Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Hey there, my dear friends!!!
I am telling you—I literally had to crawl out of the hospital... About two and a half weeks ago, my fever spiked through the roof, my CRP shot up to 308 (normal range is 0-5), and my SE hit 125 (normal is 0-24)... long story short, I was rushed straight into emergency hospitalization with a diagnosis of clinical sepsis. And just to make things even more miserable, this nasty sciatica decided to attack my right hip at the worst possible time, so I was literally crawling to the bathroom... it was awful. But, I'm doing better now—my labs have improved, and while I'm still finishing up my antibiotics, I am ALIVE, oh my god! :-) I missed my immunotherapy appointment in Germany, but once I'm back on my feet, I'll get it sorted...

MY HEARTFELT SYMPATHIES TO Alenka's family and friends!

My dears, I'm sending tons of positive energy to all of you—please, just hang in there...
Grace Fowler

Grace Fowler said:Hello, my dear friends!!!
Well, I was quite literally crawling out of the hospital... About two and a half weeks ago, I came down with a massive fever, my CRP shot up to 308 (ref range 0-5), and my SE hit 125 (ref range 0-24), so to make a long story short, I ended up being rushed for emergency hospitalization with a diagnosis of clinical sepsis. As if things weren't difficult enough, a nasty bout of sciatica struck my right hip, so I was quite literally crawling to the bathroom... it was dreadful... But I am feeling better now, my lab results have improved, and while I am still on antibiotics, I am finally LIVING, oh yes... I missed my immunotherapy appointment in Germany, but once my condition stabilizes, I will head there...

MY HEARTFELT SYMPATHIES to Alenka's family and friends!

My dear ones, I am sending tons of positive energy to everyone to help you persevere...
Your Dina

Dear Dina,
you are so incredibly brave and positive, and no matter how dire the situation becomes—you simply know what needs to be done! I am hoping for a swift recovery so that you can get back to your therapies as soon as possible!

Stay just as you are and please keep us posted with news! Hang in there! kisses

Grace Fowler said:Hey everyone!!!
I was literally crawling out of the hospital... About two and a half weeks ago, my fever spiked through the roof, CRP shot up to 308 (ref range 0-5), and SE hit 125 (ref range 0-24). Long story short: emergency hospitalization with a diagnosis of clinical sepsis. To make things even more fun, a nasty case of sciatica hit my right hip, so I was actually crawling to the bathroom... it was awful... But I'm feeling better now! My labs have improved, and while I'm still on antibiotics, I am ALIVE, oh my goodness! :-) I missed my immunotherapy session in Germany, but once I'm back on my feet, I'm heading straight there...

MY HEART GOES OUT TO Alenka's family and friends!

Sweet friends, sending tons of positive vibes to everyone—please hang in there...
Your Dina

🙏 Oh man... what can I say besides admiring you for the hundredth time, dear Grace.
Did your Ca125 levels go down too?
I really hope you recover quickly so you can get back to your immunotherapy!

Anyone here dealt with Iscador or Isorel—those kinds of injections? My mom's doctor just bailed on her, and she's been stuck on Tarcev indefinitely without seeing any real results. They’re basically flying blind now—mostly because they were shocked she's even still hanging in there...

hollowsailor33 said:Does anyone have any actual experience using Iscador or Isorel, specifically those injections? My mom's doctor basically pulled the plug on her Tarcev treatment, telling her she'd have to take it forever, and honestly, we aren't seeing any progress. They're completely lost on what the next move is because the doctors were just stunned that she's still hanging in there...

Go here and pay close attention to the posts by Suzi.

I feel so lost right now, and I honestly don't know where to turn or how to even start engaging with this community. My father was diagnosed with cancer last week. They mentioned his stomach is involved, but I suppose that wouldn't be the biggest issue. He has metastases near the liver, so if anyone could offer any kind of advice or guidance, I would truly appreciate it. Please help me.

Betty Sanchez82 said:I feel so lost right now. I honestly have no idea who to turn to or how to even navigate this forum properly. My father was diagnosed with cancer last week. They mentioned his stomach is involved, but apparently, that isn't even the primary issue. There are metastases near his liver, and I am just desperate for any advice anyone might be able to offer. Please help.

From what I understand, if he undergoes surgery for his stomach, they will likely attempt to clear those metastases near the liver at the same time. Following that, chemotherapy will be the next step. It’s quite important that he starts taking some dietary supplements—something like high-quality propolis—to boost his immune system and act as a strong antioxidant. You can usually find these at a local pharmacy, maybe near $47, or you could order them through General Electric; I believe it’s actually a bit more cost-effective that way. His diet is also going to undergo a massive shift since he won't have a functioning stomach; they'll likely connect his esophagus directly to the small intestine, which means he'll need to stick to very light, soft foods initially (your doctors will give you specific instructions on that). I know receiving a diagnosis like this is an absolute shock to the system, but please try to stay strong. He’s going to need as much encouragement and support as you can provide. Try to maintain as much of a sense of normalcy as possible given the circumstances.
Wishing you all the best in this fight.

Betty Sanchez82 said:I feel so lost right now and I honestly don't know who to turn to or how to even start participating here. My dad was diagnosed with cancer last week. They said they have to remove his stomach, but that wouldn't even be the biggest issue. It has metastasized near the liver, so if anyone can offer any kind of advice, please help.

It might not mean much coming from someone else right now, but that sense of total disorientation and shock you're feeling is easily the hardest part for most people facing this. I’ve been in those exact shoes myself, and eventually, things tend to settle once you stop spinning and actually start tackling the problems head-on. The key is to stay rational and take things one step at a time—just deal with whatever lands in your lap as it comes. Your dad is in good hands with his doctors, and the surgery is just the first milestone in a very long road toward recovery.
I personally know plenty of people who were in the exact same situation as your father and are doing great today. Life isn't going to look the same as it did before, obviously, but that doesn't mean things won't turn out okay. Life is constantly shifting under our feet, and we just have to learn how to adapt and carry on. You’re going to pull through this.😉

Thanks for the support. Even though we haven't met, I can tell you have a huge heart. At first, the doctors told my dad he needed surgery, but now they're saying he should start chemotherapy immediately instead. We're still waiting on the biopsy results to find out exactly what we're dealing with. I'll reach out once we know more—maybe someone here has gone through something similar.

Hey there, folks!!!
I honestly feel like this heatwave is being thrown at us on purpose—just to remind us how tiny and helpless we really are against Mother Nature. I’m barely hanging in there. To deal with this sciatica, I went to get some acupuncture, which helped a bit (so yeah, I'm no longer the "question mark" from my profile), but this temperature is just relentless. I've got more tests lined up tomorrow since I'm finishing up a course of antibiotics, so we'll see what happens next...

ISCADOR I actually used those personally for bladder issues and they worked wonders for me. Dr. John Doe, a homeopath, prescribed them—basically, I was injecting them into the bladder area every single day for four weeks. I picked them up at a pharmacy near Pike Place Market. If anyone needs more info, I'm happy to help.

Hang in there, cheers, John Doe

Betty Sanchez82 said:Thanks for the support. Even though we haven't met, I can tell you have a huge heart. At first, they told my dad he needed surgery, but now they’re saying he needs to start chemo immediately. We're just waiting on the biopsy results to find out exactly what we're dealing with. I'll post an update once we know more—maybe someone here has gone through this before.

My guess is they might try to shrink the tumor with chemo first to minimize the amount of tissue they have to cut out later. And hey, if the treatment works, they might not even have to remove his entire stomach. There are a million different ways this could play out. Honestly, the smartest, healthiest move right now is to just hang tight until all the test results are actually in hand. Once those are back, the doctors will have a much clearer roadmap too. In the meantime, don't waste energy spiraling into despair; instead, lean hard into positive thinking and keeping the mindset upbeat—it really makes a difference in quality of life. I’d suggest looking into some of the immune boosters and antioxidants other people on this forum have recommended based on their own experiences.
Personally, I always swear by Native Propolis. It’s the only thing that ever worked for us.

Grace Fowler said:Hello there, my fellow travelers...
I can't help but feel these heatwaves have been sent specifically to remind us just how insignificant we truly are when compared to the sheer will of nature. I am managing to push through somehow, though I did seek out some acupuncture to deal with this sciatica, which provided a modicum of relief (I am no longer questioning my profile status), yet the temperature remains utterly unyielding... tomorrow I head in for further testing since I am finishing my course of antibiotics, so we shall see what comes of it...

ISCADOR personally used them to treat bladder issues and achieved wonderful results; they were prescribed to me by Dr. John Doe, a homeopath, and I was injecting them into the bladder area daily for four weeks. I managed to pick them up at a pharmacy near Pike Place Market. Should any further information be required, I remain entirely at your disposal.

Hang in there, best regards, John Doe

The heat is quite unbearable... however, the most vital thing is to defy it in every possible way and simply refuse to give in. I have faith in you and your inner strength, so please, stay resilient... kiss

I went to the doctor today with my dad to pick up his pathology results, but he wouldn't actually give them to us. He said he’ll be sending them directly to the oncologist instead. He also mentioned that the tumor isn't operable, then told my dad to step out while I stayed behind in the office. As soon as my dad walked out the door, the guy just casually dropped that he's looking at six months of therapy. ???????????????????? I mean, seriously? First of all, I didn't even ask him about that, and second—how can someone be that cold about it? My dad is doing okay, aside from feeling more tired lately because his iron levels are low. But six months???????????????????

Betty Sanchez82 said:I went to the doctor today with my dad to pick up his pathology report. He wouldn't give it to us. Instead, he said he’d send it straight to the oncologist. Then, out of nowhere, he drops this bombshell that it isn't operable, and then he tells my dad to step outside while I stay in the office. As soon as my father walked out the door, this jerk blurted out that he needs six months of therapy. ???????????????????? That’s it? First off, I didn't even ask him that. Second—how can someone be that cold? My dad is doing fine, aside from being more tired because of low iron. Six months???????????????????

Look, when you're dealing with a doctor who treats patients like they're invisible and tosses out "prognoses" like they're reading a weather report, you have to take everything he says with a massive grain of salt. This "distinguished" physician is a complete moron! Nobody can predict exactly how your dad will respond to chemo, let alone pinpoint a death date. I truly hope the oncologist is a more sane and mature human being than this guy. Forget about that prognosis. They gave my mom the exact same kind of outlook, and she ended up outliving their predictions by three times.
As for the surgery situation, I would absolutely demand those lab results and go hunt down a second opinion; honestly, it's worth whatever it costs.
Hang in there, both of you, and try to keep your heads up. I really hope you haven't passed any of this medical nonsense onto your dad. It’s completely counterproductive if the goal is actually to help someone heal.

Betty Sanchez82 said:I went to the doctor with my dad today to pick up his pathology report. He wouldn't even give it to us. Said he’d send it straight to the oncologist instead. Then he just drops this bombshell—that it isn't operable—and tells my dad to step outside while I stay in the office. As soon as my father walked out, this jerk just blurted out: "six months of therapy." ???????????????????? That's it? First off, I didn't even ask him that. Second, how can someone be that cold? My father is doing fine, aside from getting tired faster because of low iron levels. Six months???????????????????

The way doctors behave is appalling, though I'm not surprised at all. When my dad was sick, we never even asked questions like that because we believed until the very last second that he would recover. Up until the final few weeks, nobody gave us those kinds of prognoses. Then, when they suddenly started making those kinds of predictions on their own, I—forgive my language—lost it and gave that doctor a piece of my mind, acting like she knew exactly how much time was left and everything else... It was a disaster! This happened once more with a different doctor, and I reacted the exact same way. It never happened again.
You bet! They think they know everything.
I believe this has completely driven you crazy, but if you have time, read some of the posts on the previous pages. You'll see that many people beat the disease, and in so many cases, medical prognoses turned out to be wrong.
It's true what Angela Wright wrote once about how they (doctors) try to play God by acting like they know exactly how long someone has left to live. How dare they!
I know what the doctor told you felt like a bolt from the blue, but ignore it as much as you possibly can. Whatever you do, don't let this cause you, your dad, or your family to fight any less. Give it everything you've got and just stay brave!🙂

Betty Sanchez82 said:I went to the doctor today with my father to pick up his pathology report. He wouldn't even give it to us; he said he'd send it directly to the oncologist instead. Then, he dropped this bombshell that the tumor isn't operable, before telling my father to step out of the room so I could stay behind alone. The second my dad stepped out, this jerk casually mentioned a six-month prognosis with therapy. ???????????????????? I mean, seriously? First of all, I didn't even ask him that. Second, how can someone be so cold about it? My father is actually doing quite well, aside from feeling a bit more fatigued due to low iron levels. Six months???????????????????

Don't listen to doctors playing God. They gave my mother six months, yet she managed to live for nearly two years. At the end of the day, willpower and immune-boosting supplements matter. A person fights through their own determination and persistence—alongside conventional medicine, of course. A friend of my mother’s had breast cancer that was quite extensive; they had to perform a double mastectomy and clear everything around it, and here she is, twenty-five years later, healthy and thriving despite a grim prognosis. Her husband has been battling leukemia for seven years now and he refuses to back down. These are just two examples of what a real fight looks like.

[QUOhttp://www.forum.hr/images/editor/bold.gif
BoldedTE=Amanda Miller69;14683080]Don't listen to doctors playing God. They gave my mom six months, but she ended up living nearly two years. Willpower and immune boosters matter. You fight with your own determination and persistence—plus, of course, standard medicine. A friend of my mother's had breast cancer, quite advanced; they removed both breasts and the surrounding tissue, and here she is, healthy and alive 25 years later, despite poor prognoses. Her husband has been fighting leukemia for seven years now and isn't backing down. These are just two examples of winning the fight.

I completely agree that you should never give up. There are plenty of different supplements available today that actually work wonders for boosting the immune system. From my own experience with family, I've seen miracles happen; you just can't throw in the towel. Take a look at www.ip6usa.com, and maybe someone else besides me (besides myself) can chime in with their experiences using this supplement.
Regards to the group

Thank you all so much for the kind words and support. Honestly, everything feels so new and overwhelming right now that I’m not even sure where to start. I didn't actually ask the doctor for his opinion or press him for details; he just dropped that prognosis on me out of nowhere. He was so cold and detached about it that it honestly made my blood run cold. After I caught my breath for a second, I realized he was just staring at me, like he was thinking, "Okay, what else do you want from me?" It's not like I'm looking for pity or asking anyone to lie to me, but saying things like that just feels so wrong. I know plenty of people who have been given incorrect diagnoses before, and I don't expect doctors to be omniscient, but I really think they should show a little more humanity. I'm going to fight this with everything I've got, and I truly hope I win. Thank you all again.

Betty Sanchez82 said:I am truly grateful for all your kind words of support. This entire situation feels so foreign and overwhelming that I am almost at a loss for how to even begin processing it... I didn't actually ask that doctor for his opinion, nor did I pose any questions to him whatsoever. He simply blurted out that prognosis with such a chilling, inhuman detachment that it felt as though my very blood froze in my veins. After a few moments of catching my breath, I realized he was merely staring at me, as if waiting to see what else I might demand of him... It isn't that I am searching for pity or expecting anyone to feed me falsehoods, but to deliver such callous remarks is quite frankly unprofessional. I am personally aware of many individuals who were given incorrect prognostications; while I certainly do not expect medical professionals to be omniscient, one would hope they possessed a modicum of basic human empathy. I intend to fight this until the very end, and I remain hopeful that I will prevail... Thank you all once more.

I realize this is all quite new to you, but you will soon come to realize that those around you can often become remarkably cold, offering opinions that you never even wished to hear... Perhaps it wasn't entirely unwelcome that you felt that sudden terror and saw your blood run cold; once that initial shock subsided and you took a deep breath, I suspect that anger and strength emerged alongside it—the strength required to stand by your father and fight... Believe in that, and do not let yourself be consumed by thoughts of how much time remains... after all, time is a relative concept. What truly matters is what you share together: your resilience and your mutual love.

No matter how often I repeat myself on this forum, I must say that I witnessed firsthand the sheer willpower of my own parents, which ultimately defied every single prognosis they were given. My father was diagnosed with lymph node cancer thirty-four years ago, followed later by leucopenia, and he remains in good health to this day. As for my mother, she was given only six months to live and was essentially written off by the doctors, yet here she is, fourteen months later and doing perfectly fine. I truly hope it stays that way, but we simply take things one day at a time, refusing to be burdened by the weight of ticking clocks or uncertain predictions...

It is absolutely worth the struggle. Hang in there... kisses

I honestly lose my mind when I see stuff like this. It feels like they just push someone out the door because they can't handle being told the truth to their face, and then they just throw out some random, baseless statistic to shut down the conversation.

Honey, what they told you was just their assessment—a forecast that’s probably backed by some statistics, sure. But no doctor can actually predict the future with certainty. I've been through this before with my grandmother; she had stomach cancer, and the prognosis was strictly three months. Well, those three months turned into seven years of her living her life to the fullest right here with us!

Don't let them get to you, just keep moving forward with courage.

🙂