Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Hey there, everyone!!!
So, here’s my current situation—I’ve got a hospital appointment set for December 12th. The surgeon is going to do their part as soon as possible, and then it’s straight into chemo. It really all depends on how I’m holding up overall—I mean, if my blood work looks decent and my kidneys are functioning okay, we’ll go with Gemzar via IV, but if things look rough, they might switch me to oral Vipide. Until then, I’m stuck on this mandatory vacation, and honestly? I’m bored out of my mind... (just reading, watching soap operas, you know how it is...)🙄
Now, look, being a woman, there is one thing I am never unsure about: communication. Which kind of makes me think maybe AT&T or Verizon should just give me some free stock considering the massive bills they send me every month! :-)😉
Anyway, I just wanted to say that you’re all in my thoughts. I’m crossing my fingers for all of you to stay strong, and hey, if life ever hits you hard and you feel like you're underwater, come hang out here—we'll try to help each other out as best we can..
Gosh, look at me rambling... :-))👍
Stay brave! Big hugs, Grace Fowler

Grace Fowler said:Greetings, my dear friends!!!
Things have finally settled on my end. I’m scheduled for a hospital admission on December 12th; the surgeon is going to handle their part of the procedure as quickly as possible, and once that's done, we move straight into chemo. The next steps really depend on how my vitals look—if my blood work comes back clean and my kidneys are functioning properly, we’ll proceed with Gemzar via IV. If the results aren't looking great, they'll switch me over to oral Vipide. Until then, I'm stuck on mandatory vacation, and I have to admit, I’m getting a little bored... just sitting here reading and catching up on soap operas.🙄
Look, since I’m a woman, there is one thing I never have to second-guess myself about: my communication skills. Honestly, at this point, I’m starting to think AT&T or Verizon should just hand me some free stock, considering how many bills they send my way. :-)😉
I just wanted to let you all know that you’re constantly in my thoughts. I am rooting for you with everything I've got—please stay brave. If things ever get too heavy and you feel like you're hitting a wall, please reach out. We'll be right here to lend a hand and help each other through it however we can. Sending a big hug to everyone.
Oops, I guess I went on a bit of a tangent there... :-))👍
Stay strong. Big hug, Grace Fowler

Good luck. 👍 Just stay true to yourself and don't change a thing. 🙂

Hey everyone,
Over the last 20 months spent hanging out on these boards, it’s been honestly tough reading about your losses. I really felt that weight because I knew exactly what you were going through, and I knew my turn was coming too.
My mom passed away yesterday. 🙂
She had been struggling for way too long, so if I'm being real, there's a small part of me that feels relieved she isn't suffering anymore.
I truly hope she's in a better place now.

Things just aren't going to feel the same without her around.

I'm wishing all of you nothing but strength as you fight through these hardest battles life can throw at you.

brightgardener8 said:Dear friends,
Over these past 20 months on this forum, it has been incredibly difficult to read about the passing of your loved ones because I truly felt your pain, knowing that I would eventually face the same thing.
My mother passed away yesterday. 🙂
She suffered for far too long, so in a way, I feel some relief that her struggle is finally over.
I sincerely hope she is in a better place now.

Nothing will ever be the same without her.

I wish you all strength as you navigate your own hardest battles in life.

My deepest condolences.🙂 At least she isn't suffering anymore. Hang in there...

brightgardener8 said:Dear friends,
During these past 20 months spent here on these forums, it’s been so incredibly hard to read whenever you all lose your loved ones... I just truly felt that pain with you, knowing that eventually, I’d be facing the exact same thing myself.
My mom passed away yesterday. 🙂
She suffered for such a long time—so, in a way, I suppose there's a small sense of relief that the struggle is finally over.
I really, truly hope she's in a much better place now.

Nothing is ever going to feel the same without her.

I'm wishing every single one of you so much strength as you fight through your own hardest battles in life.

I am so sorry for your loss 😢
it won't be the same without her, but like you said, at least her suffering has ended
hang in there

brightgardener8 said:Dear friends,
Over these last 20 months spent on these forums, it’s honestly been so hard to read whenever you all lost someone close—I just get it, you know? I felt that pain because I knew I was heading toward the same thing eventually.
My mom passed away yesterday. 🙂
She suffered for way too long, so—I don't know, maybe it's a little easier knowing she isn't hurting anymore.
I really, truly hope she's somewhere better now.

Nothing is ever going to feel the same without her.

I'm wishing all of you so much strength while you fight through these hardest battles life throws at you.

Dear brightgardener8!!
There aren't any words that can actually take away the ache of losing your mom, but I like to think our loved ones are angels now—just smiling and totally free from all that misery and pain..
My heart goes out to you.
Grace Fowler

Dear Ed, I truly and sincerely empathize with you.

Ed, we’ve already talked everything through, but I want to leave my mark here too—just a sincere expression of how much it hurts that things had to end this way.
😢
I’m standing right here with you and my sister.

brightgardener8 said:Dear friends,
Over these past 20 months spent on these forums, I’ve found it incredibly difficult to read the posts when you all lose your loved ones. I truly felt your pain because I knew that eventually, I would be standing right where you are.
My mother passed away yesterday. 🙂
She had been suffering for far too long, so in a way, there is a small sense of relief knowing her struggle is finally over.
I sincerely hope she is in a much better place now.

Things just won't feel the same without her.

I wish you all nothing but strength as you navigate your own hardest battles.

Dear Ed,

please accept my deepest condolences.

brightgardener8 said:Dear friends,
Over these last 20 months spent on these forums, I’ve found it incredibly difficult to read when you all lose your loved ones. I truly understood that pain, knowing that eventually, I would be standing right where you are now.
My mother passed away yesterday. 🙂
She suffered for far too long, so in a way, there is a small sense of relief knowing her struggle is finally over.
I sincerely hope she is in a better place now.

Nothing will ever feel quite the same without her.

I wish you all strength as you navigate your own hardest battles in life.

Dear, please accept my deepest condolences. We are all standing right here with you.

Ed, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss.

Ed, I wanted to send my deepest condolences.

Dear Ed,
I am truly sorry to hear that.

brightgardener8 said:My dear friends,
Over these last 20 months spent on this forum, it has been incredibly heavy reading through posts about your loved ones passing away. I truly understood that ache because I knew, deep down, that my own turn was coming.
My mother passed away yesterday. 🙂
She had been suffering for far too long, so, in a strange and difficult way, there is a sense of relief that her struggle is finally over.
I truly hope she is somewhere peaceful now.

Life just won't feel the same without her.

I am sending strength to all of you as you navigate your own toughest battles.

My deepest condolences to you all.

Ed, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. No matter how much this hurts right now, just try to remember that your mom is finally free from all that pain and suffering. She’s in a much better place now.

Ed, please accept my deepest condolences.

Hey everyone! I really hope you’re all staying positive and keeping your spirits up—I know this miserable weather can be such a downer if you let it... 🙂

Something just crossed my mind, so I figured I’d pick the brains of those of you who have been through this before...

I was wondering, what does the follow-up schedule actually look like once treatment is finally over (you know, after finishing chemo and radiation)?
And yeah, we're talking about colon cancer, in case that changes anything...
I'm assuming check-ups happen every six months or so later on, right?
Is it mostly blood markers and PET scans, or what?
I think I read somewhere—though I honestly can't remember if it was right—that a PET scan might not catch everything... 😕

Thanks so much in advance for any insight you can share!!! 🙂

Dear Ed,

I am so incredibly sorry to hear about your mom passing.

I know exactly what kind of emotions you're dealing with right now, and I truly hope you find the strength to get through this—you’re going to need it.

Just make sure the whole family sticks together; that’s what really helps.

Dear friends, this is a gold mine for anyone dealing with cancer.
I noticed that many of you haven't heard about this research coming out of China yet, and honestly, anything that offers a glimmer of hope on these forums is worth sharing.
Furthermore, this book doesn't just offer hope; the dietary instructions provided within it actually yield results.
I managed to get my hands on a plain text version of this book—stripped of all the charts, tables, and images—which is slated for publication soon over in Mexico (though here in the States, we never know when things actually hit the shelves).
Even without the visuals, the content is more than sufficient.
We are looking at what is arguably the most extensive scientific study ever conducted regarding the link between nutrition and cancer.
I have read everything available in our region concerning diet, but this work is so vastly superior to the rest that it could truly be called revolutionary.
Its value lies in how simple it is to apply, how well-argued the points are, and because the method is accessible to everyone without anyone trying to profit off your struggle.
The key is simply to approach the issue from multiple angles and to be extremely precise in following through with the instructions.

The cure for cancer is already known.
The American Cancer Society began its journey with the sincere intention of finding a cure.
Their own bylaws state that once a cure is discovered, the organization will cease to exist because its mission will finally be accomplished.
Fast forward to today, and the American Cancer Society is an organization that receives $400 million annually from the US government.
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 actually care about finding a cure.

History is full of individuals who made significant breakthroughs only to be silenced almost immediately (take Laetrile, for example; it was later labeled a poison, which is quite something).
That is why I have such deep faith in what I am discussing, as this research was conducted by enthusiasts and the most prominent independent experts in the field, specifically Dr. Colin Campbell and his colleagues.
I am calling on all of you who are currently battling or have battled cancer:
Please, read this Chinese research!!!
There are no incurable diseases, only people who refuse to change their poor lifestyle habits.

Here is the link to the Chinese study:
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

Look, Isaac, I can't help but feel like you're running some kind of PR campaign here, especially since you posted almost the exact same thing just a few days ago...😕