F*** You, Cancer! Catch all

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Waiting on results after they thought they saw something in mom's liver during a scan. We're hoping it's the radioactive iodyne (thyroid cancer treatment) and dead cells being processed out through her liver.

wordsmythe wrote:

Waiting on results after they thought they saw something in mom's liver during a scan. We're hoping it's the radioactive iodyne (thyroid cancer treatment) and dead cells being processed out through her liver.

Best of luck.

They have decided to withhold the next round of chemo until my Grandma starts to get "better" from this last round. Great.

Hopes with you both on your respective relatives!
My dad continues to feel better in his new place. No recurrence of the lung problems yet but we have not had a test after his radiation treatments. I think that will be done next month.

Article in the New York Times about treating leukemia (and potentially other blood-borne cancers) with gene-altered T-cells.

Desperate to save her, her parents sought an experimental treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one that had never before been tried in a child, or in anyone with the type of leukemia Emma had. The experiment, in April, used a disabled form of the virus that causes AIDS to reprogram Emma’s immune system genetically to kill cancer cells.

The treatment very nearly killed her. But she emerged from it cancer-free, and about seven months later is still in complete remission. She is the first child and one of the first humans ever in whom new techniques have achieved a long-sought goal — giving a patient’s own immune system the lasting ability to fight cancer.

My mother lost her battle with cancer 2 days ago. She had been fighting a rare and aggressive form of Leukemia (burkitt's acute lymphoblastic leukemia). She had an 80% chance of beating it in the first round, that was about 18 months ago.

Everything looked good, she responded well to the initial treatments, she was strong and healthy and they gave her at 57 the same treatment they would have given a 20 year old. We came out of the 6 rounds just after Christmas last year, all the scans seemed clean. In May, a week before her final scan to give her the thumbs up and say yes your in remission she was re-admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties, and a tumor was discovered in her throat.

We were told at that point it we weren't going to win, that was one of the most painful memories of this stupid cancer, but to her credit with a little encouragement mum refused to give up. They treated her with Gemcitabine, which had never been tried for her cancer before, with good results, however after 5 rounds the cancer became resistant to the drug, and she was left with one tumor in her hip.

An older style of chemo was tried with no response, and we hit the tumor on her hip with radio, but other tumors sprung up through her abdomen and around her heart. We tried to get onto a trial but that was due to start in mid January. She deteriorated so rapidly over the last week, the cancer was just so aggressive.

She fought hard, and I have this small glimmer of hope that because of what we went through with Gemcitabine, some good will come of this and some other family won't lose their loved one because of what was learnt.

To everyone fighting it: Keep your spirits up, and keep fighting, while you still breath there is a chance, keep looking, keep fighting, believe you WILL win.
To cancer: You took my mum, FU^K YOU

Alyosius, thanks for sharing that. it must have been difficult to type.
I'm so sorry to hear and hope you can heal. my condolences to you and your family.

cancer: FU and also suck my as&

Alyosius wrote:

To cancer: You took my mum, FU^K YOU

Solidarity.

My wife's mother was complaining of breathing troubles. She thought it was her asthma. She went to see a doctor about it who recommended she see a specialist. She is on MediCal so she had to wait 2 weeks to schedule an appointment that they eventually canceled and did not reschedule.

My wife and she talked to a MediCal nurse who suggested that she go to the emergency room. (my wife had been pushing her to go for a few weeks)

She goes to the emergency room and they do tests on Thursday Nov 29. The results of the test come back on the following Monday. It is inoperable, advanced liver cancer and there is nothing they can do. She could have weeks, or months left.

They arrange for hospice care and send her home Thursday the 6th. The transition to home care was not easy and she is in a lot of pain. They give her morphine and an anti-anxiety drug to slow her breathing and it knocks her out. My wife calls me at work and says I need to come see her. We still think she has weeks or months but my wife doesn't know how lucid she will be on all the medication.

I come and spend several hours with my wife's family. Her mother is labored but stable breathing throughout. I leave at 9pm, it is still Thursday.

I get home and go to bed. It is a big day tomorrow as I have a matinee and evening performance of my play. I am woken up by a call from my wife at 11pm. She is sobbing. Her mother, the most important person in her life other than me, has just passed away.

So, yeah. f*ck you Cancer!

My wife's radiation treatments have really started to adversely affect her. She's developed this large burn/rash that started in the area where the treatments were focused (basically the left side of her torso underneath the armpit) that has now started to spread up to her neck.

It really hurts for her to even move her left arm. We are going to try and get an appointment with her radiologist this morning before her next scheduled treatment.

Cancer sucks.

MacBrave wrote:

My wife's radiation treatments have really started to adversely affect her. She's developed this large burn/rash that started in the area where the treatments were focused (basically the left side of her torso underneath the armpit) that has now started to spread up to her neck.

It really hurts for her to even move her left arm. We are going to try and get an appointment with her radiologist this morning before her next scheduled treatment.

Cancer sucks.

My dad had the redness around where the treatment was administered but that was about it. I hope it's just a reaction that something simple will take care of it.
Hugs to you both!

MacBrave wrote:

Cancer sucks.

I wish her the best, Mac.

Really sorry to hear about what happened to your loves one, Alyosius and fang.

Thank you guys. My wife is still in a lot of pain. I don't know how much of it or when it will end. We had her mom's service last weekend and I think getting past that will help with a lot of stress.

But she was really close with her mom so right now it isn't getting better as she finds herself more and more wanting to share things in her life with her mom and she can't. She knows that she can still talk to her but of course it isn't the same (she is from a very affectionate Latin family) and it will be a long adjustment period.

On the flip side my parents, her mom's friends and anyone around that age really got a shock. As you age, you know it "can" happen but that and having it actually happen are very different things.

No one should have to walk around with the thought that they could be gone in a week any time now.

I think just talking about it (which we really don't do enough of when it comes to cancer) is about the best you can do. At least you know others have gone through this or will go through it or are going through it with you. You don't want them to, but identifying and sharing thoughts and getting a little validation that you aren't alone, "helps".

edit: mac I really hope it is just a nagging irritation that be addressed easily for your wife.

Thanks for the thoughts all. They are really appreciated.

The radiologist didn't seem that concerned, said it was just the result of accumulated treatments (she's had 21 out of 30 scheduled). Gave her a prescription for some cream that should help with the soreness and basically told her to "suck it up cupcake" and get through these remaining 9 treatments.

My mom is now scheduled for a biopsy on a shady area in her lungs. Jan 23. she told us new years day.
Sigh, My mom has gone through enough with all this lung stuff with my dad. Now with him in the nursing home...sigh. She needs a break, not more shi#

God Dammit, Cancer! Take a big, long suck on my sphincter!

Lots of positive energy headed your way groan. I'm crossing all my fingers, knocking on wood, and counting my lucky charms that it is just some scar tissue or at least benign.

Me too! Here's to the best.

No news on my mom (next appointment's scheduled), but best wishes and earnest sympathies (and prayers--sorry, can't help myself) to the rest of you and yours.

News on my mom, lung cancer.

FU*K YOU, CANCER! LEAVE US ALONE!

oncologist appointment is being set up to determine how bad it is and treatment recommendations.

Sorry to hear, man. My best to you.

groan wrote:

News on my mom, lung cancer.

FU*K YOU, CANCER! LEAVE US ALONE!

oncologist appointment is being set up to determine how bad it is and treatment recommendations.

Damn... sorry to hear that, groan.

Gizmodo simplifies the science article, but there's still more progress.
As someone that has lost too many family members on both sides, any hope to beat this goddamn plague lightens my heart.

Gizmodo article
Nature article

Sorry to hear that groan. I hope it is in the early and very treatable stage.

Thanks guys, she's not really showing any symptoms except a bit of fatigue so hopefully it's still early.

Figured I'd chime in here. We just lost a close family friend to bladder cancer, and it still smarts a bit. We're going to the service on Sunday.

As such, I'd like to extend a hearty middle finger to cancer, and positive thoughts to those of you similarly affected.

My wife lost her mother to breast cancer when she was 14, and she never really got over it. It's become a little easier over the years, but she still tears up about it from time to time. Having kids has helped us focus on the next generation, but you still can't help but think, "Will my kids have to deal with this?"

*sigh*

Just now.
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God damned cancer ass !!!FU!!!!

3B
god damn it.

oncologist says we need to wait and talk to the radiologist to see what is next as far as treatment. it's beyond curable. at this point is all about prolonging the inevitable.

thankfully my co-worker has offered to look after the rest of my shift. i'm going to give my mom a hug.

groan wrote:

3B
god damn it.

oncologist says we need to wait and talk to the radiologist to see what is next as far as treatment. it's beyond curable. at this point is all about prolonging the inevitable.

thankfully my co-worker has offered to look after the rest of my shift. i'm going to give my mom a hug.

Hug her good from us, too.

wordsmythe wrote:
groan wrote:

3B
god damn it.

oncologist says we need to wait and talk to the radiologist to see what is next as far as treatment. it's beyond curable. at this point is all about prolonging the inevitable.

thankfully my co-worker has offered to look after the rest of my shift. i'm going to give my mom a hug.

Hug her good from us, too.

And from my wife and I.

I am really sorry, groan.