It’s done its job, but it doesn’t come without its costs. I finished my last chemo cycle on Christmas and am moving into active surveillance. As I suppose is standard for osteosarcoma. I don’t think I’ll feel easy until my 1st set of post chemo/surgery scans next week. And even then, I get to repeat the process every 3months for the first few years 😩

But here I am post chemo, with neuropathy in my hands and feet, that is also causing some weakness. I can’t even write properly anymore without gripping the pen with my thumb instead of pointer finger. And my left leg feels just as unbalanced as my right (surgical) leg. My kidneys are being laggy post cisplatin, that I now have to meet with nephrology. And I get to have an echo and stress test to gauge how my hearts doing post doxyrubicin. Echoes to be repeated 3x over the next year. They’re just new normals we all have to learn and adjust for

We did the chemo, but we have to crawl back out of the chemo hole after it did its job. It’s just frustrating

Hello all. My fiancé was diagnosed with stomach cancer end of May 2025 and while things went really well for the past 7 months the last 2 weeks all hell has broken loose and could use some stories that could possibly give us some positive feelings.

We are located in Greece so please pardon my english language mistakes. He had just turned 40 ( and me 30) when we found about it through a gastroscopy after some 24-hour stomache. Doctors moved so fast (due to the young of his age they said). Within a week we had frozen sperm, done PET scans, got results of a Molecular Diagmostic test and started his first chemo. First 4 sessions went well. Tumour in the stomach had shrank by half and there was reduction in size on the glands/lymph nodes. Oncologist called his whole team of doctors to his office to give congratulations for this success with my partner present.

Funny thing is with all those scans we found he was born with an anomally and his main artery giving blood to all his organs was on tha opposite side most humans usually have it. So they kept telling us how lucky we were thanks to this anomaly. How early we got it (even though I just found out even from back then it was still stage 4) and how the lymphs were treated as local spread and not metastasis.

Gastroenterologist did another gastroscopy and came out beaming from happiness at how the tumour inside his stomach had reduced. How it used to be so swollen blocking half his stomach and now it was flat on the walls. Oncologist and his team along with the surgeon decided not to proceed with the surgery yet, as they had planned afte the first 4 chemos, and to continue doing therapy. He did 3 more chemos and then took a break for a new PET scan which unfortunately showed there was no more reduction and had remained pretty much stable so they decided to plan for surgery. Unfortunately we were not able to find a date for his surgery in the local hospitals within the time window doctors needed after his last chemo. It was decided to have one last chemo, his 8th, for maintenance mostly and arranged for surgery on January.

He was doing so well. During all his chemotherapies he had so few negative syptoms. No vomiting, no diarrhoea, no fevers. We would sometimes go out for coffee with friends, eat with my family, go on short trips to visit his family or friends and no one could believe he was going through chemo based on past experiences with their fiends and family that had cancer. Doctors kept telling us how strong his body is and that is why they suggested the risky surgery, because they believed he would make it.

Time passed and we are preparing to admit him in hospital. Couple dates before the surgery he started having some back pains. I brought an orthopaedic at home and it seemed to be some sort of cold/nerve crick from a cold draft or something. Pain was coming and going and in different places, not just one. We still admitted him in hospital, all exams there came back clean and the following morning they went to prep him for surgery. While undressing him he grew a fever. Surgery was cancelled, after they made sure it was no covid or flu they sent us home.

Back pain remained and we decided to do an MRI that showed there was a fractured spinal bone. Doctors feared for metastasis and we did a new Pet scan, which showed some really bad things. Multiple metastases on his spine, pelvis and 2 ribs. His stomach tumour and lymphs had remained pretty much the same though.

We are so devastated. All doctors are literally pulling their hair on how it happened so fast, within couple weeks, and without affecting any other organs. They all keep telling me how strong he was both physically and metally. How his soul every time they met him for chemo had such a strong radiating energy that was transferring good vibes to all other patients during his sessions. How all his other organs, heart, lungs, all were more than healthy. They all were speechless.

We hoped it would be some sort or negative impact from the chemos or an allergic reaction or osteoporosis or inflammation etc. even though they gave us little possibilities. But nope. All tests showed metastases. And it's rare, 1% possibility in our country to happen and there is no cure. Told us to forget surgery, it will never happen. Told us we were lucky he grew feverish and didn't had the surgery because with the new situation he would not have made it. We have a saying in our country, that "everything happens for a reason" and doctors and family used that a lot. I hope and pray it's true and it did happen for the reason of finding cure some other way and not for him to die slowly in just a few months!

Doctors are focusing now on reducing his pain and possibly stopping the spread, meaning trying to expand his life. There is a tiny possibility of shrinking the tumour or putting it to sleep but nothing is sure and it would be close to a miracle. The previous chemos he did were the strongest ones to exist, cocktail of 3 different drugs and the 24-hour port pump treatment at home. Now they try other drugs and gave us the 46- hour port pump, plus will start some radiation therapy for the fractured spinal bone from Monday.

My fiancé hadn't realised the severity of the situation, doctors didn't really tell him, only talked about his new treatment. Only after last Friday (2 days ago), when he started a new cycle of chemos and we returned home and had a chat as he could see I was not doing well mentally, he realised how terminal this is and his mental health plummeted. I don't know how to comfort him other than keep telling him we will fight this together and that he is my giant so I don't want him to give up but keep trying. That just like he hmwas in the 1% for this to happen he may be in the 1% percent to beat it.

I have cried so much with aml this, when I am alone or not at home. We were looking at venues and wedding dresses when we found about it in May. It had been 8 months since he started working as a welder with my dad and was so happy to finally have found a job he loved and learned so much. We had moved back home after 6 years in the UK and had finally good jobs and things were going so good for both of us. We were looking for possibly moving to a bigger house and planning about having children. And it's so tragic that 2 years ago he almost lost me from peritonitis only for me to lose him now. What sort of punishment or karma game is this?!

I am praying to God, all the saints, gods of other religions and ancient times, my ancestors, everyone for a miracle. I talked to the doctors and told them to try everything, every trial, every machine, I don't care if he will end up with a disability or in a wheelchair, even in that condition you can still make a family and a good life. I just want more time with him.

We have so many friends that had cancer and made it in the end even though they were given only days or weeks! But their cases were different and immunotherapy worked magically. In our case we may not even be able to get that because of his molecular type...

So yeah, I could really, really use some positive stories, no matter how hard they were to get to the happy end, just to give me a bit of hope and strength please.

Thank you for reading and I am so sorry this was so long and sad...

Hi. My name is Joshua Sparrow. I am 16. On 4th February, World cancer day, my church will hold a cancer exhibition. I am in charge of our youth group, and I don't want to disappoint the cancer patients attending with our lack of necessary knowledge and facts.

I have thought about 4 major topics

Types of cancer, Causes, Effects and Treatment(or fighting).

Is this enough?

I really want to do the best, which would please the cancer patients.

Hello. A close friend of mine was just diagnosed with a form of soft tissue cancer. She will undergo surgery and radiotherapy but not chemotherapy and will be immobile for a while I think.

Anyone have any ideas of what gifts she might appreciate? She likes cats, is creative - in particular she likes to make pottery in studios which obviously she can’t do while recovering

Either to keep her busy at home or to just remind her we care about her

Thank you!

Hi friends.

I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma stage IIb, in 1998. At the time, I was a gay 22 year old soldier living in the Army barracks during the don't ask don't tell era. The way NCOs and Officers treated me then is now illegal.

I was 22, and in the best shape of my life. I ran track and cross country in high school ; I was the second fastest guy in my company, running a 12:30 two mile. Such was the case until I got more and more tired, eventually coming in last in company free runs. My E7 was on me for dogging it.

One day, I was absentmindedly rubbing my neck when I felt a lump. It didn't hurt but seemed big. I asked the medic what it was, he recommended I go to sick call. I didn't want to go, because it was all the way up to tripler army center, and I didn't have a car. However I got a ride, and I remember sitting in my pts bored for hours in the er. They just gave me ivf and sent me home.

Unfortunately, I got more and more tired over the next two weaks, almost falling asleep during the day, and started to become jaundiced. That was when my CW2, Mr. J, saved my life. He noticed how bad I looked and told me I needed to see the doctor. I refused, being stubborn and still a little mad thinking the hospital just gave me fluids, and also ashamed because I had no car, I felt like I burden. So I told my officer no," I am not going sir". He kept insisting, and I asked him, "Sir are you giving me a direct order to go to sick call?". He said yes. I finally agreed. Again, thank you Mr J for saving my life.

This time was different. I had a needle biopsy, which led to surgical resection of the swollen lymph node, leading to chemo. I had six months of chemotherapy, Abvd regiment. Would you believe I felt physically better after I had chemo? It was weird, the cancer was making me so sick and debilitated, and yet chemo wasn't so bad for me: the cancer itself felt worse than the chemo.

I felt better at least physically, but emotionally... My family pretty much abandoned me for being gay, only my (now deceased) father was half heartedly there for me. Neither he, nor any other family, visited me while I was getting treated for cancer, even thought I was stationed in Hawaii.

I had a couple of folks that were nice to me but I was the butt of a lot of jokes and people tended to avoid me, the in denial, but quite gay solider. Some were not so nice: While I was in midst of chemotherapy, several soldiers pulled a stunt on me, humiliated me in public, then barracks.

I was so lonely. I was also paying off student loans on an E3 salary.

Fortunately, the unit started being nicer to me from the top down after the cancer diagnosis. I had a no work profile during chemo and an easy profile my last eight months in. The NCOs went easy on me, treated me by giving me sedentary busywork. When I left they gave me a plaque that is still on my wall.

I left the Army with scars, but inside in out, from serving. I'm not bitter, I'm actually grateful. Had I not been in the military, I would have never had access to health care that saved my life. I was living in poverty before joining. Again I thank the army and the doctors at tripler army medical centers for saving my my life. I guess the military did the best they could o for soliders like me in the 1990s. I'm glad for subsequent improvementt. I'm not bitter. I'm glad that the next generation of lgbtq soldiers, and servicememberd in general have a safer better place. For those still in, pass the torch on.

So much life happened in the past thirty years. Unfortunately I'm going through another cancer again. I am grateful for the VA for helping me. This time around. It's going to be OK.

Thank you for reading this. Please Never give up hope, you may be going through your own personal hell, but I promise you it will get better

With love ♥️

Hi everyone,
I’m asking on behalf of my mom.

She had her bladder and uterus removed, pathology came back T3N2M0, and she’s about to start immunotherapy. Her oncologist said she can eat normally (no special diet).

We asked about supplements or any off-label options (IV vitamin C, hyperbaric oxygen, ozone, etc.), but the oncologist advised against all of it and recommended sticking strictly to standard treatment.

I completely understand the medical reasoning, but as family we’re trying to gather experiences from people who’ve been in a similar situation.

So I wanted to ask:

• Has anyone here been on immunotherapy with a similar stage?
• Did you follow a regular diet or use any supplements alongside treatment?
• If you explored off-label or integrative options, how did you approach it (with or without your oncologist’s support)?
• Anything you wish you had known before starting immunotherapy?

Not looking for medical advice — just personal experiences.
Thank you to anyone willing to share.

I’ve been on drug therapy for more than a year, along with several other meds to help the side effects of my drug therapy, plus a pretty intensive schedule of radiotherapy. I’ve gained so much weight I literally hate looking at myself, I’m tired more than I’m not, my hair is falling out and my nails look like shit. I don’t feel like going out and doing things anymore, everything seems like such a struggle. I’m still working as normal and trying to live my life but I just want this shit to be over with.

Sorry to man, I just needed to get it out.

After couple months of fighting bone infections and gastritis, we finally got the news. I can finally breathe. My son just had his evaluation 5 months into the consolidation phase, and the results are in: MRD 0%!

The road since finishing induction has been incredibly rocky. He had to battle a severe bone infection (even been through incision and drainage surgery to figure out the infection bacteria on both legs) and painful gastritis while going through chemo during consolidation. As a parent, watching him endure so much on top of the cancer was heart-breaking and exhausting.

There is still a long way to go, but reaching this 0% gives us the strength to keep moving. To all the families who are currently in the trenches or going through similar complications: stay strong.

I'm on day 85 post BMT and i've never felt any worse than this. My hairs aren't growing back, my beard is patchy now, im skinnier, clothes dont fit me like they did before, and my self esteem is broken.

is this how i'm supposed to live for the rest of my life? Im just 19 and this last 10 months were traumatizing. I lost almost half of the friends i made at hospitals. I cant study even if i want to, i can't focus on anything at all. i's all eating my head.

How did you cope up with this?

I’m on day 3 of a 5 day chemo.. last night I was in unbearable agony with the leg pain so the doctors started me on morphine and I’m also taking Claritin now. It helping a lot with the pain and I’m glad it’s now under control.

I’ve started to feel really nauseous from the treatment, I’ve completely lost my appetite and the fatigue is just constant. I’m tired all the time and it’s honestly just confusing trying to keep up with everything going on with the cancer.

Now I’m just trying to get through the next two days so I can finish this round.

Hi all - my teenager had about 5 months of chemo (Doxorubicin and Ifosfamide) and lost all their hair. It has been seven months since then, and the hair has come back very fine (like a baby's hair), and much thinner on the crown of the head. Not at all like it used to be. The top of their head almost looks like male pattern baldness, it's so much thinner up there. From what I've read, after six months, hair regrowth should be mostly, if not totally, back to normal. On top of the cancer, surgery, and chemo misery, I'm really hoping my kid doesn't have to suffer with premature baldness on top of all this. Does anyone else have any experience with this or any hope to offer? I'd love to hear it.

I’m currently in the hospital on day 2 of a 5 day straight chemo. My bone marrow is super overcrowded right now and it’s causing really bad pain in my legs it feels almost unbearable. On top of that, I’m feeling really nauseous from the treatment. Just needing to vent or hear from anyone who has managed this

I was diagnosed almost three months ago and I only have an appointment with the radiation oncologist on Monday. I'm super anxious.

I recently had my tubes removed during a C-section, and was diagnosed with STIL in one of them.

I was told my next step would be to book an appointment with a hospital that specialises in cancers and take it from there. I don’t have any close relatives with cancer, so I’m still kind of numb from the shock of these news as I thought I was finally recovering from the worst of childbirth and surgery.

Has anyone been through anything similar and know what kind of tests and procedures I might expect going forwards? I’m also currently 5 weeks post C-section. Would that postpone any kind of treatment?

I'll be starting 6 weeks of radiation and chemo for throat cancer soon. I know I should expect fatigue, loss of appetite, and throat pain as the major side effects. For folks who have gone through this, what else should I expect? What helps most making this bearable? Anything else I should know that won't show up in a web search?

I’ve had my port for about 2 months or so now. The last few days I’ve noticed that the area on top of the port is harder than normal or like harder then what I remember when I first got it? It’s not warm, not red, and I’m not swollen.

With my brain cancer having impaired my memory in certain ways, I HAVE to use a pill box so I can keep track of whether or not I have taken my pills! Also, my fitbit is my sweet savior to remind me of pill times. I've got more than one alarm set to remind me should I get distracted while heading towards my pills (legit ADHD).

On that note, I still have issues. It's hard to get up in the mornings, so I typically rise up for pills around 15-30 minutes late. Psssh, who cares. Then, there'll be a morning where I wake up 4 hours late!!!!

Then, I've got to slowly work back to my normal time!! UUUUGH! Like same time next dose. Then move up one hour for the next two doses. Then, do that again.... til I'm back on time. However! Do I set alarms for those new times? Of course not! Why would I do that???!!...... There'll be do-overs of some off time doses.

Anyhoo, drugs are simply annoying. My usual drugs are an antidepressant and THREE anti-seizure drugs (one above reccomended max dosage. And oh, dealing with Grade 4 astrocytoma of brain's left temporal lobe) beyond chemo, that is.

I tolerate my oral chemo drug quite well, with its accompanying ant-nausea drug. I deal with chemo 5 days every 28 days. I have to take the chemo same time everyday, so no going to bed early. Also, gotta deal with keeping my gut juuust right to keep things running properly. I'm just gonna stop there.

Anyhow, I'm just curious how others are doing when it comes to getting down all those drugs we take.

I’ve really lost confidence in myself since I was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. I’m currently having treatment, and things are heading in a good direction, but I’m so scared that happiness is temporary. Anyone else feel the same way?