Francine I live in Alabama I have been partially paralyzed for 18 years and suffer everyday with pain. I also have a lot o GI Issues so I understand good days and bad days. I sometimes wish that I could go home to be with my heavenly father, but after watching your story I realized I should be more thankful that I don't have a time limit on me. So thank you for that. I will keep you in my prayers. This is just a temporary body and I'm looking forward to no more bad days. Love you in Christ and will follow your journey. Your in Gods hands and they are full of Love.
So glad to see your video this morning. I hope that the doctor can help you with sick symptoms. You are an amazing woman. I hope you have an awesome day my beautiful new friend..... sending love 💖 and hugs 🤗 to you.
I have to tell ya Francine for someone who’s going thru so much you haven’t aged one bit from your first video. You are very beautiful my online friend. I will keep praying for you.
Wow, thank you. I think the chemo did age my skin a little, but I feel blessed that I've managed to maintain my weight, even though I eat a little less and throw a bit back up. I'm working on it though!
Here because you’re helping support Paul in Perth. So I’d like to help support you too. I would like to understand more about Death with Dignity so I’m also here to learn. Hope that’s ok.
Have you thought of home hospice? My husband is on home hospice for prostate cancer and rectal neuroendocrine cancer. Fortunately hospice has made a tremendous improvement in many of his symptoms, by prescribing medicines that his oncologist and GP either had not thought of or didn't want to give him. He has a general weakness, but no pain, no nausea, and an improved appetite. The trouble with hospice at least here (Oregon), is that he can't have CT's to see what his progress is, unless he goes off hospice for a time. Just throwing that out to you. I haven't watched all your videos yet so not sure what you have done other than look into the Vermont thing. Thinking of you and wishing you to be nausea free and able to enjoy life a bit more!! PS: he was given 5-11 months over three years ago. There is hope.
I'm sorry about your husband but it looks like he has good care and a great wife. Hospice is my second choice and we've toured facilities and consulted, but I have a good palliative care team at the cancer institute. We're going to try a new medication for the nausea. Thanks for replying and I hope he keeps getting good news.
Hi, I heard of you through Paul, just here to offer support and love. Thank you for being a calming force in Paul’s life, and thank you for letting us hear your doctor appointment today, I found it to be very interesting. After watching the video I see Paul is correct you are extremely brave, Strong, and you seem to know yourself quite well. You are an inspiration to me and I’m sure others as well,thank you so much for sharing your life with us. I pray you have some wonderful days, I have to be careful with everything I eat as well I know the feeling. I deal with trigeminal neuralgia which I’ve had for many years, it’s very painful so I know what you mean about not being able to do big trips as it’s a waste. But I pray you enjoy your smaller trips and have as much fun as you possibly can, you certainly deserve it. Sending lots of love from Southern California❤. Ps I had some severe bouts with nausea and indigestion for quite some time after eating, found out I most likely developed a small intestinal bacterial overgrowth which causes some gastroparesis symptoms where the food just doesn’t move through your stomach and small intestine fast enough. Constipation can make this worse. There are natural supplements for this that are very helpful to assist with increasing motility. There is also a prescription doctors can prescribe called Procalipride. I follow regular and functional medicine Dr suggestions. If the food sits in the stomach and small intestines too long it becomes very uncomfortable and can cause nausea, feeling of fullness etc. You can google slow gut motility symptoms. I chose a supplement to increase intestine motility and digestion while decreasing nausea that contained high doses of pure ginger and NAC. Ginger tea is great too. Bitters are also good for digestion as well as digestive enzymes. Of course you would want to talk to your doctor about adding any of these supplements if you choose to, but usually regular doctors do not research anything other than meds. In my case I also eat easy to digest foods like fish, zuccini, very cooked soft broccoli, eggs, butter olive oil. I’ve been doing a lot better but when you mentioned you didn’t feel good after eating an egg salad sandwich, I thought… that’s exactly what I ate the day after Easter and it didn’t sit well with me at all, so I took my supplements which helped a lot. Sorry for the wordy message, but what helped me is learning from others who were suffering and took the time to write comments on what helped their digestive symptoms so I hope this helps in some way. Your doctor sounds wonderful and you’re very lucky to have her.😊
Hi Francine, Thank you for sharing your update. It is really hard to get doctors to be totally transparent with an illness. Sometimes they just don't know. From my experience I'm very forthcoming with my questions and have to be my own advocate in my health issues. I'm so sorry you're struggling with nausea. It's a real problem and I'm praying that they find the right medication for you. Sending you prayers and love. Take care of you, my lovely lady. ❤🙏🌻
Fingers crossed for you that this new medication helps with your nausea and aids your sleep. Don't feel pressured to hurry out a video, you are more important. Take care, you are in my thoughts. Sending my love to you and hope you feel a little better soon ♥
Francine, praise God you got some fairly good news today in that the Ca. Hasn’t spread. Prayers that the New medication for your nausea keeps it at bay and you will look forward to your trip with your girlfriend. I think it would be good for you and going on Faith in God that he will see you thru with all great days. You take care of you. No worry’s about the video. I must say, you look pretty and prayers that the Holy Spirit lifts your spirits. Sounds like your stuck with us for along time. Much love, prayers and thoughts. Have a blessed wkend.
Hello Francine! You’re looking very lovely in this video. Love the earrings you have on in the beginning! Sorry to hear you have not been feeling well recently but glad to know the doctor is going to try and help with the new medication and hopefully that works. It was great hearing the good news about your PET scan. Continued positive thoughts moving forward. 😌 You are a very strong person and I wish you to experience happiness as often as possible. Blessings to you. 🌹💙
I would like to double heart this if I could. Thank you for all the well wishes. Believe it or not, there is a True Value that has a little boutique in it where I found my favorite earrings.
I get that too.... eat something, and suddenly feel like there is a war in all of my internal organs. And then come the gloomy thoughts, that this is soon all over. I just have to be so careful. Food with additives trigger it. A glass of wine or too much food, or food with the stress of talking with people about stressful affairs. I just have to treat my inner organs as a very frail invalid, and then I have many good days. Even moments where I forget that I'm sick. I have only been sick for 1 1/2 years now. I am still dreaming of getting better❤
Thank you for sharing with us. Is the main reason you're considering not going on the trip the nausea you're experiencing? I know I wouldn't want to have nausea on a road trip. I'm sure you'll make the right decision for you. Glad you were able to see family on Easter and had a good day. I'll be thinking of you. 💕
Thank you. I haven't decided yet, but I'm concerned about going all the way up there if I'm going to be here in another year. Then I have to keep going every six months. That certainly doesn't mean I want to go anywhere, lol. I just feel putting it off might not be a bad idea, but then again it could be an adventure. :)
I listened to the recording you made with your doctor and It left me with more questions than answers. Of course we didn't hear the entire discussion but she seemed so vague to many of your questions. When she said the scan didn't show any "clear sighs on cancer" and you pressed her on that her answer sounded confusing. Also the symptoms that you are experiencing may or may not be attributed to the cancer -- what does that exactly mean and if it's not what are the treatment options we need to explore. If your clinical blood test results have improved and you are not on any treatment what is causing this? Since I have not watched all of your videos have you thought of getting a second opinion at some of the other cancer centers like Sloan Kettering. I wish you all the best.
Yes, part of the discussion was edited, but what she meant about the scan was that the tumors are really tiny and don't show in detail on the scan, but she saw everything when they opened me up. That particular blood test CA125 is not as accurate or relevant for this cancer as it is with standard ovarian cancer. I'm not even sure why she orders it. She is my second opinion though. I left another practice to be with her and she really is good, but I had a third opinion in VT last year. Thanks for your well wishes :).
Was just listening Did they not do a debulking to remove any visible cancer? I had debulk then chemo. Scripps MD Anderson wish you could go to one. Texas and California I know. Also checked my BRca and I am negative thats Genetic testing. Good God where do you live????😮 You have a chance do your homework. You feel bad because your nervous 😅
Thank you for this update. That blood test for the circulating cancer cells sounds interesting. I am sorry that you are experiencing such fatigue and are so nauseated. I have had deblitating migranies since I was young and when I had one I could not keep food or medications down. I found that if I had food or beverages that were very cold or very hot that would trigger my stomach. So I would only consume room temperature items until the nausea would calm down. The ondestrone (spelling) did not work for me at all. My doctor ended up prescribing Fenigrin (again spelling) the only thing that worked for me. The issue is it is not in an oral form, it did make me sleepy but that was a good thing for me. Also to keep from having constipation try something called CALM it is a magnesium powder you mix with some warm water, they have some yummy flavors. Your body needs magnesium for about 300 different processes and most of us are deficient big time. The over the counter stool softners just take the water from your body and send to the bowel. I don't know if you have blood sugar issues or not but that what the fatigue after eating sounds like besides the obvious huge stress you have . I too am a Ann B. Barshinger patient, I have been one since they opend their doors. Getting the proper nutrition is difficult to do when you are not well and suffering side effects from your medications, treatments and the disease you are fighting. Keeping you in my daily prayers. Yes be bleesed and I am blessed ❤💝
Thank you for your insights. Yes, I am a diabetic. I'll keep all this in mind and while the sugars are under control, I could probably balance my nutrition better. ABBCI is wonderful
Hello Francine, good to hear you’re still fighting this C. I’ve only found your channel recently so you’ve probably already discussed this previously, but have you been offered any trials or have you already exhausted this route? Look after yourself 😊
Hi Robin, thanks for your comments. My cancer is quite rare so clinical trials are not available too often. There was one in NYC I decided not to see if I was eligible because of the distance, but if something comes to Philly I will consider it.
I was recently diagnosed with cancer. Everyone tells me to do the radiation and chemo therapies. I have my doubts. I imagine going through the hell of side effects from the treatments only to learn at some no too distant date, that the cancer has returned. So, what was the point of suffering through the agony of treatment? Any thoughts?
I understand. However, I did go through treatments suggested until they didn't work. I recommend you follow the treatment plan until (if and when) it proves fruitless. What if it works? I didn't give up until it was confirmed terminal.
@@renzo6490 Emotionally I'm sad that I have to leave my life behind. Physically, I'm recovered from the failed treatments, but I deal with some ailments. Spiritually, I have faith in my choices.
@@FrancineHasCancer It is an amazing experience. A tremendous growth experience. Being able to connect and share our feelings with total strangers via this medium is a new and special blessing. We never know anything but life. This makes every moment precious.
This is for complying to the rules for Medical Aid in Dying MAID. I just put out a video on this two days ago. Search Death with Dignity, and thanks for your comment!
I could write a book, talking to you about these weighty topics; I yearn for that imaginary person by my side, metaphorically speaking, who could co-expirience the many things I'm trying to understand. But utube forces /seduces you to communicate through this tiny needle, one tiny drop at a time , and not too many to one person, and not all at the same time, and many times no reply at all. The desire for building deep strong mutual understanding support and relationships has been vapourized into building thousands of likes, subscribers, comments. Success is, when you have so many, you can no longer reply! Like Paul found, 22k strangers but not enough actual friends. So we are all forced, into this bizarre world, because in my real life, everybody too busy.
I can understand how it might seem that way. I would love to live and I'm trying to live my life to the fullest. What I don't want to do is suffer. I'd prefer life quality over quantity. This is the second time around for my cancer and it's more aggressive and treatment resistant. We've done chemo and surgery and pills. Any heroics now only prolong, not cure and with a lot of side effects that take away the quality aspect.
Francine…I think it was a good idea to tweak your anti nausea medicine. I know all too well that Zolfran is notorious for causing constipation. I took it in December for a stomach virus and I couldn’t move my bowels for about a week! All the food I was eating after 24 hours was just staying in my colon. That alone made me feel worse than the stomach bug. I should’ve probably taken a suppository to make me go b/c I felt horrible from not being able to eliminate for a week. I looked like I was 6months pregnant, for sure. When I finally went, well I don’t want to be gross but I could hardly believe my colon could hold that much at one time. Check with your doctor if that’s something you can do for constipation. It may help with bloating and feeling unable to evacuate. Wishing you luck and hoping you can find something that distracts you like the trip to Vermont or doing things with friends. Forget about the money…this is your time to shine! Do EVERYTHING you want to do and make new & better memories! 🩷
