Resources and support for families dealing with cancer and serious illness

Angela Wright said:... I truly believe that all malignant diseases stem from a combination of factors, but somehow, I find myself linking brain issues most closely to one's mental state. ...My mother was someone who struggled quite a bit emotionally; she was prone to depression and tended to see things on the losing side, even though she was a cheerful and social person. She was the only one left working... Being forced out like a technological relic into early retirement hit her incredibly hard, and after about 3...

I second this 101%. Unfortunately, in our situation, it all happened just three months after she retired, which makes our sense of despair feel even heavier.

Amanda Williams64 said:Yeah, she had her surgery on April 11th. Let's just say Mom is doing okay right now—she’s handling the treatments well, which is really the most important thing at this stage. She still struggles with concentration, especially when it comes to reading. Sometimes she'll read the same paragraph over and over, and by the time she hits the end, she starts from the top again without even realizing she just finished it. That said, I think things are looking up slightly. She's still pretty disoriented, though; she'll head left when she means to go right, or vice versa. Also, one of the lasting effects of the illness is that half of her visual field is gone, so she can't see anything on her left side (even though the tumor was on the right, above her ear). It makes it hard for her to notice things on her left, especially parked cars—she keeps bumping into them with her side mirrors.😳
I just hope medical science advances enough to finally put an end to this monster once and for all. 🙏
Best,

I visited her two days after the surgery, and she just burst into tears (which isn't like her at all). Then, the very next day, she didn't even remember I had been there. She's out of the hospital now and doing better—she's up and walking around—but her speech is a bit weaker. I have so much going on with my college coursework, but I really want to go see her myself to see how she's holding up.😢 How long do the Temozolomide and radiation treatments usually last? And is it possible for her to come home between treatment sessions, or does she need to be under constant medical supervision?
And honestly, 😢 I hate even asking this... but how much time am I realistically going to have with her given this diagnosis and these treatments? 😢😢😢

Angela Wright said:😲 my mom fell ill at 55, too...
I actually wrote out a psychological profile of my mother once. I'm sharing it here because maybe some of you will see a connection. A few people dealing with Glioblastoma have already told me how much it "chilled them to the bone" to read her profile, because it felt like they were reading about their own loved ones.

She was always under intense pressure—finishing college, launching her own business... then back in '95, her father passed away—my grandfather. Then, just seven years ago, my dad—her only brother—died suddenly from a heart attack, and it took her years to truly recover from that hit. She threw herself back into work, always striving for more, always wanting to do better. She is incredibly driven, and honestly, seeing that kind of willpower and ambition gives me hope that she can fight this SS-gad too.
Thank you all so much. If it wasn't for this community, I don't know how I'd pull through this...

Hey there.
I have a quick question. I felt this little lump under my left armpit, and it’s pretty tender when I touch it. It isn't huge or anything—maybe about 3 to 5 mm if I had to guess.
If anyone has any thoughts on this, I guess you could share them with me. I’m not trying to panic, but I can't exactly just ignore it either. Maybe someone here has dealt with something similar and could tell me what they experienced.
Thanks.

steeleagle152 said:Hey there!
I have a question. I felt this little lump under my left armpit, and it’s tender when I touch it. It isn't huge—maybe about 3-5 mm if I had to guess.
If anyone has an opinion, please share it. I'm not trying to panic, but I'm not just going to ignore it either. Maybe someone (unfortuantely) has dealt with something similar and can give me some firsthand insight.
Thanks.

Look, you don't have much choice here other than seeing a doctor. It doesn't necessarily mean anything serious; people often claim that if a lump in that area is painful, it's benign (though there isn't actually any solid proof for that theory). Another possibility is that if you use a deodorant containing aluminum chlorohydrate, the way it blocks sweat might have caused a gland to get inflamed and swollen, especially if you applied it right after shaving or waxing.

By the way, aluminum chlorohydrate has been getting a bad reputation lately. There are claims that this compound was found within breast cancer cells, leading to suspicions that it could be a contributing factor to the disease in women. This is particularly relevant because, unlike men, women shave their armpits, which allows the compound to penetrate the body more easily, whereas in men, it tends to just sit on the hair and the surface of the skin.

Go see a gynecologist to get checked out; they can give you a referral for an ultrasound, which will tell you exactly what's going on.

So, the pain let up a little bit today—and hey, food actually isn't my enemy for once! Honestly, I just love seeing you guys here for me. Even if what I'm writing is kind of depressing sometimes... I guess this thread has basically become my daily therapy session...
Hey everyone, it's Grace Fowler hanging in there on the edge 🙄

Grace Fowler said:The pain actually let up a bit today, and food isn't my enemy anymore. Honestly, I just love seeing you all here for me—even if what I’m writing is pretty depressing sometimes... this thread has basically become my daily therapy session.
Best to everyone, Grace from the edge of the abyss🙄

It makes me incredibly happy to see you posting, and I look forward to every single update you share.😘
I'm rooting for you.😉

Grace Fowler said:The pain has eased up a bit today, and I’m actually finding that food isn't my enemy right now. It feels good to be able to eat again. Honestly, dear friends, seeing you all here means the world to me. Even though some of my posts can get a little heavy or sad sometimes, being able to check in like this has become my daily therapy.
Hey everyone, it's Grace Fowler, hanging in there on the edge of the abyss.🙄

Get up, Grace Fowler, please... just get up! There are still so many beautiful things left for you to experience here.😘

Grace Fowler said:The pain has let up a little today, and I can actually eat without it being a struggle. Honestly, seeing you all here means the world to me. Even if what I'm posting feels heavy sometimes, checking in here has become my daily therapy...
Sending love to everyone, Grace from the edge🙄

Hang in there, Grace. We're in this together. 🙂 Sending you so much love and strength! 😘

Grace Fowler said:The pain has eased up a bit today, and I can actually face food without it feeling like an enemy. It truly warms my heart to see you all here for me; even if my posts tend to be a bit grim at times, this forum has become my daily therapy...
Best wishes to everyone, Grace from the edge of the abyss🙄

HANG IN THERE, dear. No matter how weak you feel or how much pain you're enduring, please, try to get outside for a walk. My mother is down to 55 kg after her II cycle and she’s quite frail, but being out in nature really lifts her spirits. It takes her a moment to gather the strength to even head for the door, but she always feels better once she's out. So, get some fresh air, dear. Best regards.

Anonymous said:I 😢 absolutely hate this question... how much time am I actually going to have left by her side with a diagnosis like this and these treatments? 😢😢😢

wickedangel, honestly, maybe you’ll find it easier if you don't have that number hanging over your head. If it were me, I’d choose to never have heard it at all. It just casts this dark shadow over everything you try to do...
Just so you know, Amanda Williams64 and I are sisters, so you get the vibe.
Hey everyone.

Linda Campbell said:Let me try to offer a little comfort here—my mom actually just finished her II cycle of chemo yesterday.
After that first cycle (her cycles last three days each), she couldn't even walk out of the hospital by herself on the last day; I had to literally hold her up, and then once we got home, she started vomiting in the afternoon and didn't stop all night, which led to these terrible cramps and left her feeling just incredibly, incredibly weak. Honestly, I thought she wasn't going to make it. Her hair started falling out right away, too. They gave her Zofran for the nausea and she was taking Reglan, but truthfully, none of that seemed to touch it. She actually found that eating popcorn helped settle her stomach a bit.
It wasn't until the 12th day after chemo that her appetite finally started kicking back in. Right now, the absolute most important thing is keeping her hydrated—lots and lots of fluids, like green tea, or any red juices that help with blood counts (like beet juice or red and black currant juice). Try making things like rice or light vegetable soups that she can handle, because honestly, not much else will sit well with her. It’s best if she eats small amounts of salty things so she can drink more water. It might be a good idea to consult with an oncologist specifically about supplements (that's what we did), and immediately after the I cycle, Mom started taking Selenium and some enzymes, plus this powder called BASENPULVER that our oncologist recommended—apparently, it helps flush those kinds of acids out of the system. Thank God she finished her II cycle yesterday and hasn't had any major reactions at all! In fact, she's been eating so much better these past few days. We even started her on mistletoe injections today, which I highly recommend looking into or searching for online; they go by names like ISCADOR or HELIXOR. You should check out some German websites; there is so much information available there. Hang in there, sending love!

Thank you so much for getting back to me!
So, my mom only vomited for one day, and now she's feeling better with every passing day. She's doing everything on her own now, and I think in a few days, she and my dad are going to head to the coast so she can get some fresh air and just enjoy the peace and quiet.
She asked her oncologist if she should take anything to boost her immune system, and the doctor told her, "DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING!!!" Which, if I'm being honest, feels a little strange to me! What are we supposed to do? We're terrified of giving her something without permission, but I really feel like she needs *something*. I mean, how is her body supposed to recover before her next round of chemo in about 16 days???? 😕

Grace Fowler, just keep pushing forward!!😘

Carol Sanchez2 said:Thanks for getting back to me!
My mom was vomiting for just one day, and now she’s feeling better every single day. She's handling everything on her own, and I think she’ll head out to the coast with my dad in a few days—just to get some fresh air and find some peace and quiet.
She asked her oncologist if there’s anything she should take to boost her immunity, and the doctor told her NOTHING AT ALL!!! Honestly, that sounds weird to me. What are we supposed to do? We're terrified of giving her supplements without permission, but I feel like she really needs something. I mean, how is her body going to recover before her next round of chemo in about 16 days???? 😕

Grace Fowler, hang in there!!😘

I think it might be because vitamins can strengthen both healthy cells and cancer cells alike.
(I caught some lady talking about this on some alternative health channel)

brightgardener8 said:Angela Wright, have you heard from the other folks who posted on that Glioblastoma thread (sismis, vpavi16,hal 9000,leny)? I've been catching up on all their posts. It looks like only Nicole Edwards76 and bednkacin have popped up lately.
Best,

Honestly, I just haven't had the energy to post until now. Like Angela mentioned, my mom passed away from Glioblastoma last week... exactly one year after her surgery.
Guys, even though we lost this fight, I truly hope you guys win yours. If anyone needs anything at all, please reach out...
take care

Nicole Edwards76 said:I honestly haven't had the strength to reach out until now. Like Angela Wright mentioned, my mom passed away from Glioblastoma last week—exactly one year after her surgery.
Everyone, even though we lost this fight with everything we had, I truly hope you guys win yours. If anyone needs to talk or has questions, please feel free to reach out.
Best,

It’s good to see you here, and I really hope you're holding up okay through all of this. I spent a lot of time today just spiraling, thinking about what it’ll be like when it eventually happens to me and what I'm actually facing... it's probably unimaginable and incredibly heavy.
I really hope you can carve out some time for a summer getaway to clear your head, process everything, and find the strength to keep moving forward. Personally, I am desperate for a break, but it's not happening unless you count this upcoming four-day holiday weekend; my boyfriend is taking me down to Los Angeles, and that's pretty much the extent of my summer plans.

Take care of yourself, you really need it, I know.😘

Amanda Williams64 said:(even though her tumor is on the right side, just above the ear)...

Go ahead, take a guess where my mom's tumor is located.🙄
Supposedly, that's the center for all emotions.

Angela Wright said:Go ahead, try to guess where my mom's tumor is located.🙄
Supposedly, that's where the "emotional center" is located.

The limbic system—on a medial section? They couldn't have operated on that area, right?😳

brightgardener8 said:wickedangel, honestly, you might find things easier if you didn't have that info weighing on you. If it were me, I’d choose to forget I ever heard it. It just kind of casts a shadow over everything you try to do...
By the way, Amanda Williams64 and I are sisters, so you can imagine how complicated things get.
Sending love to everyone.

ohhh... wishing you all nothing but the best. May God help us all through this..😳

Nicole Edwards76 said:I’m so sorry I haven't had the strength to reach out until now. Like Angela Wright mentioned, my mom passed away from Glioblastoma last week—exactly one year after her surgery.
Guys, even though we lost this fight, I truly, deeply hope that you all win yours. If anyone needs to talk or has questions, please feel free to message me.
Take care,

Nicole Edwards76, I am so incredibly sorry... Please take care of yourself and get some rest. Give yourself all the time you need to process everything. Sending love.😘 😘

Anonymous said:The limbic system—on a medial section? There’s no way they could have operated there, right?😳

She went under the knife because they only managed to catch the surface layer. Even though the recurrence was sitting right there at the top of the incision line, they refused to go back in and cut it out. They just told us straight up that it’s simply not something they do.😕 Here’s my take: I don't think they were being helpful. My gut tells me that because my mom flat-out refused oncological treatment immediately following her surgery, they decided to pivot. Once she faced a recurrence, suddenly radiation and Temodal were all they had to suggest. It feels less like a medical evolution and more like a reaction to her initial refusal.