Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

So, I did some digging and found out this is actually a super common side effect of chemo. It turns out my mom’s nasal lining was already messed up way back—like 15 years ago—when she first battled breast cancer. That initial round of chemo basically fried her nasal hair for good, which left her dealing with constant irritation ever since. And now, of course, things have taken a turn for the worse. Anyway, wishing everyone a peaceful night and a great weekend!

@dustyrider9/">@@dustyrider9
My mom started having these nosebleeds, which seemed fine at first, but then things just started feeling a bit off after a few days passed

dustyrider9 said:We actually went out, and it was our first time wandering around town with the baby just to pick up some daffodils for Grandma and everyone else we wanted to brighten up... and then we stumbled upon a Krijesnica stand, so the girls got some cute new t-shirts, though we did end up getting soaked by the rain. Honestly, that was the best part of the day, but now things have taken a turn for the worse... my sister called me (she’s staying at Mom’s tonight) saying she’s having a really hard time with a nosebleed that just won't stop, and I'm really hoping she doesn't have to call an ambulance.
Has anyone dealt with nosebleeds being a side effect of chemo (she had her first round about 9 days ago) or maybe certain pain meds? If anyone is online tonight, I'm really waiting on some insight...
Thanks so much in advance!

I really don't want to scare anyone, but my own mom had a situation where her nose was bleeding so heavily... even at the ER, they couldn't get it to quit. It turns out it was because her platelet count dropped way too low. Her numbers plummeted from around 36 all the way down to 5!😲 And usually, you want to stay well above 100... She ended up needing a transfusion, which helped for about two days before it happened all over again.😢😢😢 It's all a bit fuzzy when I try to look back on it, but I just want to share this in case it helps someone else...
Just a heads up, in those kinds of situations, you might also see bleeding from the gums or bruising easily on the skin...

Hang in there, ladies...🙂🙂

redharbor23 said:It doesn't really matter—honestly, it's all the same. Don't let it throw you off. 😉 Everything is detailed in the link I shared. To put it simply—plasma cells produce proteins known as immunoglobulins (specifically types like IgG, IgD, IgE, and IgA), which serve as our body's primary defense mechanism. In cases of myeloma, these plasma cells become dysfunctional; they pump out massive amounts of non-functional immunoglobulins. What does that mean for Mom? It means her immunity is compromised, leaving her much more vulnerable to infections. On top of that, these same faulty plasma cells settle in the bones and essentially eat away at them. This leads to pain and necessitates extra caution when she moves—we have to be careful not to trigger a fracture in the spots where the cells have already caused damage.

When they move toward a transplant—well, that’s usually a good sign. 👍 So, she’s officially in remission after the chemo. A transplant functions similarly to chemotherapy—it just offers more lasting results and significantly improves one's quality of life. The only complication is the spinal involvement—dealing with the spinal cord and nerves can be quite a mess.

I don’t mean to alarm you—though I won't sugarcoat things either—but you and your mother are facing a long road ahead. It's going to be a heavy lift, both mentally and physically, not to mention the financial strain. This kind of illness simply doesn't allow for anything less. You'll need an immense amount of patience, willpower, and optimism—mostly because that's about all we can control in these situations. Keeping you in my thoughts. Good luck. 👍

Thank you so much. My mother has never dealt with anything like this before—this whole discovery was a massive shock to our entire family. Best regards.

Listen, everyone,

I haven’t been around here for a while because, quite frankly, reading all your tragic stories was just too much for me to handle. It’s depressing.

The reason I’m posting now is that I’m facing a crisis and I have absolutely no idea who to turn to for guidance. My father underwent surgery two years ago for a tumor in his jaw that had already spread to his throat and tongue. After that brutal procedure, he had to undergo radiation, and ever since, he’s been stuck eating nothing but blended food. Then, last year, they diagnosed him with small cell lung cancer. He finished six rounds of chemo and completed radiation earlier this year. He actually responded well to the chemotherapy—we even saw some regression in the mediastinal tumor recently.

But things have taken a catastrophic turn in the last month. His saliva has become incredibly thick, making it impossible for him to swallow. They had to insert a feeding tube through his nose, and he spent some time at the hospital on IV fluids, though he refused to stay there. He has lost an alarming amount of weight. Now, he won't even touch the feeding tube; he rejects all food and water because he just vomits everything back up. He spends the entire day spitting out handfuls of yellow pus, thick mucus, and eventually, blood. He can’t even speak anymore.

I am in total shock. We called the doctor, and he told us plainly that this is the final stage. My heart is breaking. I simply cannot wrap my head around what is happening. I kept waiting, praying he would just start eating so things would get better. But he hasn't had anything to drink or eat all day.

I just want to ease his suffering somehow... does anyone have any advice?

Please... I am desperate. 😢((((

I am in the same boat here.😢 Please, if anyone has any information at all...

Basically, my mom fell ill about three years ago and ended up in emergency surgery, where they discovered colon cancer. She underwent two surgeries and completed chemotherapy, and she fought her way through it. A year later, she had a PET scan that showed metastases in seven different locations—ovaries, bones, lungs, intestines, and more. After further testing, it turned out there was only one tumor on an ovary (though the PET scan actually misidentified which ovary it was), so they removed both the ovary and the uterus because it was a metastasis. She went through chemo again after that. She’s been getting regular blood work done, and her markers started climbing; they were at 27 one month, then jumped to 163 the next! When she finally got the results from the latest PET scan, it was a total shock: they marked tumors on her bones (specifically the vertebrae), a 39mm mass in her lungs (with the primary cancer listed as uncertain), and something in her liver.

She actually started a new round of chemo today (Avastin, FOLFOX, and platinum) and is already feeling a bit better, which is a relief since she couldn't even stand up a few days ago. She’s also taking Tramadol for the pain and seems more stable. The medical plan is to focus on chemo for the bone issues first, followed by surgery for the lungs and liver. Interestingly, yesterday's blood work showed her liver enzymes are perfectly normal—which feels almost absurd given the presence of metastases—and her other blood levels look as clean as a newborn's.

Does anyone have experience with something similar? I realize how grave the situation is, but I need to know if there is any possibility of recovery. Our whole family is devastated, and we would truly appreciate any guidance or insight you can offer!

brisksurfer said:I just want to find some way to ease his suffering... does anyone have any advice at all?

Please... I'm feeling pretty desperate here. 😢((((

Oh, Ivy, honey, 🙂

Have you thought about checking in on Zanovidan? You might actually get some more informed perspectives over there than what we can offer here...

I tried reaching out, but nobody is getting back to me.😢

I called the ER first thing this morning because he hasn't eaten or even had a sip of water all day. They just brushed me off! They told me they could only give him a pain injection and that I should just say my goodbyes. Then—get this—they actually had the nerve to tell me he won't die from dehydration, but from cancer. Absolute nonsense. 😲😲 😲

Thankfully, his primary care doctor was an absolute saint. She organized for a home health agency to come out and set him up with an IV drip. 😍 😍 😍 He’s on saline and 5% glucose now. It gave him a tiny bit of strength, and honestly, I feel a massive weight off my shoulders knowing he isn't suffering from thirst. They’ll be coming by every day for the IV, so hopefully, he’ll start recovering a little. Actually, he really needs two infusions a day, so we're going to try to get them to leave the catheter in so I can just hook him up myself.

Finally, the doctor came by and listened to his lungs... she says there's a lot of congestion in there, but considering how much he was vomiting yesterday, today is already looking up.

I've been lying here by his side all day long, just praying he starts pulling through.

@ingrein: Thank you for the support... truthfully, it's exactly what I need right now. 😘

Some people working in emergency services just don't seem to have any empathy left... you're truly an exception. A few years back, they wouldn't even come out for my great-grandmother because she was considered too old... it was heartbreaking.

Thank God there are still some decent people out there willing to step up and help... I know exactly what you're going through since I'm dealing with my own struggles right now. I'm rooting for you!

Hey everyone 🙂

Think of this as a community classifieds page, but for a actually good cause
So here’s the deal: I’ve got 4 injections of Neulasta from Amgen. They're used within 24 hours after chemo to help boost up white blood cell counts.
The catch is they aren't covered by Medicare, and man, they are brutally expensive—we're talking like $1,700 to $1,800 a pop.
I don't actually need them myself since my blood counts are looking solid right now (knock on wood), so if anyone out there could use them, or if you know someone struggling with bad blood work, please reach out. 🙂
Hang in there, everybody :*
C50 😉

brisksurfer said:I actually called the ER this morning because he hadn't eaten or even had a sip of water all day, but they basically brushed me off and just said I could give him a pain injection and then leave him alone, which was so frustrating, and then they had the nerve to tell me he won't die from dehydration, but rather from the cancer.

How can people just be so heartless?😢😢

Luckily, our primary care physician was absolutely wonderful and arranged for someone from a local clinic to come by and set my dad up with an IV. 😍😍😍 He got some saline and 5% glucose, which seemed to give him a little bit of strength back, and honestly, I feel so much better knowing he isn't suffering from thirst. They’ll be coming by every day for the infusion, so hopefully, that helps him recover a bit; though ideally, he really needs two sessions a day, so we’re going to try to figure out a way to have them leave the catheter in so we can just hook up the next one ourselves.

Then the doctor finally came over to check his lungs... she mentioned there’s quite a bit of congestion in there, but considering how much he was coughing up yesterday, I suppose that's actually a step in the right direction.

You handled that really well.
I truly believe the IV will help your dad get back on his feet.
And you really have to hand it to your doctor.
It’s such a relief when you run into good people; my own family doctor is a fantastic woman and clinician, and my mom's oncologist was an absolute lifesaver too—she really fights for every single patient, going far beyond what her job description even requires.🙏

I've just been lying here by his side all day, praying that he starts to pull himself together a little.

@taylorswift13: thank you for the support... honestly, it's exactly what I need most right now.😘

Don't mention it.🙂 We're all here to lean on one another.😍
No one is ever truly alone in this fight, no matter how isolated it might feel sometimes (I know I certainly feel that way quite often 😬). There are so many people out there fighting for healing.

brisksurfer said:I tried calling, but nobody will give me a straight answer.😢

I called the ER this morning because he hasn't eaten or drank anything all day, but they just brushed me off. They told me I could only give him a pain injection and then I should just say my goodbyes. They even had the nerve to tell me he won't die from dehydration, but from cancer. 😲😲😲

Fortunately, our primary care physician was wonderful. She arranged for a visiting nurse service to come by and administer an IV to my father. 😍😍😍 He received saline and 5% glucose. It gave him a bit of strength, and I feel immediate relief knowing he isn't thirsty. They will be coming daily for the IV, which I hope will help him recover slightly. Ideally, he needs two IVs a day, so we are going to try to arrange for them to leave the catheter in place so we can hook up the infusion ourselves.

Finally, the doctor came by to listen to his lungs. She noted there is quite a bit of congestion, but considering how much he was purging yesterday, today is actually an improvement.

I've been lying by his side all day, just praying he regains some consciousness.

@taylorswift13: Thank you for the support... honestly, it's exactly what I need right now. 😘

I wrote out a long response and then deleted it, because frankly, all you need right now is the strength to endure the grim days ahead.🙂 The reason I stopped visiting this sub-forum is that reading through it always leaves me too devastated.

Reducing my father's pain is the only priority, regardless of the cost. I don't care about anything else as long as he isn't hurting.
You found out the hard way that this is the reality. It is tragic that no one sat down to talk to you or prepare you for what follows, though you can't truly grasp it until it starts happening.
Stay by your father's side and ease his discomfort however possible. I know you would tear your skin off to do anything for him, but unfortunately, your options are limited. Simply being present is enough right now. Hang in there. 🙂

Hey everyone! I wasn't quite sure where to post this on Reddit, but I figured this was probably our best bet. Within the next 24 hours, a donation slip and an appeal for a sick little boy will be sent out. Since not many people buy physical newspapers these days, I’m hoping that by sharing this online, more people will see what he's going through and decide to step up:

The note accompanying the donation slip says:

To whom it may concern,

We would like to introduce you to our ward, five-year-old Steven Mnuchin from Des Moines. Due to several diagnosed heart defects, this little guy has spent more than half of his life in hospitals.

So far, numerous doctors have tried to help him, but as time passes, his condition has reached a critical point—he can't wait any longer. Steven urgently needs surgery at a specialized cardiac clinic in Italy. His single mother, who is also raising four brothers, is struggling just to cover their basic daily needs.

Since the cost of the surgery is $42667, we are asking kind-hearted people to contribute whatever they can to help this boy reach the full amount.

God bless,

Contact Susan
555-019-317

I really hope some good people see this mother's plea and help her save her son's life.

Susan Nguyen71 said:Hey everyone! I wasn't quite sure where to drop this on Reddit, but I figured this was our best bet. Within the last 24 hours, we've put together a donation slip and an appeal to help a little boy who is seriously ill. Since hardly anyone buys physical newspapers these days, I'm hoping posting this online will reach more people so they can learn about his situation and decide to step up:

The text accompanying the donation slip is as follows:

To whom it may concern,

We would like to introduce you to our ward, five-year-old Steven Mnuchin from Des Moines. Due to several diagnosed heart defects, this little boy has spent more than half of his life in hospital wards.

While many doctors have attempted to treat him up to this point, his condition is deteriorating so rapidly that he simply cannot wait any longer. Steven urgently requires surgery at a specialized cardiac clinic in Italy. His single mother, who is also raising four brothers, is struggling just to cover their basic daily necessities.

Since the total cost for the surgery is $42667, we ask all kind-hearted individuals to contribute what they can to help this boy reach the full amount.

God bless,

Contact for Susan
555-012-3456

I really hope some good people see this mother's plea and decide to help her save her son's life.

You already have an open thread for charity drives, and this fits perfectly under that topic.
EDIT:
I highly recommend including a link to medical documentation that proves the diagnosis, along with a doctor's recommendation. That's really the only way to secure any significant donations.

Hey brisksurfer, 🙂 🙂
Hang in there. We're all here to back you up. Sometimes just knowing someone has your back means everything when things get this rough.

Angela Wright said:You already have an open thread for charity drives—this is just as important as that one.
EDIT:
I’d highly recommend posting a link to some medical records or a doctor’s note to show what's actually going on. That's really the only way to pull in any serious donations.

Unfortunately, I don't have any details on this or his medical history. I just picked up today's edition of the 24 Hours—it was in the paper, so I assume they have more info. I just wanted to get the word out so more people hear about it and can help out. It’s honestly sad that there’s absolutely nothing about this on their official website.

I did a little digging online and stumbled upon this regarding him:

http://www.desmoines.info/news/77-...little-steven-mnuchin

...I also added the link to the charity drive thread—hopefully, some good people see it and can help out.

You have to be incredibly, incredibly careful when it comes to those humanitarian pleas for help. We actually dealt with this exact scenario at our nonprofit once: someone went door-to-door claiming to represent our organization, begging for donations for cancer patients. Unfortunately, we had absolutely nothing to do with them, and they basically used people's empathy and concern for cancer victims to line their own pockets for whatever vices they indulge in.
We see it all the time too—people exploiting a child's medical condition just to squeeze out some extra cash... honestly, you wouldn't believe the kind of people out there.
That’s why, whenever we organize a charity drive, we always make sure to include every bit of relevant documentation that proves the person's situation and actual need. These days, people don't have money to throw around, so if they are giving from the heart, they have every right to know the specific details about who is receiving the funds.
I'm not saying this because I think the case you mentioned is fake, but rather so that next time you decide to help by sharing a link, you provide enough solid data to protect yourself from getting caught up in a mess through no fault of your own.

redharbor23 said:I wrote out this entire massive rant, then I deleted the whole thing. Honestly? It doesn't matter. What actually matters right now is that you all find the strength to endure the ugly days ahead. You're going to need it.🙂 The reason I stopped checking in on this subreddit is simple: reading through these posts always leaves me feeling completely overwhelmed.

Thank you all so much!!! 😘

After a few rounds of IV infusions, Dad is finally starting to turn a corner! 😍 He’s still incredibly weak, isn't he? Honestly, I suspect he isn't eating anything at all. But, despite that, he actually managed to step foot outside the house yesterday! 🙏🙏🙏
I honestly don't think cancer is even the primary issue here. It’s the sheer, total exhaustion from him practically going without food for months on end. It's devastating. And frankly, I am absolutely livid thinking about those idiots in the ER trying to discharge him to suffer like that. Absolutely disgraceful. 😠😠😠

The slime situation has finally cleared up. I’m feeling optimistic. Hopefully, things will actually start moving along soon. 🙏

Drag Queens said:Since I'm new here and haven't had a chance to catch up on every single thread
- Has anyone ever heard about using Sativa or, even better, Indica marijuana?

You can prepare Marijuana by simmering it for hours in butter or any kind of edible oil.
Marijuana is the only weapon against pain that doesn't come with the side effects you get from morphine.
Plus, according to recent studies from top global institutions, it actually has properties capable of destroying cancer.
Sorry to just dump this on you all out of nowhere, but for some people, every single second counts.

Over the next few days, I’m going to lay out my arguments and provide documentation for everything I'm saying.
And since I have quite a bit of material regarding the fight against this nasty disease, if there's a better place than this for a discussion, please point me in the right direction.

Listen, Drag Queens, we hear you.
At the same time, we all know that Marijuana is illegal in America just like this trashy post of yours, and once you start trying to lecture us, you aren't just risking a ban—you might end up getting reported to the authorities.
The most interesting thing about Marijuana and posts like this is that they are almost always written by a bunch of people who are just high and don't actually suffer from a single ailment that scientifically validates the efficacy of the drug. Your real goal is to get sick groups to pressure the government into legalization just so you can grab a leaf more easily under some fake medical pretext, claiming it "doesn't cost you anything."
It's pathetic, honestly.😳
Go to an alternative forum and try lecturing them. They’re the ones with the patience for characters like you.👍