Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

@Angela Wright/">@@Angela Wright;17225118]@Grace Stewart6/">@@Grace Stewart6
"It's most likely that 'occult' tumor, if I recall the terminology correctly. There are certain types that are notoriously difficult to detect. We actually had a case on the association's forum recently, where they were fortunately able to pinpoint it."

Could you please explain how they managed to identify and define it? My father is undergoing constant testing, yet we seem to be getting absolutely nothing out of them.

Hello everyone.
I’m glad I stumbled upon this community because I’ve been taking hit after hit for weeks now, and I’m running out of hope.
My mother has been diagnosed with end-stage stomach cancer. The tumor isn't just palpable; it's visibly large. They attempted a bypass surgery so she could at least eat and drink a little, but the procedure was a failure because the condition was even worse than they anticipated. Her entire abdominal cavity is affected; the tumor has metastasized aggressively and is invasive—it's a much worse, more penetrative type than some fungal growths, if you know what I mean.
The prognosis is grim. They say it's stage four and there isn't much time left. People who know her working at the hospital are familiar with the situation, and they tell me my best prayer is simply that she doesn't suffer too long. That's really all I can do, because we arrived far too late.
She knows. She is fully aware of everything, and it's impossible to lie to her for long. She hasn't fully accepted it yet, and neither have I, nor anyone else.
I sought a second opinion, but the specialists at the medical institute told me there’s nothing more they can do. At the time, I was still hoping they could perform a total resection, but according to the scans, it has progressed way too far.
I had actually come to terms with the bypass option. I was hoping—and so was she—that once she regained some strength from chemotherapy, we might get a few more years out of this. Then came the shock. It’s just not possible. Her stomach is like concrete; everything is compromised. There isn't a millimeter of space left, and there is no hope other than palliative care. It's horrific.
She’s in the hospital, extremely weak because she hasn't eaten anything for months, and lately, she vomits immediately after drinking anything. She's faced dangerous dehydration several times and is constantly thirsty.
She will likely be coming home soon. I honestly don't know if I have the strength to feed her—or myself—any more false hope, because this time, there is no foundation for it. She’s just too young...

Hey Zez!!!
I just really want to say—I hope you can find some strength within yourself and through all the love from your mom to help get you through these rough patches...
Honestly, I think we all have way more grit in us than we realize.
Grace Fowler

slyrider11 said:Hey everyone.
Honestly, I’m just glad I stumbled upon this corner of the internet because I’ve been taking hit after hit for weeks now and I’m basically out of hope.
My mom was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer. The tumor isn't just something you can feel—it's massive, you can actually see the impact. They tried to perform a bypass surgery so she could at least get some food and water down, but the operation was a total bust because things were way worse than they anticipated. The whole abdominal cavity is shot; the cancer has metastasized everywhere and it's invasive, almost like a fungal growth or something, which sounds even more aggressive.
The prognosis is garbage. It's stage four, and they’re saying she doesn't have much time left. People who know her working at the hospital—people who actually understand the medical side of this mess—tell me my best bet is just praying she doesn't suffer too long. That’s really all there is to do when you show up this late to the fight.
She knows. She’s fully aware of what’s happening, and lying to her face for a long time just isn't an option. She hasn't fully processed it yet, and honestly, neither have I. No one has.
I went looking for a second opinion, but the specialists at the major medical center told me there's nothing else they can do. Back then, I was still holding onto the idea that they could just cut the whole thing out, but according to the scans, it’s moved way too far along.
I had already made peace with the bypass idea—hoping that once the chemo kicked in, she might get a few more years... she was hoping for that too. Then comes the shock. Even the bypass won't work. Her stomach is like concrete; everything is compromised. There’s zero room to maneuver. There's no hope left besides a merciful end. It’s brutal.
She’s in the hospital right now, incredibly weak since she hasn't eaten anything for months. Lately, she can't even keep liquids down without vomiting immediately. She’s dealt with dangerous dehydration a couple of times and she’s constantly thirsty.
They’ll probably bring her home soon. I don't even know if I have the strength to try and feed her—or myself—any more false hope, because this time, there’s just no foundation for it. And she’s just too young...

You have to stay strong. This is all just too heavy. With this kind of disease, there are no rules. You never know how things are going to go. Just be there for your mom. Give her every bit of love and attention you can.

slyrider11... I honestly don't even know what to say to you right now... there aren't any words in the world that can truly lighten the weight of what you're going through or just make those feelings go away... based on everything you've shared, it really seems like the only thing left to do is just be there by her side—to be her rock and stay close—and just pray that she isn't in pain much...
I'm sending so much love and wishing nothing but the best for both you and your mom.

Hi everyone...
Yesterday I got hit with some really tough news—my father was diagnosed with lung cancer,
Stage IV, to be exact. I don't actually know much about the specific location or the type of carcinoma yet, or maybe I just wasn't
really able to focus on everything the doctor was saying during the appointment.

See, about two and a half years ago he had a heart attack, and after nearly 40 years of smoking, he actually quit right after that!
Now he needs to undergo triple bypass surgery...
He’s scheduled for the procedure soon (December 17, 2008), but while they were doing all the pre-op tests and prep work, they noticed
something on his lungs... so he's been in the hospital for about 7 or 8 days now, waiting on results that I honestly hoped wouldn't be the worst kind of news...

Yesterday, he decided to jump straight into chemotherapy and already had the first round; he's having the second one today and the third tomorrow,
and I'm just hoping—if God wills it—that I can bring him home immediately after.🙂

From what I can gather, the situation is incredibly serious, but it isn't necessarily the end of the road just yet...
The doctor did mention there's a chance things could get more complicated
because of his heart and vascular issues—basically, at his age and condition, his body might struggle to handle the chemo,
so the big question is how many rounds he'll actually be able to tolerate...

Since I haven't had much free time lately, I haven't had a chance to really research everything—especially not with the added stress of moving out of our current place (which we've already sold)—I was wondering if anyone who has concrete information
could please leave a post here?
...I tried to look through this thread for answers, but I just don't have the time right now,
I only managed to get through about ten pages at the beginning and a few at the end, just to try and find something helpful...

Thank you all so much in advance...

slyrider11 said:Hi everyone.
I’m honestly just relieved to have stumbled upon this corner of the internet. I feel like I’ve been taking hit after hit for weeks now, and frankly, my hope is running bone-dry.
My mother has been diagnosed with stage IV stomach cancer. The tumor isn't just palpable; it’s massive—you can actually see the impact. They attempted a bypass surgery to allow her to at least take in some food and fluids, but the procedure was a disaster because the reality on the operating table was far worse than their scans suggested. The entire abdominal cavity is compromised. The tumor has metastasized aggressively and is invasive—it's almost like a fungal growth, if that makes sense, which I think is an even more sinister way for it to behave.
The prognosis is grim. They’re telling us it’s the final stage and time is incredibly short. People who know her—colleagues at the hospital who understand the clinical reality—have told me that my only real prayer now is that she doesn't suffer too long. It’s the kindest thing I can ask for, because, quite simply, we arrived much too late.
She knows. She’s fully aware of the situation, and trying to maintain a facade of "everything will be fine" feels impossible and dishonest. She hasn't fully processed it yet, and neither have I, nor anyone else for that matter.
I went looking for a second opinion, hoping for a miracle, but the specialists at the major research hospital told me there’s nothing left they can do. Back then, I was holding onto the desperate hope that they could just excise the whole thing, but according to the latest imaging, it’s progressed way too far for any surgical intervention.
I had actually made my peace with the idea of the bypass; I was hoping that once she regained some strength from the chemo, she might squeeze out a few more years... and she was hoping for that, too. Then came the shock. Even the bypass isn't an option. The stomach tissue is essentially like concrete; everything is so heavily involved that there isn't a single millimeter of healthy space left to work with. There is no medical path forward except for palliative care and a merciful end. It’s devastating.
She’s in the hospital now, incredibly frail because she hasn't been able to eat for months, and lately, she can't even keep down water without vomiting. She’s faced dangerous dehydration several times and is constantly thirsty.
It looks like she’ll be coming home soon. I honestly don't know if I have the emotional stamina to try and feed her—or myself—any more false hope. This time, there’s no foundation to build it on, and she’s just too young for this.

Sweetheart, please just give your mom all the love and attention you possibly can. That is what matters most right now. Just be there by her side. We are all here for you, and our thoughts are constantly with her.
big hug

slyrider11 said:Hi everyone.
I’m honestly just relieved to have stumbled upon this corner of the internet because I’ve been taking hit after hit for weeks now, and I’m running out of hope.
My mother has been diagnosed with end-stage stomach cancer. The tumor isn't just palpable; it's visibly massive. They attempted a bypass surgery so she could at least swallow some food and liquids, but the procedure was a failure because they found things were far worse than anticipated. Her entire abdominal cavity is compromised; the cancer has metastasized aggressively and is invasive—it’s like a fungal growth, much more sinister than anything else I can imagine.
The prognosis is grim. They’re telling us it’s stage four and there isn't much time left. People who know her through work at the hospital and understand the severity of the situation tell me my best bet is to pray she doesn't suffer too long. That's the most anyone can do when you're dealing with a situation where help arrived far too late.
She knows. She's fully aware of everything, and it’s impossible to lie to her face for long. She hasn't fully processed it yet, and neither have I, nor anyone else for that matter.
I sought a second opinion, but the specialists at the Mayo Clinic told me there’s nothing more they can do—I had been hoping they could just excise the tumor entirely—but according to the scans, it's just progressed too far.
I had actually made my peace with the idea of a bypass, hoping that once she regained some strength from chemo, we might squeeze out a few more years... and she was hoping for that, too. Then comes the shock. Even a bypass is off the table. The stomach tissue is like concrete; everything is overtaken. There isn't a millimeter of room left. There is no hope beyond a merciful end. It’s horrific.
She’s in the hospital now, incredibly weak because she hasn't been able to eat for months, and lately, she can't even keep down water. She’s faced dangerous dehydration several times and is constantly thirsty.
She’ll likely be coming home soon. I don't know if I have the strength to feed her—or myself—any more false hope, because this time, there's no foundation to build it on. And she's just too young...

Dear slyrider11, hope only begins once you accept reality. Help her find that acceptance by accepting it yourself; fight together and take whatever chances are left, no matter how slim. There is no other way. I know how devastatingly hard this is, but you both have to try to stay composed and rational.
Hang in there.

Kenneth Mitchell2 said:Hey everyone...
Yesterday, I got hit with some terrible news. My father was diagnosed with lung cancer.
It's stage four. I don't know anything about the specific location or the exact type of carcinoma yet—I didn't really have the chance to properly process everything the doctor was saying.

The thing is, about two and a half years ago, he suffered a heart attack. After that, following nearly 40 years of smoking, he finally quit!
He needs three bypasses...
He was actually scheduled for surgery just now (December 17, 2008), but while they were running all the tests and getting him ready, they noticed something on his lungs... so he’s been in the hospital for about 7 or 8 days now, waiting on results that I honestly thought wouldn't be this bad...

Yesterday, he agreed to start chemotherapy immediately. He had his first round, he's having his second today, and he'll have his third tomorrow.
And I’m hoping—God willing—that he can come home right away.🙂

From what I can gather, the situation is extremely serious, but it isn't necessarily the end of the road quite yet.
The doctor mentioned there's a risk of complications because of his heart and vascular issues; at his age and condition, his system is going to struggle with the chemo,
so the big question is how many rounds he can actually handle...

Since my schedule is packed and I haven't had a moment to research everything—especially with the added stress of moving out of our current place since we just sold it—I’m asking anyone who has concrete information
to please post it here.
...I tried to read through the forums, but I just don't have the time right now.
I managed to skim about ten pages from the beginning and a few from the end, but that's about it.

Thanks in advance to everyone.

It's most likely small cell lung cancer. That's very common in former smokers. You can find a full breakdown of it on sites like WebMD.

I am so incredibly sorry to hear this.😢

Look, Kenneth Mitchell2—if you can't find the time to actually listen to the doctor or ask them to clarify things (especially when your father is already undergoing chemo!!!), let alone bother reading some actual medical literature online, then there’s really no point in us typing away here or trying to help. The real question is whether you'll even have time for that. It's pathetic.

Susan Ruiz76 said:0981740173 - that's Mark Rukavina's number from Stockton. I haven't called him yet; I've had the number for a few months now, but I'm hesitating. My husband isn't exactly thrilled about this stuff either, so I don't want to go against his wishes. Do you know anything about him—can you give me some info? Also, what kind of illness are you looking for drops for? I'm curious because, besides reading an article (I think it was in the LA Times), I've heard some personal stories too.

Sorry for the late reply; with all this chaos, I can't even tell if I already answered you. Then again, it took some time for Proci to be able to get back to you. Even though I was skeptical about whether those drops actually work (or herbal remedies in general), my aunt says she feels much better. She’s definitely feeling improved, even if she still has bad days. Whether the drops actually did the work or if it’s just a placebo effect, I can't say for sure, but if they're helping her, then it's worth every cent spent on them.

The tumor also shrank from 1.5cm down to 0.5cm, though the latest marker results are confusing—CEA is at 21, even though CA 19-9 is only 2. We're waiting for the oncologist to explain it. Even though it's just a quick look at the results and a five-minute explanation, we end up waiting up to 15 days for it. 😢

darkraven10 said:My apologies for the delay in responding; with everything being such a mess lately, I honestly can't tell if I even replied. Then again, it would have taken some time for you to get an answer anyway. While I was skeptical about the efficacy of those drops (and herbal remedies in general), my aunt claims she feels significantly better—she’s feeling improved, even if she still hits those rough patches. Whether those drops actually did the work or if it's just the placebo effect is anyone's guess, but if she’s feeling better, then not a single cent spent on them was wasted.

Furthermore, the tumor shrank from 1.5cm down to 0.5cm, though the latest marker results are confusing: CEA is at 21, while CA 19-9 is only at 2. We're waiting on the oncologist to explain things. Even though it should just be a quick five-minute glance at the labs and a brief explanation, we end up waiting up to 15 days for it. 😢

Yes, quite a bit of time has passed. We ordered the drops as well, and my husband went through three bottles. They certainly didn't hurt him, but we decided not to order a fourth because the tumor didn't shrink—something else happened instead. After he stopped taking them, his lymphocyte count dropped to 8.6, so now we aren't entirely sure if we should have kept ordering them. You know how it is; people will grab at any straw, and as you noted, you shouldn't regret spending a dime if you truly believe something is helping.

Kenneth Mitchell2 said:Hello, everyone...
Yesterday, I was hit with some devastating news: my husband has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
I don't know much about the specific location or the type of carcinoma yet—or rather, I wasn't in a state to
really process what the doctor was saying.

About two and a half years ago, he suffered a heart attack, after which, following nearly 40 years of smoking, he finally quit.
He needs three bypasses...
The surgery isn't scheduled until now (December 17th, 2008), but while performing all the tests and preparations, they noticed
something on his lungs. So, he's been in the hospital for about 7 or 8 days, waiting for results that I honestly hoped weren't the worst case scenario...

Yesterday, he agreed to chemotherapy immediately and received his first round; today is the second, tomorrow the third,
and I am hoping, if God wills it, that we can head home right away.🙂

From what I gather, the situation is extremely serious, but it isn't necessarily the end of the road just yet.
The doctor mentioned there's a possibility things could get more complicated
because his heart and vascular system will struggle to handle the chemo in his current condition,
so the real question is how many rounds he can actually tolerate...

Since I don't have much free time and haven't had a chance to research everything—especially now with the added stress of moving out of our current house (which has already been sold)—I would ask anyone with concrete information
to please post here.
...I tried to read through this thread, but I simply don't have the time right now.
I managed to get through about ten pages at the beginning and a few at the end, but that's about it...

Thank you all in advance.

Look, instead of spending your energy trying to write me angry private messages, you should have used that time to read the useful information regarding the very thing that is currently tearing your life apart. You know, when my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer, everything else just stopped—there is no schedule or routine anymore; his health becomes the only priority.
It’s impossible to give you any real answers without even an initial diagnosis. My husband has small cell carcinoma (he was also a long-time smoker)—there are so many different types and countless different treatment approaches...
I won't delete that post like you asked, though—fine, consider this my public apology if it made you uncomfortable. 🙏, I realize things are hard for you, but you need to take initiative. Go to the hospital, sit in the doctor's office, and wait until they explain everything to you. For starters. We're even.🙂

Thanks everyone for the kind words and support.
Mom should be heading home this Monday or Tuesday, and I’m really hoping she can recover comfortably at home (as much as possible).
She isn't dealing with intense pain right now, which is a huge relief, and I'm praying it stays that way. My biggest concern is her—not just for her sake, but for her grandkids, who are so incredibly attached to her. This would be absolutely devastating for them.
If anyone here has dealt with this specific type of cancer before, I would truly appreciate hearing about your experience with treatment or anything else you might share.
My apologies if someone has already posted about this and I somehow missed it.

Grace Stewart6 said:God knows how they managed to define it."
Can you please tell me how they actually found and defined him? My dad is constantly running searches that lead absolutely nowhere.

There’s an entire case study detailed over on the association's forum.

Thanks, Angela Wright,

I managed to find it.

Hey there! I’m honestly not even sure if I managed to successfully get in touch with Grace Fowler—I have to admit, I’m a little bit of a klutz when it comes to navigating computers, bless my heart! I just really wanted to reach out and say that I hope she'll give me a shout whenever she can, because I am just dying to hear how she’s doing. I haven't quite found the courage to pick up the phone and call her directly, though, mostly because I’d hate to be a burden or overwhelm her with a sudden call!
And for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting me yet, I should probably introduce myself—I’m just one of those people who, much like Grace Fowler, simply refuses to lose hope!
Sending a huge, heartfelt shout-out to all the brave women out there!

Michael Hall6 said:Hey, I’m not even sure if I managed to get in touch with Grace Fowler—I’ve never been much of a computer person, honestly. I just wanted to say, please reach out to me because I really want to know how you're doing. I don't dare call you directly though, because I don't want to be a burden.
And for those who don't know me, I'm also one of those people who, just like Grace, refuses to give up hope.
Sending love to all the brave women out there

I'M STILL HERE AND I'M STILL FIGHTING—I AM NOT BACKING DOWN!!!!👍

Grace Fowler said:I'M STILL HERE AND I'M STILL FIGHTING, I HAVEN'T GIVEN UP!!!!👍

I’ve actually spent the last few days scrolling back through this thread almost from the very beginning; honestly, it was pretty gut-wrenching to see how many people have come here and then just disappeared...
I don't know why I even do this to myself, but every single time I look, I end up in tears. 😢
We’ve basically taken all this pain and suffering and concentrated it into one single spot, but on the flip side, you can find an incredible amount of support and empathy right here—sometimes way more than what we get from the people we deal with in our day-to-day lives.

Grace, I've seen you in this thread since the very start. We've been through absolutely everything, but you never, ever waver.
I really hope you keep that same fire going! 🙏

It seems most of you haven't heard about this Chinese study yet, though I suppose if anyone is looking for a reason to feel hopeful, you'll find it here.
There is also a book that doesn't just offer hope, but provides actual instructions that truly work in practice.
I managed to get my hands on a clean text version of this book, which is slated for release soon over in Mexico (though who knows when it will hit the shelves here), stripped of all the charts, tables, and illustrations.
Even in this format, however, it is more than sufficient.
We are talking about what is arguably the most extensive scientific investigation ever conducted regarding nutrition and cancer.
I have read EVERYTHING available in our region concerning diet, but this is so far beyond anything else that it could be described as revolutionary.
Its true value lies in how simple it is to apply, as the method is accessible to everyone and no one is trying to turn a profit off your health.
The key is simply to approach it from multiple angles and remain extremely precise in your execution.

The cure for cancer is already known.
The American Cancer Society is an organization that began its operations with the sincere goal of finding a cure.
Their own bylaws state that once a cure is found, the organization will cease to exist because its mission will have been accomplished.
Today, however, the American Cancer Society is an organization that receives $400 million annually from the US government to fund its operations.
Only about 5 percent of those funds actually goes toward scientific research.
The rest is swallowed up by bureaucracy.
So, one has to wonder how much they truly care about actually discovering a cure.
History is full of individuals who made significant breakthroughs, only to be silenced almost immediately—take Laetrile, for example, which was later declared a poison.
This is why I believe so deeply in what I am sharing, as this research was conducted by enthusiasts and the most prominent independent experts in the field.

Here is the link:
http://www.scribd.com/share/upload/5...vcd8dqq41b4q1i
If you have any questions, I am here.
Best,

And here is the dietary information:
http://www.scribd.com/share/upload/5...ldfh0tpcqg4ur0