one year mark for my dad

nereidsbeware

so the one year mark has quickly passed us by!

i originally posted last winter, with clearly no idea what to expect with my dad's cancer. i had mentioned him and my mother living in hong kong, with us kids here in canada. it's a little easier to cope with when you're not there experiencing it all with him. but distance while a loved one is sick is nothing i would wish on anyone.

anyway, after my dad's first round was complete (which went REALLY well), he took a nice, well-deserved break from chemo back in around feb. he then started a second round in april with Flofiri and Erbutrix at the recommendation of the oncologist.

he was on that for about a few months and was quickly getting worse. after much thinking, he decided to switch over to a private hospital for a second opinion. the onc there said that he had been "wasting" his time doing that round of chemo, and that he should've gone straight to the targeted radiation. so he went with that.

now, after about 6 rounds of radiation (one per week), he has decided to give up on western medicine. he has been dealing with unknown chest pains and i can tell he is getting a bit frustrated.

so he has gone straight to chinese herbs. he has been on a strict diet. and according to the chinese doctor, he is improving. i am very skeptical as my dad tells me the way he can tell if he is getting better is simply through his pulse. on the side of these herbs, he is also taking Fucoidan, which is a Japanese (Okinawa) discovered extract from a special kind of seaweed called Muzuku. it has been proven in Japan that it can cause the cancer cells to commit suicide (apoptosis).

right now, i'm a little on the pessimistic side. the first oncologist says "you have months to live." the next says, radiation is the way to go! this will definitely work! then the chinese herbal doctor believes what he believes.

i know nothing is certain and anything can happen.
my parent's are moving back to canada within the next couple of months (because they are preparing for anything--and it is important for them to be with their families).

i guess i just needed to get that all out...

nudgie

So Many Opinions
I am sorry to hear what your Dad is going through with so many opinions. I do believe in so called "western" medicine due to the fact that alternative (herbs, diets, yoga, etc.,) has not been proven as of yet, but there are some people out there that have changed their diets (vegan), began juicing, etc., and have seen good results, but since everyone's DNA is different it is difficult to say what works for one will work for another.

There are a lot fo excellent cancer centers within the US which you may want to contact:

Mayo Clinic
MD Anderson
Dana Faber
Sloan Kettering
John Hopkins

Also remember that God has a plan for everyone and he is the only one that knows each plan, but there is a reason for his plan.

Please keep your family here posted on your Dad.

kimby

Dad
I'm sorry that you and your family are going through this. It is very confusing when you get different opinions and the path doesn't seem clear. Try to support your parents and their decisions as best you can. We all have choices to make and need to do what's best for ourselves. I would suggest, however, that he get another opinion from a comprehensive cancer center when he gets back to Canada. The NCI has a list for the US (I see someone already gave you several of those) and I'm not sure about Canada or what is geographically possible when they get here. Have them call asap to get an appointment at their center of choice so he is not waiting around once he gets here.

Good luck. Your father is in my prayers.

Kimby

lfondots63

one year mark for my dad
Hi,

I'm glad your dad feels better and is being his own advocate. There are some here that have gone the same route as him and are still doing fine. Are his chest pains better? I can understand why that would be worrisome. I'm wondering if he can get some tests to see how he is doing on his new regime? It is amazing what the Japanese have found to cure cancer. You figure all medicines started out as herbs and things and a lot of people are going more the natural route. HUGS and all you can do is support your Dad in what he feels he should do.

Lisa F

msccolon

Your father
Nothing new to add, just wanted to let you know I am praying for your family and your father as he travels along this road. He has to do what is right for him, and the hard task you have is to accept that he may make decisions you wouldn't. No one really knows what is right for another person; all we can do is pray for strength for ourselves, the person dealing with the health issue, and those who are tasked to care for them. Speak with your father about your concerns, just so you don't have the feeling of "what if I had only said something"; who knows, you might feel more calm after hearing what he has to say on all this in detail.
Mary