Pancreatic Cancer
- Thread starter darkdrift
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You should find a forum where people who know a lot more about this stuff hang out.. I doubt you'll find information on it from affiliates and webmasters. Would you trust any of us to even put a bandaid on you?
I usually have a look at Symptoms, Diseases and Diagnosis - WrongDiagnosis.com for medical related info (website purposes).
I am in round 2 of chemo as we speak. there are many reasons for taking different treatments but I have found that trusting your docs and there science is the way to go. I have had 4 opinions and all basically the same treatment. Just read as much as you can and ask questions
I always see commercials for this - Cancer Treatment Hospitals with Conventional and Alternative Treatment Options Tailored for You.
It seems as though you can call them and talk to someone who has actually beaten whichever type of cancer you are currently dealing with, you may want to try that out because it could be pretty beneficial.
The Stanford trials will probably be good also. I am in Mass but have been following Stanford protocol for something I have (not cancer related) and it has helped a ton.
It seems as though you can call them and talk to someone who has actually beaten whichever type of cancer you are currently dealing with, you may want to try that out because it could be pretty beneficial.
The Stanford trials will probably be good also. I am in Mass but have been following Stanford protocol for something I have (not cancer related) and it has helped a ton.
First of all, never give up. The power of the mind is much greater than most think it is. Keep thinking you will beat it and your chances will be much better.
Second, pray. Whether you are religious or not, have people pray for you to get better. There are stories everywhere about people getting better just from the power of prayer. Goes hand in hand with what I said above.
Third, like chrislingle said, trust your doctors and get on the treatment plan they recommend asap, if you havn't already.
In 1998 I was diagnosed with a anterior mediastinum germ cell tumor that was inoperable because it had gotten so large it had interwoven itself between my ribs and much of the mass was protruding out the middle of my chest. Doctors advised any delay in treatment could worsen my already grave condition, so I was in chemo the following week. After 12 weeks of chemo followed by 6 weeks of radiation the mass was reduced to the size of a pea and remains that way today.
Cancer can be beat...best wishes in your fight!
Second, pray. Whether you are religious or not, have people pray for you to get better. There are stories everywhere about people getting better just from the power of prayer. Goes hand in hand with what I said above.
Third, like chrislingle said, trust your doctors and get on the treatment plan they recommend asap, if you havn't already.
In 1998 I was diagnosed with a anterior mediastinum germ cell tumor that was inoperable because it had gotten so large it had interwoven itself between my ribs and much of the mass was protruding out the middle of my chest. Doctors advised any delay in treatment could worsen my already grave condition, so I was in chemo the following week. After 12 weeks of chemo followed by 6 weeks of radiation the mass was reduced to the size of a pea and remains that way today.
Cancer can be beat...best wishes in your fight!
There is something to those 6 degrees of separation, well connections!
This is a little bit of a long post, but hope it helps. For those of you who don't have cancer, or know anyone who does, might want to skip this, it'll be boring!
My son Bob is a Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer survivor. It's a rare children’s cancer (60 kids in the US his age group-he was 16 at the time, and 350 kids from birth-21 get this type of cancer). Originally, it was thought to be testicular cancer. This is Bob's first site and part of his Eagle project (he earned his rank while in treatment). Don't be a Schmuck. Within 24 hours of getting the news, he had his first appointment with the pediatric oncologist and our lives have never been the same since. He went through hell for nearly a year and is healthy today at 22 years old.
Some helpful hints:
BE ACTIVE IN TREATMENT-I always checked with the doctor and got the OK. These are things that helped Rob be one of the few if only kids to not need a blood transfusion or get an infection during his treatment type.
BE EDUCATED-I can't repeat that one enough. The docs know a lot, but not everything. Their focus is the big picture (research and info for themselves) mine was one cancer patient and what was best for my son.
Rob get embarrassed and was uncomfortable with me questioning the doctors. Sometimes it helped me understand better, but in one area, it greatly influenced Rob's treatment. I was pressured and pushed and they were willing to send me to a neighboring city and postpone chemo starting and even told me "since you aren't refusing any treatment, I can't call CPS (child protective services), but I don't want your son to die". I stood my ground against the treatment, something in my gut told me not to do it. They wanted to slice him up the side to check lymph nodes even though NOTHING wrong showed up in scans. They thought he might have to go through 6 weeks of radiation if I didn't agree to this surgery. (he didn't) Later when I pushed for real numbers. They were going to do that to him because of a 5 year old study on 25 kids who's spread of cancer to the lymph nodes didn't show up in 9 kids in the scans. Technology changed, plus they were still getting the dye injections levels right for kids then. The final bit of info that made me stand my ground was that when we consulted with the radiologist, in passing he said the surgery "usually doesn't affect function (sexual)" I knew my son was going to have to go through enough and I wasn't going to sign a paper to take that away from him for no valid reason.
Good luck to the cancer fighters out there, and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. If your parents need someone to talk to who knows what they are going through, please have them contact me also. I will be praying for you.
This is a little bit of a long post, but hope it helps. For those of you who don't have cancer, or know anyone who does, might want to skip this, it'll be boring!
My son Bob is a Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer survivor. It's a rare children’s cancer (60 kids in the US his age group-he was 16 at the time, and 350 kids from birth-21 get this type of cancer). Originally, it was thought to be testicular cancer. This is Bob's first site and part of his Eagle project (he earned his rank while in treatment). Don't be a Schmuck. Within 24 hours of getting the news, he had his first appointment with the pediatric oncologist and our lives have never been the same since. He went through hell for nearly a year and is healthy today at 22 years old.
Some helpful hints:
BE ACTIVE IN TREATMENT-I always checked with the doctor and got the OK. These are things that helped Rob be one of the few if only kids to not need a blood transfusion or get an infection during his treatment type.
- EmergenC-a fizzy drink that has lots of vitamin C and minerals. He had that several times a week.
- Prenatal vitamins-I figured if it could help create a new human being, it could help his body recover from the impact of chemo.
- vitamin K-helps blood clot
- Tums-the stomach keeps producing acid when empty, so after a couple days of puking, he didn't feel much like eating, this helped. It also helped during treatment.
- Monitor blood counts-Rob took his shots to boost his white blood cells after treatment. I found out that the platelets don't recover till the shots stop. Our first visit after the hard treatments (7 days), if his white cell count was up enough, I asked permission to stop the shots (normally given for 10 days). I figured an infection is easier to treat than the problems of hemorrhaging when the blood doesn't clot.
- He had to take a mild antibiotic 3 out of 7 days a week. The other 4 days he took acidophilus to replenish the good bacteria in the stomach and intestines that the antibiotics killed.
- Eat as much as you can when you can. Bob had hard rounds of chemo every three weeks and chemo almost every week. The week before the hard treatment he drank protein drinks and would eat as much as he could to help his body out be ready for the treatment to come. He pretty much maintained his weight through treatment.
BE EDUCATED-I can't repeat that one enough. The docs know a lot, but not everything. Their focus is the big picture (research and info for themselves) mine was one cancer patient and what was best for my son.
Rob get embarrassed and was uncomfortable with me questioning the doctors. Sometimes it helped me understand better, but in one area, it greatly influenced Rob's treatment. I was pressured and pushed and they were willing to send me to a neighboring city and postpone chemo starting and even told me "since you aren't refusing any treatment, I can't call CPS (child protective services), but I don't want your son to die". I stood my ground against the treatment, something in my gut told me not to do it. They wanted to slice him up the side to check lymph nodes even though NOTHING wrong showed up in scans. They thought he might have to go through 6 weeks of radiation if I didn't agree to this surgery. (he didn't) Later when I pushed for real numbers. They were going to do that to him because of a 5 year old study on 25 kids who's spread of cancer to the lymph nodes didn't show up in 9 kids in the scans. Technology changed, plus they were still getting the dye injections levels right for kids then. The final bit of info that made me stand my ground was that when we consulted with the radiologist, in passing he said the surgery "usually doesn't affect function (sexual)" I knew my son was going to have to go through enough and I wasn't going to sign a paper to take that away from him for no valid reason.
Good luck to the cancer fighters out there, and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. If your parents need someone to talk to who knows what they are going through, please have them contact me also. I will be praying for you.
You're welcome! Yea, if Bob wasn't doing well now he may never introduced me to the world of the internet entrepreneurs and I might not have found WF.
[FONT="]Thanks Mom for the kind words.
Yes, I was a little embarrassed when you second-guessed the doctors; however, my wife, my one-eye’ed monster, and I are very happy you did what you did. Without you, it would have been a completely different outcome. Treating me like a normal kid helped more then you'll ever know. With your guidance, you taught me to not feel sorry for myself but instead understand the problem and find solutions to either solve or improve the problem.
I remember at the beginning. The doctors told use I'll be getting sick (throwing up), a lot! Instead of you saying, "Ok. You will be getting sick and won't be able to do anything". You said, "We'll test out different ways of preventing the sickness and adapt to things that work". For the first 6 big chemotherapy treatments, I didn't get sick at the hospital.
My mom is right the doctors do know a lot however you need to use your gut feeling. Only person that knows you the best is yourself so why not listen to it.
[/FONT]
Yes, I was a little embarrassed when you second-guessed the doctors; however, my wife, my one-eye’ed monster, and I are very happy you did what you did. Without you, it would have been a completely different outcome. Treating me like a normal kid helped more then you'll ever know. With your guidance, you taught me to not feel sorry for myself but instead understand the problem and find solutions to either solve or improve the problem.
I remember at the beginning. The doctors told use I'll be getting sick (throwing up), a lot! Instead of you saying, "Ok. You will be getting sick and won't be able to do anything". You said, "We'll test out different ways of preventing the sickness and adapt to things that work". For the first 6 big chemotherapy treatments, I didn't get sick at the hospital.
My mom is right the doctors do know a lot however you need to use your gut feeling. Only person that knows you the best is yourself so why not listen to it.
[/FONT]
We may be from southern AZ, but its not THAT far south-haha! The one-eyed monster didn't thank me personally, Bob and his wife thanked me, as they are its legal representatives!
.
Nice post, Jan.
Bob, you're a lucky one to have a mom like that.
but one-eyed MONSTER? Argh...
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/peds_urology/mcrpenis.cfm
::emp::
Bob, you're a lucky one to have a mom like that.
but one-eyed MONSTER? Argh...
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/peds_urology/mcrpenis.cfm
::emp::
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