Support for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses (Part II)

Kimberly Taylor92 said:I recently posted about my mother's battle with pleural mesothelioma. Sadly, she passed away last Wednesday after a sudden decline. There was nothing more we could do.

Please accept my deepest condolences.

Thanks, everyone... Really. Just wanted to say I'm sending all the strength and courage in the world to you guys and your families fighting through these heavy diagnoses. Hope there's some wins coming your way on the road to recovery... stay strong.

Oh, yeah, one more thing... Mom still has a bunch of meds left over that are basically untouched. Honestly, it feels like a crime to just toss them out, especially since some of this stuff is pretty pricey. If anyone’s actually using Iscador ampules, or those Pleura ampules, Pradaxa, Sevredol, Hepan cream, Zaldiar, Byol Cor, Transtec patches, Doreta tablets, or Reglan... let me know. Just wanted to offer them to someone who actually needs them instead of letting them go to waste...

Kimberly Taylor92 said:Oh, one more thing! Mom still has quite a few meds that are basically untouched, and we’d love to pass them on to anyone who actually needs them. If anyone is currently taking Iscador ampules, Pleura ampules, Pradaxa, Sevredol, Hepan cream, Zaldiar, Byol Cor, Transtec patches, Doreta tablets, or Reglan, please reach out! It feels like such a waste to just toss them, especially since they can be pretty pricey.

We actually managed to return some of the unopened medications to the pharmacy. In Chicago, there's a place run by Catholic Charities that handles stuff like this—so if you don't hear from anyone here, maybe check if there's a similar setup near you? (Sorry, I can't remember exactly where you're located!) Would you be open to dropping them off there?

I went ahead and gathered every single one of my mother's medications and dropped them off at her primary care physician's office. It’s a strange feeling, isn't it? We, or rather Mom, used to receive those "unlabeled" prescriptions from the doctor quite often, so I can only hope that her leftovers might actually serve some purpose for someone else in need.

I'm out in Miami. We actually tried taking them back to her GP's office, but she told us they couldn't just take those kinds of meds back, so they're still sitting here at our place... But honestly, that idea about checking with the Catholic Charities pharmacy is solid, I'll definitely look into it. Thanks.

My mother passed away two months ago.
If anyone can make use of them, I have three packs of Graviola—two are unopened and one has just been started.
I also have some Vidatox drops.

Man, I never thought I’d be the one posting on this forum, but life doesn't exactly ask for permission. Someone incredibly, incredibly close to me is dealing with a renal cell carcinoma with metastases—it's everywhere. Anyway, he went through surgery, he was actually feeling great, and then he gets prescribed Votrient. After just the first dose, he hits bradycardia; his pulse dropped to about 30. He ended up in the hospital, currently in cardiology, and they’re going to install a pacemaker (whatever the right term is, sorry). So, here we go. I really need to know, what has your experience been with this specific drug? The cardiologists are completely baffled that he was even prescribed such a heavy hitter given his heart history, and the oncologists are stunned by how violently he reacted to it. Honestly, I'm losing my mind. When they first approved the medication, he was actually ecstatic—which, aside from the fact that he isn't in pain right now, is the most important thing to me. Please, if you have any stories or experiences, share them!
To everyone else who has lost loved ones to this horrific disease, I am sending my deepest, most heartfelt condolences.

The US just rolled out the IKS knife at the Clinical Center of Mexico. The treatment is priced at $3,000. There isn't any waiting list right now.
The tumor needs to be under 5 centimeters. I'm working on shrinking mine, and once I meet the requirements, I'm going in.

😵The US just introduced the IKS knife at the Clinical Center of Mexico. The treatment is priced at $3,000. There’s currently no waiting list.
The tumor has to be under 5 centimeters. I’m working on shrinking mine, and once I meet the requirements, I’m heading in.

vividsurfer20 said:My mom passed away two months ago.
If anyone can make use of them, I have three packs of Graviola—two are still sealed and one was just opened.
I also have some Vidatox drops.

I am so incredibly sorry; please accept my deepest condolences.

Carol Reed19 said:We actually managed to pull off some things...If you have any medications that haven't been opened, please return them to the pharmacy. In Chicago, there’s this thing similar to how Catholic Charities runs their pharmacy. If you don't hear back from anyone else, maybe look into whether there's something like that in your area—I can't quite remember exactly where you're located right now, sorry about that! But if they have something similar, it might be worth looking into.

Look, let's be clear about one thing: medication isn't something you can just pack up and return like a pair of shoes from Amazon. Once it leaves the pharmacy, that's it.
Once a pharmacist hands over a prescription, they’re essentially out of the loop. They have absolutely no way of knowing how that medication is being stored at home, whether the packaging has been tampered with, or if it's even being handled properly. Once it leaves the pharmacy counter, the responsibility shifts entirely.
I have no clue which pharmacy picked that up, but honestly, maybe it's for the better.

I know this might feel a bit out of place for this thread, and it probably doesn't seem like the most "charitable" way to look at things—even though helping others is exactly what we're all about here—but when you follow the professional guidelines and legal standards, there’s a hard rule in place. You just can't return medications.

Jacob Stewart2 said:Medication isn't some retail item you can just return for a refund.
Once a pharmacist hands over a prescription, they lose all control over how that medicine is stored—whether it’s been sitting in a hot car, left out on a counter, or even if someone messed with the packaging.
I have no idea which pharmacy ended up receiving it, though honestly, maybe it's for the best.

I've actually taken extra pills back to my local drugstore a few times myself, whether the packs were opened or not. I noticed they check the expiration dates, and while I'm not positive about their exact protocol, I suspect any unexpired meds end up being donated to a general hospital. Personally, I think that's perfectly fine—it's much better than letting valid medication go to waste. Back when I was going through this, a woman from Miami actually donated Temodal (chemo) to me, which covered nearly an entire cycle worth about $4000. 👍
It strikes me as quite strange that such incredibly expensive treatments aren't subject to returns. My oncologist prescribed Temodal capsules for me; it wasn't a massive amount, but considering the astronomical price tag, every bit helps. I'd like to think someone once returned an excess supply to him, too.

feralridge3 said:I’ve actually dropped off some extra pills at my local pharmacy a few times, whether they were still in the blister packs or not. From what I could tell, they check the expiration dates, and I suspect anything still good probably ends up being routed back to a general hospital. Personally, I think that’s a perfectly fine way to handle it; it beats letting perfectly valid medication just sit there and go to waste. Back when I was going through this, a woman from Miami was kind enough to donate some Temodal (chemo) to me, which covered almost an entire cycle—it would have cost nearly $4000. 👍
It honestly strikes me as odd that such expensive medications can't be returned. My oncologist provided Temodal capsules, and while it wasn't a massive amount, given how much those things cost, every little bit helps. You’d hope someone did the same for him once.

Pharmacies and doctors are actually required to take old medications, either through official drop-off bins or directly at the counter. They accept them, but don't mistake that for recycling—those drugs aren't put back into circulation. Under the law, once a medication has been dispensed, it cannot be reused for another patient. What usually happens is that an oncologist might get samples from pharmaceutical reps to test out, which they then provide to patients. As much as it feels like a kind, human gesture to hand over unused meds to someone who needs them, it simply isn't legal.

Jacob Stewart2 said:You can't just return medication like you're returning a pair of shoes at a department store.
Once a pharmacist hands over a prescription, they lose all control over how that medicine is stored or if it’s been tampered with.
I have no idea which pharmacy actually took it back, and honestly, maybe it's better that way.

I realize this is a bit off-topic and doesn't exactly scream "charity work" (even though it really does), but according to professional regulations, it just doesn't happen. Meds aren't refundable.

The only way they could have taken it back was to process it as a disposal, which is what they're required to do anyway. I highly doubt they issued a refund; why would they risk massive fines or losing their license just to give money back?

Michelle Perez40 said:Pharmacies and doctors are actually required to take back old medications, whether through specialized drop-off bins or directly at the counter. They collect them, but don't be under any illusions—those drugs aren't being put back into circulation. Under the law, once a medication has been dispensed, it's strictly prohibited from being reused. What happens is that oncologists get samples from pharmaceutical reps, which they then distribute to their patients. No matter how compassionate it might seem to you to hand over an unused prescription to someone in need, it simply isn't legal.

I was honestly caught off guard when my wife told me she was sending me some Temodal. It makes perfect sense to me that medicine gets returned, but I figured maybe she just bought it herself—just like I did—and ended up with some left over, so she offered it to me.

My mother’s battle—and my own struggle alongside her—concluded quite some time ago; she passed away nearly 15 years back. Following her passing, I made it a point to donate all of her medications and medical supplies to those who truly needed them. I used to work as a pharmacist at the local drugstore where we sourced everything, so I knew exactly what was useful. It brings me a genuine sense of peace knowing I was able to save others several thousand dollars.

Hey everyone, my mom went through hormone-responsive breast cancer almost two years ago. After dealing with surgery, chemo, and radiation, she’s been on Tamoxifen. She’s been taking it for about a year now, but things just took a turn. At her last gyno appointment, her endometrial thickness was 6 mm, but she went back this morning and the doctor said it jumped to 12 mm. They suggested she head over to oncology—they’ll either want to do a biopsy or maybe switch her medication, at least that's what I was told. I'm wondering, what are the actual options here? Like, what happens with hormone replacement therapy... does the uterus have to be removed or what? I know endometrial issues can happen with Tamoxifen, but I really didn't expect it to happen this fast... Is there any way to protect the endometrium from the effects of the drug?

I’ve been hanging around this forum all year because of two friends of mine... both of whom passed away this year. I honestly never thought I’d end up signing up myself, but here we are. Monday was the emergency room visit, Tuesday we got the test results back, and Wednesday is the big meeting with the doctor to go over my mother's diagnosis. Unfortunately, just like I feared, the cancer has spread from her lungs to her brain. Beyond that, I don't know—nobody knows yet. It looks like I'll be a regular guest here for a while. I'm hoping for as long as possible, since we all know there isn't a cure. Regardless, I'll be reading through this forum, whatever comes our way. 😢😢😢

Hey there—just looking for some insight for Angela Wright. A buddy of mine was diagnosed with a brain tumor (Grade IV Glioblastoma) about two years ago. He went through surgery and finished a round of chemo, and honestly, things were looking relatively okay until about two months ago when everything started sliding downhill. He just had a second surgery, but he’s not doing great. His last CT scan showed some edema—if I've got that term right—so his oncologist put him on some pills to try and bring the swelling down. She basically told him that continuing with chemo doesn't make sense anymore. If anyone has any advice on what the next steps should be, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.