Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Out of habit, I find myself scrolling through this forum every now and then—just wanted to pop in and say hello to everyone. I really hope you all are hanging in there; stay strong while you're fighting those battles for yourselves and your loved ones. I lost my person, but man, I fought until the very last second because I truly believed there was still a chance... it was everything I had. Now? It’s just hard. I’m stuck in this loop where I don't know what to do with myself, constantly replaying every single memory in my head, searching for some kind of mistake. Did I forget something? Did I mess up? Was there something I should have said but didn't? It's exhausting.
I also noticed that rose44 isn't around lately, which is actually starting to worry me—I'd love to find a way to reach out and check in on her.
Wishing you nothing but the best.

We finally made it to the oncologist. We can start planning the treatment now, though it sounds like we'll be stuck in the planning phase for a little while.
My dad is actually talking again—he’s been completely silent until now. I think speaking with someone who truly understands what he's going through really helped break the ice.
I can't tell you how relieved I am that someone is finally looking out for us. We spent five months waiting for absolutely nothing! Honestly, even if this takes another month, it doesn't matter. The main thing is that he's communicating again. I was starting to think we had already lost the battle on a psychological level—maybe those are just the stages of processing a diagnosis? A huge thank you to everyone here; I'll post more soon.
If anyone has experience using Nexavar, please let me know what it was like for you.🤷

Link to this article: http://www.alternativa-za-vas.com/in...candida-i-rak/
I would appreciate any insight or assistance here.
It certainly wouldn't hurt to stay informed.

Jesse Newman46 said:Here’s the link to the article. The connection between Candida overgrowth and cancer is one of those topics that people love to dance around because it’s uncomfortable, but we need to stop dancing and start looking at the actual biology. It isn't just about "bad bacteria" or some simple imbalance; it's about how a systemic fungal infection can act like a catalyst for cellular chaos. Think of it like a house fire where the yeast isn't just the smoke—it's actually feeding the flames by creating an environment where malignant cells can thrive without any resistance from the immune system. When you have chronic Candida, you aren't just dealing with bloating or fatigue; you're dealing with a hijacked metabolic pathway. These fungi produce metabolites that can essentially shield cancer cells from being detected by your body's natural defenses. It’s like a thief wearing a high-visibility vest so the police don't bother checking them. If the gut microbiome is completely wrecked, the body loses its first line of defense, turning what should be a controlled biological process into a free-for-all. We have to move past the superficial advice of "just eat less sugar" and realize that if there is a deep-seated fungal issue, the entire internal ecosystem is compromised. You can't fix a structural foundation issue by simply repainting the walls. We need to address the underlying fungal load if we want to stand any chance of supporting true cellular health.
I’d really appreciate some help here.
It’s worth a read.

They can play the fool all they want, but they might end up killing someone—just like those poor souls who drove that individual to walk away from the Medical Board in the first place. ☕
You really ought to give this a read:

Angela Wright said:....

Thanks for the deep dive and the killer response!

I never imagined I’d be the one posting here—but life has a funny way of throwing curveballs, doesn't it? A couple of days ago, we received the news that my father has hepatocellular carcinoma... The doctors essentially told us there wasn't much they could do and sent him home. Of course, we aren't just going to sit back and accept that—we are looking into private options to keep fighting. Honestly, I’m still in such a state of shock that I don't even have the mental energy to read through this entire thread; I’m just desperately hoping there might be some glimmer of hope hidden somewhere in here... I did come across mention of a drug called Nexavar, but I am completely lost as to who to contact for more information—there seems to be so little helpful info available online...

Hannah James76 said:I never imagined I’d be posting here, but life throws curveballs... Two days ago, we found out my dad has hepatocellular carcinoma. The doctors basically told us there was nothing they could do and sent him home. Of course, we aren't just rolling over; we're looking into private options. I'm still in total shock and don't have the energy to read through this entire thread, but I'm desperately hoping there's some kind of glimmer of hope somewhere... I saw that there's a drug called Nexavar, but I have no idea who to talk to for actual information—there's barely anything useful online...

Log in to www.webmd.com and ask for an opinion from Dr. Stjepan Radić; she's an oncologist who contributes to this forum as a volunteer.
Nexavar is what you'd call a "smart drug," but before anyone can be prescribed a chemotherapy agent—Nexavar included—they have to meet specific criteria regarding age, overall physical condition, and the stage of the cancer. Unfortunately, sometimes the disease is caught so late that administering chemo would only serve to wreck his health and quality of life without offering any real benefit.

Angela Wright said:Go ahead and check out www.mayoclinic.org to get some insight from Dr. Thomas Jefferson—she’s an oncologist who actually contributes here as a volunteer.
Nexavar is what they call a "smart drug," but before anyone can be prescribed a specific type of chemotherapy—including Nexavar—certain criteria have to be met, such as age, overall physical condition, and the stage of the disease. Unfortunately, there are times when the illness is caught so late that administering chemo would simply deteriorate their health and quality of life without offering any real benefit.

I went ahead and signed up, but we've already scheduled everything with an unnamed specialist, so I’ll see what his take is... At the gastroenterology department, they told him he needed to follow up with oncology for chemo, yet when he went to the tumor clinic, they practically sent him home, saying there was nothing they could do. They wouldn't even perform a biopsy because they were afraid he might bleed out. What really strikes me is how great my dad looks—he has a healthy appetite and such a strong will to live... And if only someone could just tell us how much time we actually have left. We're fighting, though—hope dies last. Thank you.

Hannah James76 said:I finally signed up, but we’ve already scheduled an appointment with the unnamed doctor, so we’ll see what he has to say... The GI specialists told him he needs to head over to oncology for chemo, but then at the tumor clinic, they basically told him to just go home because there's nothing they can do. They wouldn't even perform a biopsy because they were terrified he'd bleed out. What really strikes me is how great my dad looks—he has a healthy appetite and such a strong will to live... I just wish someone would give us a straight answer on how much time he actually has left. We're fighting, though; hope dies last. Thank you.

It doesn't surprise me one bit that they gave you that response at the Institute; that's just their standard playbook when dealing with complex cases. 🙄
And let's be real: nobody can tell you exactly how much longer your dad has, and honestly, that should be the very last thing you obsess over right now. You all need to just live in the moment—him included—and make the most of every single day. Not because he's sick, but because that's how everyone ought to live anyway. Let him live out whatever time he's been granted here on this earth. Do everything in your power to make sure he's comfortable and has the best quality of life possible under the circumstances.
The unnamed doctor will provide his own assessment, and it's entirely possible his opinion will completely contradict everything you've heard so far.

Angela Wright said:Honestly, I’m not surprised they gave you that answer at the Mayo Clinic—that’s just how they handle the complicated cases there. 🙄
And look, nobody can give you a definitive timeline on how much longer Dad might be with us, and frankly, that’s the very last thing you should be obsessing over right now. Instead, everyone needs to just... be. You all need to live in the here and now and make the most of every single day—not because he’s sick, mind you, but because that's really how we should all be living anyway. Let him live out whatever time he's been granted in this world. Just do everything you can to make sure he's comfortable and has the best quality of life possible, given the circumstances.
The unnamed specialist will provide their own opinion, and it is entirely possible it will contradict everything you've heard so far.

We met with them, and that was pretty much the only takeaway—though they did walk us through the lab results in great detail. Dad’s platelet count is low, and the medications are actually driving it down even further, which puts him at risk for bleeding. His unnamed level is at 50 and it’s only going to climb, and we all know where that leads... He doesn't want to die—he’s crying, and honestly, this feeling of complete helplessness? It’s absolutely killing me.😢

Hannah James76 said:We sat down with him, and he’s the only one who actually took the time to walk us through the lab results in detail. The situation is grim: Dad’s platelet count is already bottoming out, and these medications are just going to tank them further, which puts him at a massive risk for internal bleeding. His levels are hitting 50 and they’re only going to climb from here; we’re essentially just waiting to see how much worse it gets. He’s fighting like hell because he refuses to die, and seeing him break down like this... honestly, this feeling of being completely powerless is absolutely destroying me. 😢

Oh honey, I am just so incredibly sorry. 😢 I only know one thing for certain, and I witnessed it firsthand when my mother was on her deathbed. I called a priest to come and assist her, and it taught me this: once a person decides to let go of someone or something, all they need to do is point a finger in that direction for God to step in and turn things around. After that happened, my mother lived for another year and a half.
Just give it a shot and try reaching out. www.zanovidan.hr Ask Dr. Thomas Jefferson if there's any room to use Xelod in this situation. Look, I know it isn't going to be a miracle cure, but it might slow things down just enough to give her some semblance of a decent quality of life. Honestly, when you're dealing with cases like this, I think it’s worth giving them something—even if it's just a palliative measure or a psychological placeholder—just to help settle the mind.
Hang in there, honey.

Hannah James76@
Hang in there and take care of yourself. Please look after your dad, too—I really hope you both find the strength to stay mentally grounded through this. I’ve been feeling like I'm stuck in a black hole for days myself, but if there's one thing I know, it's that just being by his side will help lift his spirits. Stay strong. I'm so sorry. I can't offer any medical expertise, but I did read somewhere that elderberry juice—specifically the black elderberry kind—can be really helpful for platelet counts. I don't want to give you false hope, but that's just what I've come across. Hang in there!

Just checking in to let you know we finally met with the oncologist and the surgeon. After the consultation, they decided we should move forward with chemo and radiation, but of course, now the waiting game begins again. Everything moves at a snail's pace here—and honestly, the delays are ridiculous! I get that people need vacations, but the bureaucracy in this country makes everything drag on way too long. To top it off, apparently the radiation machine broke down! Just our luck. If this were any other type of cancer, they wouldn't have even made it to the first round of treatment with all these setbacks.
The situation isn't great. Does anyone know why my dad has swelling on the side where the tumor is located? It seems to be on the lung area. There's visible swelling on the outside. They tell me it’s nothing serious, but honestly, I'm hyper-vigilant about every little change now—I feel like I'm looking at everything through a microscope.
Sending strength to everyone here and a thousand hugs to you all!

http://www.abcnews.com/topic/lifestyle[cat]=429

An absolutely stellar segment on homeopathy—perfectly tailored for anyone currently under the impression that homeopathic remedies are actually worth their salt.
Summer Trivia Show, July 28th, 2011 episode.

Karen Torres42 said:Hannah James76@
Please hang in there and take care of yourself. Look after your dad, too—I truly hope you both can find the strength to stay mentally composed through this. My own life has felt like being stuck in a black hole for days now, so if I can offer any solace, it’s just this: stay by his side. Your presence alone will lift his spirits. Hang in there! I am so incredibly sorry. I can't offer any medical expertise, obviously, but I did read somewhere that elderberry juice—specifically the black elderberry kind—can be quite beneficial for platelet counts. It's supposed to be very good. I don't want to give you any false hope, but that's just what I've come across. Stay strong!

Thank you—we are all just trying to hold it together. For now, Dad looks good; he’s walking, driving his car, and honestly, you would never guess he was even ill. At the moment, he's on a diet consisting of various herbal remedies, medications, and juices, so we shall just have to see how things progress... We actually traveled to see a phytomedicine specialist in Vienna. They say hope is the last thing to die, and I am still holding onto the hope that he might live just a little longer through sheer force of will... Hang in there yourself, too. 😉

Hi everyone. I’ve been scrolling through the previous comments on this thread, but I figured I’d start a fresh one because there's something specific I need to wrap my head around. I'm still quite young, so I don't have much firsthand experience with all of this. My mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer—well, she *had* it. She underwent surgery about a month ago, which went successfully. They removed her uterus and both ovaries during the procedure. Now she's back home and getting ready to start chemotherapy soon. She's taking a whole cocktail of supplements, including things like olive & beta glucan (GForce) along with several others (I can't recall the exact names right now)... On top of that, she's sticking to a healthy diet, or at least that's my impression. Her tumor markers are currently high and her iron levels are low, though the doctors mentioned those should stabilize eventually. Everything else in her blood work looks great, and most importantly, the cancer hasn't spread. Since I'm still learning the ropes regarding this disease, I was wondering: what does the road ahead actually look like? I'm really looking for perspectives from people who have actually lived through this, rather than just those reciting things they found on some random website!

restlesswalker11 said:Hey everyone. I’ve been reading through the old comments on this thread, but I’m starting a new one because I have some fresh questions. I’m still pretty young, so I don't know much about all of this. My mom had ovarian cancer—well, she just finished her surgery about a month ago. They had to remove her uterus and both ovaries. She’s back home now and will be starting chemotherapy soon. She’s taking all sorts of supplements, like olive & beta glucan (Gforce) and a bunch of others (I can't remember the exact names right now)... Besides that, she’s eating healthy, at least I think she is. Her markers are high and her iron is low, but the doctors say that should stabilize over time. Everything else in her bloodwork looks great, and most importantly, the cancer hasn't spread anywhere. Since I'm still learning about this disease, I really want to know: what comes next? I’m looking for stories from people who have actually lived through this, rather than just people Googling symptoms!

Generally speaking, ovarian cancer is a pretty sneaky and recurring disease, but there are plenty of women out there who have been in remission for a long time and are handling the diagnosis just fine.
Here is a link to a specific forum. There are tons of personal experiences there, and the women in that community will be happy to help you out.
If I could offer one piece of advice, though, don't stress yourself out over "what ifs" that might never happen. Just focus entirely on your mom's specific situation, because every single case is its own unique story, regardless of the diagnosis. Just take things as they come. You can't predict the future.

Angela Wright said:Generally speaking, ovarian cancer is a pretty insidious disease with a high risk of recurrence, but there are plenty of women who have maintained remission for a long time and are managing the diagnosis quite well.
You can find this link to a specific support forum. There are a lot of people sharing their experiences there, and I'm sure they'd be happy to help you out.
That said, if I could offer one piece of advice, don't get too caught up in "what ifs" or scenarios that might not even happen. It’s better to focus entirely on what your mom is going through right now, because every case—even when they share the same name—is its own unique story. Just take things one step at a time as they unfold. You can't know anything for certain before it actually happens.

Thanks for the link and the advice. 🙂

Hey everyone, I need some help..

Can anyone tell me how to get my platelet count up?
I'm on Temozolomide, getting 4 ml of unnamed via injection, plus head radiation.
My platelets have dropped by half in just a week, and I'm currently in my fourth week of chemo.
I’ve been taking three 200mg tablets of beta 1,3 glucan daily, along with beet, carrot, and lemon juice...

They're drawing blood again this Monday. If my platelets fall below 100, they won't proceed with the chemo; if they drop too low, I'll need a transfusion.

My question is—is there any way at all to boost my platelets in just three days?

Thanks for any advice 🙏

fadedtrucker5 said:Hey everyone, I really need some help here..

Can anyone tell me how to boost my platelet count?
I'm on Temozolomide, getting 4 ml of dex shots in the muscle, and undergoing cranial radiation.
Within just one week, my platelets dropped by half—this is only my fourth week of chemo.
I've been taking three 200mg tablets of beta 1,3 glucan daily, plus drinking beet, carrot, and lemon juice..

They’re pulling my blood again this Monday. If my platelets drop below 100, they won't clear me for chemo; if they tank completely, I'll be looking at a transfusion.

So, my question is: is there any actual way to get those numbers up in just three days?

Thanks for any advice you can give. 🙏

The only way is a transfusion. My mom used unnamed propolis (she was also on Temozolomide) and her levels never dipped.

Angela Wright said:It’s just about the transfusion. My mom used unnamed propolis (she was also on Temozolomide) and her scans never showed any decline.

Just tell me where I can find it and what it costs, please! 🙏 Does the brand actually matter?
Also, if you happen to know—if my father has the same blood type as me, could he donate directly to me (he’s done over 100 donations already), and would those platelets be better than some random donor's? We both have O+ and we're related.