Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

melloworca6 said:Great, I guess today finally turned out to be your day. 😘

Now everyone’s pushing that blackberry wine. 😳 People who actually enjoy drinking say it's amazing, but I can't imagine why; whenever I've tried any kind of wine, my stomach just turns.

Personally, I love wine. I'll probably have a glass with dinner. 😍

Great, then you’ll be merging pleasantry with practicality. 😁

So, my grandfather was eventually diagnosed with prostate cancer that has already metastasized... He went in for some lung scans yesterday, and we should have those results by Friday. He’s fully aware of what he's facing now, and his mood has been a bit of a roller coaster lately. One day he’ll be making jokes at his own expense, and the next he’ll just shut down completely, sinking into this deep depression before cycling right back through it again... My dad spoke with one of the doctors about the situation, and when he showed him the scans, the doctor just offered that blunt, "Better today than tomorrow" kind of outlook. I think most of you probably realize that we aren't looking at a recovery here. He isn't in extreme pain quite yet, though he is hurting—he just won't admit it out loud. That's just how he's always been, staying silent until the discomfort becomes absolutely unbearable... We’re all standing right by his side, doing everything in our power to support him. Sending love to everyone, and I truly hope we can all navigate this difficult stretch together... 🙂

I’ve only gone through this specific page, so my bad if you guys have already seen this.

Basically, researchers recently found that getting some movement in (we're talking about 2.5 hours a week) actually bumps up cancer survival rates. This doesn't apply to people dealing with severe anemia caused by their condition, though.

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Right here you can check out a video on the subject too.

Good luck, everyone!

I just stumbled onto this thread, haven't read every single thing yet, but I gotta say, even though I’m still pretty young, I’ve already dealt with enough to know how this works... since I’m rocking these same diagnoses myself and have people close to me going through it too... and honestly? We’re handling it perfectly fine, we actually see the bright side of things way more than most. Everyone tries to pity me, and the second I end up back in the hospital because things flared up, they act like it's the end of the world, but honestly, I actually love being in the hospital... the crew, the doctors, the nurses... it’s just my vibe 😁
(I'm 16.5 years old; SLE, chronic hepatitis—they haven't decided if it's autoimmune or not yet, scoliosis, and chronic/acute colitis)
Every time I'm over at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, I see so many kids battling leukemia, and seeing them laughing like that... man, there is nothing more beautiful to me. Their smiles are so real and pure that it makes me completely forget all the fake, messed-up people out there exist.
Sending love to everyone 😁

goldeneagle7 said:I stumbled upon this thread by accident. I haven't read everything, but I suppose I’ve gained quite a bit of experience at my young age, given my own diagnoses and the people around me. Honestly, we handle all of it perfectly; maybe we just see life through a more beautiful lens now. Everyone pities me, and the second I end up back in the hospital due to a setback, they immediately go into a state of mourning. But personally? I actually enjoy being in the hospital. The staff, the doctors, the nurses... it’s just my way of life, I guess. 😁
I’m 16 and a half. I've got SLE, chronic hepatitis—they can't even decide if it's autoimmune or not—scoliosis, and both chronic and acute colitis. I guess.
Every time I find myself at Children's Hospital in Boston, I see so many kids battling leukemia. When those children smile... I guess it’s just the most beautiful thing. Their smiles are so genuine, so untainted. It almost makes me forget that corrupt people even exist. Maybe.
Many greetings. I suppose. 😁

That’s the right way to look at it, I suppose. Just enjoying each day... loving everything. Maybe.
I suppose I’m just lucky to wake up every morning. I try to appreciate the small things, I guess. 🙏

Good luck, I guess.

Ashley Mitchell81 said:I’ve only scrolled through this page, so my apologies if this is old news.

Basically, researchers recently found that regular exercise—about 2.5 hours a week—actually boosts cancer survival rates. This doesn't apply to those dealing with severe anemia caused by the illness.

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You can check out this video on it.

Good luck to everyone.

Thanks. I work out several hours a day, and I guess it makes me feel pretty good.👍

Reading your posts is such a breath of fresh air—you’re incredibly positive. 😍 Honestly, everyone should be more like you; I have zero doubt that with that kind of mindset, you'll beat this damn thing. 😘

goldeneagle7 said:I just stumbled onto this thread... didn't read everything, but I have to say, even though I'm still pretty young, I've seen enough to know how this goes. I deal with these diagnoses myself, and so do people close to me... honestly, we handle it just fine. We actually see the bright side more often. Everyone tries to pity me, and the second I end up back in the hospital because things flared up, they act like it's the end of the world... but honestly? I actually like being in the hospital. The crew, the doctors, the nurses... it’s just my life now 😁
(I'm 16.5 years old; SLE, chronic hepatitis—they haven't decided if it's autoimmune yet—scoliosis, and chronic/acute colitis)
Every time I'm over at Mayo Clinic, I see so many kids dealing with leukemia, and when those kids laugh... man, there's nothing better. Their smiles are so real and untainted, it makes me completely forget that crappy, fake people even exist.
Sending love 😁

👍 👍 👍

🙂

melloworca6 said:It’s almost exhausting reading you. You’re just so incredibly positive. I guess. 😍 You have to be that way. I don't doubt for a second that with an attitude like yours, you'll manage to defeat this whole damn mess. 😘

🙂

So, I finally got the machine running today without any drama. It actually worked normally this time, which is a massive change from yesterday when I was stuck waiting around for four hours even after taking my Temodal. They were way too slow with the air purge, but I guess at least I didn't waste the whole day. 👍
Maybe I'll be working on my platelet count this Friday. I guess. 🎉 Still can't sleep. Insomnia is hitting hard, I guess, but maybe it’s bearable. If my blood counts stay steady, I might actually be ready to go. Seven days left of chemo. 🎉 I guess if the bloodwork looks good this Friday, that might be the final check. Maybe. 👋

So, is this your last round of radiation? And how much longer are you stuck doing chemo?

melloworca6 said:So, is this your last round of radiation? And how much longer do you have to deal with chemo?

Radiation goes until August 22nd, assuming the machine doesn't act up. 👍
First round of chemo is 7 days, then maybe a 23-day break, then 5 days of chemo, then another 23-day break, then 5 more days... basically doing this dance for 6 months. 👍

Back to counting grains tomorrow. 👍 I head in tomorrow morning for bloodwork. Just sit there for three minutes—praying to God while the machine processes everything—to see the verdict. If platelets are over 100, we move forward. If not... nothing happens. 😢

Starting Monday, I’ll be loading up on supplements. Last night, I actually managed 7 hours of sleep straight thanks to a pill. 🙏

Fingers crossed for good blood results tomorrow. Everything else is just manageable. 🙏
Love you guys 😍

First, a quick collective update for everyone! 👋

So, my platelet count was at 109 this morning, which I guess means I can just push on with the therapy as planned. 🎉
No more check-ins for now, apparently; I've got six days of chemo left, plus radiation through August 22nd—assuming the machine actually works. They’ll probably run blood tests at the end to see how things look after everything, but based on where we are right now, things seem okay, so there won't be any breaks.

Thanks to everyone who reached out privately, and to all those who were praying for me or obsessing over my platelet numbers.

You people are wonderful; you make this whole thing a bit easier. 🙂

I'm really glad to hear that. 🙂

Basically, just venting about everything and anything actually worked. 🎉 Keep doing exactly what you're doing; clearly, it's working.

Hang in there. 😘

melloworca6 said:I'm glad. 🙂

I guess throwing everything at the wall finally worked. 🎉 Just keep going, clearly it’s doing something.

Hang in there. 😘

God, I hope it helps! I've endured everything—exercising, staying positive, laughing, dancing... maybe it was all that. 😍

🙂 😘

So, what's your actual diet and supplement routine like?

Looking at how aggressive this therapy is and the frequency you're on, honestly, whatever you're taking is clearly doing its job. 🙂

melloworca6 said:I guess... I have my diet. Maybe some supplements, maybe just coffee. It's hard to say.

It seems like your treatment plan is pretty aggressive and the schedule is intense, so I guess whatever you’re taking is definitely doing its job. Maybe. 🙂

Maybe propolis in water, some native propolis, beta 1,3 glucan... maybe flaxseed oil too? I guess adding beet, carrot, and lemon juice helps. Blackberries, blackberry wine, magnesium... soy, garlic... just piles of organic fruit and my mom's home cooking, I suppose. 🙏

In principle, if I have a craving, I just eat it. I guess I'm one of those people who believes the body knows exactly what it's looking for... maybe.

I guess I have no idea if any of this actually helps... Maybe it’s just playing a role. Honestly, I've never even been sick once in my entire life—not even a case of chickenpox. 🙏

So, are you avoiding any specific foods right now?

And how are you managing through the chemo? Does the nausea hit you hard?
😘

melloworca6 said:Maybe you're avoiding certain foods?

How do you handle those chemo sessions? Is the nausea pretty bad?

😘

I cut out milk and dairy entirely and switched to soy... I’m trying to ditch coffee too, but that’s been a struggle, I guess.

The first two days were just brutal. I couldn't even keep water down.🙂 But everything after that has been fine, more or less. No symptoms, except maybe some insomnia.🙂
My hair fell out right where they did the radiation, but honestly, I don't care one bit—people actually seem to love my new look (the wig).🙏

Sent you a DM because I have some things on my mind that I'd rather not hash out in public. 😘