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ToBeGolden

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  1. As of Sept 2012, I have been Dx'ed with laryngeal metastasis to the lungs. My prognosis is also bleak. The only good thing about a bleak prognosis is that it is easy to beat. I am taking to ultra-healthy diet. This is to complement the chemo that's in my future. And a lot of water. I am sure we would have our differences about the details of an ultra-healthy diet, but we can (I think) agree that everyone should eat as healthy as reasonably possible. One day at a time. Rick.
  2. Well I did get the second opinion: I'll be starting Carpoplatin, Erbitux and Taxotere in about 3 weeks. I think I've developed some edema in the lower back. It is very minor swelling and would not be a problem except that it is painful when I'm trying to sleep. Heat pads help a great deal. I am not eligible for any current clinical trials because of Spondylitis (an autoimune disease). My future (in this life) is bleak. So its a day at a time. Make a list and try to get a few things accomplished. I believe I could have been spared, if aggressively treated way back in 2009. I had cancer; but I was sent to six months of voice therapy and steroids. How much sense does that make? The really sad thing, is nothing will be learned from my demise. There will be no postmortem. No one to look where things went wrong. No one to ask what is wrong with the protocols. If these questions were asked, the lives of others could be extended. But sadly they will not be asked. I don't have a magic bullet. But I do know some positive steps that might be taken. Rick.
  3. Thank you. What a life lesson! When told there's only a limited time left, we better started getting stuff on our to-do list done. Of course even without being told, we all really have just a limited amount of time in this lifespan. So we better get going on our own private to-do list. Rick.
  4. Just wanted to welcome you to our group. I'm also new here, and therefore do not have any specific advice. I have found these boards to be very supportive. Rick.
  5. Yes, we are here to support one another. Posting does provide a form of relief. I am a patient. Metastases from the larynx to the lungs. Things don't look too bright for me either. But all we can do is face every day, and try to extract a little happiness. By the way, I think that cancer is often more hard on the caregiver(s) than on the patient. Rick.
  6. Want to welcome you to our little group. Unfortunately, I don't have and information or advice; my road was too different than yours. Rick.
  7. Just to let you know: I made an appointment to get a second opinion about treatment options. It with the head of medical oncology at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. It is for the first two weeks of January. (Forgive me, but I don't like to post the exact dates I will be away. Our home was burglarized a couple of years ago, and you just don't get over it.) I am on my ultra-healthy diet, more or less. Like all of us. Rick.
  8. ToBeGolden

    Celebrating!

    Your story really gives me hope. There is so little about metastatic cancer that I get the feeling no one is fighting it. Even my oncologist just said the biopsy showed metastasis to the lung. See you in four months and walked out. No treatment plan; No nothing. No wonder a guy gets down sometime. I am planning a second opinion. And your story gives me hope to push on. Rick.
  9. Some Trivia: Mitochondria are cell components (cell organelles) rather than a cell type. Mitochondria are more like nuclei (cell component) than erythrocyte (red blood cell). Most cancer cells has dysfunctional mitochondria. Test tube and animal studies are encouraging. However, they do not always directly translate to human treatments. There is always questions of absorption, elimination, and changes to the chemical/substance within the body. It is always preferable to wait for "clinical proof", when that is possible. Unfortunately, many patients (including myself) time has run out. The path the medical community has me/us on is short and painful. So who would blame me (and patients like me) for clutching at straws? Rick.
  10. That your father passed at home with family is a blessing. With this Beast, we have to be grateful for every little thing. Unfortunately, I find myself on the same road. I feel sorry for my caregivers, the grief the Beast does and will cause them. I'm sure one of the things that most bothered your father was the heartache that his disease cause to his family. Rick.
  11. I am a patient. However, I believe that my wife/caregiver has a harder road to travel than I do. Every word of encouragement is appreciated. Thank you for posting. Rick.
  12. The second opinion will be obtained in January; although I hope to setup the appointment in just a couple of days. I changed my MedAdvantage plan so that the medical center from which I want to obtain the second opinion is within the PPO network. My wife and I are vegetarians. I only mention this because I want to post about my diet. I know there are a lot of hunters on this board. So to sum things up: we don't have to agree (or argue) with every single personal choice. Please accept that my choices are right for me, and I will accept your choices are right for you. (I really hope this is not offensive.) Nothing more need be said. So we have started blending raw veggies. Carrots, cabbage, broccoli, a strawberry and a few blueberries went into the blender. Out came a brown goo. It tasted like watered-down blueberries mixed with sand. Very gritty. My wife had one spoonful. I ate 10 oz. I may not repeat today; but I will repeat tomorrow. If nothing else, my diet will have an entertaining value. You should tolerate my posting it just for the laughs. And if your asking: Yes, the diet is a mixture of desperation and magical thinking. I really hope you get a good laugh. Although I do encourage everyone to eat healthy, I am not pushing my personal definition of a healthy diet. Rick.
  13. As I've posted on other threads: I'm trying to increase the amount of veggies and fruits every day. In my plans is to use a blender to break down the cell walls and eat more of the veggies raw. When I cook veggies, I use a small amount of distilled water. When the water cools, I drink it. Going overboard is preferable to going nowhere at all. Rick.
  14. COMMENT: Lungevity needs a board for metastasis to the lung. Since there is no specific board, and since most posts deal with primary lung cancer, I will temporarily put my posts here (unless I am making some type of grave error). Today, Monday Dec 10, I got the results from last week's lung biopsy. Unfortunately, the biopsy was positive for lung cancer; the cancer was squamous cell meaning that it almost assuredly had spread from the neck (larynx). The recommendation from my medical oncologist was to watch it with a CT-Scan every 4 months. When it grows to 4 X its size, chemo will be used to treat it. He said that in general cancer cells are killed more effectively by a combination of radiation and chemo; but it is not possible to treat the lung with radiation. To make matters worse, I have a half-dozen nodules, some of these nodules are in each lung. If all the cancer were in one place, surgery or radiation might be possible (I'm saying this). The oncologist said that there are chemo regiments which will effectively shrink the tumor cells. However, these chemo regiments will not entirely eradicate the cancer. I have made two decisions about going forward, and Arlene has agreed with these decisions. 1) I am going to get a second opinion (from another medical center). I am 90% certain that I will get the identical recommendation, but I need a second opinion for my peace of mind. 2) I am going to eat an super ultra-healthy diet. This is full of fruits and veggies; and a very limited amount of sugar and processed carbohydrates. I will post a lot more in the coming day or two or three.
  15. I am also new to this board. I am waiting for biopsy results to "prove" that my larygeal cancer has metastasized to the lungs. All I can do is improve my diet. I will post more about my diet on a separate thread. However, it is nothing weird or spectacular. Just a well balanced diet with eliminating the majority of junk foods. I hoping that getting into the best shape I can possibly be in, will best prepare me for chemo or whatever else lies ahead. Rick.
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