Lymph Node Cancer

[BubblyShell22]

Yeah, very true. We have all this technology and all this great stuff, but we still have diseases that have no cure. You have my sympathies though, dude. This definitely sucks. I just recently lost my grandfather to pancreatic cancer so I know how hard it is to see a loved one in that condition.

[IndigoErth]

Yet you don't often hear of this crap happening to bad people... those that might deserve a bit of karma. Why can't we just hear that terrorist leaders are dropping left and right, riddled with cancer. If a hell existed, I'd have to say clearly we're already there; part of the 'torture' being seeing bad people escape this stuff far too often while the undeserving suffer.

Spoiler:

My cousin's wife (my cousin-in-law?) isn't much older than I am and has been battling it for some years. Started off in her breasts. Fought that a while and it tried to return a couple times, eventually had a mastectomy and that took care of that and things seemed okay. She was getting to the point they were cautioning that she may not be able to handle more chemo. Then it turned up in a lung. They tried more chemo anyway, which she toughed it out and that seemed to succeed in getting rid of it in her lung. Was okay for a number of months until either the end of last year or early in this one it showed up in her brain. Two I think. They thought it was inoperable, but they decided to chance it anyhow and manged to remove it. Now just recently one morning she woke up with a bad headache and could hardly move and found that another had turned up around her brain stem/spinal cord.

Just wtf... She's a tough woman and has been a trooper through all of this and she always puts on a brave face in front of others, but I know that has got to be so terrible for them to deal with all this and the fact that at some point it may leave them with no choice but to give up the fight. Everything they have tried and it's still determine to get her. So sad. Feel terrible for them and their three girls; her oldest from a previous marriage that only just now graduated high school, and the two they have together, one who just turned 10, and the youngest who will only be just starting school in some weeks. And of course given our healthcare system and it's costs, you can imagine what it's done to their finances as well. Terrible feeling at this point as if we're just waiting for that time when it gets to that point that it finally wins because it seems so determined to keep returning.

[BubblyShell22]

Yes, I agree with that sentiment, Indigo. It sucks that good people have to suffer with this stuff while bad people are able to live for a long time.

[Papenbrook]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Yet you don't often hear of this crap happening to bad people... those that might deserve a bit of karma. Why can't we just hear that terrorist leaders are dropping left and right, riddled with cancer. If a hell existed, I'd have to say clearly we're already there; part of the 'torture' being seeing bad people escape this stuff far too often while the undeserving suffer.

I don't think anyone deserves that type of pain.

Immoral or not, I wouldn't wish cancer on anyone.

[Jephael]

*** DR ***

Lets stay on topic here. Show some respect.

[XERO]

They practically said what I wanted to say. I just don't like saying it because it makes me feel like a hypocrite. All this anger and rage in me manifests into things I want to get off my chest, but my morals (the ones I have left, anyway) ultimately stop me most of the time.

[BubblyShell22]

I'm not saying I would wish cancer on anyone either. But what gets to me is that bad people are still able to live in this world with no problems while good people have to suffer so needlessly through no fault of their own and that we don't yet have a cure for things like this. And if we do, then our government is too selfish to let it be known and that's a crime itself.

[IndigoErth]

On a personal enemy, not even then. A literal world enemy who has thrown away their own humanity and wants to throw away that of everyone else... eh, can't honestly say I'd feel much sympathy for them. Only for the person they could have otherwise chosen to be.




Anyhow. On the upside, many cancers are often not the death sentence anymore that people had once (or still do) fear them to be and some cancers are not as risky as some other incurable things out there. (Such as the rare-ish thing my dad ended up having.) So there's always reason to keep hope up.


Speaking of cures, I'm still fascinated by this that I read about last year:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/300939.php
Malaria protein shows potential as cancer treatment

Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to the malaria parasite because it produces a protein that binds readily to a sugar molecule in the placenta. This same sugar molecule is also found in most cancers. Now, researchers have shown it is possible to attach anticancer drugs to the malaria protein and use it to deliver them precisely to tumors by targeting the sugar.



Once the team discovered that the malaria parasite uses a protein it produces called VAR2CSA to embed itself in the placenta, they immediately saw the potential to use the process as a way to target cancer drugs to tumors, he adds.

The researchers - aware of the irony that one deadly disease offers the means to cure another - tested their idea in two ways: first in cell lines and then in mice, using a drug that combines the malaria protein with an anticancer toxin.

In cell lines, they found that the combination drug specifically targeted and killed more than 95% of cancer cell lines.

And in mice implanted with three types of human tumors - the drug also showed varying degrees of success. In mice with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the treated tumors shrank to a quarter of the size of untreated tumors.

With prostate cancer, the drug completely eliminated tumors in two of six treated mice within a month of administering the first dose, and with metastatic breast cancer, five of six treated mice were cured of the disease.

Of all things, they stumble upon malaria as being a possible tool for targeting and attacking cancer directly. Which could spare people the all-over damaging affects of going through chemo. I hope more comes from this research and that it doesn't take long.

[TheCanadiandrome]

Originally Posted by XERO

Thank you guys. Sorry, I'm not one to put out personal sh*t nowadays. I did that enough with my own condition a few years back.

You guys are family enough to know what's going on, though.

We're here for ya dude, always

[XERO]

Right now, she's just here at home with us, working on getting her insurance and things like that. I thought she goes back to the hospital today, but it's next Friday instead. As usual, I'll keep you all posted.

[BubblyShell22]

I hope things go as planned. Insurance can be tricky at times though so I really hope it's not too much of a headache.

[TheCanadiandrome]

agreed, lots of bs and red tape

[XERO]

Just bumping this for a update on things.

After getting a THIRD opinion, my niece is diagnosed with synovial sarcoma for sure now. She got admitted to the hospital 2 days ago for final testing before she starts her chemo (which is tomorrow).

Tomorrow is gonna be the first day, so I guess all I can do know is hope.

I would say I'll pray for her, but I'm not gonna lie and be a hypocrite: I basically haven't believed in God in the past 6 years. So I ask whoever does here to do me that favor and pray for her. I'll just do what I can to keep her positive.

[BubblyShell22]

I say just keep your fingers crossed because that's what I do too. I hope things work out for her and for you too. If you need to vent, you know where to find us.

[XERO]

Bumping this for the update.

The cancer finally got her. My niece passed away yesterday. Her lungs were completely taken over by polyps and it just finally shut her down. I got to see her one last time this Friday, but I just know now I was saying good bye.

She was only 21... 21 f*ckin' years old.

[IndigoErth]

So sorry, that is just awful, esp at only 21. Poor kid.

[Utrommaniac]

That's horrible

I'm so sorry for you and your family.

[Papenbrook]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[Machias Banshee]

I'm so sorry, hun...

[Redeemer]

My condolences to you and your family. I will say a pray tonight for you guys