Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Maria Jones40 said:Being sharp in practice means exactly what you're describing, but that isn't just an issue within this specific field. The entire country is structured this way; money, arrogance, and sheer rudeness are prioritized, while actual knowledge, hard work, and genuine effort aren't even considered desirable categories anymore.

My husband and I have been fortunate with our doctors—everything from primary care physicians and oncologists to cardiologists, surgeons, and even the young residents... Truly. However, we did run into a Chief of Oncology who refused to approve a third line of chemotherapy for metastatic soft tissue sarcoma simply because of the cost. He claimed there were no more viable therapies left for my husband. Now, to be fair, this was a treatment registered here in the States, but not specifically for this indication. That said, globally, it is standard practice for treating these severe illnesses. It isn't a magic bullet, and it certainly won't cure my husband, but let’s be honest: those breakthrough drugs that could actually stop this damn disease don't exist yet. But abroad, they don't just wash their hands of patients like this; they provide treatment, even if it's just palliative. This particular chief was against it due to budget constraints and some friction with our attending physician—a conflict we actually learned about through entirely objective sources. What I'm trying to say is—unfortunately, there are doctors out there who simply do not do their jobs well. There are doctors who lack even the most basic level of human communication with their patients.

And of course, there are patients who are difficult. They can be truly terrible... But when a doctor makes a mistake, the consequences are fatal.

In our association alone, over the last three months, about ten people have reached out because they were denied both treatment and information. It is absolutely unacceptable.

Our organization didn't start out looking to tear these doctors down; our goal is patient education. We try to inform patients about their rights and help them secure second opinions from renowned international clinics, so they can make informed decisions regarding their right to treatment alongside us.

We even encounter situations where patients who obtain a second opinion are still denied therapy, often through bureaucratic stalling tactics meant to delay approval. So, I ask you—how should one deal with doctors like that?

Finally—we make it a point to praise the doctors who treat patients with dignity and humanity. We try to support them by empowering patients through education. And I believe we have already made quite a significant impact.

Maria Jones40 said:Honestly, I see people constantly dragging doctors and medical staff through the mud here. It isn’t just happening now, either; it’s been a recurring theme where incredibly harsh falsehoods are spread, calls for "confronting" physicians are made, and there's just a general lack of basic decency. It really isn't okay, and frankly, you shouldn't be advising this lady to take such an aggressive stance.
The woman you're addressing mentioned that at the hospital where her initial CT scan was performed, she was told the tumor wasn't growing. However, she didn't provide two subsequent CT scans that actually showed the tumor was regressing. Now, they are comparing today's CT results to that very first one. So, who is really at fault here—is it the patient who isn't providing her full medical history, or is it the radiologist? She also noted that her bronchoscopy went well, thank God, and she's just waiting on the cytology results from the pleural effusion. What more was the doctor supposed to tell her? He gave her the facts straight, without rushing or being unprofessional. Once those cytology results come back, she'll have that information too. No one is hiding anything from her, unless the patient specifically requests that certain things be kept from her family, which is a right that must be respected.
I always felt this forum was meant to serve as a sort of psychological support system for patients and their families, not as a place to lecture others with "medical expertise" or to tear down the professionals who are trying to help you in any capacity.

I truly hope you never find yourself in the same position we've been in.
For about two or three weeks, my father was being put through these painful nerve blocks for his sciatica, and even after he had a CT scan last week, the doctors still couldn't figure out what was wrong and just kept pushing the blocks. He was literally falling apart, doubled over in agony, yet the doctor insisted it was impossible because the degenerative changes in his spine weren't severe enough to even warrant surgery. He even had an MRI, and once again, those geniuses were stumped! It wasn't until they saw how high his CRP levels had spiked that they finally acted. They rushed him to abdominal surgery, where the Chief of Abdominal Surgery—who also happens to be the hospital's Vice President—performed the operation. When I asked him how the surgery went and what the actual issue was, he told me they had cleared out a purulent inflammatory process in the retroperitoneum, placed a drain, and things were looking up. It wasn't until we spoke to the surgical technician that we realized it wasn't that simple and that they had actually taken tissue samples for analysis. The doctor only confirmed this later when we pressed him for answers.
We’ve been waiting three whole weeks for the pathology results. You might wonder why it's taking so long. The esteemed doctor claimed he had sent them off to a specialist in a major city like Chicago or New York due to some uncertainties.
But let me tell you, those results didn't go to a big city specialist. After a week of waiting, we ended up driving the results ourselves to the local university hospital. Neither the "esteemed" surgeon nor the pathologist even bothered to send them over.
What am I supposed to do, thank them for delaying my father from receiving at least a month of necessary chemotherapy??

Maria Jones40 said:And one more thing, which is huge. A patient has every right to pick their own doctor. They have the right to seek treatment wherever they want in the United States. The absolute prerequisite for successful treatment is trust between the patient and the physician—without that, you just end up with mutual frustration and a massive headache for everyone involved. So, honestly? Just switch doctors. Move to a different city if you have to. But please, stop belittling professionals who have spent years honing their expertise and are doing their level best to care for you.

My mom’s been battling colon cancer for months now—five months, actually—and we haven't even really kicked off the actual treatment yet, not to mention the endless nightmare of hurdles we've had to jump through. I usually post over on WebMD, but I keep a close eye on this forum too.
Look, we aren't happy with the oncologist, but the idea of switching doctors, hospitals, or moving to a whole new city feels totally impossible right now; it feels like starting from zero. All that talk about "having choices" sounds great in theory, but in the real world, it just doesn't work like that.

My poor mom has dealt with about a dozen different doctors by now, and frankly, seven out of ten of them should probably find a new career path because it's clear they aren't doing this out of passion or even a genuine desire to help people—they sure aren't providing top-tier care.

Maria Jones40

It feels like you’ve never actually had to deal with a loved one being seriously ill, which is probably why you’re talking like this. You haven't really sat there in a hospital room facing that reality. Or maybe you're a doctor yourself? Because you sound like one—someone who assumes every physician out there is some flawless expert, perfectly kind and professional, and that everything just runs flawlessly without any issues.

If that were true, then how do you explain what happened to Miroslav maškarin? He lost his leg during what was supposed to be a routine appendectomy. That surgeon didn't even bother to visit him once while he was recovering in the hospital. Not even a single word of apology for the fact that a young man became disabled because of his mistake. To be blunt, the doctor wouldn't even admit he made a medical error, so he wasn't held accountable. Honestly, I think he should be punished, if only to make sure something like this never happens to another patient again.

Maria Jones40 said:Seriously guys, what is wrong with you? I honestly can't believe this. What century are you people living in? These days, things are actually discussed openly. Obviously, they don't tell the patient every single little detail—because, hey, sometimes you don't need to know everything—but the family is always kept in the loop. Especially when we're talking about serious illnesses. The family knows absolutely everything down to the last detail, provided they actually want to know and can wrap their heads around it. Now, if half the people in America are too clueless to understand what's happening, that’s a different story entirely. But you don't have the right to constantly trash medical staff or spread nonsense and lies.

Since you're coming for me, let me make one thing clear: I am not "clueless." Go pick on someone else. Besides, every single CT scan we've done shows shadows on Jordan, and I have the copies right here. I never said I forgot all the CT scans—I meant I missed two of them! Look, I have every right to forget things or mess up a date; we've been fighting this disease for a long damn time. Sometimes things slip my mind. But the doctor treating him? He doesn't. I have never once trashed my husband's doctor. He's the only one treating him there, and so far, things have been good. I never said the doctor was at fault, or anyone else was responsible for this situation; I just said I wanted a straight answer. I've spent the last four years reading every medical journal under the sun and staying informed. You really think my husband would have lived this long and this well if I were some illiterate idiot who didn't care what was going on? How would you act if someone close to you got sick?
Nobody here is playing games, trashing anyone, or lying about the medical staff. Thank God they exist to help us. We know they aren't miracle workers, but we know they do what they can within their field. And I am grateful to them for every bit of help they give.
And you, honey, you clearly have no idea what actual illness looks like, or how much grit and courage it takes to fight for your life. I'm guessing you work in healthcare? Well, I work in a hospital too, even if it's just a little bit!

Maria Jones40 said:Yeah, there's constant bashing of doctors and medical staff here. Not just now, but it’s happened plenty of times before—outright lies being told, calls for confrontations with physicians, and just generally uncivil behavior. That’s absolutely not okay. And you're actually advising this lady to be aggressive too.
I thought this forum was meant to provide psychological support for patients and their families, not serve as a place to "flaunt medical knowledge" or smear the profession and the people trying to help you in every way possible.

I wrote a massive response to what you said, but it got deleted, so I'll just redo it here, but shorter... basically... here's the deal...

It is definitely not true that people are constantly bashing doctors or advocating for it. What's actually happening is that people are forced to ask questions, investigate, and demand things they have a right to know about, yet no one guides them through it. When they do ask, they get dismissed or mocked. It isn't "uncivilized" to demand an explanation; most of us aren't doctors and don't deal with medical jargon every single day.
It’s pathetic that patients have to fight just to get information about their condition, treatment options, medications, side effects, and so many other things...

And as for gross lies, there's no such thing here. People are simply recounting their own experiences, and unfortunately, those experiences are all real. Do you honestly think we all came here, while fighting for our own lives or the lives of our loved ones, just to make things up? 🙄 Give me a break. The problem is that every story shared here is true, sadly. Everything we write about, everything we face, and everything we struggle against is real.

You can't even imagine what my family went through while my father was sick, or what many people here are going through right now. I don't even have the strength to recount everything we endured. And I'm not writing this out of bitterness or rage because my father lost his battle with illness—that's a different topic entirely. I'm writing this out of the frustration and grief of having to fight daily against doctors and hospital staff while simultaneously fighting for his life. Don't even get me started on the lack of a kind word, the lack of understanding, or basic decency. We are in a hospital, not at some DMV where being brushed off is considered normal.

At the end of the day, not everyone is the same—not all professors, merchants, or conductors are the same either. So, I am not generalizing. I am writing about MY experience, just like everyone else writes about THEIR experience. Unfortunately, that might look like an attack sometimes, but it's just us recounting what we survived.

Yeah, right. It’s just that easy to go out and change an entire city, the hospital system, your whole life, and everything else overnight... I'm just not sure where exactly that happens.

Linda Peterson37 said:Yeah, right, because it's just so easy to just swap out an entire city, the hospital system, your whole life, and everything else overnight... I mean, I don't think there's a single place on Earth where that actually works like that...

Exactly. And don't even get me started on the money side of things. When someone gets sick, man, you have no idea how fast your bank account drains out!!! So yeah, tell me again how easy it is to just move cities or switch up hospitals or jump to another state! I'm barely scraping by as it is, yet some people who wouldn't know a medical crisis if it hit them in the face are sitting there acting all high and mighty. Nobody except us folks posting here actually understands how much a life can flip upside down in a single morning. But we're all tough, leaning on each other, you know? We get it. We've all been knocked down and had to claw our way back up. People who haven't lived through that? They don't get it, and honestly, they don't have any right to judge.

Look, at the end of the day, I work in healthcare myself, so I’ve seen how the sausage gets made. Honestly? If I knew less, my life would probably be a lot easier.

I didn't get a chance to mention earlier that my dad was first seen in Neurology and then moved over to Surgery.
After an endless barrage of pelvic X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, they somehow completely missed a 16 cm tumor. Can you believe that? Then, right after the surgery, he had another CT scan, and the report just says there aren't any significant changes and leaves it at that!?!!!!
We were told this was some kind of urgent situation, yet we heard from one of the surgical techs that the entire surgical team actually huddled together once they opened him up because they had never seen anything quite like it.
So much for that "emergency" urgency, right??
Look, I get that things can be unpredictable, but shouldn't the chief of surgery be able to tell when something is significantly more serious than a simple inflammation???
And so we sat there waiting three weeks for the results, only for the doctor covering the shift to just bluntly state it was a tumor of the pelvic bone. He just stood there, silent as the grave. In that moment, I was so stunned by the shock that I couldn't even process where that part of the body even was. He just kept shutting down. I tried to ask if it was in the early stages, and he just goes, "Well, not exactly." I asked if it had metastasized, and he replied, "No." He literally couldn't manage to put two coherent sentences together—even something he could have easily looked up online—to explain what was happening. Apparently, in his 23 years of practice, he had never encountered a tumor like this in an adult.
To make matters worse, the report we waited three whole weeks for wasn't even fully defined and required further processing. We ended up having to wait another week for an oncologist from out of town to tell those idiots that they should have sent the tissue samples to Shalat immediately.
We actually ended up personally transporting two blocks of tissue ourselves, and the Pathologists could barely even locate one of them.
I know not every doctor is the same, but this has been our direct experience dealing with the local hospital system.
We are finally seeing Dr. Šantek at Rebro, and honestly, I have nothing but praise for him. Above all else, he is a human being who truly respects his patients. To him, we aren't just numbers on a chart; we are actual people with names and stories.

Does anyone happen to know how to get in touch with the healer from Bibinje, Marijan Kero?

Melissa Stewart said:I didn't get a chance to mention that my dad was first seen in Neurology, and then moved over to surgery.
After a mountain of pelvic X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, they somehow MISSED a 16 cm tumor. Like, seriously? After the surgery, they did another CT, and the report just says "no significant changes" and calls it a day!!?!!!!
They claim it’s an emergency, right? But we found out from the surgical nurse that they had to call in every single surgeon on staff once they actually opened him up because they’d never seen anything like it.
So much for that "urgent" timeline, huh??
Look, I get it if they didn't know exactly what they were looking at, but for crying out loud, shouldn't the chief surgeon realize something is way more serious than just some inflammation???
And then we’re stuck waiting three weeks for results, and when the doctor who was just filling in finally showed up, he just mumbled something about a bone tumor in the intestine. Then he just stood there, silent as a grave. In that moment, I was so shocked I couldn't even process where that part of the body even was. He just kept quiet. I tried asking if it was early stage, and he goes, "Well, not really." Asked if it had metastasized, and he's like, "No." He literally couldn't string two decent sentences together—stuff he could have easily looked up online. Apparently, in 23 years of practice, he'd never run into a tumor like this in an adult.
And the kicker? The report we waited three weeks for wasn't even definitive and needed more work. We had to wait another week for an oncologist from out of town to tell those idiots they should have sent the tissue to Shalat immediately.
We ended up carrying two blocks of tissue ourselves, and the Pathologists could barely find one of them.
I'm not saying all doctors are the same, but that’s just how it went for us at the local hospital.
Finally, we're at Rebro seeing Dr. Šantek, and honestly, I can't say enough good things about him. Most importantly, he’s a human being who actually respects his patients. To him, we aren't just numbers on a chart; we're actual people.

Does anyone know how to get in touch with that healer from Bibinje, Marijan Kero?

My experience with the general hospital was just as nightmareish. Pure negligence. That's why I was so relieved when he was transferred to Jordan. They actually put in the effort there, diagnosed the carcinoma immediately, and jumped straight into treatment. If he’d stayed at the general hospital for even a few more days, he would've died—they would've been cleaning him up off the floor. This was four years ago, but I haven't forgotten, and the thought of being treated at that general hospital still creeps me out.

🙄

Maria Jones40 said:Honestly, people, I am genuinely baffled by some of you. I have no idea what century you think we’re living in. Nowadays, things are actually discussed openly. Of course, not every single detail is laid out for the patient—not everyone needs to carry that weight—but the family is always kept in the loop. Especially when dealing with a serious illness, the family deserves to know everything, provided they are willing and able to process it. If half the population in America struggles with basic comprehension, that’s a separate issue entirely. But you don't have the right to constantly bash medical staff or spread blatant misinformation just because you're unhappy.

Look, keeping the family informed is one thing, but is lying really necessary? The surgeon told my brother and me that he had extended our mother's life by three or four years, even though the cancer had already metastasized everywhere. She passed away a month later. Hello? Helloooo???
He could have simply said he performed the surgery to prevent an intestinal blockage and to ensure she didn't suffer needlessly (she had ovarian adenocarcinoma). Instead, I spent three weeks hunting him down at Mayo Clinic over those lies. After she passed, the nurses finally let us know they knew all along there was nothing more they could do.
Then there's my friend's case: her uncle died of lung cancer, and nobody told him anything—though he was already quite frail from brain issues. Then, out of nowhere, the doctor basically drops the bomb at the very end: "Yeah, you have lung cancer, and you've got about a month left."
Where on earth do you live, dear? I realize doctors are human too, and after seeing so much tragedy, they can become desensitized. Sometimes they act incredibly blunt just as a defense mechanism against the emotional toll. But they know—especially oncologists—that they aren't treating minor sniffles or hypochondriacs; they are treating people facing terminal illnesses, and that is heavy work.

Amanda Miller69 said:🙄

Look, keeping the family in the loop about what's going on is one thing, but does it really have to involve straight-up lying? Seriously, the surgeon told my brother and me that our mom had gained maybe three or four years of life, all while the cancer was actually spreading through her entire body—and then she passed away just a month later. Hellooo???
He could have just been honest and said he performed the surgery to prevent an intestinal blockage so she wouldn't die in agony (she had ovarian adenocarcinoma). Honestly, I spent three weeks hunting that guy down at Rebro because of those lies. When she finally died, the nurses pulled us aside and admitted they already knew there was nothing more they could do for her.
Then there's this friend of mine whose uncle passed away from lung cancer. Nobody wanted to tell him anything—not that he wasn't already fading fast after dealing with brain issues—but then out of nowhere, right at the end, the doctor just drops the hammer: "Yeah, you've got lung cancer and you've got about a month left."
I mean, honey, where on earth do you live? I get it, doctors are human beings too, and after seeing so much tragedy day in and day out, they can get totally numb to it all. Sometimes they even act incredibly callous just as a way to shield themselves from the heavy emotions, but let's be real—they know (especially the oncologists) that they aren't there to treat sniffles or hypochondriacs; they're dealing with people who are seriously, often terminally, ill, and that kind of weight isn't easy to carry.

Don't get me wrong, I realize medical staff are working under absolutely impossible conditions most of the time, but there are definitely certain individuals out there who aren't fit for such a profoundly human profession. In my opinion, people like that should just open their own private clinics; they’d see how much "profit" they could make before making one single mistake and losing every last patient they have. Listen, as long as we, the taxpayers, are footing the bill, funding the facilities, and pouring money into charitable drives, we have a fundamental right to quality care. We shouldn't have to deal with certain individuals acting like untouchable Masons, turning public hospitals into their own little fiefdoms where they play god with someone's life or death. There needs to be actual accountability when mistakes happen.

Maria Jones40 said:Yeah, there’s this constant bashing of doctors and medical staff happening here. It’s not just now, either—it’s been happening for ages. People are spreading blatant lies and calling for "confrontations" with physicians, which usually just boils down to being plain rude. That’s absolutely unacceptable. And you’re actually advising this lady to be aggressive toward them.
The lady you're talking to mentioned that at the hospital where her initial CT scan was done, she was told the tumor wasn't growing. But let's be real: she didn't provide the two subsequent CT scans that actually showed the tumor regressing. Now, she’s comparing today’s CT results back to that very first one. So, who's really at fault here? Is it the patient failing to provide a complete medical history, or is it the radiologist? She also noted that the bronchoscopy went fine, thank God, and now we're just waiting on the cytology results from the pleural effusion. What more was the doctor supposed to say? He said everything he needed to say—clearly, professionally, and without rushing to judgment. Once the cytology comes back, she'll have that info too. Nobody is hiding anything from her, unless she specifically asks that her family not be informed, which is a right we have to respect.
I always thought this forum was meant to be a psychological support system for patients and their families, not a place to play "medical expert" or a platform to smear the professionals who are actually trying to help you.

I need you to get specific. Who exactly is spreading these lies, and where? Quote them and explain. Everyone posting here is just speaking from their own lived experience.
Unfortunately, this forum exists because people are being denied the information they have a fundamental right to access every single day. We aren't just talking about status updates; we're talking about treatment details and everything connected to it.
What you call "flaunting medical knowledge," I call wading through the mud just to try and make sense of things that are happening—or failing to happen—to us.
Everything these individuals have started—and I count myself among them, especially regarding our advocacy work and specific initiatives—is the kind of thing that should be organized at a federal or professional level in any healthy, functioning society. It shouldn't be the case that one girl, Ana Rukavina, has to organize a stem cell bank from a deathbed instead of some highly paid official doing their job.
So, don't try to sugarcoat things when the reality is as hard as rock. We have massive problems; frankly, the whole system is a total circus. Now, they're even quietly shutting down labs in local community clinics...
And yeah, we definitely need psychological support—not for the patients, but to deal with the outbursts from certain strange individuals who seem to think they're qualified to play God with our lives every single day.

Angela Wright said:Look, I need you to be specific—tell me exactly who is lying and where they’re spreading these falsehoods. Give me quotes, give me explanations. Every single person posting on this board is just speaking from their own lived experience.
Unfortunately, this whole forum exists because people are being denied information they have a fundamental right to access every single day. And I'm not talking about basic status updates; I'm talking about treatment protocols and everything tied to that.
What you're calling "debating medical knowledge," I call wading through a massive pile of crap just so we can somehow help ourselves and make sense of things that (don't) happen to us.
Everything this movement has kicked off—and yeah, my tiny self is part of it, specifically regarding the association and our actual initiatives—is stuff that in any normal, healthy society would be organized at a federal or professional level. It shouldn't be happening like this, where one girl, Ana Rukavina, has to organize a stem cell bank from a deathbed instead of some highly paid professional being tasked to do that job properly.
So don't try to sugarcoat things when the reality is hard as rock. We have plenty of problems, actually; we're living in a total circus. Now, they're even secretly shutting down labs in local clinics...
Yeah, you seriously need psychological support just to deal with the outbursts from certain weirdos—people who are basically old enough for psychiatric care themselves—who feel entitled to dictate our destinies every damn day.

🙏

...I honestly had no idea there was this much stuff in a banana... or maybe I just didn't want to believe it, which is pretty pathetic if you ask me 🙄

Look, people, you have to give credit where it's due. You have to acknowledge the good experiences and those moments when the staff is actually decent and warm—I've seen plenty of that in waiting rooms, hospital wards, and labs. Like slyseal28, I’ve had my share of positive encounters, and I’m not ashamed to say so. Yesterday, after seeing the oncologist, we stopped by our local general hospital to finalize things. Our pulmonologist actually OFFERED us a few infusions "to help him bounce back a bit"—he noticed he'd dropped a few pounds. Once we agreed, I asked him when I should bring in the referral, and he just said, "Don't worry about a referral, the hospital is covering this!" That's how he handled the infusion yesterday, and today they're doing it again with some extra supplements "just so he can breathe easier," and told him he absolutely needs to come back tomorrow. How am I supposed to argue with that? When I ask for things, as I mentioned earlier, we get our CT results the very same day, and they schedule follow-ups as close to the initial appointment as possible. Even radiology is fantastic. The cooperation with the primary care doctor is seamless, and the lab is just as good—we have zero complaints. Maybe because of this heavy diagnosis, we’re simply "lucky" that doors are opening for us. My heart goes out to everyone who doesn't have it this easy, those who have to fight uphill against windmills... perhaps in the big cities, certain values have just been lost along the way.

Mišice07, thanks again for the advice regarding Taxol; I took it all to heart. Even though it hasn't been prescribed this time—the oncologist decided to hold off, saying it's our last line of defense and we still have room to move forward with Tarcev—we actually started the 7th box today!

[/CODE]Susan Ruiz76;16182077]But honestly, everyone, you have to acknowledge the good experiences too. We really should give credit where it's due when we encounter genuine kindness and professionalism—and I’ve seen plenty of that in waiting rooms, hospital wards, and labs. Much like slyseal28, I’ve had some wonderful experiences myself, and I’m not ashamed to share them. Just yesterday, after our appointment with the oncologist, we stopped by our local community hospital to coordinate next steps. Our pulmonologist actually offered us a few infusions right then and there just to help him stabilize—he noticed he’d lost a bit of weight—and once we agreed, I asked about the paperwork required for a referral. He just smiled and said, "Don't worry about a referral; the hospital is covering this!" That’s how he received his infusion yesterday, and today he’s back for more supplements just to help him breathe easier, and the doctor insisted he come back tomorrow as well. How could I possibly argue with that kind of care? When I ask for help, things move seamlessly; as I mentioned earlier, we get our CT results the very same day, and they schedule follow-ups as close to the original timeline as possible. Even the radiology department has been fantastic, and the coordination with our primary care physician and the lab has been flawless. We truly have no complaints. Perhaps, given the heavy burden of this illness, we are simply "lucky" that the doors have stayed open and the paths have been cleared for us. My heart goes out to those who aren't having such a smooth journey, those who feel like they are constantly tilting at windmills; perhaps in the larger metropolitan areas, some fundamental values have just been lost along the way...

I have had an incredibly positive experience through the entire process of diagnosing, treating, and managing my husband's lung adenocarcinoma, specifically working with the pulmonary clinic and the surgical department at the Mayo Clinic. The approach taken by the pulmonologists—their sheer humanity combined with their clinical expertise—has truly exceeded all our expectations. I also want to extend my deepest gratitude to the associate professor over in Gastroenterology. Everything was handled with such dignity and skill, even though we didn't have any special connections or significant financial resources to lean on.
At the same time, I truly empathize with all of you who have faced negative experiences during your most vulnerable moments, and I am so deeply sorry that you've had to endure that.
I don't work in the medical field myself, but I deeply respect the work these professionals do, regardless of the systemic issues currently facing our hospitals, and I find myself frequently praying for all the wonderful people who have stepped up to help us.

Maria Jones40 said:Yeah, there's this constant pattern of trashing doctors and medical staff. It’s not just happening now, either; it’s been going on forever. People throw out these massive lies and call for some kind of "confrontation" with their doctors, which is honestly just plain rude. It's totally uncalled for. And you’re actually suggesting this lady should be aggressive toward them?
...
I always thought this forum was meant to be a psychological support system for patients and their families, not a place where people flex their "medical knowledge" or find every possible way to smear the professionals who are actually trying to help you.

Look, it's obvious everyone here is just digging in their heels to defend their own side. But let's be real: if you ever end up in the same boat we're all in right now—which, by the way, I hope you never do—you'll never be on the same level as us regular folks. To them, you’ll always just be a colleague from the industry. That means you'll get info easier and more doors will swing open for you. Let's face it, the treatment is just different.

It’s not rare to see a waiting room packed to the gills with people, all fighting cancer, only to have some doctor's colleague walk in—who's also sick, mind you—and bypass the entire line to go straight into the exam room. For her, waiting just doesn't exist.
And that's just one example, probably the most obvious one.

I’m really glad I sparked this discussion! It’s wonderful to see people stepping up to share their positive experiences. Honestly, I suspect there are many more success stories out there; it’s just that those people don't necessarily feel the need to shout about them.
On a personal note, having dealt with similar health struggles within my own family, I can’t say enough good things about the doctors and nurses working in the oncology clinics. They truly deserve so much credit. The mental toll of the work they do is immense, yet they handle everything with such incredible professionalism. Eventually, when I have a moment, I’ll address some of the insults that have been thrown around here, and I’ll make sure my points are well-reasoned.
Just a quick thought on the Ana Rukavina foundation—to me, it feels like just another rushed project that will never truly take root here in the States. I doubt it will raise sufficient funds, and I suspect the individuals who were supported might not step up when it's time to give back, since for them, it was all just a temporary crisis. Most importantly, this specific model of support is being phased out; by the time a fund like this actually becomes fully operational in ten years, the method itself will likely be obsolete. It feels like another failed initiative. I’d love to be proven wrong, but we’ll just have to wait and see.