Cancer Treatments of America

I work at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, AND I have experience with CTCA. CTCA is certainly worth looking into, for the experience alone. We "lived" at the one in Oklahoma and ate good food everyday and went to therapy, etc. They treat the whole person. Give them a call and let them send you their presentation. Get the ball rolling. I don't remember the payment details, but my family is not wealthy, and we had full access.

I still have their telephone number in my phone: 800-333-2822 / 800-788-8485 (not sure which is main).

I am so sorry to hear about your friend. The word cancer I think is the scariest word to anyone. My dad went through the cancer fight for a little over 6 years. I cant really help you with anything about the cancer Treatments of America, when my dad was sick we were in Canada but I can tell you what my dad did to keep himself going through the difficult times.

He would never let anyone treat him differently, just because he was sick he never wanted people to feel sorry for him or be any dfferent than usual. He liked to make light of the situation. My dad was always a big joker when it came to everything. He very rarely felt sorry for himself and if he did, he would look at someone else going through the same thing as him and would turn that into knowing that he wasn't alone. Most important though, he always kept his spirits up. Tell your friend to never give up hope. There are miricles that happen everyday.

I hope I was able to help out a bit. I wish your friend and his family well.

K.

I have a friend who just arranged for her husband's grandmother to go there. The grandmother was diagnosed and told she had maybe six weeks to live...maybe. In fact doctors refused to treat her at all. They just gave her pain meds. They went to cancer treatment center in OK and found out she was diagnosed with the wrong cancer. Her situation is still serious and requires constant care, but they have a much more positive diagnosis. The family has been thrilled with their treatment. She said they her grandmother feels like a person while there, not just a patient. They have been very happy with the work being done. I am so sorry for your friends. I can only imagine how stressful and sad this is for everyone.

My college roommate's aunt went there after multiple recurrences of breast cancer, and my cousin has been going there for ovarian cancer that she has been living with for over a decade. They are both doing well. I've never heard them say anything bad about the treatment centers, only good things. I definitely think it's worth checking out! Call and get an information package sent to them so they can have the details to make an informed decision. It's so great that they have such a wonderful support team around them to help them deal with the everyday stuff.

I considered them about 15 years ago when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I couldn't justify the distance then from my home to the regional hospital but now they have several different locations and the trip might not be so long.

Tell your friend to put away the "pride factor" and allow/let people help them. It takes a large village to help a person with cancer to get through it. It takes people you don't know who will step up to the plate and do something that you can't. When it is a man it becomes a "man thing" about providing for his family as that is part of a man. I know because my husband went throught this when he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and had to stop working. It was me who pointed out how he helped the family without working and to put it on paper so that he could see it and relax a bit. Our roles have changed quite a bit as I still work and he is at home. He is on chemo now but the team of doctors that he has are going everything they can to help him live a good and comfortable life. I know that there will be a time one day that this is not so and I don't run around with my head in the sand.

Have the wife take pictures and have hubby write notes to the son. Let dad think of all the things he wants to tell his son so that "just in case" he does leave before that age he will have something for the son to read and understand. Dad should use a recorder so that the voice is heard and son can get a feeling of being closer to dad than just the pictures alone.

The things that have to be done around the house are things that other people can do to make their lives a little easier. I know easier said than done but it is true. Lean on the friends and family that are helping. They wouldn't be there if they didn't want to be.

Above all else have her take care of herself. Make sure she gets rest and a break from the strain of being a caregiver. Make sure she keeps her appearance up. Get her out of the house and to a movie or a day at the spa or have a glass of wine with her at her home. Make it a girls night out or in depending on the weather. *I say this because of the show What Not to Wear when they have a person who has been a caregiver who has lost their own identity.*

Many heartfelt thoughts and prayers for your friend and friend's family at this time of the year. Let everyone stop and smell the roses. They really are pretty even at night when most people can't see them.

The other S.

PS Cancer survivor now caregiver to hubby. I work to keep my sanity and my personal space. There are things that I need to do but don't have the energy anymore to do them as I used to. One day they will be done.

My aunt was diagnosed with brain cancer in 07 and lost her battle in 09. I called cancer center for the info package for her and everything hoping she would go. My other know it all aunt is a rn and told my aunt they do nothing different they'd than the treatment she was already getting so my aunt never called. I will forever wonder if they could of helped her so I urge you to call and get him there asap. Life is too precious to not try any and everything. Best of luck to y'all!

Just prayers from here. If they can go to that facility, more power to them. I always wondered when I see their commericals, if they accept poor people, like St. Jude's does with children.

Blessings..

Remind them that it truly takes a village to raise and child. All of us need help; some just find it easier to ask than others. Let them know that cancer is affecting so many people today and that a lot of the people offering help and support may find themselves also needing help/support in the future. I kind of consider it my "payment" for what people have done or will do for me in the future - Karma, you know. Just tell them to "pay it forward" when they can; that is all anyone would ever ask. And it makes others feel good to know that they are helping someone who truly needs help and that is worth a million bucks. So, it's not just them reaping the benefit/reward; everyone involved is getting something out of it!

So very sorry they are going through this. There but for the grace of God go I.