Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Hey Brenda Walker58, sending my best to you and your family!

Honestly, I don't really have much to add beyond what you already said—just hang in there and don't back down.

I'm really hoping your parents pull through and feel better once they finish their treatments.

🙂

Brenda Walker58 said:I’ve been lurking on this forum for quite some time now, weighing whether or not I should actually contribute anything meaningful. It isn't exactly a comfort to realize how many people here are fighting battles remarkably similar to my own—it’s a heavy realization to know there are so many of us dealing with such devastating circumstances—but there is a certain relief in reading about others who are simply finding ways to push forward. So, here is my story.
About three years ago, my father underwent surgery for a renal cell carcinoma that had essentially taken over his entire left kidney. For three years, he went in for check-ups every six months, always arriving with all his paperwork ready—CT scans, blood work, the whole bit. Then, last year, around August, he started experiencing this vague, nagging pain in his right leg. It wasn't localized specifically, just a dull ache high up near the gluteal muscle. We spent four months cycling through various specialists before an ultrasound finally revealed a 12.5 x 8cm tumor on his sacrum—a recurrence of the renal cell carcinoma. And of course, that wasn't the end of the bad news. It turns out there are metastases in his lungs. He is doing okay for now, currently undergoing treatment with Sutent (one 30-tablet pack of 50mg doses costs around $0.00, and he's already on his third round). I find myself agreeing with someone else who posted previously: our healthcare system is fundamentally broken. This medication is technically covered, yet practically unreachable because the cost is astronomical. It really makes you wonder why we spend our entire lives working and paying into a system that fails us when it matters most. To make matters even more overwhelming, my mother is also ill. Just a month or two after Dad's diagnosis, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went straight into surgery and is currently navigating chemotherapy; she has her third session in a week. She's handling it relatively well—no vomiting, just the occasional headache and, naturally, some hair loss. On top of all that, my grandmother passed away two weeks ago. She was my rock, the person I leaned on through everything, and losing her has been devastating. Honestly, this whole situation feels like a prelude to something even harder.
I am not sharing all of this to vent or play the victim, though believe me, the urge is there. I just wanted to share my experience in case it offers any solace to someone else. I am not the type to throw in the towel, and I have no intention of giving up on my life, regardless of how chaotic things feel right now. We all navigate these tragedies in our own way, but I try to hold onto the thought that this, too, shall pass. That is my mantra in the midst of this madness.😉
Hang in there, everyone.

Best,
I am so sorry you're going through such a brutal stretch. I've walked a very similar path. Three years ago, I lost my father to a heart attack, my grandmother passed away last year, and just about a month ago, my mother passed from ovarian cancer.
It's incredibly difficult, but life doesn't stop moving.
Wishing you and your family strength in the fight ahead.👍

Amy Gray75 said:Hey there,

I could really use a little help here.
My mom is going through chemotherapy right now, and she’s lost her hair. We actually bought her a wig, but she honestly feels much more like herself when she wears scarves.
Does anyone know where I can pick up some 100% cotton scarves around Washington, D.C.?

Thanks so much in advance..

I know there's a shop that sells wigs—it's somewhere near a local suburb, I think.
Most of the time, my mom prefers wearing those headwraps that look almost like a turban,😁 you just pull them over your head and tie them at the front. We call them turbans, even if they aren't technically that, but they carry all sorts of stylish wraps and turbans there.
The prices are absolutely outrageous👎 considering it's basically just a scrap of fabric mixed with a bit of elastane.
Honestly, they are incredibly easy to take care of, too.

If I were you, I'd try to find some nice fabric, grab a pair of scissors, and just DIY something yourself. Those silk scarves used for tie-dyeing aren't nearly as expensive. And you can probably find plenty of cotton ones at those local Indian grocery stores.

Brenda Walker58 said:Hey everyone, hang in there!

Hi there, hope you're doing alright. 🙂

Nancy Thomas18 said:Smoking is pretty much what keeps me upright, and honestly, just like your mom, I've always had a cigarette practically glued to my hand.🤷I’m not exactly a saint myself, except for that one week when I’m heading in for chemo. Hang in there.

Hang in there, lady! 🙂

You're quite a bit younger than my own mother, and from reading your posts, it's clear you've got a really strong spirit. I know smoking isn't great—you know that better than anyone—but then again, I smoke way too much myself, mostly just to deal with the stress and the exhaustion. It’s all going to work out fine. 🙂

As for my mom, there's no way we're getting her in for an appointment right now, especially since there's talk about some tuberculosis cases popping up over at the local community clinic, and apparently even among the staff if I heard correctly. It's honestly terrifying.👎

Nancy Hernandez43 said:It’s honestly not surprising at all that she’s smoking or trying to hide her pills—fear really does a number on people like that, and I saw my own mother act in pretty much the exact same way.

Amanda Miller69 said:My mom used to pull similar stunts when she was staying at the hospital.

I can't even begin to tell you how much you guys have helped me out. 😘

I'm also curious about Tarceva—anyone actually tried it? Does it even do anything for pleural mesothelioma?

I was wondering if anyone could share some thoughts or advice regarding the diet outlined in the Dr. Budwig book
THANKS

Melissa Kim45, you were asking how my dad was doing... well, the surgery went great. He’s actually recovering incredibly well. They were able to discharge him just a week after the procedure. For the time being, he’s stayed off the cigarettes. I really hope it stays that way.🙄
But, right after everything wrapped up, the doctors gave us the reality check. They said while the technical side of things went perfectly, that's only half the battle. We're still waiting on the pathology reports before we can meet with the oncologist to figure out the next move.

Sending strength to everyone else in this group. Hang in there.

Honestly, reading through all this—I’m just in awe of how optimistic you guys are. My eyes are actually tearing up reading about everyone's struggles here... I really want to believe things will turn around for everyone and that staying positive is the way to go (even if I'm clearly not one of those people). Just a quick question for the group—my father-in-law has a bronchial tumor that's inoperable, and he still has two rounds of chemo left to go. After that, we're basically in the dark; nobody is giving us any clear answers, and he starts his treatment in February. We decided to look into an alternative route—specifically using Panaceo Med powder and Panaceo capsules (that zeolite-based stuff from Euroanime $600)—on a monthly basis. Does anyone here actually have experience with this supplement? Thanks in advance..

The whole point is to boost his immune system so he can actually handle the chemo better... so yeah, any experiences or feedback would be great... or maybe we should just try something more effective?

Kimberly Bishop91 said:The whole point is to boost the immune system so they can handle chemo a bit better... so yeah, sharing experiences and comments is helpful... unless they want to try something actually effective?

When you're looking at all these immunostimulants and antioxidants, it’s honestly a minefield. My take? You really need to pick a lane—find what people actually swear by and stick to it consistently. Otherwise, we're just chasing shadows here. In our case, we relied on Noni and raw propolis until the very end. My mom was dealing with an incurable diagnosis, but because of how we handled things, her quality of life stayed as high as it possibly could under the circumstances. She passed away without a single wound or infection from the disease itself; she actually beat the odds three times over. Even though she was completely immobile—essentially quadriplegic for over a year—she never succumbed to infections. It's far too common for people to die from secondary infections before the cancer even gets to them. If the body stays strong, it can actually endure chemotherapy and fight back without being wiped out by opportunistic infections.
Bottom line: choose something backed by actual, relevant studies—not something claiming to be a "miracle cure" for cancer. Such a thing doesn't exist, and it's painfully obvious that there are plenty of charlatans out there looking to exploit people.

Anyway, since I started navigating this whole mess and paying attention to what people are actually using, I've noticed the most common stuff in the US includes:
Homemade Aloe Vera, Noni, raw propolis, Immunomax, Beta glucan, medicinal mushroom extracts, and shark cartilage supplements. For teas, definitely green tea, Taheebo, and valerian, which is great for various tumor types while also protecting against bladder infections. Diet-wise, Mediterranean cuisine and macrobiotics are the gold standards.

Kimberly Bishop91 said:The idea is to boost immunity and make chemotherapy easier to handle. So, any actual experience or feedback would be appreciated... or should we look for something better?

There’s a top-tier supplement my cousin used during chemo, and now he takes it religiously. We import it from the USA; it's called IP6 & inositol. It boosts the immune system and helps mitigate the side effects of chemo. Out there, people actually call it Cancer Killer. I can look into whether more is available or if it can be sourced locally here in New York.

Thanks a ton for all the comments and advice... Angela Wright, if you don't mind me asking, which brand of native propolis were you using—any specific manufacturer? And Frank Taylor4, thanks in advance if you could look into whether it's even possible to find that stuff in a city like Chicago or something similar here in the States.

Kimberly Bishop91 said:Thanks everyone for the feedback and advice. Angela Wright, if you don't mind me asking, which brand of native propolis were you using? And Frank Taylor4, thanks in advance if you could check whether it's even available here in New York City.

No worries. I'm seeing my cousin tomorrow, so I'll get back to you with the details then.
Best,

Sounds good, thanks a lot... cheers...

Kimberly Bishop91 said:Thanks so much for all the advice and comments... Angela Wright, if you don't mind me asking, which brand of native propolis were you using? I'm curious about the manufacturer. And Frank Taylor4, thanks in advance if you could look into whether it's actually available here in Chicago.?

It's from Heder. Honestly, your best bet is to order straight from them because it's way cheaper that way $3.25. We used to grab six bottles at a time and they’d always throw in a free one.

Melissa Kim45 said:Do you have any idea how much you all have helped me? 😘

It is truly heartening to know we could assist, even in such a modest capacity... hang in there.

Angela Wright said:It’s from Heder. You really ought to order directly from them because it works out much cheaper... $3.25. We used to buy it in sets of six bottles, and they would always throw in an extra one for free.

That is certainly good to know... we have mostly been picking it up at local pharmacies, though my mother hasn't actually been drinking the native propolis for about four months now... or rather, she just takes it whenever she feels the need to...

Nancy Hernandez43 said:That's good to know. We used to just pick stuff up at the local CVS, but my mom hasn't been drinking native propolis for about four months now. She just takes it whenever she feels like she needs it.

What a waste. For what it's worth, my mother was slamming high doses of it while she was going through chemo and radiation—we're talking 15 capsules a day, basically three rounds of five. Later on, we scaled it back to three rounds of three.