carm

Carm - what can you suggest for my husband who is about to begin his first chemo (waiting on a port) - Stage IV prostate cancer, Gleason 9 score, dx in 2014. (other than to be optimistic) - what should he expect? He ran out of meds that worked and in the last month his PSA went from 8.8 to 19.1

Hi, carm! I just wanted to drop by and say Hello. I haven’t seen a post from you in a while. I hope you are well. I’ve always appreciated your calm, thoughtful responses.

It's a cognitive test for dementia or assessment for stroke, mini stroke, closed-open brain trauma (motorcycle accident, etc) drug overdose, coma, brain surgery, etc. to see suggestibility to recommend following therapy, supervision, etc.

My daughter did this all of the time at the VA. She's a speech pathologist. When my son was 5, he was playing with 2 other 5 year old boys. We lived on the edge of a field. They found a match book---One said-- Lets pick it up---the next-Lets light them. My son said--COOL and he lit a match, burned his fingers, dropped the match- and voila- instant fire--the neighbors helped me put it out and all 3 boys got a paddling and grounding.

My daughter and her friends often brought home these type of new tests-they did that to most of their families, and they said there were more things than what existed-sometimes less. They wanted practice to be comfortable with normal reactions--and maybe to see if we'd clean out our bank accounts if they suggested we gave them money for a trip to london or somewhere-- or they had to hire a nanny for us. LOL-but it looks like that type of test- I sa3w, turtle, horse, fox, elephant, possum, chameleon, red kangaroo, and so on- and that white thing looks like a white demented rabbit-with its ears sticking up. probably somebody saw the mad hatter rabbit in Alice and wonderland and thought- perfect---will they set a field on fire if they find matches-and somebody says light them

Carm! Who is the pupper you have as your icon thing? Hi puppers!

Hi, carm. I'd like to ask you a question if you don't mind. Is Tamoxifen considered chemotherapy? I know it is "hormone therapy" but is it considered chemotherapy? I didn't have much luck googling this. Thank you so much for any help you can provide. I really appreciate it.

Thanks so much for your information, you’re very appreciated.

I'm thankful for your wisdom. I always pay attention when I see your comments.
Thank you for caring.

Thank you for your response. The name of the medication is Xarelto the chemical is rivaroxban
I thought about going to Canada but my son the lawyer said that it would be illegal.

Thank you for your easy to follow information. I'm following for my 50 year old son recently diagnosed with GIST.surgery to remove tumor,now in chemo pill form .he s still being tested.He is on Gleevic for I month ,due to liver test dosage been lowered. So glad to find Whatsnext

Hi, carm. I'm in touch with geekling on Facebook. She asked me to send you her phone number so that you can text her if you want to: 9x5x4 7x4x6-2x0x0x0. Had to disguise it to get passed the censor. Thank you.

Carm, after trying the three different aromatase, I stopped due to severe pain in feet, knees, and legs. Could barely get from bed to bath. Now have neuropathy. It can and does happen. I should have/ could halve stopped earlier. I still encourage everyone to at least try BUT ‘ oncology nurse’, it can have side effects making you decline use.

Bravo. I just learned so much from your answer. Thank you.

You are a life saver!! Thanks so much for the info. Just bought the starter pack. May you have a blessed holiday season.

I want you to know, you calmed my fears and have me more information than the Dr or his nurse have me. All the Dr said when he handed me the device was to use it ten minutes every day and to buy astro glide. This was cancer center of new mexico.

Helo carm and thanks for your response. I am taking gleevek My cancer is stage four and the primary is my stomach as far as I know. T

Good luck and prayers are with you

Thank you very much for quick response on my question. I am aware about my kid’s possible danger. Can you advice me what kind of tests should they request? Thanks again, Lucy

Hi! I'm in touch with geekling. She asked me to tell you that she's fine but was given a 30-day ban from WN due to complaints about her, and then she has to ask if she can get back on, and I'm not sure she wants to do this.

Carm.you are so right about me having atelectasis 2 of my xray showed that. Did it come from the effusion itself. Did he goof up.theywere going to put that draininright after I ate breakfast so not going to be put to sleep like they promised. It was a surprise surgery and I escaped.

Thank you for your quick resonse. My PET scan on6/19 was clear, no mets. I wasn't requesting another PET scan but thought CT scan or MRI would be accepptable half way thru chemo to definiitively tell if the chemo was shrinking the tumor or if surgergersurgery should be done sooner. I don't want to wait until 20 rounds of chemo have been done to be told thatthe chemo wasn't effective, it would have 5 months and i could have had the surgery to get this cancer out of my body. I want the best outcome.

I was not asking for another PET scan, CT or MRI seems appropriate to see if the chemo is working.

Cam, thank you so much for your words of encouragement! We're both very scared.

You might or might not recall that I mentioned that one was not to eat chicken when using guanabana as a protocol against cancer.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131114102526.htm

Do patients really ask you about what they should or shouldnt do or do outside of the "box" or do they just give you their intentions and you worry or are curious?

On one of my FB groups there was just an announcement that someone beat back and destroyed a brain cancer. They used chemo and radiation and FECO.

Enjoy your day.

@carm, I'm not trying to be negative and it might sound like I am, but please be somewhat wary in what you trust/believe from some people here on the site. I have found that there are some who make bold statements that a tiny bit of research shows is inaccurate.

Since you ask about things that will affect patients, I just want you to know that just because some people write with authority, it doesn't mean they actually always know what they're talking about. I have found that one poster is consistently inaccurate with what is written.

(I also think you are plenty astute enough to realize that, but your last question and some of the responses you have gotten made me nervous...)

Hi Carm , Thanks for responding to my question, however since you’re an oncology nurse maybe you can help me out just . I came back From my appointment with my oncologist and she told me even though my margins were clear she would have liked To have bigger clear margins. I have the report of the pathology and it says moderate differentiated invasive ductal carcinoma 1.4 cm.
Narrowly free of the resection margins. Does this means that he might not have gotten all the cancer out? Because now I’m having second thoughts on what the oncologist said about having more cancer free margins.
Thank you

carm, I just want to take a moment to thank you for everything you do here at WhatNext. Your feedback is absolutely invaluable and I stand awed at your depth of knowledge! Thank you for taking the time to participate here and help so many of the people. It is so appreciated.

Ty Carm. The radiation has damaged my vaginal area. Was told by my gyno dr that because of the amount of radiation i had that it has closed. I have 2 gyno drs say the same and both drs are from different states.

Carm,

I just wanted to thank you again for the advice about taking a benadryl before taking pain meds. As I had mentioned, a friend of mine was going to try it after I reposted your advice to my FB. She reports that it worked great for her. We both want to thank you again for your generous sharing.

Carm, I have a question about pain meds, pain management, etc. Hoping you can provide me with some clarity. My Wifes Mom has severe arthritis, degenerative disk disease, has had knee replacement, it was suggested she have hip replacements, she declined. She has been in declining health for the last several years, has had seizure episodes brought on by being drug dependent, taking too much of everything, taking anti-depressants, then dropping them cold turkey. In short, she's a mess.

She has continually asked her doctor to up her pain meds, the doctor says she is maxed out on what he can give her, yet she still screams that she needs something for her back. I used to think she was just wanting more drugs, a 74 year old druggie. But having to take care of her now, since she is now bed confined, I see that when I move her she has real pain. Her doctor has suggested she go see a pain management clinic.

My question, yes I am getting there, is: What do they do? How do they do anything that the doctor can't do? Do they have different drugs? Are they able to prescribe something that the doctor can't?

She has just returned home from 93 days in rehabilitation to get her to walk again after her last seizure. It was a waste of time, she can barely move. She is currently taking 15 mg oxycodone, every 6 hours, she was on a 12 hr. 10mg extended release oxycodone, along with a 5 mg. oxycodone every 6 hours while in the nursing home for physical rehab.

While taking this, she was still yelling for pain meds every couple hours.

We are taking her to see the doctor that was seeing her in the Nursing Home, she liked him, I want to know what there might be to do for her. It just seems like there should be some way of getting her some relief.

Thoughts? I know you can't make much of a diagnosis of sorts, but mainly, what's the difference in pain management, and a doctor prescribing her meds?

Thanks for any input.

carm, what you wrote to the person who has the friends who aren't doing well is fantastic. Can I use/quote some of it in a blog ... as if I was interviewing you or something? I'm not quite sure HOW to use it, but I love what you wrote and how you said it. I write for LungCancer.net and I suspect that many, MANY of us have faced being with someone sicker than we are and having to tell them goodbye. So, your words would be so helpful.

If you aren't comfortable with it, I do understand!! But, if you are ... it would be great. As it is, I'm copying and pasting your words to my computer so I can remember them!