My nails suck no matter what treatment or supplements I try. Yes, I have more serious issues, but fuck my nails!

Let me hear what your most trivial stage 4 complaint currently is (mine changes frequently).

I don't know how to deal. I posted Sunday about my dad having no more treatment options. All he is telling us is there is no time frame. One month? Two months? A year? I don't know. I have this ache in my hart. I can't cry, it's just this ache. I won't survive without my dad. I know this is weird to say as I am 36, but I will not be able to. My dad is my person. When I am down he swings by my office with a coffee and a hug. When he sees something silly or cute in a shop he buys it for me and give I as a little gift when I see him. When I went through my divorce and had no car he would drive me to work and we'd stop for a quick coffee and he would always cheer me up. The good night whatsapps, the thinking of you whatsapps, the hugs when I'm down. How will I make it through this. I don't think I will.

Please let me know if this is the incorrect sub. I'm sorry.

Hello. I am the youngest and am my dad's favorite and he is my favorite person on earth and the best dad ever. I can not wrap around my dad not being there. I have this deep ach, I can't cry. He has stage 4 metastatic lung cancer and his lymphnodes. He is very stoic an doesn't really want to talk about it and downplay it. They can't put a time on it at all. How do I keep him positive/ok/be there for him if I can't think of him not being here. He is 67 and I am 37

Hi! I'm Phalae, 38f with stage IV breast cancer. My first diagnosis of cancer was with stage IV so I am still grappling with life, death, and all of these terms used to describe our stage of cancer.

I'm currently on a great mix of drugs that are suppressing if not eliminating the tumors in my body. Certainly I feel better than without treatment - is that the goal now?

I understand the condition of cancer will never go away, but what's the point of being NED or eliminating tumors at this point? Does being NED or in remission improve quality of life or something?

I don't get it. Perhaps I need clarification on what it means to be a person being treated with the disease of cancer. Is it like being a diabetic - a lifelong condition controlled by medication?

I'm so confused; I know these meds are delaying the inevitable, is another goal to stretch out the time we have?

Also, if I know my cancer is incurable and inevitable, what is the point of these medications with ridiculous side effects and how do you measure "positive" progress?

Sorry, my post rambles like my mind right now. There's so much to process now that I can think clearly.

Thanks for reading!

My mom has metastatic breast cancer was stable on kisqali and letrozole for 6 months, latest scans have shown increased fdg uptake and 0.4mm growth in lymph nodes and 0.1 mm growth in primary breast tumor, doctor is recommending mastectomy. Is it really worth getting a mastectomy in stage 4 cancer ? Does it improve survival rate ? My mom doesn't want to do it but doctor is saying that it's the right time to do it because if it spreads again then we will lose this option as well.

Discharged from the hospital yesterday 4/13. Had my surgery on 4/9 where a large mass was removed along with the part of the colon it had grown into.

I was told I can be discharged once I am able to pass gas and have bowel movements. Well I did so here I am at home.

NSFW - Today 4/14, my bowel movements are every three hours. They’re liquid and goes between light and clear. I’m trying to drink what I put out to stay hydrated. Is this normal and when should I start looking for solid bowel movements?

Well, as the Title Implies. This is my final Goodbye. My Father lost the battle to his cancer this morning. But I'm not only here to mourn him, I am also here to say, If you have stage 4 cancer, that doesn't mean to give up, Keep fighting even when you can't fight no more. Keep fighting even when doctors give you a hard time, and Keep fighting and believing in yourself. I loved my father with all my heart. And I will stay strong for him. Please know that if anyone here is struggling. You can DM me. No one, can replace my dad, no matter how hard they try. Thank you everyone that supported me.

My mom was diagnosed around October of last year. Her diagnosis was extremely delayed and she has completely deteriorated. My father who has been her husband for the last 35 years is absolutely devastated and has been giving her at home hospice care. My uncle has been staying in the guest room and working remotely. I hold my own an hour away and have been visiting as much as possible with work. I was there Saturday. Tuesday morning was the last time she was awake. It's Thursday.. is this it?

Any thoughts, feedback, wisdom or advice is appreciated. I'm new to posting so I apologize if you lack information..I too lack information, but I am working on figuring it all out.

So my dad is facing a new issue. The Chemotherapy is no longer working in my Hometown, and we have been recommended to Dallas TX, for Clinical Trials. This isn't the Issue. The issue is now a tumor has grown on the Liver to cause Ascites in the Abdomen. He has metastatic disease which had spread to the Liver and Lungs, but liver is giving the most issues, but anyways. The Doctor over TeleMed has spoken to us stating the fact.

My Father's only hope is that. The Liver can either be somewhat controlled or given a Stent, to control the fluid. If that, he can be given a Clinical trial to try. If not, my father will be given treatment to slow the progress as much as possible. If those treatments do not work, he will be put on Hospice.

I just want to state this, I understand all cancer isnt treatable, I know all cancer isn't survivable, but that's not going to stop me from trying to help him live a somewhat normal life. I love my father and if nothing works, I rather him die a fighter 💙 I felt like I was scolded last time for being upset about the situation. I'm only 22years old, Why shouldn't I be upset at the world? I love my father. It feels good to vent and get an understanding.

Do raising AST/ALT always mean the liver tumors are growing?

(Triple neg BC, mets to Liver, F40)

I won’t say “I get what you are feeling”. Because someone who doesn’t have MBC, can never ever understand what it is to be in that position. But I want to try to be understood for my sister, who just got diagnosed with Mets in lungs and liver.

She is the most powerful woman I have ever seen in my life, and I want her to live more for herself than me. She deserves to a better life for the way she has been fighting with cancer. And I can sense that every MBC fighter’s family could feel these emotions.

I want words, stories and beliefs than facts and stats. We know that MBC has no cure, but ITS JUST NOT FAIR. So, I want to know your experience to make it atleast fathomable, if not fair.

Just when I find any post/blog about this, and when I read something like “I am fighting with MBC for 5 years and going strong”, it gives us so much hope. All this experience has made me more empathetic to MBC fighters and their families - always looking for this hope.

I respect y’all above & beyond. Let’s make this thread to gather all this hope!

Some information you can include based on what I feel people are seeking -

1. How long have you been fighting MBC? Hope you come back here every month and keep it updated
2. How aggressive is your cancer / type?
3. How do you feel / symptoms / mentally at the moment?
4. What treatment have been taking?

Hello all, this is my first ever post on reddit. My brother has stage 4 cancer, cholangiocarcinoma and metastatic adenocarcinoma. He has been through chemo at St. Lukes in Idaho and radiation for painful bony tumors. We have discovered cryoablation for palliative care for bony tumors (and for possible, but rare chance of systemic immune response), but they don't do that here. Does anyone know a cancer center or how to find one that would offer that in his case and would accept medicare? He also has VA benefits and can go to the VA.

So about 4 months ago, I talked about my Father having Stage 4 Colon cancer that is metastatic. For the last 4 days my dad was developing some type of bloating in the stomach. He has Tumors on the liver and cancerous lymph nodes in the lungs. What is more frustrating then anything is that the doctor only has him on only FolFiri. As a son, I'm concerned about about why he doesn't get Radiation or anything of that sort. I feel it isn't fair. I don't want my father to pass due to what feels unfair treatment. But anyways. My dad is Going to a Radiologist either 3/05/24 or 3/06/24 to get the fluid from his body drained. I am so frustrated for my father. Maybe someone can elaborate or give me tips. But I'm just super upset about the whole thing. Photo is from August of last year.

Hi. I'm a 39/f diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer December of '22. Had a Total Thyroidectomy and Central Neck Dissection for a 5.7cm tumor on my thyroid that had also metastisized to my Laryngeal Nerve, 3 of my 4 Parathyroids and 3 Lymph Nodes. I did Radioactive Iodine Treatment in June of '23 and it was discovered that I have multiple non-iodine avid tumors in the bases of both lungs. I went from hearing, "When it comes to cancer, at least you have the GOOD kind", to hearing, "you are now Stage 4 and with this your type of cancer, you'll either have several months or you could have decades". Up until the past couple of weeks, I think I've handled things rather well. However, a switch seems to have flipped and I have been plugged into a deep depression like I've never experienced before. It's taken a huge toll on many things, but the state of my house is what's driving me most insane. Where do I start?! Please help. 💔

Yes you read that right. We found out my dad (who adopted me when I was born but was in and out of my life) has stage 4 liver cancer. Well a few months after, my boyfriend and I decided to move to his state. Better job opportunities and it gave us a chance to spend more time with him / help him out. I started a routine of showing up, cleaning, taking his trash out; reading his medical stuff and hugging him as he started his chemo. He’s my kids grandpa and enjoys spending time with them. Living down the road has made him feel very at ease.

My dad is for sure a narcissist but he doesn’t treat me badly. I have limits of what I’m willing to talk about with him and it tends to be a good relationship. He gets a pass. He’s literally dying. I just have to distance myself from seeing how he treats his girlfriend. She is 100% a victim of his.

Here’s the thing. My brother just moved in with him and he has untreated psychosis and gets very delusional. In my culture, mental health isn’t taken serious at all. I’ve been a target of my brothers before and he won’t hesitate to get physical. He threatens to kill when he’s angry and has escalated to extremely dangerous levels before. He has yet to take accountability for his actions but enough time has passed that people have had to move on.

Well a few weeks ago I came to a turning point in my relationship. I had to get away. I feel terribly guilty. Me and my kids are 2,000 miles away. A few things are tugging at me to go back but, especially this. These are his last days and in his neighbor. I’m a light in his life. I know I am. Leaving him feels like the worst thing I could possibly do. I feel I’m being selfish for distancing myself when I have a life somewhere else.

When I was a teenager, my dad took me in when he didn’t have to. He never had to love me, claim me, look after me, show up for me, but he did when he could. I feel I owe it to him. This whole thing is mind numbing and I would love some outside perspective here.

I could possibly be in a stage 4 situation now (colorectal). I'm worried about possible bone metastasis. Could anybody with bone involvement share their story please? How did it feel like? Could you feel it with a finger? Did it cause any other problems?

I would really appreciate any responses. Thank you!

Hi I am new here I am 42 with metastatic breast cancer with mets to my liver. I have done chemo, a double mastectomy and starting radiation soon. I am still taking immunotherapy. When I was first diagnosed my husband was so good to me and sweet. He still goes to every big appointment with me but he seems annoyed to be there when in the beginning he didn’t. When I first got diagnosed he start helping around the house but stopped as soon as I finished chemo and my scans show no evidence of disease. Am I selfish for wishing he would continue treating me like he did when I got diagnosed?

I'm hoping for some advice for things to do with a family member who has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

Looking for ideas for low energy date ideas or just ways to make the most of each day while he has enough energy to get out of bed.

Thank you to all that help with suggestions.

Hi folks,

I wanted to make sure folks knew about support available through Young Adult Cancer Canada. We have a monthly chat for folks with advanced and metastatic disease once a month as well as close support group (called Chats: Series). There are other programs and supports as well, but those are specific to people with stage 4.

I hope that this post might find the right person that just needs to connect with other young people that get it. Full disclosure, I work for YACC but I've also been connected to them through my own diagnosis for ten years.

In the last month my father (70) was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. I’ve been doing lots of research on diets specifically geared towards colon cancer and what they should eat. I kind of have an idea (fresh juices, wheat grass, no carbs -he’s a diabetic anyway so that’s not much of an issue) i see a lot about how people have stabilized the cancer with a plant based diet but i’ve also listened to podcasts where people have only eaten organic grass fed meats and no raw vegetables just juices. I’m more or less just looking for a kind of direction on how i can help him meal prep since he’s mostly immobile due to surgery and willing to do whatever to kick this cancers ass. He strongly believes in western medicine and has agreed to do chemo because they said he only has a couple weeks to live without it due to his liver. If i could get any tips on a good regime to start him on that would amazing

Anyone here with experience or have seen ampullatory cancer? Please tell me more about it.

Her oncologist has started radiation and from tomorrow she will be on Abemaciclib (verzenio ) and lestrozole . she is getting some shots for bone . They cant operate the tumor in the bone cuz the location is such . hers is Her-, ER PR positive . m looking for what are the treatment options

I am trying my absolute best to keep this community helpful for those who are in the trenches with stage IV cancer. I'm wanting to make a rule about who can post. Please advise if you have a moment.

Cheers, the most team

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My mom battled stage 4 metastatic breast cancer since 2020, she passed away on 11/6. She was in Enhertu, Trodelvy and Xeloda, a few others thrown in at various times.

On Thursday 11/2 she had an appointment with her dr, all her numbers were great, the dr was impressed actually! Thursday into Friday she was up being her usual self. Saturday she was saying she had a slight upset stomach. Sunday she had a bad case of diarrhea, it was her off week for the pills so I figured the side effects were starting to set in. She had just been laying in bed, I checked on her and asked if she needed anything, she said no so I let her rest. I went out to run some errands, when I came back the house was the most awful smell. My mom had several accidents and she was thrashing about in her bed, almost like fever dreams. I heard he call my name so I went into check on her, she told me she needed medication because she thought she was dying. I called the ambulance. She got to the hospital before I did, she told the medical staff she wanted to stop treatment. She passed away on 11/6 at 12:20pm. There was a single tear in her eye as she passed an I will never forget that.

Today I found out she passed away from sepsis. I keep thinking that if I hadn’t gone out to run errands I would have been home to check on her more and maybe this all could have been avoided. If she had known it was sepsis maybe she would have let them treat her? I’m just beating myself up so badly that maybe she would still be here. I’m so sad.

I’m sorry this is long, I just had it a few months ago and wrote this all down.

In fighting stage IV prostate cancer I’ve found what I think are some unexpected but universal truths about fatal diagnoses. I thought it best that I tell you, as unfortunately it will happen to a few of you. I thought it would be very different but it turned out so odd to me. Should you become ill with something incurable, a number of people around you go through stages of grief, but fully 1/3 of your friends and even some of your family will just disappear. You will never hear from them again, (I didn’t.) You have to keep track of who can’t hear what type of details about your condition. People don’t know what to say or do. You must forgive them. Despite hearing the mantra to make a bucket list and to burn out, not fade away, that’s exactly the opposite of what happens, and what your family & friends want you to do. All of a sudden you are advised to be cautious, don’t get hurt, don’t fall, don’t buy good shoes, get rest, etc. it occurs to me that this is the worst advice I’ve ever heard. Your well meaning friends will tell you to eat pomegranates or pistachios, some will tell you not to eat those things and to eat apples, or that you should have eaten more apples, or it was the apples that killed you. What I’ve found is that life causes cancer, you can’t possibly avoid all the things in this world that will give you cancer. So I have to compress 30 years of living into 8 - 10, and the thing is everyone has a different expectation about what that should be. This doesn’t happen to people who die tragically, for some reason instead we are obligated to behave, not embarrass anyone and most of all die quietly and quickly. Frankly I’m just tired of being tired I guess. Needles have become increasingly bothersome. Being in pain makes you mean & irritable & the pain meds only work temporarily, but it’s always there. I knew, my Dad told me that life isn’t fair, and I’ve seen plenty of examples of that in my parents generation so as to understand it, but trust me it was so, so odd to hear that diagnosis that day the ER. I couldn’t believe it. I called Dad & he told me that some of us are just unlucky, he hoped that I wasn’t in pain. Those were probably the truest words he ever spoke. He called me every Saturday just so we could talk about computers and cars and Uncle Jack being under attack at Dutch harbor. In any case, this wasn’t what I had planned. I thought I’d retire from some part of the IT world and not just stop it all on one day, 20 years early. From a young age I knew that everyone hates change, and everyone has problems, I get that. But when it’s you, or your kid or your Dad, suddenly you feel perforated, thin. I’m no different. It’s unbelievably real to me now. You somehow get to a place where you’re grounded you eventually feel placed, fixed, and everything just swirls around you. Again, I don’t recommend cancer, or for that matter diving head in to fix it. Given the option, I’d buy a motorcycle, a bar or a basketball team. :)

Can someone help with this? I have been on Abraxane for 5 months now and I feel like this isnt that great of news.

Impression

. . There is an improved appearance when compared to the prior PET/CT scan from June 2023 There are again multifocal regions of hypermetabolism including along the left pleural margins and within multiple skeletal structures. These all show decreasing degree of hypermetabolism and nodularity in the left hemithorax has decreased. Stable left adrenal nodule consistent with a benign adenoma Released By: BRIAN M GORDON, MD 11/10/2023 3:28 PM

Narrative

EXAM: NF PET-CT TUMOR IMG SKULL BASE TO MID THIGH-RESTAGING WITH DIAG CT INTERP CLINICAL INDICATION: C77.1 (Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of intrathoracic lymph nodes) . TECHNIQUE: Multiplanar images of the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis were obtained following intravenous administration of F18 FDG. Images were reconstructed in the axial, sagittal and coronal planes. Both the attenuation corrected and nonattenuated images were reviewed. Low dose unenhanced CT scans of the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis were performed for diagnostic and attenuation correction purposes without the administration of oral contrast, no IV contrast was administered. The CT and PET scans were performed on the GE PET/CT scanner at North Fulton Hospital. Fusion imaging was performed. Dose reduction techniques were utilized. RADIOPHARMACEUTICAL DOSE: 15.6 mCi F18 FDG. SERUM GLUCOSE: 112 mg/dl. COMPARISON: PET/CT scan 6/16/2023. FINDINGS: PET SCAN: There is again diffuse abnormal hypermetabolism along the pleural surfaces in the left hemithorax. There is again hypermetabolism within the left side of the T4 vertebral body. This again hypermetabolism in left side of the T5 vertebral body and the adjacent rib. There is again abnormal hypermetabolism within the left pedicle at the T12 level. There is again hypermetabolism involving posterior aspect of right inferior pubic ramus. There is physiologic activity within the kidneys and bladder. Representative maximum SUV values: Left apical pleural margins 3.3, previously 4.5 Left side of the T4 vertebral body 3.6, previously 6.1 Left pleural margin laterally 3.1, previously 5.5 Left side T12 vertebral body and pedicle 4.4, previously 7.2 Right inferior pubic ramus posteriorly 2.3, previously 5.1 CT NECK: The visualized intracranial structures are unremarkable. While limited by the absence of intravenous contrast, no pathologically enlarged lymph nodes are seen. The aerodigestive tract, salivary and thyroid glands are unremarkable. CT CHEST: Right sided central port catheter noted with distal tip in the distal SVC. Left breast prosthesis is unchanged. There is again diffuse nodular pleural thickening in the left hemithorax which appears less prominent than on the prior PET CT scan. No significant residual free pleural fluid at the left lung base. While limited by the absence of intravenous contrast, no pathologically enlarged mediastinal, hilar or axillary lymph nodes are seen. There are again regions of pleural-based nodularity most marked at the left lung apex and involving the pleural margins. These regions of pleural nodularity are less prominent than on the prior PET CT scan. There are regions of parenchymal scarring in the left lower lobe again present.. No pericardial effusion or pleural effusion is noted. CT ABDOMEN: Evaluation of the parenchyma of the abdominal viscera is limited by the absence of intravenous contrast. Left adrenal nodule unchanged 1.8 x 1.3 cm in size with Hounsfield unit reading of -3. This is consistent with a benign adenoma. Right adrenal gland unremarkable. Gallbladder unremarkable. Cystic lesion left lobe of the liver is unchanged. No focal abnormality of the , spleen, pancreas, or kidneys is seen. The aorta is of normal caliber. No pathologically enlarged lymph nodes are seen. The visualized bowel is unremarkable. There is no free fluid in the abdomen. CT PELVIS: No pathologically enlarged pelvic lymph nodes are seen. The distal ureters and bladder are unremarkable. There is no free fluid in the pelvis. There are again regions of patchy sclerosis involving posterior right acetabulum and right inferior pubic ramus as well as a region LYTIC change and surrounding sclerosis left side of the T12 vertebral body and pedicle and a region of lytic change medial left upper rib as well as patchy sclerosis and lytic change involving the T4 vertebral body to the left of the midline as well as the T5 vertebral body. These regions show hypermetabolism

This just sucks. That is all.

My SIL got PET Scan report couple of days ago . last year she battled with stage 2 breast cancer, mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation done , then after 6 months symptoms came back .PET scan says stage 4 metastatic which spread in liver and bone. Biopsy will be done tomorrow. She is 42 .anyone or anyone you know with similar issues and what was /is your prognosis. We are in utter shock

As the title implies, my Father got diagnosed on December 8th of 2022, it's been about a year. He's has metastatic in Liver and Lungs. Doctor is switching his chemo because he has grown immune to FolFox. Lately he has been taking vitamins, soursapp tea, Ricksimspons oil (CBD) and Apricot seeds, recommended amount. He was freaking out because he was low on cancer markers but after a month off and now suddenly they told him he had a slight progression. As a son I've come to terms with his diagnosis and trying to help the best I can. As for him, I would like to hear your stories, how long yall have been around for now. What are you taking, and what's the best advice you can offer him. My father is generally a positive person, but hearing this news just keeps tearing him down and I don't know what to say or to keep his spirits up.

Photo of us on a fishing trip couple weeks ago.