Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Lisa White54 said:Back when we first got the diagnosis three and a half years ago, my husband was basically considered a lost cause. He had a tumor about the size of a man's fist that had wrapped itself around his trachea and the right bronchus, and the coughing fits were just brutal. He was choking constantly and coughing up bright red blood; it was honestly terrifying to witness.
The chemo and radiation treatments really took a toll on him, too. We dealt with absolutely everything—intense pain, vomiting, diarrhea, sores, high fevers... you name it, we lived through it. But we just tackled every single symptom as it cropped up, one hurdle at a time.
When it comes to the bureaucracy, there wasn't a damn thing I could do to change things. On top of all the physical struggles the illness brought, those people made everything unnecessarily difficult, instead of actually trying to help solve the problems they are literally paid to manage!
No, they are just cold, heartless bureaucrats who seem to think sickness is something that only happens to other people. But who can say for certain that they’ll wake up healthy tomorrow?
I truly believe that when you are fighting a disease, there is nobody coming to save you except for your own family.
To make sure my husband got what he needed, I always had to stay one step ahead of the doctors, essentially presenting them with a finished plan so they had no choice but to follow through.
My husband is doing great now. He looks healthy, though he gets some bone pain occasionally (which, along with some irritability, I attribute to the changing weather), but he moves normally, drives his car, and goes fishing... anyone who knows him wouldn't even guess he was ever sick. And yet, he was written off completely!

Did any of you use alternative therapies, or did you stick strictly to conventional medicine?
By the way, reading your whole post was wonderful, but that last part especially resonated with me!!

Taylor Kelly9 said:Hi everyone,
I’m new to this forum and I am desperately looking for some guidance. Here’s the situation: two months ago, my mom was found to have a tumorous mass in her lungs. Her primary care doctor referred her to the specialists over at Jordan. They diagnosed it as lymphoma and sent samples out for consultation. Three different labs all came back with the exact same thing: Non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma. So, we head to hematology for more testing, and they basically tell us she doesn't even have lymphoma because their pathologist can't confirm it—they’re claiming she's perfectly healthy. We are honestly losing our minds trying to figure out who is crazy and who is sane here. She has an 8.5*5.5 cm tumor in her lung, she's running fevers, she's exhausted, and she has zero energy. The pulmonologists say she isn't a lung patient, and the hematologists say she isn't a blood patient. Then whose patient is she?! And let me be clear: the cytology report explicitly showed malignant cells.
Now we’re just stuck wondering what the next move is. Should we keep bouncing from hospital to hospital, or should we just go private? Does anyone have any advice? Helppppppp

Look, I don't know which hematology department you dealt with, but if I were in your shoes, I’d grab every single piece of paperwork you have and get to Dr. Mrsić at the Rib hospital immediately. If the diagnosis is Non-Hodgkin, there shouldn't be any debate about the treatment plan, and you need to start right now. Tell him you reached out to the "For a New Day" association and that we gave him a glowing recommendation. If anyone can give you a straight answer on how to move forward, it’s him.

rowdynomad92 said:Did you guys try any alternative stuff, or was it strictly conventional medicine?
Honestly, reading through the whole thing was pretty intense, but that last part really hit home!!

We stuck strictly to the doctor's playbook—chemo, radiation, and whatever meds he put on the prescription pad.
I was honestly terrified of messing with alternative treatments; I didn't want to risk the disease progressing when I don't even know how that world works.
Along with the medical stuff, we just focused on boosting his immune system, mostly using natural supplements, and we cut out red meat entirely—no pork or beef for us.
My logic was simple: you've gotta believe the body's immune system can be strong enough to fight the battle on its own.
Last time we were over at Jordan, they asked if my husband was seeing anyone else for treatment. Nope. He goes to Jordan once every four months just for his check-ups.

slyseal28 said:My husband’s situation is quite dire. The disease is essentially incurable because there isn't a chemotherapy regimen currently available that can effectively target his sarcoma. To make matters more complicated, the tumor's location presents its own set of significant challenges; his primary sarcoma is located near the pericardium...

We face our share of crises, yet neither of us is prepared to surrender. We are doing everything within our power just to buy a little more time—to secure just one more new day, which feels so vital to us. We have both made a pact to fight until the very end. Even if we should lose this battle, we intend to do so with our heads held high.

Beyond the illness itself, we are constantly battling a bureaucratic system that often seems to condemn terminal patients prematurely, simply because treating cases like ours isn't considered "cost-effective" by their standards.
However, they won't shake our resolve. We continue to fight, and we refuse to let them give up on us.

For me, working with the association helps pull me out of the darkness and depression, providing the strength I need to keep moving forward... I have met people who truly inspire me, individuals who reached out with unconditional, uncomplicated friendship during my most desperate and lonely moments. Together, we are slowly working toward a major project that benefits all of us. And even if things don't turn out exactly as I might wish, there will be something left behind once all this grief and struggle is over. The mere realization that I am part of something larger gives me the strength to endure.

So, please, do not give up without a fight. You are not alone. 🙂

Seeing how much strength you're pouring into this makes it so difficult to accept just how heavy the situation is. But knowing what kind of fighters you are, I know you won't back down... you are all in my thoughts!!!!!

Lisa White54 said:When my husband was first diagnosed three and a half years ago, the doctors had essentially written him off. He had a tumor about the size of a man's fist that had spread into his trachea and the right bronchus. The coughing was relentless. He would struggle for air, choking, coughing up bright red blood... it was truly harrowing.
The chemo and radiation treatments were incredibly difficult for him to endure. It was everything—the pain, the nausea, the vomiting, the diarrhea, the sores, the high fevers... quite frankly, all of it. But we dealt with every single symptom as it arrived, one step at a time.
As for the bureaucracy, there was nothing I could do to change them. Despite all the hardships the illness brought, they seemed determined to make things harder rather than actually helping, even though that is precisely what they are paid to do!
No, they are simply cold, heartless bureaucrats who operate under the delusion that such illnesses can't happen to them. Yet, who can say with any certainty that they will wake up healthy tomorrow?
I have come to realize that when you are fighting a disease, there is no one to help you except your own family.
To support my husband, I found myself constantly staying one step ahead of the doctors, preparing everything so that decisions were already made by the time they arrived.
My husband is doing well now. He looks good, experiences occasional bone pain (which, along with some irritability, I attribute to the changing weather), moves around normally, drives his car, and goes fishing... Anyone who doesn't know him personally wouldn't even guess he has cancer. And yet, he was once considered a lost cause!

It is much the same experience here in the States. Aside from our family, everyone else seems to shut their doors to us, which perhaps is for the best. We have cultivated our own inner strength to an enviable degree, and we intend to keep moving forward for as long as possible. My mother is only just now, twelve months later, beginning to grasp the sheer magnitude of what she has endured and what still lies ahead...

How could anyone possibly judge if someone has cancer based solely on their appearance? Anyone who has faced a serious illness understands that while people may offer sympathy, they often forget the incredible resilience that patients must carry within them!

Keep fighting without ever entertaining the thought that he was "written off"... he is alive, and he will continue to live, fueled by every doubt they cast upon him at the start!!!!👍

rowdynomad92 said:Have you been using any alternative remedies, or sticking strictly to conventional medicine?
Honestly, reading through this entire post was quite something, but that final section really hit home...

When you're navigating treatment, there’s rarely a clear-cut manual telling you what works and what doesn't. Early on, my mother was so incredibly frail that we genuinely feared she wasn't going to make it... Her sister immediately started sending over various aloe vera preparations, hoping they might offer some relief. However, the doctors were very firm about prohibiting them, warning us not to accidentally mix any supplements with her medication to avoid dangerous side effects.

Because she was so weak, and her blood work kept getting worse, we made it a point to bring the chemical compositions of any recommended supplements to the medical team before trying them. In the end, the only thing she took was native propolis... everything else was managed through her diet.👍

It is absolutely essential to consult with your physicians before introducing anything new...

Hello and good evening, everyone...

I’ve been quietly following the posts on this thread for about a month now—actually, I started reading just a day after my father was last discharged from the hospital.

To make a long story short, I want to share our family's journey, which has been an uphill battle for the last ten months...

After nearly two months of checkups, they finally caught a very sneaky pancreatic cancer. By then, it had already metastasized to his liver and small intestine, so he had to go under the knife immediately. Chemotherapy didn't really do much, even though he felt surprisingly okay at the time. The CT scan results after chemo were grim; the doctors told us that with diseases like this, chemo fails 99% of the time. But we weren't ready to throw in the towel just yet. We decided to try the Breussov method, and honestly, it seemed to work wonders! The spots on his liver stopped spreading, his lymph nodes shrunk, and there wasn't a single sign of that monster left anywhere else. It was probably the happiest four months of my life... Of course, nothing ever goes perfectly. There was this bacteria he’d been carrying since the surgery—which had stayed dormant while we were doing the Breuss treatment—but it suddenly flared up and blocked his bile ducts. That led to brutal fevers and chills, leaving us with no choice but to head back to Rib for treatment to deal with the sepsis caused by the bacteria, including getting a drainage tube installed in St. Louis... Sadly, just when everything seemed to be going right and according to plan, that bastard came roaring back, destroying everything in its path with terrifying speed. We didn't see this coming at all. We believed in Breuss, we did the research, we followed the protocol to a T, and everything was looking great until just a week ago... Did we make a mistake somewhere? Only God knows, and lately, I've found myself struggling to believe in Him. My father is at Rib now, dealing with fluid buildup in his abdomen; he's feeling worse and worse, and I just hope he can come home soon...

What hurts the most is that we’ve conquered so many massive life hurdles together. We built our private lives and our business through sheer grit, constantly pushing forward. Now, just when he and my mother should finally be enjoying their retirement, we have to face defeat against this tiny little thing that has absolutely crushed us.

I have to say, kudos to the people on this forum. I've read everything here, and you guys have given me the strength and the will to keep going. I used to think I was the only one going through this nightmare. I'm only 24, and I have to step up and take over our company while looking after my mother—it won't be easy. But reading these stories from such brave people makes everything feel a little more manageable.

Thank you... Let's keep supporting one another. See you around!

Carol Long28 said:Hello and good evening, everyone...

I’ve been quietly following the posts on this thread for about a month now, having started just a day after my father’s last hospital stay.

To make a long story short, I want to share our family's journey, which has been an uphill battle for the last ten months...

After nearly two months of tests, doctors discovered a very well-hidden pancreatic cancer that had already metastasized to his liver and small intestine, so he went straight into surgery. Chemotherapy didn't yield much, even though he felt surprisingly okay at the time. His CT scan results after chemo were grim; the doctors told us that in 99% of cases involving this kind of illness, chemotherapy simply isn't successful. But we weren't ready to give up. We decided to try the Bressov method, and honestly, it seemed to work wonders initially! The lesions on the liver stopped spreading, his lymph nodes shrank, and there were no signs of that monster anywhere else. For four months, they were the happiest months of my life... Of course, things couldn't stay perfect. A stubborn bacteria he'd been carrying since the surgery—which had stayed dormant during the Bressov treatment—suddenly flared up and blocked his bile ducts. That led to brutal fevers and chills, leaving us with no choice but to head back to Rib to treat the infection that was causing sepsis, where they had to install a drainage system in St. Louis... Sadly, just when everything seemed to be going right, that bastard returned and began tearing through everything in its path with terrifying speed. We never saw this coming. We believed in Bressov; we studied the methods, followed the plan to a T, and everything was looking up until just a week ago... Did we make a mistake somewhere? Only God knows, and frankly, I’ve struggled to find my faith in Him lately. My father is at Rib now, struggling with fluid buildup in his abdomen; he’s feeling worse by the day, and I can only pray he comes home soon...

What hurts the most is that we’ve successfully conquered so many massive life challenges together. We built our private lives and our businesses, constantly pushing forward with everything we had. Now, just when he and my mother should finally be enjoying their retirement, we have to face defeat against this tiny little thing that has completely destroyed us.

I have so much respect for the people on this forum. Reading your stories has given me the strength and the will to keep going, because for a while, I truly thought I was alone in this. I’m only 24, and I have to step up to run our family business and take care of my mother. It won't be easy, but reading these stories of courage from such brave people makes everything feel a bit more manageable.

Thank you... Let’s keep supporting one another.

I completely understand how you feel, and I know how incredibly hard this is for you.
My dad started his first round of chemo today. I keep reading accounts about how the liver can be resistant to chemo, but I’m holding onto hope and believing it will work, because it's really all we have left.
So please, keep hoping and keep believing; try to find some comfort and hope in that.
Stay by your father's side as much as you possibly can. Your support is what matters most—giving him that faith and the strength to believe in a better tomorrow.
Tomorrow is a new day, and hopefully, it brings something new. Let's stay positive.
Hang in there!

Hey everyone 🙂

...

Hi there!

It’s honestly pretty tough to call out one specific supplement as the "best" right now. People on here have been talking about just about everything: aloe vera, noni, native propolis, beta 1.3 glucan... you name it. You should probably take some time to scroll through these pages; you'll likely stumble upon something that actually works for you. Also, feel free to check out the association's forum over at www.zanovidan.hr.

Good luck!

Hi everyone,

My dad (who is 75) was diagnosed with Dukes b, and they removed a 4 cm tumor via laparotomy. They also performed a pliectomy to clear out any other formations. The initial surgery happened back in April, and at that time, the word was that chemotherapy wouldn't be necessary. However, after the pliectomy, we were advised to go get a second opinion from an oncologist. Since the pliectomy was just last week, and we really want to make up for lost time, we decided to reach out to a private oncologist. Of course, as it usually goes in the medical community, there’s a bit of a gray area here. Dukes b seems to fall right into that zone because this specific oncologist is recommending chemo with Xeloda, while someone else might very likely tell us there's no need for it. To make matters more complicated, the histology report wasn't exactly thorough; it shows the tumor breached the wall down to the serosa without involving the lymph nodes, but it failed to specify the degree of carcinoma differentiation. We are currently waiting on the histology from the new samples—this time, we made sure to insist that they include every single detail.

We’re planning to consult with another doctor as well, but honestly, it feels like if we get conflicting opinions, the final decision might end up resting squarely on our shoulders. Also, just a side note, Xeloda isn't actually covered by Medicare for Dukes b, so that adds another layer of practical uncertainty to the whole thing.

Does anyone here happen to have experience using preventative chemotherapy with Xeloda for Dukes b carcinoma?

Thanks so much for the help, and sending my best to you all!

Feel free to send me a private message.

Nancy Hernandez43 said:When you're navigating treatment, there really isn't a perfect guidebook on what supplements to use and what to avoid entirely. When my mother first started her journey, she was so incredibly frail that we honestly feared we were losing her right then and there. Her sister immediately sent over various aloe vera remedies, hoping they might provide some strength, but the doctors were very firm about prohibiting them; they were terrified she might accidentally mix a remedy with her medication and trigger a dangerous side effect.

Because she was so weak and her blood work just kept getting worse, we made it a point to bring the chemical composition of any supplement we considered buying to her medical team before trying anything. In the end, the only thing she consistently took was native propolis. Everything else we focused on was strictly managed through her diet.👍

It is absolutely vital to consult with your doctors before adding anything new to the routine.

When I used to ask about alternative options, I always pictured people working with energy fields, things like Reiki or radiesthesia... I don't know much about those specific practices, but I have heard whispers that maybe those methods are worth exploring too? 🤷

Are there any plants or maybe some other natural alternatives out there for boosting the immune system or improving blood counts? Anything at all 😢

I'd suggest trying a fresh juice made in a juicer using beet, carrot, and apple; just one cup, about 8 to 10 ounces, once a day. Good luck!!!

.

I might suggest looking into bioenergy. I've heard quite a few people use it specifically to help boost their blood counts, and from what they say, they've seen some pretty good results. I guess it really just depends on the individual, though.

Hey everyone,
I'm giving away a blonde wig—it's an ear-length pixie cut, in great shape and barely used.
Also, if anyone wants two packs of vanilla protein powder, let me know. It expires in two months and it’s such a waste to just toss it...
Shoot me a DM. You can pick everything up around New York City or San Jose.
Best to you all!

Give this a read

Warmest greetings to you all!

Before I dive into this, I should probably mention that if anyone here struggles with anxiety or has particularly fragile nerves, please feel free to skip this post. It’s best to just hold onto those positive thoughts and bypass my current situation entirely.

Technically speaking, I am perfectly healthy... But someone very close to me, the love of my life... He is currently waiting on test results—imaging scans, specifically—to get some sort of confirmation or an initial diagnosis regarding whether or not it is bone cancer...

In all of this, I feel quite insignificant... When I am with him, I make sure not to let him see me breaking down...

I am worried... Terrified, honestly. I find myself stuck wondering how I can help, what steps I should take, or how I can possibly ease his burden... And then there is the question of finances. It isn't that we wouldn't give every cent we have—money isn't the issue in terms of our willingness to pay—but rather, will there be enough? If the worst-case scenario happens and the diagnosis is confirmed, will we actually have the resources required to save him? I’ve heard stories from other people where dealing with cancer becomes an endless, overwhelming financial drain...

What am I supposed to do? How does something like this even happen in the first place?

Regarding the official medical update: They found some spots on the bone of his arm, and the files are being sent over to New York City for further review...

And that’s not even the half of it... I made the mistake of looking for confirmation on one of those online chat forums... Honestly, they should shut those places down. During the conversation, people were telling me things like bones are interconnected, bone cancer is incredibly dangerous, it spreads rapidly, and most patients only have three to four months to live. They claimed treatment is astronomically expensive—around $7,500 a month at private clinics—and that it's the only way to survive, and then, quite sickeningly, one doctor even offered to "donate" $2,500 in exchange for sexual favors... It was absolutely horrifying. All I wanted was information... Is it actually true that patients only have three to four months left??????

I read online that treatment usually involves a combination of chemotherapy and amputation. And if the bone can't be amputated, they resort to radiation...

Please forgive me for venting like this; I've just been in a state of total shock for two days now...

I need real information. I don't want the kind of empty platitudes meant to soothe or offer false hope, like "everything will be fine." I need to know the reality of how dangerous this is, how quickly it spreads through the skeletal system, if that three-to-four-month timeline is accurate, and if there is truly any hope for recovery. I also need to know if the cost of treatment is something that could realistically be covered by an average American salary... I just want to know what we are facing if this is indeed bone cancer... I don't even know what I'm searching for anymore, but I know I need the truth...

Our primary care doctor mentioned, almost under a sense of heavy pressure, that there is an 80% chance it is indeed bone cancer...

What should I do???

Can anyone please answer me??? Please, if you have any concrete advice that might be vital, I would appreciate it so much.

Once again, I apologize for reacting this way.

Thank you in advance.

Girl, to the author of this thread? THANK YOU FOR OPENING THIS UP.

What, how, where, and when... 😕😲🙂😱

So, we definitely caused a bit of a stir, and lo and behold—the second we started freaking out, they immediately ran an ultrasound on all the lymph nodes and actually found an enlarged one. Now we’re just stuck waiting until Monday for the biopsy results. It’s honestly wild how much the doctors' attitude shifted the moment we started panicking. Suddenly, they’re actually acknowledging the findings from other labs and acting like, "Yeah, there might be something here." And for now, that "something" is looking like non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Right now, I'm in full-on research mode, trying to gather everything possible to boost the immune system and fix the blood counts. I'm digging through old posts and planning to read every single one, but I wanted to ask—where can I get decent royal jelly, and what form are you guys using? I see capsules and powder online, but apparently, the best way is straight from the hive.

cosmicviper76 said:My dad has colon cancer with liver metastases.
I assume my stepfather needs surgery.
Liver metastases can't be operated on if they've taken over both lobes of the liver; you might only be able to manage them with chemo.
More detailed results would help—the big question is whether both lobes are involved.

The tests are back, and unfortunately, the CT scan regarding the liver basically says:
-pathological foci, essentially implants, are visible in both the 1st and 2nd lobes; there's also mention of
some kind of thickening, and it notes that the bile ducts aren't dilated.

Nobody explained anything to us, other than saying the situation is BAD.

Other organs in the abdomen and the lungs look fine. His heart is healthy.

So, I can confirm now that both lobes of the liver are affected.

The biopsy results from the bowel and the liver aren't ready yet, but the diagnosis is pretty much clear even
without them.

He’s been discharged to go home, the medical board will meet, and then they'll get back to us... it's all just
pretty discouraging.

However, since cases like this aren't even treated at the Cross Hospital
because oncology is handled over at Firul, we went ahead—even before that official board meeting—and
managed to track down a surgeon from Firul (getting the cell number for a surgeon
who was supposedly on vacation felt like an impossible mission, but a mix of sheer persistence,
desperation, being well-informed, and a little luck actually paid off). We showed him
what we have so far and scheduled surgery in ten days.

Of course, before that happens, we're going to see the head oncologist in New York City at Firul
to review the scans, suggest a treatment plan, and get a professional opinion on whether the surgery is truly
necessary or not...

In the middle of all this chaos and shock, getting nothing but vague info and terrible prognoses,
we've found a sudden, fierce drive to fight, to hunt down information
from everywhere and find competent doctors.

I don't really know what's ahead of us yet, but it suddenly became
crystal clear that we can't just sit around waiting for anyone or anything; we have to
hit the ground running and fight tooth and nail for everything medicine
can possibly offer right now.

That's all for now. I'll check back in later. Sorry for the long post, I just needed to
get all this out of my system by writing it down.

Hang in there, everyone!!!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that
I’ve gone through pretty much everything on the
association's For a new day website, and I seriously
have to say how much I respect the people
behind this whole thing—the ones who started it and keep these projects running.
The work they're doing provides such massive
relief to anyone caught up in these kinds of
rough patches.

Having solid info and actual support, even if it's just
a few encouraging words or a bit of comfort, truly means the world.

Karen Torres17, I'm crossing my fingers for you, but I gotta say, if things haven't totally changed at Firul and you're counting on Dr. Vrdoljak, maybe start looking for an alternative elsewhere—ideally somewhere in New York City. My dad saw him once, and it meant endless waiting, like 5 or 6 or even 7 hours just for a two-minute checkup where he barely said anything because he was too busy taking calls, signing papers, or chatting with someone else through the patient. He might be a huge expert, but honestly, with how overworked and disorganized they are there, it’s probably better for your health and your sanity to find a doctor who actually has enough time to look you in the eye.