Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

quietpilot87—sending my sincere condolences...

quietpilot87 said:My mother passed away this morning.

Our whole family is just so grateful we had this much time with her—both for her sake and ours. It sounds strange to say, but in the middle of everything, we couldn't have asked for a better outcome.

I feel so lucky that I truly grasped how incredible she was and managed to tell her so while she was still able to hear me. She was the kind of soul who never had a single selfish thought or a moment of bitterness; she spent her entire life looking out for everyone else, especially Dad, my brother, and me, always making sure we were okay mentally.

Her heart was so big that it’s hard to even put into words without sounding cliché. During this difficult stretch, there were moments where I felt completely overwhelmed, and I just found myself leaning on her love and her strength.

Such a beautiful soul. Fly high... fly far. I love you.

I am so sorry. Please accept my deepest condolences.😢

quietpilot87, my sincere condolences. I wish you and your family strength for what lies ahead. You’re going to need it.🙂

Thanks, everyone—you’re already helping more than you probably realize 🙂

TincH, I am so incredibly sorry, truly!!!

So, there’s a lot of news on my end—though none of it is exactly what anyone would call "good." I had my PET scan done and should get those results in a few days, but during my thyroid ultrasound, they spotted two enlarged lymph nodes. They actually biopsied them today, so now I'm just sitting here waiting on the results. And, because life loves to throw curveballs, I’ve started seeing blood in my urine again due to some microhematuria, so tomorrow I have to head in for a cystoscopy... I don't even know what to say. It feels like I'm getting hit with a mountain of information all at once, but I'm trying to stay relatively level-headed. I guess I'm just sticking to my motto... out of the frying pan and into the fire, right? Honestly, I swear to God, I don't even feel sick; I’m just feeling extra exhausted and sleepy, but I’ll probably just blame that on the weather.
I really hope you guys are staying brave and hanging in there...
Best, Dina

Dear quietpilot87,

I am deeply sorry to hear about the passing of your mother, though I know that no matter how far you travel, a profound part of her will always remain within you and close to your heart... It is truly difficult to accept the loss of someone so dear, yet you have always shown such courage and capacity for love, and I am certain you will continue on your path, guided by the very love she instilled in you. Do not worry, I believe you will find yourselves reunited again under much better circumstances...

Stay strong.

Grace Fowler said:John Doe, you have my deepest sympathies!!!

There are quite a few updates on my end, though none of them are particularly cheerful; I recently had a ScanTech procedure which came back after a few days, but during the Shield City ultrasound, they spotted two enlarged lymph nodes that were biopsied today, and now I am simply waiting on those results. To make matters more tedious, I’ve started seeing blood in my urine again due to microhematuria, so tomorrow I have to head in for a cystoscopy... what can I even say, there is an influx of information lately, yet I am maintaining a relatively calm composure and moving forward with my usual mantra... one cannot jump from the frying pan into the fire... Truth be told, I don't feel physically unwell, just a bit more fatigued and lethargic than usual, which I will simply attribute to the change in seasons...
I hope you all stay brave and hang in there...
Best, Dan

Dear Dan,

I am following every update alongside you, because ever since I first joined this forum, you have been a source of strength for me, helping me push away all those heavy, negative thoughts...

I truly admire your courage, your faith, and your resilience. Sometimes I wish my own mother possessed that same spirit. However, as the days pass, I find myself increasingly fearful that she is faltering in her own fight...

Just when she felt emboldened enough to return to a normal life, the anxiety intensified with her trip for a PET scan. The diagnosis provided by the specialists here in the States was an enlarged lymph node in the left side of the abdomen. Feeling a momentary sense of relief—since she is a heavy smoker and we expected the lungs to be compromised already—she called her oncologist in San Diego, who told her everything was fine because her blood work looked stable. However, the doctors in Eagle State did not agree, and she was summoned for an urgent evaluation. I am not entirely sure what they determined at that moment, but I was told she needed immediate surgery to perform an exploratory laparotomy and biopsy the abdominal organs. That "emergency" surgery has since devolved into a month-long wait for a call from Eagle State. The procedure is finally scheduled for this Friday, but judging by her mental state and general physical condition—she has let herself go terribly, indulging in junk food and the worst processed products humanity has to offer—I honestly do not know what to expect. The hardest part is that we are separated by so many miles and borders that I will likely be the last one to know what is actually happening...

What have they told you regarding the lymph nodes?

In any case, with plenty of faith, hope, and sincere intention, I hope that we will all soon—both the fighters and those of us closest to them—find a little more strength to combat this wretched thing!

Hang in there, Dan!

Tim ...... 🙂

quietpilot87 said:My mom passed away this morning.

The whole family feels incredibly lucky that we got so much time with her—both for her sake and for ours. It sounds crazy to say, I know, but given how everything went down, we couldn't have asked for a better outcome.

I’m just really grateful that I finally truly grasped how incredible she was and actually managed to tell her so while she was still here to hear it. She was one of those rare souls who, right up until the very end, never had a single selfish thought or an ounce of bitterness; she never complained once, just spent every waking moment looking out for everyone else—especially Dad, my brother, and me, making sure we were all holding up okay mentally.

Her heart was just so massive that trying to put it into words feels almost too cliché, if I'm being honest. During this whole heavy stretch, there were moments where I honestly felt like I might just crumble, but I kept going because I was completely floored by the sheer love and strength that woman possessed.

Such a beautiful soul, just... fly high. I love you, Mom.

My deepest condolences, Tim

my sweet Tim

Tim - my heart really goes out to you
your mom must have been so incredibly proud to have such a brave daughter like you

Dina - hang in there. just keep believing that everything is going to work out okay
you know better than anyone how much staying positive actually matters 🙂

Dina, I just heard things took a turn for the worse and you ended up in the hospital😢. Please let us know how you’re doing as soon as you see this—or have your husband reach out. We are all incredibly worried about you. If there is anything at all you need, don't hesitate to ask.
We love you

Angela Wright said:Dina, I heard things got complicated and you ended up in the hospital😢. Please let us know how you're doing as soon as you see this, or have your husband reach out. We're all so worried about you! If you need anything at all, just say the word.
We love you!

Thanks Ivan for letting us know.
Dina... we're right here with you, keeping everything crossed that those complications clear up fast...
🙂

At 6:30 this morning, we lost yet another young life...😢

My cousin, Peter, passed away at just 24 years old after a grueling battle with a severe and aggressive illness.😢

Please, everyone, stay strong and keep fighting through the hard times...

rapidseal49 said:At 6:30 this morning, we lost yet another young life...😢

My cousin, Peter (24), passed away following a battle with a brutal, aggressive illness....😢

Hang in there, everyone. Keep fighting......

rapidseal49, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss😢. Peter, rest easy in a place far more beautiful than this valley of tears

rapidseal49 said:around 6:30 this morning, another young life was cut short...😢

My cousin, Peter (24), passed away from the complications of a brutal, aggressive illness....😢

Hang in there, guys. Just keep fighting......

So sorry for your loss.😢😢

rapidseal49 said:At 6:30 this morning, we lost another young soul...😢

My cousin, Peter (24), passed away from complications from a serious illness....😢

Hang in there, everyone, stay strong......

I am so sorry 🙂 my heart goes out to you and your family.

rapidseal49 said:At 6:30 this morning, we lost another young life...😢

My cousin, Peter (24), passed away from the complications of a severe and aggressive illness....😢

Everyone, please stay strong and keep fighting......

rapidseal49, please accept my deepest condolences. It’s heartbreaking whenever anyone passes, but it hits especially hard when they are so young.😢

rapidseal49 said:at 6:30 this morning, we lost another young life...😢

my cousin, Peter (24), passed away from the complications of a severe and aggressive illness....😢

everyone, please, just hang in there—keep fighting......

My deepest condolences 😢
he’s in a better place now, finally free from all the suffering and pain

Dan reached out. He'll be back home soon and will check in then. Honestly, I was starting to get really worried.