Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Packing up for a beach trip, but I should probably mention that my blood work looks just like a healthy person's! 🎉 My glucose levels are even low, considering how much dex I'm on!
Platelets went from 109 up to 148, and everything else is within the normal range... White blood cell count is fine 😲 I guess my CBC is better than back home 🤣
Recovering slowly, I suppose. It seems these supplements I’m taking really are the right formula for immunity!

People, don't give up, just stay positive and keep pushing forward! And my apologies to the newcomers, I'm in a rush so I'm just checking in like this, but I'm praying for you all!
Heading off to enjoy myself now, 😘 everyone!

Elizabeth Perez33 said:Hi there.
Well, here I am joining you all...
After fighting through a kidney tumor when I was just a one-year-old baby...
Now, from everything looking at it, leukemia is next on the list (we're praying it isn't by the time September rolls around).. I suppose if I survived that, I can push through this too.
Anyway, it all started with anemia.. now my ferritin levels are barely even producing. My white blood cell count is elevated..
About 80% of the symptoms are present..
But hope remains.

If this were any other topic, people would say "great, the more the merrier," but unfortunately, that isn't the case here. Still, it is a good thing you reached out so we can support one another.🙂
Stay strong and give it everything you've got. Keep us posted on your progress. Don't lose heart, because leukemia is being treated very successfully these days.

fadedtrucker5 said:I’m packing my bags for a trip to the coast, but I absolutely had to check in and share that my blood work looks just like a healthy person's! 🎉 My glucose levels are actually quite low considering how much dex I'm on!
My platelets have climbed from 109 up to 148, and everything else is sitting right within the normal range... white blood cell counts are fine too. 😲 My CBC is looking much better than what my doctors back home were seeing. 🤣
Recovery is happening slowly but surely, and it honestly seems like these dietary supplements I've been taking are a legitimate powerhouse formula for boosting immunity!

Listen, everyone, there is no giving up—just stay positive and keep pushing forward with courage! And my apologies to all the newcomers; I'm in a rush so I can only post this quick update, but please know I am praying for you all!
Now I'm off to enjoy some downtime, 😘 wishing you all the best!

You have no idea how incredibly happy I am for you; go enjoy yourself, because you truly deserve this. You are an inspiration to everyone on this forum! 🙂

Kate Brooks2 said:If this were a different topic, I’d probably say, "the more of us there are, the better," but unfortunately, that's just not the case here. Still, it's good you reached out so we can tackle this together...🙂
Stay strong and give it everything you've got. Keep us posted on how things are going. Don't lose hope—leukemia is being treated really successfully these days.

I was debating whether or not to chime in here, but I finally decided to go for it. I think hearing everyone else's takes, advice, and perspectives is going to be incredibly helpful... 🙂
I’m going to keep showing up and I'm going to keep fighting. No giving up... 🙂
So, it’s not officially confirmed whether it's leukemia or not yet, but I'm starting the fight anyway...
Sipping on some homemade beet, carrot, and lemon juice... 🙂
And thank you. 😍 🙂

fadedtrucker5, I really admire you.
You're a wonderful woman, truly... 🙂 🙂

Could someone please help me make sense of this... My grandfather had his blood drawn for the first time, and his tumor marker count was at 209, whereas the normal range is usually just around 4. He had another blood test done about a week ago, and the number has dropped significantly. It’s still not within the normal range, but there has been a noticeable decrease. I can't quite wrap my head around how that's possible 😕 He isn't on any cancer treatments, just hormone therapy—he's 77, and the doctors felt chemotherapy would be too grueling and might actually shorten his life rather than help. If anyone could offer some insight into what this might mean, I would truly appreciate it.

ruggedwolf12 said:Can someone please help me make sense of this? When my grandfather first had his blood drawn, his tumor marker count was at 209 (which is wild, since a normal reading is around 4). He just had more blood work done a week ago, and the number has dropped significantly. It’s still nowhere near the normal range, but it definitely went down. How is that even possible? 😕 He isn't on any cancer drugs—just hormone therapy. He's 77, and the doctors felt chemotherapy would just break him and end things sooner than they have to. If anyone can explain what's happening here, I'd really appreciate it.

The hormone therapy is slowing down the tumor's growth, which is why those circulating cancer cells are dropping.
Just keep in mind that markers aren't some foolproof diagnostic tool; they're basically just used to track how things are trending.

Good morning, everyone. Just checking in from the coast to wish you all a decent day filled with some positivity and laughs. I guess we should be grateful we actually woke up today; remember, every day is a gift, not an obligation. Keep fighting, life is actually pretty beautiful. Sending love to you all, Nana.
🙂

Spent the whole night scrolling through an online forum about kidney cancer patients. At first, I was actually feeling pretty inspired seeing everyone fighting so hard and seemingly beating the odds. But as I kept reading, I realized most of those stories end with people just slowly fading away. It’s pretty grim. Honestly, it killed my momentum, and we're barely even getting started here.

Look, don't let it get to you like it did me. Wishing you guys nothing but the best!!!!

Raymond Jackson38 said:I spent the entire night scrolling through an American online forum dedicated to kidney cancer patients. At first, I was actually inspired—seeing people fighting so hard and seemingly coming out on top. But as I kept reading, the mood shifted. It felt like watching those lives slowly flicker out. It’s devastating. Honestly, it crushed my spirit, and we're only just starting this journey.

Everyone, please don't let yourselves get spooked the way I did. I am wishing you all nothing but the absolute best!!!!

Generally speaking, people need support, but once they start feeling better, they tend to drift away. It isn't necessarily about grim prognoses; it's more about a certain mindset.
Hang in there and remember that everyone is walking their own path with their own unique story—no two journeys are identical. You have to stay focused on your own lane. Know where to go when you hit a roadblock, offer support when you can, and ask for help when you need it, but anything beyond that is just noise and ultimately counterproductive.

I’m going to speak up and I am going to fight; there is absolutely no surrender here.🙂
It hasn't been officially confirmed whether it’s leukemia or something else yet, but regardless, my battle begins now.

That is exactly the right mindset to have. You need to focus entirely on boosting your immune system and your blood health—that is the absolute key to everything. Let me try to brighten your day a bit by sharing a story, just in case this does turn out to be leukemia (though I truly hope it isn't). Right here in our neighborhood, there was a ten-year-old boy who, after an incredibly long and grueling struggle, managed to beat leukemia. Any illness like this inherently erodes your mental state and tries to make you weak, so you must make a conscious effort to stay strong. That means doing things you actually love and that bring you joy, while maintaining a healthy diet filled with plenty of fresh produce.
Fight on, because I truly believe you can win this.🙂🙂

Kate Brooks2 said:That’s exactly the right mindset. Just focus on boosting your immune system and your blood; that's really the key to everything. Let me try to brighten your day a bit with a little story, just in case it actually turns out to be leukemia (though I truly hope it isn't). There's a 10-year-old kid in our neighborhood who fought a long, grueling battle and finally beat leukemia. A disease like that eats away at your mental state and makes you feel weak, so please try to stay strong... you know, do things you love that bring you joy, eat healthy, and stick to plenty of fresh foods.
Fight on. I believe you can do this. 🙂🙂

Thank you so much for those kind words! 🙂

If (God willing 🙂) it's not leu, I'll be right here with all of you, praying for you.
I'm not sure how much my advice from my own past illness can help—since I beat it over 10 years ago and honestly can't recall many details anymore—but I hope my prayers and my support at least mean something to you! 🙂 🙂

Elizabeth Perez33 said:Thank you so much, dear, for those kind words! 🙂

If—God willing 🙂—it doesn't turn out to be leukemia, I intend to stay right here with all of you and keep you in my prayers.
I honestly can't say how much useful advice I can offer based on my own past illness, since I conquered that battle over a decade ago and most of the details have faded from my memory, but I truly hope that my prayers and my unwavering support will at least mean something to you all! 🙂 🙂

Please stay by our side no matter what, so we can support one another and keep each other going.
Right now, things are just completely unstable... his temperature drops, then it spikes again... he's still barely eating, though he does drink plenty of healthy fluids; solid food is almost non-existent. He only manages a few bites here and there. I can't tell if he's physically unable to eat or if he simply lacks the drive to get up and go out into the yard or do anything active. When I ask him if he can move around, he just insists he doesn't want to, but when I start nagging him, he claims he's just too weak.

Kate Brooks2 said:Just stay by our side so we can support each other through this.
Right now, things are just up and down here... his temperature drops, then it spikes again... he's still barely eating, though he drinks plenty of healthy stuff; solid food is almost non-existent. Just a bite or two here and there. I can't tell if he physically can't eat or if he just doesn't have the energy to get up and go out to the yard or something. When I ask if he can move, he just says he doesn't want to, but when I start nagging him, he just says he feels too weak.

Ah, the treatment just wears him out, so the appetite goes out the window. On top of being eaten alive by the illness itself, the therapy takes a massive toll on your mental state—he just doesn't care about anything right now. My mom used to tell me I was a great kid growing up, I wasn't even a huge brat in the hospital (maybe just a little on the first day), but once I started chemo, I became incredibly irritable, fussy, and just totally out of sorts. I didn't want to eat a single thing; nothing sounded good.

Just stay strong and hang in there. Don't push him; let him rest. Spend time with him, watch movies, or do whatever he enjoys. But if he's not feeling it, let him just rest.

Fingers crossed for you! 🙂

Elizabeth Perez33, if you're looking to jumpstart an appetite, Multi Sanastol is the real deal. It’s basically a lifesaver for anyone feeling wiped out. Honestly, my two old aunts used it twice to practically pull themselves back from the brink. It's incredible stuff.

Thanks for the advice, Angela Wright!
Can I pick this up at a local pharmacy?

Elizabeth Perez33 said:Thanks for the tip, Angela Wright!
Can I just pick this up at a local pharmacy?

If they don't stock it, you should be able to order it online.

When it comes to getting his appetite back up, neither Multi Sanastol nor pikovit seems to be making any difference at all. 😢He’s barely eating anything unless he forces himself to, simply because he knows it’s necessary. He does manage to drink quite a bit, though, since liquids are much easier for him to handle. We’ve been giving him beet juice, lemonade, Noni, and a whole array of various vitamins and minerals, and while that’s all good for him, it isn't slowing down the weight loss or providing any actual strength. That said, we are relieved that he seems a little better than he did just a few days ago. We’re continuing the fight and doing our best to keep his spirits up. Today, he actually managed to step outside on his own just to get some fresh Air.

Kate Brooks2 said:As far as appetite goes, neither Multi Sanastol nor pikovit seems to help. 😢He eats just because he knows he has to, I guess. Though he drinks a lot since that’s easier. Beet juice, lemonade, Noni, various vitamins and minerals... it's all good, maybe, but it isn't slowing weight loss or providing any strength. Still, I suppose we're glad he's slightly better than a few days ago. We just keep fighting and trying to keep him entertained. He actually went outside today just to get some Air and walk around.

Bravo, I guess you deserve credit for how much you care. 🙏 Just keep going. 👍

Hey everyone,

Has anyone ever heard of the Cuban Medicine Vidatox? I was wondering if anyone here has actually tried using it before?

placidscout87 said:Hey everyone,

Has anyone ever heard of the Cuban Medicine Vidatox? Has anyone here actually used it?

If you look on MEDLINE (the medical research database scientists use), there isn't a SINGLE article regarding Escozul (Vidatox). There’s some chatter about the cytostatic effects of scorpion venom, but nothing specifically concerning the components found in Escozul. Most of the studies involving scorpion venom and cancer have been conducted *in vitro*—meaning just in cell cultures. While cell cultures provide a decent starting point, they mean absolutely nothing without *in vivo* testing. Plenty of substances show cytostatic properties in a petri dish only to prove far too toxic once they enter a living organism. That’s why any potential medication undergoes a strict progression: first tested on cells, then on small mammals like rodents, followed by primates, and finally on humans during clinical trials (conducted with informed consent, obviously, not by force). Despite how much we share with animals, metabolic differences are massive. A perfect example is Thalidomide, which was completely harmless in rodent models but ended up causing tragedy for thousands of pregnant women.

So, my take is this: scorpion venom has shown cytostatic activity in cell cultures, which is interesting enough, but it is nowhere near sufficient to be considered a pharmaceutical preparation, let alone a legitimate cancer treatment. Even the Cuban government has distanced itself from it.http://havanajournal.com/culture/ent...ent-from-cuba/

Here is a solid article from someone who makes a lot of sense: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...2/ai_n6160489/
Translation:
According to statements from the director of the health regulation and consumer protection bureau and the national agency for medicinal quality control, certain laboratory investigations into Escozul have been performed. These studies are classified as preclinical and were not conducted on humans. From what I gather, various pharmacological and toxicological studies were carried out on animals. These are standard initial testing phases used to determine if a substance is harmful and to observe its pharmacological behavior. However, the Cuban health authorities insist they have not approved the production or use of Escozul because they lack any evidence regarding its safety or efficacy in treating human disease.
It would be incredibly foolish to pin all your hopes on Escozul or any other unapproved cancer therapy instead of utilizing treatments that have actually proven their effectiveness.
In any case, trying this on yourself is a far cry from common sense.