maryanne80

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Viewing 15 posts - 61 through 75 (of 88 total)
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  • in reply to: Cured of CC #17548
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    Dear Neal and Cindy,
    What a testimony to God’s continuing power in the world today. We truly believe in miracles and although Joe is not cancer free he has had 15 months of blessed time with hardly any symptoms having been diagnosed July 2006 with stage 4. We are thankful for your miracle and imagine many cc patients will be wanting to hear more about Dr. Canady. Praise God. Hope all continues to go well. Mary Anne

    in reply to: What do you ask for when you pray? #17529
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    What a wonderful subject. For those who are tired of answering all the questions, you might consider a blog. I started that when Joe was diagnosed 15 months ago (Coburn). I couldn’t possible email everyone and keep them up to date. I wanted to spend my time with Joe and the kids who are grown and out of the house but they are always your kids. Joe is 67, he has had a wonderful life and having God in our lives is the only way we could get through this disease. Everything was going smoothly until about a week and a half ago and then he got his queasy stomach back again. We had finally gotten to the point where we didn’t think death was just around the corner but you never know and we just try to live each day to the fullest. Currently we are in Ohio helping out our daughter in law who was just diagnosed with Stage 4 carcinoid tumor. We thought that maybe this is why Joe went through this so he could relate to Heidi and her fears etc. We pray daily for all the people with cc and their families. We have up and down days but we know we have a lot of people praying for us and we count on the grace that comes to us to face each day and use each day to God’s glory. Joe has been able to talk to so many people about God because of this disease that normally he wouldn’t have had the opportunity. He has said many times. Having cancer isn’t so bad. Having cancer without God is impossible.
    Thanks to all of you who reply. Just when we need to hear something good or encourageing or hear someone else is down, it helps. Thanks to all of you God Bless. Mary Anne

    in reply to: transplant,RFA,chemoembolizaion, what to do????? #17515
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    Lana,
    I answered the post about the RFA just before this. The liver tumor was 5 cm. That is the biggest they can do at this point but they are working on a bigger piece of equipment that can zap a bigger tumor. I know sometimes you just don’t know whre to turn and this is a good website to hear about other options. Sometimes there are too many and you don’t know which will work and which won’t. We try to pray a lot and do what feels right for us. Everyone haa their own journey and none of them are easy. we will pray for you as well as all the other cc sufferers and their families. God Bless. Mary Anne

    in reply to: intrahepatic vs extrahepatic #17425
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    IPT is Insulin Potentiation Therapy. It is alternative treatment and you can read about it if you google those words. It requires a port and IV administration and takes about 2 hours. We went to Phoenix for three months last spring and worked with Dr. Lodi. He did IV Vitamin c, ozone therapy, nutrients and chelation along with the IPT. He is also a strong advocate of raw vegan diet and juicing and cleansing so it is a radical change if you haven’t tried any of that. We were also partially raw vegan for 9 months before we went. Once we came back home to Illinois we found a doctor in Burr Ridge who does IPt and now Joe is getting it once every other week. Not covered by Medicare but partially covered by some insurance. We chose that because Joe didn’t want the side effects of regular chemo. He had RFA on a tumor that was really active in his liver and was 5 cm in size. As far as I was told, that is the largest they can do at this point. He had embolization the day before to cut off the blood supply to the tumor and then RFA. He has two other liver tumors too big to treat but they are necrotic on the inside. He also has 5 small tumors in his lungs that they haven’t addressed at this point. They have shrunk since being on IPt. Hope that helps. Mary Anne

    in reply to: intrahepatic vs extrahepatic #17423
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    Lana,
    My huband Joe has intrahepatic. He has mets to the liver and lungs. and I thought we were lucky he didn’t have extrahepatic because I thought he would have less chance of blockage and jaundic.e His only symptom has been a queasy stomach. He was diagnosed in July 06 so we are 15 months now. He opted for no chemo because of the side effects and he was feeling so well. In March he decided to do IPT which is alternative and uses only 10% of the normal chemo dose. You can read our blog to get more details http://www.joesinformation.blogspot.com or we are under family blogs – Coburn. The IPt he got was not covered by Medicare so we have a large debt but it did reduce the tumors and he had RFA on an active liver tumor that developed last spring. He is doing well and now gets IPT only once every other week. He is on lots of supplements and also lo dose Naltrexone which is supposed to boost the immune system.We have also been on a vegan diet since diagnosis. We feel blessed that he has done this well and know that prayers help a lot. We will pray for you and hope we get more answers soon. God Bless Mary Anne

    in reply to: CT vs MRI #17490
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    My husband has only had cat scans and PET scans. He hasn’t had MRI’s. I don’t know why. I like the Pet ct scans because they give measurements to the tumors andyou can tell if they have grown or not. Although, One imaging center is different from another. Joe has scans in Chicago and then when we went to Phoenix last March he had another one in April. They felt they couldn’;t compare it to the one in March so we waited til he has another one in June and they compared those two.
    He has just started having a queazy stomach again the last week so will have another Pet ct scan in the next two weeks to see what is going on. I am a retired nurse but don’t really know the difference in what they show. I’ll have to look up. Haven’t been able to read the discussions for several months so am just catching up. Good luck with your next scan. It is always scary waiting for the results. Mary Anne

    in reply to: David Cook is in the hospital #16942
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    Hi Celoi,
    Have been following your Dad’s blog and sorry tohear he has been having trouble recently. Hope the new drain and antibiotics do the trick along with lots of prayers coming your way. Mary Anne

    in reply to: I think it is time I introduce myself. #17033
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    Hi Colleen,
    I join the group of caregivers who husbands don’t read the website. Joe has the info he needs but not all the stats etc. that don’t have to do with each individual case. we will add you to our prayer list.
    I haven’t been on the site for over a month so have a lot of catching up to do. I miss kkeping up on treatments etc.
    We wondered wht Joe was supposed to do with the time God has given him. Now we hae a younger family member, 44, who was just diagnosed with stage 4 Carcinoid (which is different. It has really helped with him being able to share with her the feeling about the shock etc that happens when it comes out of the blue. So God has a plan, we just don’t know what it is but we re open to Him every day to do His will. God Bless Mary Anne

    maryanne80
    Spectator

    Jeff and “babe”,
    Have a great time offf. It renews the spirit as well as the body. Joe took two weeks off in May and then a month off in July. His whole physical demeanor changed and I think part of it was lack of stress and appointments. So good to know you have a strong faith. I can’t imagine how people get through this without a God to cry out to and know He has a plan. Have a great time and hope you get stronger each day. God Bless Mary Anne

    in reply to: Dad just got diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma #16436
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    My husband Joe was diagnosed with Stage 4 last July 2006. he chose not to do conventional chemo becasue he didn’t want to be sick the rest of his life. We did go to Mesa AZ in March to get alternative treatment called IPT Insulin Potentiation Therapy from Dr. Thomas Lodi. We were there for three months with a two week break in the middle. It is not covered by Medicare but it is covered partially by some insurances. His results were good. He had liver and lung involvement and his tumors have all shrunk and he has no symptoms now. We are continuing this treatment here in Il but not as often. There is a website you can check on for Dr. Lodi and for IPT. It worked for us and quality of life is definitely better. We also had lots of prayers along the way and feel that this helped us got through the last year as well as any treatment. God Bless you and give you wisdom in your decisions. Mary Anne

    in reply to: Need Help #16339
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    Hi Carol,
    I am mary Anne Coburn and we also have a a blog for Joe my husband. He wa diagnose a year ago with tage 4 intrahepatic and we have taken a different route. we went on a vegan diet right away and have stuck to that. Joe opted for no cehmo becasue he didn’t want to be sick for what time he had left. He changed his mind when we heard about IPT which is Insulin Potentiation Therapy. It is alternative medicine and only uses about 10% of the normal dose of chemo. He did three months of this in Arizona (not covered by Medicare which is our insurance) and his tumors have reduced in size. He also had ablation done on the 5 cm one in his liver (the most active ) and that is gone. He now has no symptoms after having a queezy stomach since Sept. of 05. He will have another CT scan the end of this month. He is now getting IPT every other week so we are hoping this will hold it at bay. We found someone in IL that does it so we don’t have to travel. Mainline oncologists don’t recognize this treatment but it is working for us. Everyone has to find their own path and I thought I would just tell you what ours has been. Hope it is helpful. He is also on a lot of sulpplements and as long as I set them up he takes them just fine. Keep reading this site and we will all help each other to get through this. God Bless Mary Anne

    in reply to: Bob has left us #16218
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    Bob’s wife,
    So sorry tohear of your loss. I got behind on keeping up and just read now that bob died. Just know that cc patients and caregivers are praying for you and that the strength you feel to get through each day is from the grace of God. We couldn’t do this fight alone and now Bob is not suffering anymore. God Bless Mary Anne

    in reply to: sir-spheres #16112
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    My husband Joe had embolization which I think is the same thing as the spheres one day prior to haveing Ablation done to an active tumor in his liver. the purpose was to cut off the blood supply to the tumor before zapping it. It worked and the follow up PET scan showed the tumor was dead. He is now taking enzymes to help rid the liver of the dead tissue. He stillhas two other tumors in his liver but they are too large for ablation and are not as active. His is intrahepatic also and the end of this month will mark a year since diagnosis. he also had 5 small tumors in his lungs which are not growing. Don’t see a lot of people with intrahepatic but they seem to do better than extrahepatic. Joe ha had no stents, jaundice bloating or any other symptoms except a queezy stomach which is gone now. Don’t come on this site too often so had a lot to catch up on. Thanks for all of you sharing what is going on. It helps to hear about other situations. Mary Anne

    in reply to: Mom with CC #16040
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    My husband Joe was diagnosed with Stage 4 cc last July 2006. He had two tumors in his liver and some wsmall ones in his lungs. He immediately changed his diet to vegan which is stricter than vegetarian because it also eliminates all dairy products. We followed the h.acres.com diet which we found on line with lots of carrot juice, green powders. exercise etc. He just passed his 11 month time this week. He just finished doing three months of alternative therapy calle Insulin Potentiation Therapy which was very expensive and not covered by Medicare. He is 67. The treatment did provide shrinkage of the tumors without side effects of normal chemo. He also had radio frequency ablation to zap the most active tumor in the liver and that wiped it out but it also w3as very painful for severl weeks afterward. We are on our way back home to Chicago and he is getting stronger every day. He nevr had any symptoms except a queezy stomach. We re now counting on diet prayer and supplements to continue to shrink the tumors. He opte dof rno regular chemo becasue he didn’;t want to be sick all the time.
    As everyone else has said, everyone is different but don’t give up hope. No doctor can tell you how much time you have left and attitude is very important. We just live each day as a blessing. Hope that helps some. This is a great website. Mary Anne

    in reply to: Bob’s move to hospice #15986
    maryanne80
    Spectator

    Hi Rhonda,
    Sorry to hear Bob is not doing well but I am so glad to hear you have Hospice. Some people wait so long to get help from them and they really do give some relief and support to the caregiver They are also very focused on comfort which is so important. You and Bob will be in our prayers. Joe has been battling this for 11 months now. We are just heading home to Chicago area after three months of alternative treatment and it will be good to get back to our support system. Be sure and take care of yourself. you are needed badly now but you have to keepyour own strength. Take care God bless Mary Anne

Viewing 15 posts - 61 through 75 (of 88 total)