Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Dear slyrider11,

Please accept my sincerest condolences.

slyrider11, I am so incredibly sorry for what you're going through

just wanted to give a little update on my end....
so, my mom just finished up her 28 radiation sessions, and she was actually doing two cycles of chemo at the same time
it's weird—during the actual radiation for the colon cancer, her bowel movements were totally fine, but then the very next day after everything wrapped up, the diarrhea just hit her out of nowhere 😢
she’s trying to eat just a tiny bit of something baked, sipping on some herbal tea, maybe a little broth... but honestly, whatever she manages to get down, it just goes right back out
I know this is a standard thing and that the intestinal lining just needs time to heal itself, but does anyone have any tips? Like, any little tricks to help calm things down???

her stomach is hurting so much from all of this—it feels like it's being "twisted" constantly, and she told me she actually felt worse now than she did right after her surgery when she was stuck in the ICU
it's just heartbreaking sitting here feeling so helpless because I can't do anything to make her comfortable 🙂
(she's been taking Pepto-Bismol, but it clearly isn't doing a thing)

Hey slyrider11, I’m so sorry for your loss. Honestly, even with all this heavy stuff going on, just try to thank God that your mom didn't have to suffer for too long. Hang in there.

slyrider11 said:My mom passed away five days ago... the doctors did what they had to do.
It’s a small comfort knowing she didn't have to suffer through intense pain.
I want to thank everyone for the kind words and support. Unfortunately, her cancer had progressed too far, so she didn't even get the chance to fight, even though she was a fighter her entire life.
To everyone out there currently fighting: I wish you all the luck and strength in the world... go take down that monster, both for yourselves and for those who weren't given the chance to fight.

Zendaya, I am so sorry... she deserved a real fighting chance.😢

Zendaya, I am so incredibly sorry... 🙂

Nivia179 saw my mom dealing with brutal diarrhea after every single chemo cycle. Sometimes it would last just a day, but other times it dragged on for five days straight... she tried sticking to more rice—you know, brown rice, boiled in a pressure cooker for like 50 minutes until it’s basically mush—and she’d stir some cornstarch into her broth to thicken things up. I don't know if it'll actually make a difference for you, but hey, it can't hurt to try, right? I really believe this won't last forever though... but, uh, if God forbid it keeps going, maybe you should talk to the oncologist about getting some actual anti-diarrheal meds?

@Zendaya...I am so incredibly sorry. 🙂 News like this just hits me right in the gut.

I was up crying all night—my dad was looking really rough last night, just totally wiped out. 😢

He’s doing a bit better this Morning, but the doctors told us his blood counts have taken a massive dive.
We're going to have to start him on beet, apple, and carrot juice.
Until we see some actual results from that, the doctor said a blood transfusion might be necessary just so he's stable enough to handle chemo.

slyrider11 said:My mother passed away five days ago... the doctors made the right call.
It’s a small mercy that she didn't have to endure intense pain.
I want to thank everyone for their kind words and support. Unfortunately, her cancer had progressed too far; she didn't even get the chance to fight it, despite being such a fighter her entire life.
To everyone currently in the thick of the battle, I wish you all the luck and strength in the world... please beat this monster—not just for yourselves and your loved ones, but for those who weren't granted the opportunity to fight.

Please accept my deepest condolences.

Zendaya, I'm so sorry...🙂

Zendaya, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss.

If this turns out to be true...

Zendaya, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss... please stay strong.

Zendaya, I am so incredibly sorry... I’m sending you all the strength in the world for everything you're about to face over the next few days...

Zendaya, I'm so sorry 😢

Hey everyone!!🙂
So, much sooner than we actually expected, the doctor decided to scrap the 🤷 procedure... instead, he did an RFA—radiofrequency ablation—which is basically just a palliative move where they use ultrasound guidance to "cut off" the blood supply to the tumor mass until it turns into necrotic tissue. Honestly, I don't even know how to feel right now?!🤷 I finally got my results back, and they’ve decided I'm starting oral monotherapy—specifically Vivitrol capsules—and after two cycles, we're looking at complete control.
Since I haven't really been in the mood for any pre-holiday cheer lately, I guess you could say I'm finally hitting that fifth stage... yuck, I'm already prepping cookie orders and all my girlfriends are ready to party :-), 🙂😍
I'm feeling pretty good, though—no major issues so far—so I'm hopeful the therapy will be smooth sailing. We're also planning a trip back to Germany for immunotherapy... so there is absolutely no way I'm letting this win.😁
Sending you all nothing but good vibes and smiles
Vasa din 😉😉

slyjackal38 said:I just got off the phone with an oncologist in New York City—the same one we saw last year. Their take is that his previous doctor followed every protocol to the letter. It wasn't exactly reassuring, though, because she mentioned their hands are tied. They’ve basically given up on him. She also noted they aren't even certain if taking Nolvadex orally has any actual effect on melanoma.
It looks like our only real option now is to pivot and try something we haven't explored yet.
Has anyone here had any experience with aloe vera or noni? (Specifically looking for positive stories).

I used homemade aloe vera, not the store-bought stuff, about nine years ago and it really helped me. So yes, I have a positive opinion on it. It tastes terrible, but... it works. My diagnosis was Stage III B ovarian cancer with omental metastasis. And look, I'm still here. 😉Definitely give it a shot.

slyjackal38 said:So much of what you wrote just radiates optimism and hope, and honestly, that’s exactly what I need right now to find the strength to keep pushing and helping him through this.
To be honest, I haven't come across many stories from people dealing with melanoma, other than the really devastating ones. It seems like there aren't many who actually share their journey toward recovery with others, though I suppose that isn't all that surprising given the nature of the diagnosis.
Thanks again for everything, and I wish you all the best.

You probably ran into my posts, along with some of Goliath's as well. We actually started down the exact same path—experimental immunotherapy using dendritic vaccines over in Germany, paired with herbal and vitamin supplements from Dr. Soltysek and a complete overhaul of our diet. I won't go into too much detail here, but feel free to send me a private message or dig through my older posts if you want more specifics. What I really wanted to mention this time, though, was regarding Fermina Daze's post. You see, doctors had essentially given up on my husband too, and the only person who truly gave him a reason to believe in recovery was a Macrobiotics consultant. This person was 100% committed to the Macrobiotics lifestyle—everything from diet and exercise to meditation, reflexology, and shiatsu massage. If you were to ask him which therapy actually made the difference in how well my husband has been doing a year after his diagnosis, he wouldn't hesitate for a second to say Macrobiotics.

I also found a lot of support through an American melanoma forum: www.mpip.org where you can find a link to their bulletin board on the left side. People there post about their healing journeys every single day, making it a place where you can definitely find hope and learn about certain therapies that aren't available here in the States but have shown real results.

Grace Fowler said:Hey everyone!!🙂
So, way earlier than we actually expected, the Doctor decided to skip the surgery 🤷... instead, he went with an RFA, which is basically a radiofrequency ablation—it's a palliative thing where they use control to kind of "cut off" the blood supply to the tumor mass so it turns into necrotic tissue. Honestly, I don't even know how to describe how I'm feeling right this second?!🤷 I just got my results back, and they’ve officially decided that I’m going to start on oral monotherapy, specifically Vyepisi capsules, and if all goes well, we should see complete control after two cycles.
Since I haven't really been in the mood for any pre-holiday cheer lately, I guess I'm finally hitting that fifth stage of holiday spirit... yuck, I mean, yum! I'm getting ready to order cookies and all my girlfriends are totally geared up and ready to go :-), 🙂😍
I'm actually feeling pretty good, not having many major issues, so I really believe the therapy is going to be okay, and we're already planning to head back over to Germany for immunotherapy... so there's absolutely no chance of staying stuck here.😁
Sending you guys nothing but good vibes and big smiles
Vasa din 😉😉

🙂
We're right here with you 🙂

slyrider11 said:My mother passed away five days ago... the doctors made the right call.
It’s a small mercy that she didn't have to endure intense pain.
I want to thank everyone for your kind words and support. Unfortunately, her cancer had progressed much too far, leaving her almost no time to fight, even though she was a true warrior throughout her entire life.
So, to everyone currently in the ring fighting this thing: I wish you all the luck and strength in the world. Please, beat this monster—not just for yourselves and your loved ones, but for those who weren't granted the chance to fight.

My deepest, most sincere condolences.

Zendaya, please accept my deepest condolences.

Grace Fowler,
you truly make my day better every single time 😉 hang in there!!!

Hang in there, everyone👍
I’m just a Parachutist lurking in this thread—thank God everyone else seems to be doing okay, but I’m definitely keeping a close eye on the conversation here. Zazu, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss...

Grace Fowler, you once made me feel embarrassed about my own struggles. You've always been an inspiration to me.😍