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Feeling Overwhelmed
A very dear family friend (I call him my Dad), who is 68, has just been diagnosed with brain cancer. 2 years ago he had rectal cancer, had surgery, was doing great for over a year, when it returned to his shoulder, in his humerus bone. They did 3 weeks of radiation, it is still there. A week and a half ago he fell at his…
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Rad. Ther. Instructor Needs Your Help
I am an instructor for the Radiation Therapy training program at Foothill College in California. Our class wants to participate in this discussion group for educational purposes. Our question to you is: As Radiation therapists, how can we make your treatment experience better? What are the most important issues to you as a…
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i just want my mom to be better
my mom broke both of her upper arms 8 years ago. the right one never healed so she had total shoulder replacement surgery so she could hold her great grandbabies. 2 weeks after her surgery she got staph infection and had to have it removed. my dad and i have been her care-takers for the last 20 months. she had 10 surgeries…
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ex is abusing my 3 yr old who has brain cancer
I need your help. I have a three year old son with brain cancer and a family law judge that has given his abusive father unsupervised visitation with him in the hospital which resulted in the father emotionally the child during visits. The judge has confirmed that the father has engaged in domestic violence and has ordered…
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MOTHER IS NOT BEING TRUTHFUL
MY MOM HAS MUTIPLE MYELOMA. SHE IS ON DIALYSIS 9 HOURS A DAY BECAUSE A SECOND TYPE OF CANCER (AMALOYDS) HAS COMPLETLY SHUT DOWN HER KIDNEYS. SHE HAS 3 DOCTORS APTS EACH WEEK AND WILL NO LONGER TELL ME ANYTHING. SHE JUST SAYS "OH IT WAS NOTHING". HOW DO YOU GET A PARENT TO UNDERSTAND YOU CAN DEAL WITH THINGS BETTER IF YOU…
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Cancer over and over again
My Grandfather died of lung cancer. My Father died of colon cancer. My Father in Law died of liver cancer less than 6 months ago. My Mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a week before Thanksgiving. She is undergoing chemo and suffering from the side effects as I write this. It is very difficult to see so many wonderful…
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need to talk
i would like to get into the chatrooms but my computer won't let it open any help would be appreciated. thanks
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any advice?
i am so glad that this is here for care givers. my mom ended up in the hospital again and we almost lost her once more. she was too sick to eat or drink and had 10 i.v. fluids within 12 days. she also has congestive heart failure so too many fluids can (and were) dangerous. the drs. said that she had so much fluid that her…
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death of loved one
My husband, age 53, passed away on June 24 from Adenocarcinoma of the gastricintestional system. He was diagnosed on Feb 14 and only lasted 4 mos. He lost 75 lbs in that 4 months and only weighed 95 lbs at his death. This is a terrible time for any of us who lose loved ones to this terrible disease. My prayers are with all…
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my dad had cancer... looking for help
Hi. My names andrea, i live in ottawa canada, and about a month ago my father passed away from cancer. He had non hodkins lymphoma.. he had only been diagnosed last february,t hey did chemo, radiation and stem cell.. but nothing had worked. I'm having a very hard time dealing with this.. it all happened so fast and im…
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I'm new; what do I do?
My husband was diagnosed with bladder cancer 2 years ago, and when they removed his bladder, they thought they had possible gotten all the cancer. Last Sept., he started having pain and losing weight. They did many tests, and couldn't find anything in his side, or behind it. When they looked down lower, they found another…
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Coping with the thought
My wife was diagnosed with Endomitrial Stromal Sarcoma, in September, 2003; after a year of test upon test proving negative. Now, with a vague figure of 6mo. to a year to live, just how do you prepare yourself? It's a constant battle of ups and downs, anger, hate, but always trying to put my best face forward for her sake.…
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mom can't deal with dad's cancer
about a month and a half ago my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer. he has a chemo pump that he has filled every tuesday and he has to go have radiation treatments every day. they are planning surgery in the fall followed my more radiation and chemo. the problem is that even though my dad seems to be dealing with this…
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How my grandfather lived and died
Hi, I just wanted to tell my experience. My grandfather died last month on December 23rd of lung and stomach cancer. He was a doctor himself and had diagnosed his own condition in December of 2002. But his dream was to live and die as a doctor and didn't tell us, his family, until the day he checked himself into the…
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Anyone in my situation? (I'm <30 y.o.; mom is stage IV, has 6-12 months)
It's been a long, long process--my mom was first diagnosed almost 15 years ago with breast cancer, had a double mastectomy and was told that everything was gone. Then 10 years later they discovered that it had returned and metastitized. At that time they gave her a prognosis of 6 months, but here she is 2 and a half years…
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Hi
Hi my name is Mandi I am currently a caregiver for a 60 year old lady that has been given 3 to 6 months to live as this is her 3rd battle with cancer and it has taken over her colon, liver, and stomach. She has recently signed a DNR and is considered a hospice patient now. What can I do to keep her spirits up? Is there…
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Does my mom have Survivors Guilt?....
Shortly after my mom was told she was in remission from her cancer in Feb, she was on top of the world, looking forward to many more years watching her grandson grow up and having a new respect for life. Last week, she confessed to me that she feels really down & has zero motivation to do anything or go anywhere & is…
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Watching my mother die
My mother has breast cancer, she got a clean bill of health 1 year ago. Our family just found out the cancer spread, Everywhere they have given her 6 months to live that is with chemo. The chemo may or may not work. My mothers health is just going down hill so fast. She has had two chemo treatments so far. I need to know…
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Long road
Its been a long road. My wife just turn 40, she was diagnosed jan 2000 with breast ca. She has since had chemo, surgery, chemo radition, brain met removed, radition to the head, mets in the lungs and liver, more chemo to control them, more mets to the brain and now today mets to the bones. My question is how do I keep her…
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Iressa
Has anyone started using this new FDA approved drug? And?
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Assistance and info.
Hello My name is Sue and I am new to this site. My husband was diag.in Sept. 2003 with Stage IV colonrectal cancer which has spread to his liver which is 60% involved.He is currently undergoing Chemo. He was not a candidate for radiation. He has had 4 CT Scans and the last one 2 weeks ago finally showed that the cancer in…
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dealing with loss
I am 30 years old and a new mother and about a month ago I lost my mother to cancer. She had been fighting this disease since her early thirties. It started as breast cancer and she died from ovarian cancer. This disease is so terrible and it has taught me so much about life. I have also learned how unprepared I was to…
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Gilda's Club
Hi all - I am aa volunteer at Gilda's Club (named for Gilda Radner) where anyone touched by cancer can go for social and emotional support. They are involved in the Revlon Run/Walk for Women taking place on Saturday, May 1 in NYC- raising money to help fight women's cancers. They need 40 more people to volunteer to help…
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a new life
I am a relatively new member to the site and am finding it enormously helpful in dealing with my husband having been diagnosed with stage2/3 rectal cancer in the last month aged just 31. The last month has been an amazing journey with emotions ranging from sheer panic to some kind of acceptance followed by intense sadness…
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"Remedies" to ease discomfort?
Have just joined this group in order to assist a friend who is a caregiver to her husband with cancer and searching for info. Is anyone familiar with the Native American product, "Two Feathers Healing Formula" or "Flor-essence Herbal Tea Blend"? Do they work? Either or both? How effective? Any other suggestions?…
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How do you keep them going?
My wife is in her mid 40's and has stage 3 uterine cancer. She has had a hysterectomy, radiation and 4 out of 6 chemo with adriamycin and cisplatin. This was the recommended protocol from two clinical hospitals. She is struggling with the side effects which include the ones from radiation that chemo has brought back. Her…
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What happens now?
I've been reading so many of these letters. So much sadness and lots of positive and hopeful responses. My mom has some type of brain tumor caused by cancer somewhere else.Only 4 days old, we are at the very beginning of this awful adventure.I don't know what exactly to expect next, except from what I've read, I'm…
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Just joined
Hi, I just joined the list. In July 2000 we discovered that my Mother has a malignant tumor in her common bile duct. Not the liver, kidney, pancreas, gallbladder or bladder. Just the bile duct. Mom has been through chemo and radiation. These are only palliative. No surgery was done because the tumor was too large. There is…
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my mother is newly diagnosed with recurring colon cancer and I don't know what to expect
My mother was just diagnosed with recurring colon cancer which is now in her lung, lymph in her chest and lymph in her abdomen. She is 80 years old, has diabetes and congestive heart failure, yet wants to go through chemotherapy. I'm afraid it will kill her and that her quality of life will suffer greatly. She will be…
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searching for materials to develop caregiver program
I am an oncology social worker working to develop programs for our cancer center's caregivers (both local and long-distance). Many of the materials I am finding describe the prblems caregivers face or are too impractical (take a 2 day vacation-well duh, if you had that free time, you probably wouldn't be tired). I'm…