Resources and support for families dealing with cancer and serious illness

Hey everyone!
If you want to avoid getting lectured by the "experts" in here, just head over to www.rosorifeterapija.com
You'll find info on those papaya tablets, which actually makes a ton of sense if you think about it...
I remember hearing whispers about those pills even in unofficial medical circles back in the day. Honestly, it doesn't hurt to throw "ESSIAC" into a Google search—it might actually help you out.
I’m still out here grinding, trying to track down people who have dealt with Grade II brain astrocytomas...!
Sending love to you all. Hang in there, guys—we're stronger together!!!

cosmicsurfer7 said:Good day, everyone!
To avoid any useless arguments here, please just head over to www.rosorifeterapija.com
where you can find info on PAPAYA tablets—it actually makes a lot of sense....
I recall hearing about those tablets in unofficial medical circles before. Also, it doesn't hurt to search Google for ESSIAC; it might help.
I'm still struggling to track down people dealing with Grade II brain astrocytomas....!
Kisses to all, stay strong. We're stronger together!!!

I see this page covers quite a bit regarding Rife's generator. My dad used one, and personally, I believe it helped him significantly. However, he wasn't always consistent with its use. The real issue with all these alternative options—as someone else on this forum already pointed out—is that there isn't an "alternative oncologist" who can look at the specific disease, condition, etc., and dictate what works for whom, how long to take it, the intensity, or what to strictly avoid. Instead, we're all just guessing and trying everything without knowing if we're helping or hurting ourselves...

As for the rest, I believe there's some truth to all of it. If my dad were doing better, we'd probably be more open to trying even more.
Phoenix,, my dad has a Grade II astrocytoma, so ask whatever you need to know.

Donna Hernandez21 said:I’ve been putting off posting this for a week now... as if delaying it would somehow change the reality of the situation...
My father (55 years old) was diagnosed with lung cancer last week. Current findings suggest there's a possibility the cancer is actually linked to melanoma or hepatocellular carcinoma.
He is scheduled for a transthoracic puncture this Thursday. Until then, we still don't know the exact "type" of carcinoma we are dealing with.

I honestly have no idea what to think...
Someone suggested that if he is medically fit for surgery, he should be operated on at a clinic in Jordan. Does anyone have recommendations for a specific doctor?
We are originally from a small town near Indianapolis...

I don't know... I have a hundred questions, yet I can't seem to formulate a single one... it's as if my brain has simply stopped functioning...

Thank you all..

While I may not be eloquent enough to offer expert advice, and I certainly am not an authority on lung cancer, I can only share that my mother's oncologist repeatedly urged her to seek out Avian " Haller from Rhode Island, given how much they respect him as a specialist... So, is a trip to Jordan really necessary?

Hang in there... and please, feel free to ask any question you have; there is always someone here ready to respond... kisses

Nancy Hernandez43 said:Look, I’m definitely not an expert here—I can't give medical advice and don't know much about lung cancer—but I just want to pass this along: my mom's oncologist actually asked her multiple times why on earth she didn't just go to Avian for surgery, especially since they highly respect Haller, who was a student at Avian back in Rhode Island. Is a trip to the Mayo Clinic really necessary?

Hang in there... and seriously, ask anything you want! Someone always answers around here. Kisses

Haller is a gynecologist, so yeah—it's true he trained and worked with Avian.
They were probably mentioning him because of a gynecological tumor related to your mom.

The Mayo Clinic is basically the gold standard for pulmonology and thoracic surgery in the States—all the top thoracic surgeons train there, and their staff has the most experience handling the toughest lung cancer cases out there.
So, if I were in Donna Clark77's shoes, I would absolutely head to the Mayo Clinic, even if it's just for a second opinion. 👍

Donna Clark77 said:Haller is a gynecologist, and it’s absolutely true that he collaborated and trained at Avian.
They were likely mentioning him because of your mother's gynecological tumor issue.

The Mayo Clinic is the premier U.S. referral center for pulmonology and thoracic surgery—virtually every thoracic surgeon gets their training there, and the staff possesses unparalleled experience in treating the most aggressive forms of lung cancer.
So, if I were in Donna Hernandez21's shoes, I would definitely head to the Mayo Clinic, if only to get a solid second opinion.👍

I have to agree. My husband had his surgery at the Mayo Clinic, and when we were first coordinating the procedure, everyone insisted they were the gold standard for thoracic surgery. Now, look—the hospital itself, the rooms, the food, even the bathrooms... it's a total disaster. But the medical staff? They are truly top-tier, which, in my book, is really all that matters.

Thanks so much for all this info!
I know Haller personally—he actually performed surgery on a close friend of mine. We honestly owe him everything because he was the only one willing to step up and operate when everyone else just turned her away. Because of that, I’d recommend him to anyone dealing with gynecological issues in a heartbeat.

As for Jordan, we’ll probably make a final call once all the test results are back in our hands.
Since we aren't based out of Washington, D.C., does anyone know if we need a specific referral to see someone there? Also, does anyone have a doctor they'd highly recommend?

My dad was admitted to the hospital today to prep for tomorrow's puncture... and then comes the long wait for the lab results next week.

Donna Hernandez21 said:Thanks a million!
I know Haller personally—he actually performed surgery on a close friend of mine. Honestly, we’ll be forever in his debt because he was the only one willing to step up and operate when every other surgeon turned her away. If you're dealing with any gynecological issues, I’d tell you straight up: go see him.

As far as the Jordan situation goes, we’ll likely make our call once all the test results are officially in.
Since we aren't based in Washington, D.C., does anyone know if we need a specific referral to see someone? Also, does anyone have a doctor they’d actually recommend?

Dad got admitted to the hospital today to prep for tomorrow's biopsy... and then we're stuck facing a whole week of waiting around for the results to come back.

As far as I know, it isn't strictly necessary. I’ve personally seen cases where people just showed up with their test results in hand, asked to be seen, and were actually taken in.

When you head over to Jordan, you need your primary care referral—ideally, get them to write up two: one for the specialist consult and another for inpatient treatment, just in case they decide to admit you on the spot—along with all your medical records. In this specific case, we've got the lung CT and the bronchial brushing cytology results, plus I see the cytology and pH results from the puncture/biopsy should be ready in about a week.
It wouldn't hurt to call ahead and ask about any potential deposits or upfront costs, even though I know they used to take out-of-state patients for same-day exams.
At least, that’s how things worked back about three years ago.

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to drop in and share some incredible news: my mom’s cancer is actually operable. She’s still in surgery right now, but I managed to get a quick update from the anesthesiologist over the phone. It looks like she’ll have to deal with an ostomy bag moving forward, but honestly, that feels like a very small price to pay for her life. To be completely transparent, Dr. Majerović told me yesterday that we are looking at terminal stage cancer, and that this procedure is essentially about extending her life by maybe three years. But even that is a win in my book. He mentioned that a patient who had a much more complicated case than my mother has already been fully cured. I have to head back to see him tomorrow to go over the specifics of what was done and what our next steps look like. Sending so much love to all of you—I am just so incredibly happy right now.🙂

Amanda Miller69 said:Hey everyone,
I just wanted to drop in with some incredible news—my mom’s cancer is actually operable. She’s still in surgery right now, but I managed to get a quick call from the anesthesiologist. She’ll have to deal with a colostomy bag afterward, but honestly, that's a tiny price to pay for her life. To be fair, Dr. Majerović told me yesterday that this was terminal and we were basically looking at extending her life by maybe three years. But hey, three years is something! He also mentioned a patient who had a much tougher case than my mom and is now completely cancer-free. I have to follow up with him tomorrow to go over the specifics of what they did and what the next steps look like. Sending so much love to all of you—I am just so incredibly happy right now.🙂

There it is—a new spark of hope. This news you shared truly made my day.🙂
I truly believe your mom will be just like that other woman and be completely cured. She has every chance in the world.👍

Donna Clark77 said:To get into Jordan, you need a referral from your primary care physician (it’s actually smarter to ask for two—one for the specialist consultation and one for inpatient treatment, just in case they decide to admit the patient immediately)—along with all the medical records gathered so far. In this case, that includes a lung CT and the cytology results from the bronchial brushing; I see they should also have the cytology and pH results from the puncture/biopsy in about a week.
It wouldn't hurt to call ahead and ask about any potential deposits, though my understanding is that out-of-state patients can still be seen for an exam on the same day.
At least, that was the situation about three years ago.

Thanks so much! This is incredibly helpful info... I'll give Jordan a call tomorrow to figure things out.

My dad is having a really rough mental day today... (he’d been holding up so well until now). The doctors are saying the biopsy is a bit tricky because there are a lot of bullae present, which means there's a high risk of causing a pneumothorax... 😢 (assuming I understood everything correctly...)

Amanda Miller69, it’s truly wonderful to read some good news... I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, and I'm hopeful for this new glimmer of hope you've found.

Linda Peterson37 said:I noticed there’s actually a lot of talk here about Rife's generator. My dad used one, and honestly, I really believe it helped him quite a bit. The thing was, he wasn't always super consistent with how he used it. And I think that's the catch with all this alternative stuff—like someone else on the forum mentioned, you don't exactly have an "alternative oncologist" who can look at the specific illness or condition and tell you exactly what works for whom, how long to run it, how intense to go, or what to avoid entirely. We're all just out here trying everything, not even knowing if we're helping or making things worse...

As for the rest of it, I feel like there's truth to be found in all of this. If my dad were feeling any better, we'd probably be looking into even more options too.
Phoenix,, my dad has a Grade II astrocytoma, so feel free to ask me anything.

Thanks, I can see you've been searching everywhere for answers too. Maybe the Rife's generator did help him, but were you also giving him papaya capsules?
Here’s our situation: no surgery for now. The plan is to use radiation and chemo to shrink it down, then maybe surgery in phase two. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of path did your dad take? When did he start using the machine, and how does it actually work?

Amanda Miller69 said:Hey everyone,
just wanted to drop in with some amazing news—my mom's cancer is actually operable! She’s still in surgery right now, but I just got off the phone with her anesthesiologist. She’ll have to use a colostomy bag, but honestly, that is such a small price to pay to save her life. To be totally real with you, Dr. Majerović told me yesterday that this was terminal and we were looking at maybe three more years. But hey, three more years is still a huge win. He also mentioned a patient who had a much tougher case than my mom and she's completely cured now. I’m heading back to see him tomorrow to get the full rundown on the procedure and what the next steps look like. Sending so much love to all of you—I am just so incredibly happy right now.🙂

That is awesome news! 👍

Donna Hernandez21 said:I’ve been putting off posting this for a week now... almost as if doing so would actually change anything about the situation...
My dad (he's 55) was diagnosed with lung cancer last week. Based on what we know so far, there's a chance it might be linked to melanoma or hepatocellular carcinoma.
He’s scheduled for a transthoracic needle biopsy this Thursday, so we still don't have a definitive answer on the exact "type" of cancer we're dealing with.

I honestly just don't know what to think...
Someone suggested that if he's in good enough shape for surgery, he should really try to get it done at the Mayo Clinic. Does anyone have any recommendations for specific doctors there?
We're originally from somewhere out west, like Portland...

I don't know... I have a hundred questions swirling around, but I can't seem to form a single coherent one... it's like my brain has just gone completely numb...

Thanks, everyone..

My mom is currently receiving treatment at the Mayo Clinic, though she has a different kind—small cell carcinoma. I can't quite recall how the initial referral process worked, or if there was anything specific we had to hunt down ourselves. She was originally diagnosed at a different hospital and then transferred over to the Mayo Clinic, where they pinned down the exact type during her tests. Now, after nearly a year of this, all I remember is that I pick up a new referral for her from our primary care doctor at least once a month.

I don't have anything bad to say (well, nothing too harsh) 😁 about the doctors, and honestly, the nursing staff has been wonderful. 👍 The unit where my mom is staying was undergoing some renovations (I think they're wrapping that up around now), and we're just waiting on her next follow-up. It's mostly just coordination; we always have the paperwork ready to go. We drive her up there, and since we can't really leave her unsupervised anymore, we just take it day by day. Sometimes they send her home right after the exam, and then we head back to the doctor once the results are in. The discharge papers always specify when the next check-up or treatment session is scheduled. After being in this for so long, you develop a different perspective on everything. I remember that initial feeling of pure panic, but even that feels distant now.

Once they nail down the specific type of cancer, they'll propose a treatment plan. That's when you'll really see the path forward.
Until then, just hang in there, and once you finally know exactly who your "enemy" is, you can dive into the fight with everything you've got.

Amanda Miller69 said:Hey everyone,
I just wanted to drop in and share some incredible news—it turns out my mom's cancer is actually operable. She’s still in surgery right now, but I managed to get a quick call from the anesthesiologist. She’s going to have to deal with a colostomy bag afterward, but honestly, that feels like such a small price to pay for more time. Just yesterday, Dr. Majerović told me we were looking at terminal stage, basically saying this was just about squeezing out maybe three more years. But even that is a huge win. He mentioned a patient who had a much tougher case than my mom is already fully recovered. I have to head back to his office tomorrow to go over all the specifics of what they did and figure out the next steps. Sending so much love to you all, I am just so incredibly happy.🙂

😍 That’s amazing! 👍

cosmicsurfer7 said:Thanks. It looks like you've been searching everywhere for answers too. Maybe Rife's generator helped him, but did you ever try giving him papaya capsules?
Here’s the situation: no surgery yet. They’re using radiation and chemo to shrink things down first, then hopefully surgery in phase two. If you don't mind me asking, what was the protocol for your father? When did he start his regimen, and how does it actually work?

He didn't use papaya capsules—honestly, we'd never even heard of them. He is currently taking Cat's Claw (Uncaria tomentosa), shark cartilage, and various vitamins and minerals to boost his immunity and circulation.
As for his condition, things aren't great right now. We're waiting on radiation, which was finally scheduled after the machine in Indianapolis was out of order for so long. He isn't in any shape to travel to Washington, D.C., and he's also undergoing chemo every six weeks. It's tough, but it will get better.
Check your PM.

My dad has always had a massive sense of humor; he's always been the life of the party and such a cheerful soul. Even now, with everything he's going through, he's cracking jokes and making us laugh... he just keeps everyone around him uplifted. He gives me so much energy and puts a smile back on my face. He reminds me that life really is about the little things, and that no matter how hard it gets, we can always find a reason to smile for our loved ones because they deserve it.
If he can find a way to laugh like that while being this sick, I can certainly do a hundred times more for him.

Amanda Miller69, that is wonderful news! Just keep pushing forward!

Donna Clark77 said:Haller is a gynecologist, and it is true that he trained and collaborated at Avian.
They were likely mentioning him because of your mother's gynecological tumor.

The Mayo Clinic is the premier American referral center for pulmonology and thoracic surgery—virtually all thoracic surgeons seek training there, as their staff possesses unparalleled experience in treating the most aggressive forms of lung carcinoma.
Therefore, if I were in Donna Hernandez21's father's shoes, I would certainly insist on going to the Mayo Clinic, if only to secure a second opinion...👍

As I mentioned, I am not an expert in this field, but one should always seek a second opinion...

Amanda Miller69 said:Hey everyone,
just wanted to drop in with some amazing news—my mom’s cancer is operable! She's actually in surgery right now, but I managed to get a quick call from the anesthesiologist... She'll have to use an ostomy bag, but honestly, that's such a small price to pay for more time. Yesterday, Dr. Majerović told me her cancer was considered terminal and that this might just extend her life by about three years. But hey, three years is still a gift! He also mentioned a patient who had a much tougher case than my mom is already fully cured. I'm heading back to see him tomorrow to get the full rundown on what they did and what comes next. Sending so much love to you all, I'm just so happy...🙂

That is wonderful news! Thank you so much for sharing this with us right away. Don't let that "terminal" label get in your head—it's just a medical term. From what I can tell, you're a true optimist, so keep that energy up and share it with your mom as much as possible. It's going to be so important for her recovery...👍

I honestly don't even know where to start with this one, but I suppose I'll just dive right in. Grace Fowler says:
My dad, who just turned 55, was diagnosed with lung cancer last week. Based on the initial tests and findings we've received so far, there's a possibility that this might actually be linked to melanoma or perhaps even hepatocellular carcinoma.

Melanoma most commonly spreads to the lungs, the liver, or the brain. If that's what we're looking at with your dad, there's actually some good news regarding those specific locations—the prognosis is generally better when it reaches those areas. I’ve been spending a lot of time reading through stories on an American melanoma survivor forum, catching up on the experiences of people who have faced this exact situation and are still here with us today. Just try to hang in there and keep a positive mindset.

Things haven't really changed on our end—my husband has decided he isn't going to push for any more biopsies or having additional lymph nodes removed for the time being. For now, he’s just sticking to his regular ultrasound checkups and waiting on the PET/CT scan scheduled for May. That date will be here before we know it, and honestly, only God knows what those results are going to show, which is why I find myself praying to Him every single day.

I’m actually reaching out today because there’s a bit of news worth sharing from issue number 67 of Medical News. There is a research project happening over in Denver that involves a collaboration with Ford, all backed by funding from the European Union. This initiative has been underway for a while now, and honestly, the results they are seeing are nothing short of fascinating. They are working on electrochemotherapy, which is currently being used to treat melanoma and various skin cancers, though the hope is that they can eventually expand this to other types of carcinoma as well. Skin tumors are the most practical starting point since the method essentially works by using electrodes to deliver electrical currents directly into the tumor mass. Once those currents have destabilized the cancer cells, they follow up with targeted, local chemotherapy. As I mentioned, the outcomes are truly incredible; they saw a complete regression of treated tumors in 48% of patients, even though every single one of them was already at stage IV. Now, I should clarify that this doesn't necessarily mean a total cure, since we aren't able to treat metastases within internal organs yet—so when we talk about remission here, we are specifically referring to the regression of metastases in the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and lymph nodes. In one particular case involving a woman, she maintained remission for eight years before experiencing a recurrence, but she has since undergone treatment again and her progress is being closely monitored. When you look at the standard statistics for melanoma, what they've achieved is an unbelievable success. Personally, I am still holding out high hopes that DCVax will be successful so that we won't have to keep searching for a cure, but it sure is comforting to know that these other options are out there.
I would have posted the link here, but I just can't seem to track down the latest issue of LN online anywhere.

Well, I finally managed to track down Dr. Miller today. He told me Mom arrived around 11:30, and by then, the bowel obstruction had already started—contents were leaking into the stomach. He mentioned things have progressed quite rapidly, even affecting her bladder, so they performed every surgical intervention possible to stabilize her. He gave her a prognosis of maybe three to four years, which, honestly, feels like something to hold onto right now. The next few days are critical, though; her body is just so exhausted from fighting this, and they couldn't be as radical with the surgery as they might have wanted because she simply wouldn't have survived the procedure. Now we’re just in a waiting game, hoping for the best and praying she can maintain some quality of life for whatever time she has left. She’s currently in the ICU on life support, and they aren't letting us get anywhere near her. Perhaps it’s for the best, though—it might be easier if I don't have to see her hooked up to all those tubes and wires.
Does anyone here have experience with specific dietary requirements or how to manage a stoma? I know I read something about it on a forum a while back, but I really don't have the energy to go hunting through old threads right now...