, D.C. for radiation treatments—so I was wondering, do patients like him actually have the right to be transported by an ambulance, or are they just expected to drive themselves into the city from out of town every single day?

I’m totally new to all of this, so I'm just trying to figure things out.

Thanks!
Best regards

When my mom went in for her radiation (she went to the MD Anderson Cancer Center), people from the surrounding areas were being picked up by medical transport too 😉
maybe check in with the primary care doctor about the specific protocol, but they really should be able to provide transport

oh, and the actual radiation session only takes about 2-3 minutes 🙂...

We’re heading out tomorrow (well, Mom is) for some heart and lung X-rays, and she was scheduled at the MD Anderson Cancer Center for a CT scan this Wednesday... but then they called this morning to say the machine is broken. Poor Mom was such a nervous wreck 😢...
apparently it’s some major malfunction, and they aren't even sure when it'll be fixed
after that, I started scouring through all the private clinics in Washington, D.C. that I could think of to see if any had a CT scanner available. The first one we found was the Nemetova clinic. They said she could come in as early as Thursday, and she can use her insurance referral
I honestly thought we’d be waiting forever if we used the referral, or that we’d just have to pay out of pocket
anyway, it turned out great 🙂...

Maria Fox said:When my mom went in for radiation (over at the MD Anderson Cancer Center), people from the neighborhood used to drop by too, and medical transport would drive them 😉
You should ask his primary care doctor about the protocol, but they should be able to provide transport.

I'll look into it...

Oh, and just so you know, the actual radiation session only lasts about 2-3 minutes 🙂

I know... but it drags on way longer because of all the waiting in line.
It’s not even hard for me to drive him those 62 miles every day, but I just can't... I work 12-hour shifts... so afternoons are out for me... and there's nobody else to step in.
Anyway, if I may vent... my dad refuses to take any vitamins unless his doctor specifically prescribes them... he won't let me try to help him stay strong...
He has a urinary tract infection... he's on two antibiotics, but he won't even touch cranberry juice, which would really help clear things out... he won't do it because "the doctor didn't say so"... I even bought him compression stockings because he dealt with a blood clot... he won't even try them... claims they're too tight and aren't his size... but the sizing follows shoe sizes, and I actually bought a size up because I could see they were snug, just so they wouldn't squeeze him too hard.
He's so stubborn, I feel like I'm hitting a brick wall with him... I'm just scared he's going to get even weaker... and he still has radiation ahead of him.
It's tough on me 🙂

We're heading out tomorrow (well, Mom is) for chest and heart X-rays, and she was scheduled for a CT at the MD Anderson Cancer Center this Wednesday, but they called this morning to say the machine is down. Poor Mom was a total wreck 😢
Apparently, it's a major breakdown, so they don't even know when it'll be fixed.
After that, I started looking up every possible clinic in Washington, D.C. that might have a CT scanner. The first one we found was over on Nemetova. They said she could come in as early as Thursday, and she can use her insurance.
I honestly thought we'd be waiting forever if we used insurance, or that we'd have to pay out of pocket.
Either way, it worked out great.🙂

We have access to all the imaging, CTs and MRIs, right here. He actually went to a private facility once to get things sorted quickly so he could move forward with surgery.
Best,

How did this message turn out? 🙂
Sorry, you'll get what I was trying to say.

Laura Morris16 said:It’s not that driving him those 62 miles every day is hard for me—really, it isn't—but I just can't... because I'm working 12-hour shifts... so afternoons are completely out of the question... and there's honestly nobody else to step in besides me.
Anyway, if I can vent for a second... my dad is totally refusing to take any kind of vitamins just because his doctor didn't specifically prescribe them... it breaks my heart because I just want to help him stay strong...
He has a bacterial infection in his urine... he's taking two different antibiotics, but he won't even touch cranberry tea, which he really needs to help clear his urinary tract... but no, he won't... because the doctor didn't order it.... I even bought him compression stockings since he dealt with a blood clot... and he won't even try them... claims they're too tight and aren't his size... but the sizing is based on shoe size... and I actually bought a larger size because I could see they were small and didn't want them squeezing him too much.
He's just so stubborn, and I feel like I'm hitting a brick wall with him... I'm just so scared he's going to get even weaker... especially with radiation coming up.
It's just so hard

All the scans—CT, MRI—we have access to everything here. He even went to a private clinic at the Mayo Clinic once just to speed things up so he could get to surgery sooner.
Best,

I hear what you're saying 🙂

Please, don't beat yourself up about not being able to drive him. No one expects you to quit your job just to be a full-time caregiver, and from what I've seen, medical transport services are pretty reliable. They usually gather a whole crew and make a bit of a social thing out of it anyway.

As for the rest of it... maybe try convincing him to take the supplements. Try explaining that doctors rarely prescribe vitamins because they just assume people will take them on their own—they focus on the "heavy-duty" stuff.
Maybe sneak the cranberry tea in as just "regular tea," but honestly, I'm stumped on the stockings... I really don't have a good idea for how to talk him into wearing them.🤷

I really hope he softens up a bit. Hang in there.🙂

stormymaker24 said:Unfortunately, it looks like I’ll be joining your ranks. I recently started a thread here about my nephew dealing with rhabdomyosarcoma, which was already a massive shock for the whole family.
And today, my mom (51) told me she has breast cancer. We didn't even get a chance to really talk about how bad it is; I had to head out (I live in Washington, D.C., not with them), and she’s feeling under the weather with a cold. As it turns out, she’s known about the cancer for a while now (one day she called me all determined, saying she was taking me to a private clinic for an exam regarding my endometriosis issues that won't quit, and it only just hit me that she likely called me the same day she found out, or maybe a few days later) but she didn't tell me—not because she wanted to, but simply because of my exams.
I don't know all the details; she hasn't told my sister yet, so we only spoke briefly and quietly. All I know is that it’s stage two and likely showed up about a year ago. Her breast is visibly deformed from the tumor, and for a year, they were just treating her eyes thinking that was the issue, and the doctor was incredibly hesitant to even give her a referral for an ultrasound and biopsy. 😠
She’s going in for surgery this Friday—they’re going to perform a mastectomy—and then it’ll be chemotherapy, radiation, and whatever else is necessary. She’s heading to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, and she’s actually quite satisfied with the care and treatment they’re providing so far. According to her, there are no metastases, which is, honestly, the one silver lining in this whole mess.

Right now, I can't tell if I'm angry at her for not telling me sooner, for not getting the biopsy earlier, for not pushing her to go sooner, for her doctor being so incompetent, or for just not knowing enough about the subject to have said anything useful.
I’m oscillating between crying, being optimistic, making plans, and feeling completely lost... honestly, I have no idea where to turn. Coming here felt like it might make sense, so I reached out. I've read some stories here from people who went through the exact same thing, but I don't really have the strength to read them properly right now.
I'm holding onto the hope that breast cancer is cured more often than it is fatal.

And thank you, Angela Wright, for the recommendation for that book three pages back—I think that’ll be the first thing I buy for her.
In the meantime, I have a few questions: what happens after the surgery? How long will she be in the hospital? What’s the best way I can support her? What should I expect? Anything at all...

Thanks, everyone.

Look, the fact that she didn't tell you is actually a sign of how strong, decisive, and faithful she is. She sees this as a problem she has to tackle and resolve herself. And truthfully, her not telling you immediately wouldn't have changed the outcome much. She would have gone in for the surgery and therapy regardless, and she would have had your full support either way.
It’s going to be okay.
If I were you, I’d suggest she talk to her doctors about the possibility of a new tumor developing in the other breast down the road. It happens more often than you'd think, and many women choose to opt for a bilateral mastectomy right away. It sounds extreme, but it saves you the mental anguish. Take Kristina Appelgata (Kelly Bundy) as an example; she made that choice because living with the constant stress of "what if" was too much to bear. Thankfully, reconstructive surgery has come such a long way. I actually watched a documentary once about a group of women in the UK dealing with breast cancer diagnoses. They followed several women's journeys from amputation through reconstruction. They even used advanced techniques to create new nipples, and some even went to tattoo artists to get realistic pigmentation so they looked natural. It looked so seamless that only someone who knew would ever realize.

Look, honey, if you want real results, it’s all about overhaul—you need to completely revamp your lifestyle and what you're putting on your plate. Everything you need to know to make those changes is laid out right there in the book.😉

I’m noticing quite a few of you younger ladies here have dealt with ovarian cancer, which... honestly, it really caught me off guard and left me feeling pretty shaken. I was wondering, if you don't mind sharing, what kind of symptoms were you experiencing? And did you manage to catch it in the early stages? Also, what specific tests or screenings did you end up going through to get a diagnosis?

Sending so much luck to everyone currently in treatment—I truly believe you all have the strength to get through this.

Maria Fox said:I totally get what you were saying🙂

Don't even stress about not being his driver. Nobody expects you to quit your job just to play chauffeur, and from what I can see, the ambulance services are doing just fine. Usually, the whole crew just gets together and hangs out anyway.

As for everything else... maybe try convincing him to take them. Tell him doctors don't usually prescribe vitamins because they assume people just grab them on their own—doctors are there for the "heavy-duty" stuff.
Try slipping the uviti h in like it's just regular tea. As for the socks, I'm honestly stumped; I have no clue how to talk him into wearing those. 🤷

Hope things ease up a bit for you. Hang in there! 🙂

We'll see... I'll try to sort out the ambulance situation so he can get rides.
I still have two months to figure it all out.
Regarding the vitamins and supplements... I don't think it's going to happen. He’s relatively young at 66. He’s smart and knows what's going on, but when it comes to this stuff, he won't budge. He thinks vitamins will mess with his actual meds, but he'll take the uviti h tea since he's on antibiotics for a bacteria... and I just can't get through to him. We got into such a fight yesterday that I actually ended up in tears. I don't live with him, so I didn't even go see him today... I just called my mom to check in on him.
Once things settle down a little, I'll try again, but I really don't think it'll work... he's stubborn as a mule. 🙂

mistyjackal842 said:I noticed quite a few of you younger women have dealt with ovarian cancer, which really caught me off guard and honestly shocked me. I'm curious—what kind of symptoms did you experience, and was it caught in the early stages? What specific tests did you undergo to get a diagnosis?

Wishing everyone the best of luck with their treatment and sending you all so much strength; I know how much you have inside you.

I had this intense pressure on my bladder. I went to my gynecologist, and she just tells me, "You have a large tumor; it looks like you're four months pregnant. Come back for a follow-up in three months. Goodbye." And I'm just standing there like—😲 😲 😲 😲 😕 So, I went to get my CA-125 (tumor marker) checked, and the result was 958, when the normal limit is 35. I went to see an oncologist, and he actually called my gynecologist personally at home to demand an emergency surgery appointment ("Three months? Are you kidding me, lady? This girl needs to be in the hospital immediately!"). Five days later, I was in surgery. The tumor was the size of a baby's head and had already metastasized, so it definitely wasn't an early stage. In most cases, the abdomen swells up from this, but mine grew toward the back, so I barely had any symptoms... aside from that CA-125 level. I also had a color Doppler and an ultrasound. That’s my story.

Three weeks ago, I underwent surgery to remove a benign breast tumor. Today, my pathology results finally arrived, but they're incredibly cryptic—just two codes listed: D24 and N60. I already know that D24 refers to a benign tumor, but does anyone here actually know what N60 signifies?

vividranger46, this is what Google pulled up for me

# N60 Benign (non-cancerous) breast dysplasia

* N60.0 Solitary breast cyst
* N60.0 Inflammatory breast disorders
* N60.1 Diffuse cystic mastopathy
* N60.2 Fibroadenoma of the breast
* N60.3 Fibrosclerotic breast changes
* N60.4 Ectasia (dilation) of the mammary duct
* N60.8 Other benign breast dysplasias
* N60.9 Benign breast dysplasia, unspecified

I’ve been diagnosed with bronchial cancer, and I just got home after finishing my seventh week at the hospital and completing my first round of chemo. I’ll be heading back to the Mayo Clinic in two weeks to continue everything. Honestly, I'm feeling incredibly weak right now, so I was wondering if anyone could share what they take to help boost their immune system? I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Dear Luna, I am truly sorry to read such news, but please know that all is not lost. I hope that, despite feeling physically depleted from the scans and the chemo, your spirit remains resilient and determined—because having that mental strength is already half the battle won. I also hope you have your family by your side. If it fits within your budget, consider picking up some beta-glucan 500 mg (it runs about $223 for a box of 60 tablets). For the first month, take two a day, and then just see how you feel. Additionally, in my opinion, beet juice is vital—you can find pre-made versions, and there are some great ones out there. Many people on these forums swear by Imunnomax—apparently, it’s incredibly effective—but it is prohibitively expensive (a monthly supply would run you roughly $1833).
Still, spring is just around the corner. Make sure you keep fresh fruits and vegetables on your menu as much as possible, along with homemade soups. Keep your chin up!

Just went through my mom's discharge papers from March 2nd, 2009. To give some context: she was discharged on January 8th, 2009, with a diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease, CD34+ cell collection. From February 9th to February 27th, 2009, she was in the ICU for an autologous peripheral stem cell transplant. After the BEAM chemotherapy conditioning regimen—which included Carmustine (477 mg in 500 ml IV on day 6), Etoposide (318 mg in 250 ml IV from days 5 to 2), Cytarabine (2x 318 mg in 250 ml IV), and Melfalan (223 mg IV on day 1)—they did the peripheral stem cell reinfusion on February 16th. The post-chemo period was messy, dealing with pancytopenia complicated by fever and mucositis. No significant pathogens showed up in the micro tests, and the piperacillin/tazobactam treatment helped clear things up and bring the fever down. Because of neutropenia, she got daily Filgrastim (600 mcg) for 8 days. She also needed several red blood cell transfusions (520 ml) and about 22 doses of platelets due to anemia and thrombocytopenia. She was discharged in good condition 17 days after the transplant with the diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease C81
Autologous bone marrow transplant (PBSCT) at 94.8%
What I'm trying to figure out is: does a change in the diagnosis code mean her condition is better or worse? She’s heading back to the hospital in early April for more testing to get a factual look at where things stand. Thanks in advance, and sorry for the long-winded post!

Hi everyone. It’s been a while since I last checked in. Things have been incredibly complicated lately trying to figure out my next steps for treatment. My health has taken a bit of a dip recently, so I won't go into all the unpleasant stuff and setbacks I've dealt with—it's been pretty shaken up, to say the least. Right now, I'm just focusing on one thing: getting to the Mayo Clinic as soon as possible so this second surgery goes smoothly. Does anyone have advice on what I can take to help with my appetite and boost my strength? I’m currently on Medrol, which I’ve heard isn't great for the body, but it did help reduce the edema and made me feel a little better... Sorry for the long post. Thanks.