New here, My Mom was just diagnosed

Karen8873
Karen8873 Member Posts: 35

Hi all,

My Mom was just diagnosed with metatastic spinal tumors aboit a week ago . She thought it was sciatica which is typical for her or maybe a slipped disc. Unfortunately the MRI showed worse. Tumors on L5 & L3. She’s currently in surgery as I’m I’m typing . They also found a mass on her right kidney . We are all in school and devastated . She’s a healthy 66 year old , had no other sYmptoms. Im scared but the Drs seemed a little reassuring that there’s a lot of treatments available for Kidney Cancer. I need to be strong for my mom & help her fight this ! It’s not her time she still has a lot of life to live! Ive done a lot of research on natural therapy as well , like eating raw organic / juicing . Any info or suggestions you can give me would be appreciated !!

Thank you!

Karen

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Comments

  • Wehavenotimeatall
    Wehavenotimeatall Member Posts: 488 Member
    Sorry Karen

    to meet here under these circumstances.

    Your mom is having surgery for the kidney?

    What size did they say it was ?

    Mets to the spine is a tough road but doctors are right.   Lots of treatment to try

     

    Quite a few of our long standing Special group have had spinal mets for quite some time

    I hope some of them get in touch with you

     

    the natural thing to do is panic... but we are all here ready to support you and your mom.

     

    Keep postitive

    Annie

  • Karen8873
    Karen8873 Member Posts: 35
    edited December 2017 #3
    Hi Annie,

    Hi Annie,

    we don’t have the size yet on the kidney . The L5 was completely removed , she’s in recovery and doing well from surgery. 

    I bdlieve we will meet with radiologists and kidney oncologist with in the next few days. But treatment won’t start until 2 weeks of rehab for her spine. I know we have a long road ahead . Its just so overwhelming .

  • hardo718
    hardo718 Member Posts: 853 Member
    Welcome Karen

    I'll will keep you & your family in my prayers.  Please keep us posted.

    Donna~

  • Jamkelso
    Jamkelso Member Posts: 7
    Hi Karen,

    Hi Karen,

    so sorry to hear about your mom. I hope surgery went well and recovery goes smoothly!

    My dad was just diagnosed in September and last week we found out that he had lung mets, so he started a drug called votrient.Im no expert about juicing, but I tried to do as much research as I could about it because I started juicing for him in October. Some other people may have some more insight, but the way I look at it is, I know it’s not going to cure my dad but it can’t hurt. Getting all of those extra vitamins and nutrients can only help. I wanted to start as soon as I could so that way his body would be even healthier if and when he had to start treatment. So what I learned was that there are two types of juices: centrifugal and masticating or cold press. The masticating ones are pricier, but I think worth it. They don’t use heat like the centrifugal so more of the nutrients are preserved. Also the juice stays for longer. its 24hrs with the centrifugal and 72 hours with the masticating. I was worried about blood sugar bc one veggies have a lot of natural sugar when juiced, but I started him slow (which is good bc drinking too much to start can upset your stomach and things. Ive just been having him cut out more of the processed sugar too, at least I’ve been trying ;) 

    He drinks about 96oz of juice over a 3-4 day period. I juice 5lbs of carrots, 6 beets (Stems and all), 2 small apples, and then some sort of greens (romaine lettuce, spinach, kale). I store them filled to the top of mason jars so as little oxygen as possible gets in. I’d love to hear if other people have any thoughts on amount of juice or what they juice, etc. 

    my main points would be:

    - use a masticating juicer (if it doesn’t say it’s one, then it’s not)

    - start out drinking just a little and build up to more

    - drink on an empty stomach usually about 30 minutes before she eats

    - store your juice in an airtight container with as little empty space in it as possible (the mason jars have worked great for me) 

    again im no expert. These are just some of the things I’ve learned from doing it. If you have any other questions, let me know! 

     

    Jamie

  • AnnissaP
    AnnissaP Member Posts: 632 Member
    So sorry to hear about your

    So sorry to hear about your mom. I hope she receives the best care possible and has a smooth recovery.

  • Karen8873
    Karen8873 Member Posts: 35
    AnnissaP said:

    So sorry to hear about your

    So sorry to hear about your mom. I hope she receives the best care possible and has a smooth recovery.

    Thank you! Surgery went well

    Thank you! Surgery went well & they had her up today . We need to wait for her spine to heal before treatments can start. 

  • Karen8873
    Karen8873 Member Posts: 35
    Jamkelso said:

    Hi Karen,

    Hi Karen,

    so sorry to hear about your mom. I hope surgery went well and recovery goes smoothly!

    My dad was just diagnosed in September and last week we found out that he had lung mets, so he started a drug called votrient.Im no expert about juicing, but I tried to do as much research as I could about it because I started juicing for him in October. Some other people may have some more insight, but the way I look at it is, I know it’s not going to cure my dad but it can’t hurt. Getting all of those extra vitamins and nutrients can only help. I wanted to start as soon as I could so that way his body would be even healthier if and when he had to start treatment. So what I learned was that there are two types of juices: centrifugal and masticating or cold press. The masticating ones are pricier, but I think worth it. They don’t use heat like the centrifugal so more of the nutrients are preserved. Also the juice stays for longer. its 24hrs with the centrifugal and 72 hours with the masticating. I was worried about blood sugar bc one veggies have a lot of natural sugar when juiced, but I started him slow (which is good bc drinking too much to start can upset your stomach and things. Ive just been having him cut out more of the processed sugar too, at least I’ve been trying ;) 

    He drinks about 96oz of juice over a 3-4 day period. I juice 5lbs of carrots, 6 beets (Stems and all), 2 small apples, and then some sort of greens (romaine lettuce, spinach, kale). I store them filled to the top of mason jars so as little oxygen as possible gets in. I’d love to hear if other people have any thoughts on amount of juice or what they juice, etc. 

    my main points would be:

    - use a masticating juicer (if it doesn’t say it’s one, then it’s not)

    - start out drinking just a little and build up to more

    - drink on an empty stomach usually about 30 minutes before she eats

    - store your juice in an airtight container with as little empty space in it as possible (the mason jars have worked great for me) 

    again im no expert. These are just some of the things I’ve learned from doing it. If you have any other questions, let me know! 

     

    Jamie

    I’m sorry to hear about your

    I’m sorry to hear about your Dad as well. I’ve read a lot info about juicing on Chris beat cancer & the truth about cancer. I’ve been bringing her some juice while in the hospital . I’m hoping once she’s out she will switch over to an organic diet with lots of raw veggies & juice! I do believe it can help. 

  • Jamkelso
    Jamkelso Member Posts: 7
    Glad to hear surgery went

    Glad to hear surgery went well! I try to do organic where I can, but all of the fruit and veggies that I juice, I soak in cold water with salt and vinegar for 5 or 10 minutes and then rinse. I’ve gone by this ”dirty dozen“ that I’ve heard of. It’s 12 things that you should buy organic if at all possible:

    1. Apples 2. Celery 3. Sweet bell peppers 4. Peaches 5. Strawberries 6. Nectarines (imported) 7. Grapes 8. Spinach 9. Lettuce 10. Cucumbers 11. Blueberries (domestic) 12. Potatoes 

    I’ve also been trying to stay away from red meats.. eating more chicken, fish, ground turkey.. things like that. Good luck with the switch to her diet; I just think it’s good for overall health, and it certainly can’t make things worse! 

  • Manufred
    Manufred Member Posts: 241 Member
    Pragmatic Approach

    Karen,

    I personally tend to look for answers in modern science, and kidney cancer has benefited a lot from that over the last few years.  In particular, immunotherapy drugs (artificial antibodies) that stimulate the immune system to detect and kill cancer cells are now available and work well for some people, myself included.  Side effects have been quite mild, especially compared to traditional chemo and also compared to angio-suppression drugs (Stutent, Votrient) which have been mostly used for RCC up to now.  Immunotherapy does not work for everyone but it provides another possibilty that, if it works, is much more tolerable and possibly more efective than other forms of treatment.

    Search for names including Nivolumab, Ipilimumab, Opdivo, Keytruda and Yervoy, and find an oncologist who is aware of these treatments. Also look at the Checkmate 214 Clinical Trial.  If you search my name "Manufred" on this site you will find my previous postings which have more details about my own experience.

    Good luck with you mother and best wishes.

    Fred

  • Karen8873
    Karen8873 Member Posts: 35
    hardo718 said:

    Welcome Karen

    I'll will keep you & your family in my prayers.  Please keep us posted.

    Donna~

    Thank you Donna

    Thank you Donna

  • Karen8873
    Karen8873 Member Posts: 35
    Manufred said:

    Pragmatic Approach

    Karen,

    I personally tend to look for answers in modern science, and kidney cancer has benefited a lot from that over the last few years.  In particular, immunotherapy drugs (artificial antibodies) that stimulate the immune system to detect and kill cancer cells are now available and work well for some people, myself included.  Side effects have been quite mild, especially compared to traditional chemo and also compared to angio-suppression drugs (Stutent, Votrient) which have been mostly used for RCC up to now.  Immunotherapy does not work for everyone but it provides another possibilty that, if it works, is much more tolerable and possibly more efective than other forms of treatment.

    Search for names including Nivolumab, Ipilimumab, Opdivo, Keytruda and Yervoy, and find an oncologist who is aware of these treatments. Also look at the Checkmate 214 Clinical Trial.  If you search my name "Manufred" on this site you will find my previous postings which have more details about my own experience.

    Good luck with you mother and best wishes.

    Fred

    Thank you Fred

    the oncologists did mention targeted agents & Immunotherapy . Right now they seem focused on the Mets to the spine and she will be starting gamma knife radiation in about 2 weeks. She’s still recovering from the spine surgery . 

    I’m not sure why all treatment can’t start at once . A question I will have to ask today . 

  • Jamkelso
    Jamkelso Member Posts: 7
    I am all about modern

    I am all about modern medicine and hope I didn’t come across that the juicing was what my dad was doing as treatment. He’s currently on votrient; the juicing and healthy eating is just what we’re doing in addition to his treatment- just trying to keep him as healthy as we can! 

  • AnnissaP
    AnnissaP Member Posts: 632 Member
    Jamkelso said:

    I am all about modern

    I am all about modern medicine and hope I didn’t come across that the juicing was what my dad was doing as treatment. He’s currently on votrient; the juicing and healthy eating is just what we’re doing in addition to his treatment- just trying to keep him as healthy as we can! 

    I think juicing is great!!

    I think juicing is great!! After all, it will only help...not harm!!

  • Manufred
    Manufred Member Posts: 241 Member
    Alternative Options

    Hey Guys,

    I have nothing against juicing or just eating healthily, or even whatever people do to get spiritual comfort and strength, if that is how their psyche works. 

    I have found however that people often look to alternative life-style approaches only when they find it difficult to deal with sudden life-changing events such as cancer diagnosis.  The message I would like to convey is that sure cancer needs to be taken seriously, but it does not need to turn your life totally around. 

    Better options and treatments are becoming available everyday, and I encourage people to devote their energy and emotional resources to pursuing those options that will give them the best chance of optimal outcomes.

    I do enjoy a robust discussion and am happy to hear your comments and views.

  • AnnissaP
    AnnissaP Member Posts: 632 Member
    Manufred

    Agreed. I have cleaned up my diet, but I do know obsessing will not change anything. I could go overboard and miss out on living. I just think if I can make some changes that I would benefit from even if cancer was never in the picture then why not??

  • Karen8873
    Karen8873 Member Posts: 35
    Thank you all

    I just want to keep my mom as healthy as possible through all of This. 

  • jazzgirl
    jazzgirl Member Posts: 240 Member
    edited January 2018 #18
    Juicing

     

     

     

    Hi Karen,

    What a lot your mom and family are going through!  I think it's especially hard to have the holidays swirling around you as you deal with everything.

    I can offer a few thoughts on juicing but only in relation to the kidney. I started juicing (yes, masticating juicer) about 10 years ago.  I had never eaten enough dark leafy greens and other veg - couldn't stand the taste of many of them, especially cooked.  Then I found out I actually liked them as juice, and was finally getting those vitamins daily.  We would juice apple, beet, beet greens, carrot, celery, chard, cucumber, ginger, green pepper, kale, lemon, parsley, spinach, and even broccoli and other veg leftovers...

    Fast-forward to July 2016 with a renal tumor out of the blue and partial nephrectomy of my sole kidney (born that way.)  I've seen various opinions on this site about change of diet/nutrition after kidney surgery.  On the advice of my nephrologist, surgeon, and dietician, I have to really watch my levels of sodium, potassium, and phosphorous, along with protein (I'm a major carnivore).

     

    When I looked at sodium and potassium content, many on our veg list are high (especially carrots, chard, and spinach).  I'm also trying to get my blood pressure under control, which has been creeping upwards, and is affected especially by sodium.  So I haven't gone back to juice yet – maybe if my labs continue ok I'll try easing it back into my diet. 

     

    So – I really recommend juicing for getting all those good vitamins, but check with your mom's docs about her kidney labs and whether potassium especially will be an issue for her. 

     

    I wish you and your mom and all your family a new year of peace within the health issues.  Take care.

  • jazzgirl
    jazzgirl Member Posts: 240 Member
    Juicing

    Hi Karen,

    What a lot your mom and you and whole family are going through!  I think it's especially hard to have the holidays swirling around you as you deal with everything.

    I can offer a few thoughts on juicing but only as it relates to the kidney.  I started juicing (yes, masticating juicer) about 10 years ago.  I had never eaten enough dark leafy greens and other veg - couldn't stand the taste of some of them, especially cooked.  Then I found out I actually liked them as juice, and was finally getting those vitamins and minerals daily.  We would juice apple, beet, beet greens, carrot, celery, chard, cucumber, ginger, green pepper, kale, lemon, parsley, spinach, and even broccoli and other veg leftovers...

    Fast-forward to July 2016 with a renal tumor out of the blue and partial nephrectomy of my sole kidney (born with only the right one.)  I've seen various opinions on this site about change of diet/nutrition after kidney surgery.  On the advice of my surgeon, nephrologist, and dieticians, I have to really watch my levels of sodium, potassium, and phosphorous, along with protein (and me a major carnivore...)

    When I looked at sodium and potassium content of the juice, many on our veg list are pretty high (especially carrots, chard, and spinach).  I'm also trying to get my blood pressure under control - it's been creeping upwards and is affected by sodium in particular.  So I haven't gone back to juice yet.  Maybe if my labs continue ok I'll try easing it back into my diet.

    So, I really recommend juicing to get all those good vitamins, but as always check with your mom's docs about her kidney labs and whether the minerals will be an issue for her.

    I wish you and your mom and all your family a new year of peace within the health issues.  Take care

  • Karen8873
    Karen8873 Member Posts: 35
    edited January 2018 #20
    jazzgirl said:

    Juicing

    Hi Karen,

    What a lot your mom and you and whole family are going through!  I think it's especially hard to have the holidays swirling around you as you deal with everything.

    I can offer a few thoughts on juicing but only as it relates to the kidney.  I started juicing (yes, masticating juicer) about 10 years ago.  I had never eaten enough dark leafy greens and other veg - couldn't stand the taste of some of them, especially cooked.  Then I found out I actually liked them as juice, and was finally getting those vitamins and minerals daily.  We would juice apple, beet, beet greens, carrot, celery, chard, cucumber, ginger, green pepper, kale, lemon, parsley, spinach, and even broccoli and other veg leftovers...

    Fast-forward to July 2016 with a renal tumor out of the blue and partial nephrectomy of my sole kidney (born with only the right one.)  I've seen various opinions on this site about change of diet/nutrition after kidney surgery.  On the advice of my surgeon, nephrologist, and dieticians, I have to really watch my levels of sodium, potassium, and phosphorous, along with protein (and me a major carnivore...)

    When I looked at sodium and potassium content of the juice, many on our veg list are pretty high (especially carrots, chard, and spinach).  I'm also trying to get my blood pressure under control - it's been creeping upwards and is affected by sodium in particular.  So I haven't gone back to juice yet.  Maybe if my labs continue ok I'll try easing it back into my diet.

    So, I really recommend juicing to get all those good vitamins, but as always check with your mom's docs about her kidney labs and whether the minerals will be an issue for her.

    I wish you and your mom and all your family a new year of peace within the health issues.  Take care

    Thanks Jazzgirl

    We haven’t even seen the kidney oncologist yet. She’s still in the hospital and recovering from the spine surgery . While in rehab she started getting severe pain on her rib. MRI shows a fracture where it metastasized . Hoping the Dr will move up radiation to start this week! Original plan was Cyberknife to start on 1/10, but they are hopefully going to start on the rib this week. 

    I will check with the Dr once we get an appt on nutrition related to the kidney . She’s not drinking a lot as I’m just bringing it to her when I can . But I do believe nutrition is key . 

  • Wehavenotimeatall
    Wehavenotimeatall Member Posts: 488 Member
    edited January 2018 #21
    Oh golly

    your nightmare continues

    Hopefully you will start on the radiation very soon

    Annie