Resources and support for families dealing with cancer and serious illness

Amy Hayes28 said:For those who have beaten ovarian cancer, besides an elevated marker, did you experience any other symptoms? How did you first discover something was wrong?
I am scheduled to have my 😁
drawn next month...

Linda Campbell said:FOR IV

So, I managed to dig up something else for you (I've basically been buried under herbal remedy books lately)
"RED CLOVER TEA is frequently used to jumpstart liver and gallbladder function, especially during acute or chronic congestion (Melissa Kim45 - give this a shot for Mom)
as well as to help stimulate appetite. In certain cultures, red clover tea is taken when someone experiences weight loss following major surgeries—PARTICULARLY STOMACH SURGERIES—leaving the patient weak and lacking any desire to eat."

How to use it: prepare an infusion using the flowering parts of the plant without the stems, or just use the flower heads themselves; use 2 teaspoons per cup, let it steep for about 10 minutes, and drink 2 to 3 cups a day, either plain or with a bit of honey
(IV, just a heads up, Dad can only handle a very tiny amount of honey)

Melissa Kim45 said:...

Melissa Kim45;12343614 said:The results are looking good. The next follow-up is in a month. 🙏
. No more chemotherapy. 🙏

Aside from that, she’s just living her best life—big time. She gets dizzy, her balance is off, she’s weak... it’s always a struggle right before an appointment because she’s essentially running on fumes. And then she calls me up all urgent, insisting I come over immediately to "see something." I show up, and what do I see? She’s found some ridiculous platform shoes with massive soles—honestly, where does one even find those? The heel is five inches, the sole probably twelve. And she’s strutting around in them like she owns the place. 😲
As for why she wanted them? She was trying to reach high enough to hang the third calendar in the house—the second is in the hallway. When I asked why on earth she needed three calendars, she just said, "I need them." She likes this one, she needs that one, and the third one is a Catholic one that "has names." I just hope she doesn't start calling people out of the blue to wish them a happy saint's day.😁

Mila, you have NO idea how incredibly happy I am that you guys are finally DONE WITH CHEMO!!!!!!
That is fantastic news, and I am genuinely thrilled about the test results. If only I could have lived to hear someone tell us our results were okay and that the chemo was finished. That was the one thing my mother and I prayed for, the one thing we held onto hope for...

Seriously, you have no clue how many different professions I’ve seen represented here, but you and your mother are absolute legends. I joined this group to keep up with new posts, and I am absolutely dying laughing reading this. You two are geniuses. I spend my time trying to picture you both... truly brilliant. Hats off to you; you are a singular woman. Maybe I’ll actually meet you one day. Once again, I want to say how truly happy I am for you.
Let her enjoy her own little movie. My mother spent her whole life—even through her illness—living out other people's stories, being quiet and reserved just so she wouldn't offend anyone. I always wished my mother could be more like yours... someone who lives their own life and doesn't go out of their way to bother anyone else. Good grief...
You really deserve credit for having the strength to look at all of this through such a humorous lens... Wishing you nothing but the best.

Angela Wright said:Based on everything you've described, I'm pretty sure you're dealing with endometriosis. Welcome to the club.🙄 Look, you’ll be just fine, but you seriously need to ditch that stuff and focus on healing your liver. If you don't, you're going to end up dealing with those ab pulses, which put just as much strain on your liver while you're waiting to decide on having kids. Honestly, there's an entire section of the women's forum dedicated solely to endometriosis—you really didn't need this added to your plate right now.😳

Melissa Kim45 said:I won't list everything, but I'm rooting for everyone—stay strong out there. 😘

Linda Wright5 said:I can tell you about my sister's experience... About six months before her surgery, she started dealing with these intense cramping episodes. Her entire abdomen would just seize up in pain, and while it would pass after a day or two and she'd feel fine again, it was clearly a warning sign. During her exam, they found a cyst that turned out to be malignant...
Good luck with the surgery. I'm rooting for a speedy recovery and a full return to health 🙂!

Elizabeth Gonzalez55 said:I can give you the exact breakdown: the first cycle consists of 8 injections over a three-week period, costing $15,000. On top of that, we had to cough up an extra $1,000 deposit to cover incidental expenses—things like lab work, consultations, leukapheresis, and just the administration of the injections themselves.

If it actually works, you're looking at another $15,000 for the second cycle, and then about $2,000 per year for a single maintenance injection for the rest of your life.

Melissa Kim45 said:The results look promising. My next follow-up appointment isn't scheduled for another month... 🙏
She hasn't undergone a second bronchoscopy yet, so I suppose everything is fine... for now... 🙏
The doctor seemed quite pleased, and she immediately reached out to her primary physician—who wasn't even available at the moment—to share the update... No more chemotherapy... 🙏

Honestly, she’s stumbling all over the place—big time. She’s dizzy, her gait is completely unstable, and she’s just incredibly weak. It seems like things always take a turn for the worse right before an appointment, likely because she’s just trying to survive at this point... And then, she gives me one of those calls, insisting that I drop everything and rush over immediately because she has something "urgent" to show me. So, I show up, and what do I find? She’s managed to track down some ridiculous platform sandals with massive soles—honestly, God knows where she even found them—with a heel that looks to be at least four inches high and a sole that's easily two. And there she is, walking around with such misplaced pride in them... 😲
She was just trying to reach high enough to hang yet another calendar—the third one in the apartment, following the second one in the hallway... I asked her what on earth she needed so many calendars for, and she simply replied, "I need them." Apparently, this particular one is a favorite and absolutely must be displayed, while the third is a Catholic one that apparently "has a name"... I can only hope she isn't going around naming people just to congratulate them on their saint's days...😁

I find myself increasingly unable to accurately gauge the situation... Since she first fell ill—back during that period two years ago when we were all convinced it was just something else entirely—I have made a conscious effort to stay closer to her side. Being present more often than I ever was before has allowed me to witness certain realities that had previously escaped my notice...
She’d be there, making a complete mess of her meal, tossing food all over the floor while she ate... and if anything actually got spat out, you could bet the dog was standing guard, ready to swoop in and make sure it vanished instantly...😁
I found myself quite taken aback by just how neglected this apartment actually is... For instance, I had absolutely no idea that the bathroom sink had cracked...
Under my steady hand...😁 Things have improved quite a bit lately. It still stings a little whenever I catch that vacant, senile expression on her face—that slack lower lip... though there are moments when she looks perfectly fine, possessing an entirely different countenance altogether. Then, out of nowhere, she’ll drop something utterly ridiculous. Just the other day, while I was at the office, we were catching up over the phone and she tells me: "I won't be able to wave at you because it's just too cold outside..."😲
What a performance... I've already been at work for three hours, though I actually left home a lifetime ago... 😲
And then she just cuts right through me and hangs up the phone, leaving me sitting there—well, just completely stunned... 🤷

I am honestly torn on whether I should let her rest for a while—though heaven knows how long that will actually last... or if we should push for a neurological evaluation to figure out what exactly is causing this constant head wobbling. I really want to find a top-tier neuropsychiatrist who can conduct a proper, thorough assessment, rather than someone who just plays around with medications and turns her into a zombie... If things don't take a significant turn for the worse, perhaps it might be kinder not to put her through the ordeal...

gentlemoose62 said:I haven't been particularly active on here lately, though I have been preoccupied with my own checkups and biopsies... but we can get to that later.

Now, I simply feel compelled to share some wonderful news with all of you. I just finished my follow-up for my ovarian cancer, and everything looks absolutely fantastic. My doctor actually suggested that we move to once-a-year screenings! Just once a year! If anyone had told me that seven years ago, or even after my last relapse four and a half years back, I would have assumed they were merely offering empty comfort...
But here it is, a reality, not a dream: a total recovery is indeed possible, even after a recurrence...
My physician actually told me, "you can consider yourself cured," which was the first time anyone has ever dared to say something so definitive...
I truly hope that by sharing this, I might offer a bit of encouragement to everyone else in the fight, reminding you that regardless of what lies ahead, one must never, ever give up...

Linda Hill29 said:Today, I find myself feeling quite happy. My father ate reasonably well today, and I can sense his strength beginning to return; he’s displaying those familiar little quirks and facial expressions of his once again. He is also talking and commenting more frequently—he always did enjoy good conversation and socializing—so he is starting to feel more like his old self... I am feeling a bit more secure as well, now that I have uncovered certain information and acquired some things that might help, following the advice you all provided.

My father is heading to the hospital this Tuesday to have his stoma removed—specifically, that feeding tube inserted directly into the intestine (he hasn't been using it, but they left it in just in case). Does anyone here have experience with this? Is it essentially a minor surgical procedure, and does it require general anesthesia?...

feralwolf24, thank you for the warning. If something like that happens, I will be prepared, otherwise, it surely would have terrified me. You all truly deserve credit; you have navigated through all of this, remaining brave and succeeding...

Linda Campbell, I might consider trying Nutricomp, though I am uncertain whether to opt for the standard version or the diabetic formula. Which one did you use? My father isn't reacting very well to Prosure...

It has become a habit of mine; constantly monitoring everything, yet it is such a wonderful feeling to finally have people I can turn to for questions or simply to share my anxieties with. I have never met any of you in person, yet you provide such support. Truly, people can be wonderful sometimes...

gentlemoose62 said:I haven't been super active on here lately because I've been busy dealing with my own checkups and biopsies, but I'll get into all that later!

Now, I just have to share some incredible news with you all. I went in for my ovarian cancer follow-up, and everything is PERFECT! My doctor actually told me we can move to once-a-year checkups! Can you believe it? Once a year! If anyone had told me that seven years ago, or even after my last relapse four and a half years ago, I would’ve thought they were just being nice to my face.
But it’s real, I’m not dreaming—CURE is possible, even after a relapse.
My doctor literally said, "you can consider yourself cured," and that’s the first time anyone has ever dared to say that to me.
I really want to use my story to encourage everyone else fighting this. No matter what happens next, you can NEVER give up!
And finally, I want to send my best vibes to our biggest fighter, DINA, who is currently recovering from surgery😁. Dina, all our thoughts and prayers are with you—please let us know as soon as you have some good news!