Well it's back.

[geckosfeet]

Metastasized. Lymph, liver and lung.

More chemo inbound. Crap. Time to tidy up the loose ends.

Anyone know of good support groups in central/eastern MA?

[auntAgonist]

1. I'm sorry to read this geckosfeet. I hope you're getting

the best medical care available.



aA
kesha

[geckosfeet]

2. "Available" - yes - you never know what is the right direction to go do you.

I think that there are general guidelines but in the end it's a personal decision about what (and if) treatments to undergo.

I am very curious about wholistic diet and nutrition based approaches.

Thanks for your thoughts auntAgonist.

[auntAgonist]

3. I sure hope you find what you're looking for.

I'm no help when it comes to that.

Please know I wish you all the best.

A very personal decision for sure. No one should ever fault another for making the best choices for them.

kesha.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Wishing you good luck and strength through this thing.

[geckosfeet]

5. Thanks

[Nay]

6. I am so sorry. You finished one round of chemo about a year ago, yes?

If you're looking for a respected book on the nutritional aspects of cancer care, please read Anti-cancer by David Serban-Schreiber. It was recommended to me by an onco physician's assistant.

My nephew, a brainy science guy, is battling prostate cancer; he keeps up with all the scientific literature (and lectures on it at medical conventions) recommended that I eat 3 white button mushrooms per day and drink 3 cups of green tea per day, because these two items showed a great deal of activity in inhibiting tumors. I have breast cancer; I'm a year out from surgery and radiation, and was just cleared to start having mammograms just once a year again. I was Stage IC, and so far it looks like I'm doing well, but it can come back on me any time, I know.

I want to give you some

[geckosfeet]

9. Hi. Thks for your thoughts.

Yes i finshed a round of surgery/radiation/chemo about a year ago.

So i like mushrooms and green tea. Will check that author. I just started Keith Block's book , "Life Over Cancer".

[olddots]

7. have you found a group yet ?

I don't live there anymore but there has to be a group near you and I bet there are good ones.

[geckosfeet]

8. Not yet. Still caught up in doctors aptps etc. Getting ready for chemo.

Have to make arrangements at work. Talking to family. But you are right. I took a quick look. There seems to be some nearby.

[Tab]

10. Sucks

Sounds like it's on the move.

I live north of Boston myself. Feel free to PM me.

Don't know what support groups are down there, but start with something like Dana Farber Cancer Center. There have to be a zillion groups in and around Boston (not knowing exactly where you are). If you're something like Springfield, I couldn't say, but again, must be a bunch. Something like Lowell, even more (on the outskirts like Burlington). Let me know where you are and I'll see what I can dig up.

BTW, what's the original diagnosis?

Hoping the best for you.

[geckosfeet]

11. Hi. Yes it does suck. I live in the

Milford area. Regional hospital here has Dana Farber cancer center. I am going to check them out.

Original diagnosus was stage 1 esaphageal cancer but they found some in lymph nodes in the pathology exam. That was end of 2011. Had surgery in Oct. 2011. Radiation then chemo.

Yea. Its back and on the move. Really want to explore integrated treatment and looking for facilities.

[2theleft]

12. My dad had lung cancer, a kind they had only seen in less than .3% of patients

His whole treatments were basically reserach, because it was so rare that they had no protocol to go buy. He served 3 tours in Vietnam, and towards the end, the scientists finally determined that the cancer was probably caused by agent orange exposure. This tiny man - maybe 5'6" if he stood up straight, maybe weighed 140 lbs battled for TEN YEARS just to have more time with my mother and me (he was really my step-dad, but more of a father to me than the "real" one). We lost him 2 years ago February.

I think what I want to say, with the uniqueness of his disease, and the right doctor team, and his willingness to try anything to hang around a bit longer, he was able to fight and do pretty good for 10 years and he was stage 4. He had 2 periods of remission thrown in, but then it would come back about a year later. I truly do believe that a lot of it is in the fight and just how much a person can handle. My Ellis was tiny, but he was strong. And he made our family a family. He showed me how I want to act if I'm ever sick - you just keep going on, you keep doign the important things (family/friends/fun), and you keep fighting and asking questions and trying whatever they want you to try if you think you can do it. 10 years was a long time to have with someone who was only expected to live about 2 after first diagnosis.

You, geckosfeet, you fight the good fight, however you can fight it. You let us know how we can help you fight it, and let your family know how they can help you fight it. It's definitely a team sport, at least that is how it felt for our family. Ellis was the quarterback, the doctors were the coaches and we were his defensive line.

I am sending healing, good, strong thoughts your way.

[geckosfeet]

13. Thank you 2. Thanks for your thoughts, the wonderful remembrance and the encouragement.

one edit: I think that I will come back to read your post often...