I'm 60 something days out from my second HDCT and stem cell transplant, and my AFP numbers went up again, in the low 100's. Did 4xBEP, 1xTIP and then the 2xHDCT+SCT. Looking at options. Every time it responds well, and then goes back up. I'm not interested im just giving up; they're looking at clinical trials, i'm willing to do that and more chemo. Anyone else experience this? If it responds and goes down, but then goes back up, does that still mean it's "refractive" or not? Because I thought that when it doesn't respond at all. I will say, that after it went back up after the initial 4xBEP, and went up to the 700 range, with just ONE round of VIP it went back down to the 100 range. We have some friends that are in the medical field and they suggested I tell my oncologist to reach out to Dr. Einhorn. I'm 24 years old. I'm not gonna give up this easily because it seems like that the treatments are working but just not completely enough. My pathology is 80% yolk sac, 10% seminoma and 10% teratoma. I was told several times that my pathology was very responsive to chemo and very curable, and it HAS been very responsive to chemo, but it just goes back up again. I don't understand.

My mother was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer 3 years ago, she was holding up very well, still is…. More or less.

My father just got diagnosed with prostate cancer. Yesterday. I hope and pray it’s only stage 1. From the mri that’s all they can see.

This has taken a huge toll on my mother. She has lost all hope at life and is in huge depression.

My father right now has just blocked off anything to do with cancer. And is living like it never happened.

I am 21. I don’t know what to do anymore. I am trying my hardest to look after both of them. Organise appointments, consultations.

I will continue to try and do my hardest, but this honestly feels like a breaking point. Feels like rock bottom. I don’t know how to push through.

My wife is loosing hair during her chemo even with cold capping. She is absolutely traumatized and said she would rather die than loose her hair. She is blaming me loosing her hair by her temples because I put the tape to protect her scalp from frost bite, on the exposed scalp with thin hair and it all came out when she removed it. She is devastated beyond reason. I have no idea how to support her through this part? I love her more than anything in this world and I feel hopeless hearing her say she wants to die. I don't know what to do or how to support her, I am speechless other than I can say I'm sorry. This whole thing sux for everyone involved, it sux the worst for her. When I tell her she is still beautiful, my words mean nothing to her. How can I help when my words are empty to her even though I mean what I say? I try to make her laugh and that does not work. Nothing I do or say works. Sorry for the rant I just need to vent, I can't vent to my only friend, the love of my life , because she is fighting cancer.

I been having some nodes in my right breast and took 4 mammograms and 3 biopsies to realize that's its cancer. I just barely got the call and I thought I was prepared for this call. I wasn't, I dont even know how to react or what to say. I mean reading through the test results it seems to be aggressive and growing fast,but I dont know what that means. What hurts me most is that I have 2 children, 15 and 13. Like how did you or someone you know react and what was next steps? Please I just want to know or hear even though my outcome can be different

I’m so overwhelmed and new to all of the acronyms that I see being used on here. My father was just diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer. Unless radiology accepts him we are being told that he has no treatment options. There is a 14 cm lesion so he is not a candidate for surgery or a transplant. He has cirrhosis but nothing history of drinking so they are assuming that it is non alcoholic fatty liver disease if that helps. Every diagnosis we received is new to us as he has had 0 symptoms thus far. Does this all sound right? Should we get a second opinion? They are giving him months to weeks. He was jaundiced when he came in but they can’t explain how his numbers went down so rapidly. Any help or advice is much needed and appreciated.

Hi

I posted on here about a month ago, I had ended up in the hospital with fluid around my heart and my oncologist told me I had maybe 6 months-1 year to live. Well, on Saturday I wound up in the hospital again thinking it was the same problem. Turns out, the tumor next to my heart grew from 4cm to 13cm in the month I’ve been home, and it’s pushing on my heart & causing a lot of strain. The oncologist then explained that he had tried to be optimistic about my prognosis in July, but because of this development he thinks I have a few weeks left at most.

I’ve just been crying since I got home. I wanted more time with my family and friends. I feel so rushed now, all the plans I had just went down the toilet. Thank you to everyone who read my rants and gave me advice, I wish you all the best.

Hey, im a patient with a localised ewings tumour. I had a surgery where they were able to take a very wide marging and i also had 27 days of radiation (54gy total). After all that my doctor has prescribed a total of 17 rounds of chemotherapy with G-CSF (for wbc) , mostly full doses - 100 mg doxo up to 400 mg, 1600 cyclophosphamide and so on. Ive heard most people get 14. Does someone have an input? im thinking of a second opinion.

I recently went shopping at Kroger with my partner, and I was riding around in one of the little carts.

After we were done shopping, I parked the cart at the charging station and plugged it in, while I waited for my partner to bring the car around.

As I'm sitting there waiting, I put my head down on the "steering wheel" bc I feel like shit.

So this guy who works there sees me and asks if I'm okay. I explain that I have stage 4 metastatic cancer and I feel like shit.

He starts rambling off about Ivermectin and how he's seen some shit on YT and all this other bullshit.

Y'all... I legit couldn't fucking roll my eyes hard enough!

I tried to be polite and just said I'll mention it to my oncologist. He then says "if he won't give it to you, then go to another one!" I said that I have two I am consulting with, and I will ask them both.

I do actually plan on mentioning this to my oncologists, BUT only so I can tell others that I've already mentioned it to my doctors, bc I KNOW it's gonna happen again... and again... AND AGAIN!

How do y'all deal with the crunchy woo tyoes? My Satanist ass doesn't do the whole sugarcoating bullshit nonsense, I don't have the patience for it.

How do y'all deal with ignorant ass people like this?!

I'm looking for experienced and reliable radiation oncologists or hospitals in Varanasi, particularly those specializing in focused radiation therapy for endometrial carcinoma (uterine cancer). Detailed experiences and insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

I’m a cancer survivor of Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I’m currently cancer free for two years at least and I’m happy that is so.

Only that I’m worried that it might come back so i’m doing some exercises, walking, eating healthier and trying to sleep more in order to prevent its recurrence.

Good thing I have a sponsor to pay almost all of my bills and that is mostly the reason im still alive today.

Thats pretty much it, never give up even almost everything is lost, im sure it will get better eventually!

As the heading says my 2 year old son was on round 12/14 of chemo for sarcoma. His prognosis was good. He was doing so well and came down with adenovirus while neutropenic . Went into liver failure and didn't make it . I am wrecked . I'm also blaming myself for any interaction he had with any other people for the week prior to getting sick. For example we had a play date with friends who weren't sick and it was in the backyard running around. I'm not sure what I'm looking for but maybe someone can relate - have you ever lost someone from an infection while on chemo ? Or a child ? I'm so overwhelmed with guilt and pain

i was diagnosed when i was 18, i'm 27 now. i had a brain tumor removal surgery 1 year ago and last month i was celebraring it. today i received the results of my mri and i apparently have another nodule on my brain, same place as before, even after surgery and radiotherapy. i feel so sad, it feels like a never ending shit, and while i'm trying to hold it all together i see other people living normally. it is so frustrating but at the same time i was living normally before all of this shit too. and i feel weird because i don't have someone to talk about it who understands what i'm going through, i have a therapist, she's great, but you know what i mean. how do you guys manage that?

Just wanted to know I’m not alone. Got switched from oxalyplatin to irinotecan and it’s just killed my desire to eat. Anyone with a similar experience? Sorry - Irinotecan is the drug.

In October, I thought I had tonsillitis, so my parents took me to the hospital to get them removed. Instead of removing them, the did a biopsy, and discovered I had Stage 2 Burkitt's Lymphoma.

My life was fucked up severely, and I missed a lot. But on the plus side, I found out I look good with a buzz cut.

In February, I got to ring the bell, and was clear. Ever since, I've been making a recovery.

2024 was by far the worst year I ever had, cancer aside. And now, I'm having one of the best years of my life. I have a girlfriend, I visited New York with my school, I saw Hamilton TWICE, and have just had an amazing time. I've never felt so good about the person I am as I do now.

Diagnosis Anniversary: 2 years ago today I met my chemo oncologist and was told that I had Endometrial Cancer, with cancerous cells that had “eaten” their way through > 70% of the endometrial wall.

My family had no history of cancer. I had just turned 65 earlier that summer & had to change from Medicaid to Medicare. Needed a new Gyno Dr and as a new patient had to wait 6 weeks. I told the receptionist that I was spotting and cramping. “Sorry, can’t get you in sooner.” Unknown to me, cancer was already doing its best to eat through my endometrium.

I grew up a survivor of abuse and lots of trauma. This made me a survivor, emotionally strong, living every day with a positive attitude. My mantra was ‘this too shall pass’.

With this positivity, I treated all of the blood work, body scans, surgery procedures, port insertion, chemo, exterior and interior radiation … like checking off things on a list. Sounds odd perhaps, but that’s how it was.

Today, I still have my port, my CA125 blood work numbers are very good, quarterly follow up visits with my chemo and radiation oncologists are positive. I have neuropathy in my fingers and toes but hey, I’ll take that over cancer without question.

As I looked at the date on the calendar, I realized that this was my 2 year diagnosis anniversary. And I smiled, went out back, admired my sunflowers, picked some tomatoes, played with my dogs and kept smiling.

I wanted to share my story as many posts in this subreddit are from frightened, newly diagnosed people. That was me two years ago today.

I’m healthy, happy, treasure every day and smile. 😊 Take care of yourself. Be kind to yourself. Ask a lot of questions. Take people up on their offers to help: going shopping for you, mowing your lawn, running errands, taking your kids to outings, for a play date, whatever you can think of that allow you some peace of mind and rest. 🥰 Take a deep breath now and keep going. Peace.

I often read on here about how patients’ family and friends make recommendations for treatments. It always seems so strange to me. Since I was diagnosed earlier this year, friends and family have asked about my treatment, but, like me, they’ve assumed that the advice my team give me is the best advice, and they’ve supported me in following that advice.

Last night, I had a phone call from a friend. I don’t know if it’s relevant that this friend is American (and lives in America) and I’m not. But during the call, his wife recommended a series of alternative medicines to me, despite knowing almost nothing about my condition.

It just felt very odd, out of place. I reminded myself that her suggestions were made with good intent, even if misguided, and moved the conversation on. But I can now empathise with everyone else on here who has experienced the same thing. Why do people think they know better than my doctors how to treat me? Are there other conditions apart from cancer where this happens? (Stupid question - I’m sure there are!)

Anyway, just wanted to share. Today is a chemotherapy day. I will be receiving the exact treatment my medical team recommended.

I’ve still not found a support group so I’m wondering if anyone also needs one or wants to help and apart of one. I know I’ve been posting a lot and I’m sorry if that’s annoying but I still can’t find people who actually stay and are true to their word. I need help but also wouldn’t mind helping someone in the same boat.

I have become a walking shell of nothing Hello everyone, a lot of you know who I am because I post here and talk to many of you first of all I want to thank a lot of you for your messages of support and kindness. A lot of you know that both me and my wife have this credit C word and a lot of you know my wife’s been in the hospital since May 23 and will step down three weeks ago into a long-term care facility and is recovering nicely. But since Monday it’s been really rough with her mentally she basically wants to end it all even though she is recovering beautifully and there’s no reason to it started out on Monday. She looked at me and told me she hates me for what is going on and hates me for this and blames me for all this and not letting her die and she wants to die so I kept quiet hurt you could say on Tuesday I saw my doctor and my doctor was telling me this is well. She went through and I’m going through. This is kind of normal, especially when you’re going through a hell of a lot of mental issues with what is going on. So last night I spent the night with her like I do six nights a week so this morning she told the doctor she wants the feeding tube out. The doctor asked her why wow she saying she’s feeling bloated in her stomach so the doctor OK listen and so we can’t really do that because this is how you get your nutrition, we can you know reduce the amount of intake, but we can’t do that. She wasn’t happy but I caught it in time so I talked to the doctor and told her what was going on and an hour later a psychiatrist came in and started talking with her as she wrote on a whiteboard whiteboard. She wants the DNR now that kind of shocked me when she said that because yeah, you know what happened on Monday OK, but it is getting a little bit more serious with her mental health so the doctor place I hate to say it some kind of medication for her depression or whatever is going on mentally with her and is being watched which is understandable I mean the hell she went through from November 24 until now and I know she’s worried about me and my issues that are going on and I don’t think she can take it anymore mentally so it’s been a rough one as both a caregiver and what I’m going through and it’s too much at this point. I just feel so numb. Hell I fully understand Pink Floyd‘s comfortably numb now it’s not like the first time when my daughter passed away. Actually, I had to be the one to tell them to turn off life support so you think I would be used to something like this is different so different I can’t even explain it. I mean, I just can’t so I just kind of stay focused and still work out as best as I can and prepare for tournaments and stay focused on that if I didn’t have this, I would be wasting away honestly so do all the people out there who feel confused, lost numb, and say people don’t understand I do understand I feel for you and if you need to talk, you need someone to listen to to you as you rant fell free drop me a line . The hope I have now is I can get her through this and I can slowly get my mental health back . So I sent prayers hugs positive ways and good thoughts to allow you out. There are going through this nasty c word. And one thing don’t give up happy Thursday and have a great weekend coming.

Hi,

I live with someone who’s going through cancer treatment right now, and their doctor told everyone in the household to mask up in public to help keep them safe. I’ve been doing that without question because their health comes first.

The problem is whenever we go out to the store, we frequently get comments or side remarks about wearing masks. Sometimes people tease, or they say things to someone they are with loud enough for us to hear, and honestly, it’s upsetting. People should mind their own business, us masking doesn't impact them at all. We’re already dealing with enough.

How do you handle stuff like this? Do you just ignore it? Do you have a go-to response that shuts it down? I’m trying not to let it get to me, but it’s hard when it keeps happening.

Any advice or tips would be really appreciated!

I don't know who or what I am anymore.

I can't even wrap my head around where to start this. I'm a 36 year old recent breast cancer "survivor." I hate the term. Perhaps because something about it sounds complete and nothing about this is complete. I am alive, but it doesn't feel like I survived.

Active treatment is over, but years of hormone therapy continue. And lasting side-effects and secondary conditions from the cancer treatment. It's not done. I survived the last appointment, but I have another one coming. For the rest of my life.

I'm not me anymore. I don't relate to anything anymore. I can't decide what I care about now. One minute, I want to embody radical change. Next, I just want something from my past to come back. I want my life to be sacrificed for some greater purpose, but then I also want no part in prolonging the human condition. I want to chase the dream / I never want to chase anything again. I want to be nicer / I want to say what I actually think. Except, I don't even know if my harsher thoughts are really mine, or from the trauma, or from the hormone deprivation. So, who am I now? What am I now?

I don't look the same. I can't physically do the same things. People who I thought were my people scattered to the wind, but I don't just want a bunch of cancer friends, because I don't want to identify with this either.

And now more and more people close to me are being diagnosed with cancer, having their cancer spread, dying from cancer. 6 people, at least. Now, the cancer that I have "survived" feels like something I shouldn't even talk about anymore. Like a dirty word - survivor. I should just shut up and be grateful that mine isn't ending me faster yet.

Is it insane to sometimes envy the quicker end? I don't know how to reintegrate from this. How do I give a crap about a repetitive 9-5 job, or a high flying unique career, or all the other made-up BS now? It doesn't help that I have another disability that started only 6 months prior to the cancer diagnosis and I am still clawing my way through that seismic shift in how I experience daily existence now too.

I'm not the same. I'm nothing. No one knows me. I don't understand myself. I can't explain it. A little pink ribbon doesn't even begin to cover it. Is it an awakening? An unplugging? A separation? Disintegration? Disillusionment? Is it really living? Or is it a chronic awareness that we're dying? All while this warmongering, exploitative nonsense is what humans choose to do with that precious time? Is it knowledge or more questions? Choices or fate? Purpose or pointless?

And the self. What the hell even is that anymore?

Can someone please share their experience being diagnosed with stage 3 uterine cancer? Doctor said it spread to the vagina. Did you take chemotherapy, radiation, opt not to? We know a hysterectomy will need to be done. Mom could really use some encouragement and realistic expectations.

Hi, I know that everyone is different but I’m just looking for some advice from those of you who have been through or are going through chemo.

My partner is on his second cycle of chemo. It’s a pretty tough regimen (5 days, 6-7 hours a day, doxorubicin and ifosfamide) and as you would expect it’s really kicking his ass and knocking him out most of the day. This time around, however he’s really struggling with chemo brain. He only had a little last time, but it seems to have really ramped up this time and it’s really freaking him out. He hates feeling so out of it and confused and he said that the confusion is making him feel scared especially whenever he sleeps because he just wakes up feeling like he has no idea what’s going on.

I’ve mostly just been trying to stay with him as much as I can and let him know that it’s okay and that I’m here for him and that it’s okay if he’s confused or lethargic, but I don’t know if there’s something else I could be doing. If anyone has any advice or insight, it would be greatly appreciated 💙

Just got poor scan results. Am officially on intravenous chemo from here on out and am reeling. My oncologist says we still have good options left. My kids are going back to school and I will go out in two weeks for a psilocybin trip to hopefully take the edge off the terminal anxiety. I've been incredibly fortunate. I am tired and in pain but in no way am ready for the end. Ive had seven years and I know I should just be grounded in gratitude but tonight I am restless.

Has anyone been on intravenous chemo for a while? Longest you've known someone on intravenous chemo?