Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses

Has anyone heard from Lisa White54? She was supposed to head out for her husband's follow-up appointment at the end of February, and then—poof—nothing since. Honestly, I'm just hoping everything turned out okay and she pops back up here soon... 🙏
Hang in there, everyone fighting the good fight

Selling some Tarceva 150, 28 tablets left. Expiration was back in 2011, so maybe they're useless, but I'll let them go for half price if anyone cares.
mirko27@net.hr

Angela Wright said:Oh honey, I am so incredibly sorry.😢 Every time I start feeling optimistic about someone on this forum winning their fight, a post like this hits me out of nowhere like a bolt from the blue... I'm just not going to dwell on it anymore.

That’s actually why I stopped reading this sub-forum—this whole thread, really.
I just couldn't handle seeing people lose their battles over and over again.
It was honestly just too much for me to take.

Kimberly Wright: Honestly, I’m at a loss for words. Once she receives her treatment, she can't stomach anything except maybe some broth. I try to cook whatever she feels like having that day, but she used to have an appetite; now, even the smell of food makes her nauseous.
It is quite obvious she has lost significant weight and lacks energy. She can barely make it from the living room to the kitchen without getting exhausted, even though it's only a few steps.

Is your mother taking anything extra? Something for the nausea?

Megan Fowler78 said:Where’s Lisa White54? She was supposed to head out for her husband's follow-up appointment at the end of February, and she just went totally MIA after that... God, I really hope everything's okay and she pops back up here soon. 🙏
Hey there, fellow fighters.

Hey, I'm back!
So, my husband was stuck in the hospital last month getting run through the wringer with tests. They did a brain CT, lung CT, and abdominal scans. The good news? The report says there aren't any signs that the cancer is coming back. Total win, right? But then—finally—he gets sent in for a bone scan. That one showed some increased activity in his left shoulder and both ribs. Also, it mentioned weakened radiopharmaceutical uptake in his upper spine, which they're saying is just a consequence of radiation. What does "consequence of radiation" even mean in plain English??? Honestly, I’m just sitting here spiraling and overthinking every single word.
So, we finally got that X-ray done on his left shoulder and ribs. The report is pretty vague—it says they can’t rule out some osteolytic lesions forming. Honestly? Still totally lost in the fog here. Now they've referred him for a DEXA scan to check his bone density. We were actually supposed to head out yesterday, but the snow was so bad we had to push it back. We're aiming for the 22nd instead. I don't really get what this bone density thing is supposed to reveal for us, though. Usually, you only see people getting those scans when they're dealing with osteoporosis, right?
I’m terrified that we’re looking at metastases. And honestly? I’m just as scared of this other thing: what if they decide there's no point in treating him anymore? Like, maybe they think he's already had everything he needs, or that they can't actually help him anymore, so why bother throwing money at expensive meds when they feel like nothing more can be done... I mean, if that was the case, why are they even driving us around? I'm not crazy here. I can practically read between the lines of what those test results are saying, even though they're trying so hard to sweep it under the rug. It just isn't fair.

wanderingmaker32 said:Oh man, I honestly don't know what to tell you. Once she gets her treatment, she can't stomach anything except maybe some broth. I try my best to whip up whatever she feels like eating that day, though... She’d eat just like she used to if it weren't for the fact that even the smell of food makes her sick.
It’s pretty obvious she’s lost a lot of weight, too, and she just doesn't have the energy she once had. She can barely make it from the living room to the kitchen without getting winded—and that's only a few steps.

and it's 🙂
exactly how it is with my mom. Just the scent of cooking is enough to make her feel nauseous.
Does your aunt's appetite come back at all once she finishes a cycle?

Is your mother taking anything extra? Something for the nausea?

no 🤷
I suggested she ask them to give her something for the nausea, but she says they already provide anti-nausea meds there at 🤷

I'm thinking about heading over to the pharmacy today to see if they have any herbal options available...

Kimberly Wright said:man, 🙂
it’s the exact same thing with my mom. just the smell of food makes her feel like she's gonna barf.
does your aunt's appetite come back once she's done with the treatment cycle?

nah 🤷
I told her to ask them for something for the nausea, but she says they're already pumping her full of anti-nausea meds over at 🤷

thinking about hitting up a local pharmacy today to see if there's anything herbal I can grab..

Has anyone tried Zofran? It was a total lifesaver for my husband when he was dealing with nausea.

Lisa White54 said:Has anyone tried Zofran? It was honestly the best thing for my husband when he was dealing with nausea.

I haven't really taken anything at all for the nausea 🤷
because she mentioned they give her those kinds of medications during her treatment sessions, so I’m a little hesitant about just handing her something on my own without checking first, you know? 🤷

Kimberly Wright said:I am terrified
my mom starts chemo this Monday... look, okay, I know we're in for hell, but whatever... I guess we just have to deal with it... I'm trying to stay positive on my own

Yesterday I was watching some TV special and there was this woman who had cervical cancer... she had surgery, and then eventually they sent her for radiation...
and she said it was a massive mistake to agree to the radiation😢 the radiation completely destroyed her bowels...

So now I'm in a total panic because I don't know what the smartest move is. Mom has started recovering—she’s getting her strength back—and now all that hard work and slow progress might just be wiped out by these treatments. I don't know...

Yesterday I had lunch with a friend I hadn't seen or heard from in ages. His dad passed away last Christmas Eve. He had esophageal-gastric junction cancer. This guy tells me his dad suffered for months and died in terrible agony 🙂 honestly, I did not need that story right now😢

If it were me—God forbid—I know exactly what I would do: I wouldn't go through with the treatments. But taking responsibility for someone else's life? I can't do that.

My dad was diagnosed with colon cancer that had metastasized to his lungs, liver, and brain. He underwent radiation for the brain metastases, and they shrank by more than 50% after three sessions.
After that, he started chemotherapy. Those first two or three rounds wore him out so much he couldn't even get out of bed, but once he got past those initial ones, he felt great—you wouldn't even know the man was sick. He lost his hair, but that's just proof the medicine is working. His lungs and liver are totally clear now; the cancer has retreated, which we celebrated with the whole family. You have to celebrate things like that, especially if your doctor told you months ago that your father didn't have much time left.

Don't listen to any of those stories, don't read anything on this crazy internet—everyone writes whatever they want—and don't even watch those patient specials. Every person is different; listen to the doctors and keep hope that everything will be fine. That is the only thing that will help you.
And don't think negatively about whatever horror stories you hear regarding chemo or radiation; anyone who gets cured did so precisely because of the chemo and radiation—what else would it be?
Every doctor prescribes what is best for the patient, and that includes your mother. The important thing is not to let the disease progress; believe me, I was practically counting the days until my dad could start chemo because there were so many complications.

And there I go, crying again...
Love to everyone, stay strong.

Kimberly Wright said:well, her 🙂
is just like my mom. Even the smell of food makes her feel sick.
Does your aunt's appetite come back once she's done with the cycle?

no 🤷
I told her to ask for something for the nausea, but she says they’re already giving her anti-nausea meds over 🤷

I'm thinking about stopping by a pharmacy today to see if there's anything herbal..

I think she should probably check with the doctor managing your mom's treatment first.
My dad also uses Zofran—his doctor recommended it and it actually works for him. 🙂

About seven years ago, my mother faced a significant health battle when she underwent surgery for breast cancer at age 60. During the procedure, doctors had to remove three lymph nodes from under her arm.
Following that initial surgery, she went through several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
She remains incredibly diligent about her follow-up appointments, and I am happy to say that all her test results have come back clear.
In terms of physical traces, there is just a tiny scar on her right breast, though she does deal with some swelling where her right arm is noticeably thicker than her left.
To manage this, she occasionally visits a specialist for lymphatic drainage on that arm.
Given how well everything has progressed, we feel confident in saying she is cancer-free.

5-crumbs, how’s your mom doing?

Rose, I'm crossing my fingers and praying everything turns out okay—that it’s not metastases.

Sending love to everyone. Really pulling for you guys to win this fight, since my dad couldn't.

Ingrain:
I can tell you her appetite has improved, though it isn't quite what it used to be. 😢( You might want to look into supplements; my aunt took some at first. Now, she’s on an entirely different regimen that doesn't cause much nausea. She just takes her heart medication and a "Noni" supplement to help her blood work.

Stay strong. <3

My mom used to take Reglan for nausea, along with some high-end propolis and Megostat syrup to keep her immune system up. Her blood work stayed perfect right up until the end...

Also, a few sips of Coca-Cola can actually help with nausea. Sounds weird, I know, but it worked for her..

Hey everyone... I'm finally joining the conversation. 🙂

I've lurked here from time to time just to see how everyone is holding up, but I never felt like saying anything. You can probably guess why... but things have changed.

Now, I have to speak up.

It’s about my mom. She got her results back today, and I’m desperately hoping someone can tell me what we’re looking at—what she’s facing—and if there's any light at the end of the tunnel.

Her kidney was removed two weeks ago, and the pathology report came in today. I don't have the paper in front of me, so I'm just typing out what I managed to catch over the phone. Bear with me, because I didn't catch everything, but here it is: renal cell carcinoma, grade 3, sarcomatoid; no residual areas found (not sure what that implies); markers are TT3, AB, N0, M1.
Does this mean it's stage 3? And that M1 part—does that refer to metastasis? What does the "x" actually signify? Also, does "sarcomatoid" mean it's more aggressive?

Thanks for any help you can give. This is incredibly hard.
Just brutal.

Lisa Adams said:Hi everyone... I'm finally reaching out to you all. 🙂

I've lurked here from time to time just to see how everyone is doing and to offer some silent encouragement... but I never wanted to be the one to actually post anything... you can probably guess why... but not anymore.

Now, I have to ask.

It’s about my mother. She got her results back today, and I am desperately asking for some insight into what this means for her—and if there is even a glimmer of hope left.

Her kidney was removed two weeks ago, and the report came in today. I don't have the physical document in front of me, so I'm just typing out what I managed to catch over the phone. Please bear with me, as I might have missed some details, but here is what I heard: renal carcinoma, grade 3, sarcomatoid features; no residual areas found (I'm not sure what that implies); staging noted as T3, AB, N0, M[X].
Does this mean it's Stage 3? And regarding this "MX" notation—does that refer to metastasis? What does the "X" signify? Also, does "sarcomatoid" mean it's particularly aggressive?

Thank you for any help you can provide. This is incredibly difficult.
Just devastating.

Lisa Adams, click this link
You should find plenty of answers to the questions you've raised there.

Not sure which link you’re sending me...

I managed to figure out that N0 means there aren't any tumor cells in the lymph nodes, and MX means they can't tell if the cells have metastasized. I think T3 would be stage 3 or something along those lines, though that doesn't seem to quite line up with the N0 label.
The only thing I haven't cracked yet is what this AB part is supposed to mean.

Lisa Adams said:I'm not sure which link you're sending me...

I managed to find out that N0 means there are no tumor cells in the lymph nodes, MX means they can't determine if the cells have metastasized, and I think T3 would be stage 3 or something similar—though that doesn't seem to align with the N0 designation.
The only thing I haven't figured out yet is what this "AB" part is supposed to mean.

I likely didn't format the link correctly.
Here it is instead: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases/cancer...cells.htm
The article is quite detailed, so it might be helpful to you.

thanks.
That link you sent was actually the first thing I even bothered to look up.

Can someone help me out with something else—where is she supposed to see an oncologist now? Like, what kind of specialist and where exactly?
Is there much of a difference between one oncologist and another?
So far, all I've heard is that she could go to Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson, or maybe Johns Hopkins. What would you guys suggest?

Lisa Adams said:thank you.
that link you sent me...

gave 😁

Lisa Adams said:Could someone please tell me one more thing—where should she report to an oncologist now? Which facility, and where?
Is there any significant difference between oncologists?
So far, I’ve been told she could go to Memorial Sloan Kettering, MD Anderson, or Mayo Clinic. What would you recommend?

Unfortunately, I wouldn't feel comfortable making any specific recommendations since I am not sufficiently familiar with this particular type of carcinoma.
I hope someone else will weigh in with more detailed guidance.
Stay strong and best of luck.