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Just need some advice

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13 years 5 months ago #24490 by clerky96
Just need some advice was created by clerky96
I'll try to make this as short as possible, but it is a long story. My DH was diagnosed with itp in 2008 one month after cardiac bypass surgery. None of the conventional treatments worked, so his hemotologist tried rituxan. He had one treatment, and before the week was out, he started having problems with a-fib. His cardiologist did a heart cath, and found that all but one of his bypasses had failed. He put in stents, and recommended no more rituxan. Platelets came up to around 100,000 and stayed there. Fast forward to Nov, 2011. DH started having eye issue and a slight headache. Went to er. Diagnosed with brain tumor; glioblastoma IV (very aggressive malignant tumor). He underwent surgery to remove the tumor (surgeon believes he got most of the tumor), then had chemo and radiation. He is supposed to have maintenance chemo every month, but after only one treatment, the platelets have started falling and he can't undergo the needed chemo. Dexamethasone has done nothing but make his weak and frail. Since it seems to have worked before, the oncologist wants to try rituxan to see if it will help raise the platelets again. He doesn't believe the a-fib (after the last treatment) was the result of the rituxan. Rather, he thinks it was the failed by-passes. DH still has some issues with rapid heartbeat and a-fib and I know his cardiologist will have a fit. But without the chemo, the tumor is likely to return sooner rather than later. We were hoping the chemo would get us at least a few more years and hopefully some other treatment will come along in that time. How do you choose which is the right decision? He will be 65 yrs old next week, and we have been together since high school; 47 years. I am not asking for anyone to help us make this decision because I know that no one can make it but us. I just wonder what others thoughts are on this treatment and whether anyone else with heart disease has received rituxan. I would appreciate any feedback. :(
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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13 years 5 months ago #24495 by Sandi
Replied by Sandi on topic Re: Just need some advice
Clerky:

I remember you and your husband. I'm sorry things have turned out so badly.

I have a different suggestion - N-Plate. I don't know if he is a candidate, but it might be worth bringing it up with his hematologist. It can work faster than Rituxan and does not have the possible heart complications (that I am aware of).
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13 years 5 months ago #24498 by clerky96
Replied by clerky96 on topic Re: Just need some advice
Thanks Sandy. Yes, I used to post here when DH was first diagnosed with ITP. But things got better and I quit checking in. I will mention N-Plate to him and see what he thinks. He wants to believe the oncologist knows what he is talking about, but since this dr only treats brain cancer, I am not sure he really knows too much about rituxan. I think that since DH took it before that he thinks it will be okay. To this point, we just try to live each day as normal as possible. There is no cure for GBM, but if he could take the maintenance chemo, he has a chance at a few more years. We aren't ready to give up on it yet!
13 years 5 months ago #24505 by
Replied by on topic Re: Just need some advice
Dear Clerky,
You may want to look into the homeopathic protocol used by Dr. P. Banerji of India. He has had great success with gliomas, all stages, as well as other very serious conditions, including heart disease. His protocols and methods have been studied and adopted by M. D. Anderson cancer center in Texas and the University of Maryland. He's treated thousands of patients, with detailed results and imagings done. He's very inexpensive and treats many as charity cases. The medicines are very inexpensive, too, especially when you compare to the costs of surgery, rehab, radiation and chemo. Best of all, there are no side effects. Here is his website with pertinent information:
www.drpbanerji.com/braintumor.htm

Do a search on him and you can read many discussions and unbiased testimonials on him. Brain tumors and lung cancers have seemed to respond the best to his treatments. He does not follow classical homeopathy, which is individualized for each patient, but rather, uses a specific protocol of medicines, dependingupon the type of tumor, location, whether it's metastasized, other concurrent conditions, etc. This method seems to work for many cases. It has worked extremely well for my FIL, who has end stage lung cancer which metastasized to his pancreas, as well as end stage emphysema. He chose to do all the usual radiation, chemo and such and was on oxygen 24 hr/day. The cancer was eating into and destroying his ribs and he could no longer lie down, so was sleeping in a chair. He was so weak, he could barely speak. A huge skeptic of anything alternative and openly scornful, in fact, he finally got to the point where he asked me if I could help him (I am a homeopath myself). The doctors had said there was nothing further to be done, and we were called to say our final good-byes, several times. As he was too weak to talk, I really couldn't take his case anyway, so instead started him on the Banerji protocol and a few other palliative remedies. Frankly, I had very little confidence that much could be done for him, especially since he's been a smoker since age 8! And his lifestyle has not been the healthiest.

Within just a few days after the protocol, he was feeling so much better that he was able to call me and reported that he had been able to go off his oxygen for 30 min at a time. Over the next few weeks he was able to be without his oxygen for 6 hours qt a time. He bcame stronger and was able to walk again, instead of being confined to his scooter. He FELT good for the first time in a couple of years and regained his appetite. He could lie down in bed again, as the cancer began reducing. The difference was remarkable to all. Unfortunately, once the doctors saw he was better they pushed him to start up with the chemo again. He's a veteran, old and expected to die soon, so these are the "expendable" patients they like to use their experimental drugs on. That's what they're giving him, a very powerful new chemo drug that they're researching.
Since he's started it back up again, he's rapidly declined, losing almost all he had gained. Now that he's through that, not sure if he has enough vital force remaining or not. Since the chemo, he's had to go from independent living, into the full-time nursing facility. So it's not just one's longevity, but also the quality of life factor that should be looked at. not to mention that this end stage treatment wipes out one's life savings as well as the family that may have to take that over.

I urge you to not just dismiss this as some form of quackery and do your own research into it. There are many people who have recovered from cancer using alternative medicine and/or diet. Believe me, cancer is a HUGE industry. You don't hear about the natural cures as they are a threat to a lot of peoples and corporations livelihood.
Best of luck in your difficult decision!
April
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13 years 5 months ago #24507 by clerky96
Replied by clerky96 on topic Re: Just need some advice
Thank you April. I will definately check into it. I have never been involved with any type of homopathic treatments, but I never felt there can't be other alternatives out there.