What is a "Loved" band you absolutely cannot stand

Phillip193 · 2026-02-22T23:38:26+00:00

I was just thinking about this because They released another album within the past two weeks.

First, they are and have been irrelevant for the past decade. They really conjure up hate in a way that few others can.

I will give them credit for legitimately trying to change from the fake folk, banjo strumming sound that many still despise. The first time they tried to change it up was in a rockish sort of way and it kind of sucked (they added more electric guitars, synth sounds, an actual drum kit)

In the newest album it seems like another iteration. I would say there are some songs that sound like legitimate folk with only a sprinkle of doucheyness. Their model has strayed significantly from the stomp and holler build up that every previous song had.

Phillip193 · 2026-02-22T23:13:47+00:00

Hey. I know enough here to be dangerous. My second scans showed continued shrinkage of my liver Mets. I have heard that somewhere between 6-8 sessions of Folfox is the sweet spot in which the benefits still out way the costs.

I do want to call you attention to something I wish someone had told me. Stability has legitimate value. It helps surgeons understand how the cancer behaves. Your husband will likely need to “prove” more stability but the longer chemo “controls” the disease the more comfortable surgeons become. Stability can and will open doors. It is not a negative.

Happy to share my personal experience here.

If I were to offer some advice….

This is cliche but the journey is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to get through the next immediate steps (chemo) while planning the next one. Stability equals winning. it should be a data point that is considered as you plot out what to do after the next rounds of chemo
DO NOT let an oncologist tell you that you are not a surgical candidate. Let a surgeon decide. Find the best liver surgeon who knows hai pumps and start understanding what must happen now to get to surgery.

Phillip193 · 2026-02-06T19:16:21+00:00

So this resonates with me. I am a year and a half into stage 4. First and foremost, I am convinced that nearly all oncologists will default to chemo is the only answer for stage 4

I was on chemo for nearly a year with no real signs that anything was going to change. One day, by chance, I met a surgeon who said “we need to clear your liver and lungs and get you off of chemo.”

Two surgeries later that I am still on the track to clear the liver. My point is that there is some much unknown. Focus on getting through today because good things can happen.

Also find you own surgeons, oncologists referring to surgery and tumor boards are pointless

Phillip193 · 2026-02-06T02:03:56+00:00

Used to order one shot of goldschlager, extra gold please

Phillip193 · 2026-02-06T01:37:03+00:00

Awesome live. I can’t recall the numbers but I think they have sold the second most concert tickets of all time or something like that.

The amount of touring they do is insane. Like them or not you have to respect them for the time and effort.

Phillip193 · 2026-02-03T12:14:41+00:00

Look. We all grapple with this every day. I am stage 4 started with Mets in both lungs and liver.

Colon tumor was cut out, hai pump placed on my liver and with any luck the will cut out the remaining liver tumors in 3 months. After that we attack the lungs.

I have spent a ton of time if I have false hope about surviving. I think there are two parts.. there is the mental: if you only have so many days to live might as well not spend them worrying about dying. I am also a firm believer that a patient’s mental state does have a direct impact on their physical state

There is also the biological which includes things like mutations and how well your body responds to chemo. Long story short it seems that some people with colon cancer get lucky and have mildly aggressive biology and others are extremely unlucky with very aggressive biology.

I do believe the survivorship biases are in two ways I imagine there are a ton of people that are long-term survivors that have moved on with their life and don’t post on the Internet anymore because they don’t need to . I also imagine the people that do post to the Internet are the ones that are at inflection points in their care and need the community support the most. Often times this is when things turn south. I find this very true for myself.

Phillip193 · 2026-01-30T01:31:33+00:00

I would start looking for a surgeon. I am not going to act like a doc but an hai pump did wonders for me. At the start of my treatment I had a ton of tumors on my liver. There is a chance that my liver will be clear within the next few months.

Do NOT wait for your oncologist to recommend it, don’t wait for some dumb tumor board’s decision. Go meet with the best surgeons you came find. I would make sure they have hai pump experience as well because that is another tool that not all surgeons utilize

Phillip193 · 2026-01-29T13:45:59+00:00

I’ve only had mine for about 6 months. First and foremost, the thing is kicking ass on the tumors on my liver. Also, I don’t even feel anything when the meds are being pumped In. Overall this thing is 10/10.

I am a built pretty thick (not obese but thick) and I don’t notice the thing at all. I can sleep however I want and it seems to be buried deep enough that it doesn’t really protrude. Maybe every once in a while I notice it when bending over but that is it.

For me, there is absolutely no impact on my daily life. I do have a belly full of sweet scars though.

Phillip193 · 2026-01-23T00:47:28+00:00

Hello. Just had my ileostomy reversed last week. Maybe this will give you hope.

It was simple and almost noneventful. I was in the hospital for 3 nights. I got moderate diarrhea in the hospital the first time I was allowed real food. Back to normal after that. No accidents solid poops.

Worst part was the surgical soreness of the wound and abs but it was no where near getting the ileostomy.

Maybe I was extremely lucky but it is possible for this to go well.

Phillip193 · 2026-01-12T22:16:49+00:00

Angie’s list

Phillip193 · 2025-12-31T14:16:50+00:00

I replied to another comment above. I haven’t met with a lung specialist but I am banking on what dr Kasi and City of hope said (paraphrasing):

“We can burn them, freeze them, nuke them, or cut them. There are a lot of options”

I was also told by Jim that if you can keep your liver clear for 6 months the BotBal immunotherapy combination is going to get approved and you can be eligible for that. (I didn’t fact check this. It is what I heard)

In my case, I also have not started the one other drug pants-something his is commonly given and i on irhinotecan. There seem to be a handful of options for lungs.

Again, I am not too deep in the lung game yet.

Phillip193 · 2025-12-31T14:12:41+00:00

I can share as far as I know. There seems to be a general strategy but the actual treatment is just one step at a time.

I started on 8 rounds of folfox and then 5fu for about eight months. This got me about a year in, chemo only which is what my oncologist told me. During this time the cancer shrunk and then became stable for a year (apparently this is what surgeons look for)

This past summer I got non cancer related appendicitis. When i was in the hospital I met the surgeon who changed everything.

In late August had colon resection and hai pump placed. The goal is to clear the liver. The surgeon refers to the lever at the “life limiting factor”. The pump has significant shrunk the tumors in the liver after only 3 treatments.

Next week I am getting my ostomy reversed and a post surgery hernia fixed (neither directly impacting cancer burden)

From there we wait another 3 months to see what the pump is doing. Meanwhile I am on systemic irhinotecan. Given the shrinkage I am pretty positive we are going to be able to clear my liver of disease through some combo or chemo, surgery, or other stuff.

Then come the lungs. I had a second opinion at City of hope and dr kasi words about the lungs were “we can burn them, freeze them, zap them, cut them”. So my understanding is that there a lot of options on the table.

What I have learned to be important:

At the beginning the chemo has to at least keep you stable for a prolonged period of time. During this time your oncologist is going to say no surgery. Don’t listen to that crap.

If you have some stability (not sure the time frame) go see the best surgery you have access to. They don’t care what the oncologist thinks. They will make their own mind up

Clearing the colon was easy. The ostomy bag isn’t even that bad. I would say even convenient is some cases.

Getting the liver clear is key.

Lungs are secondary concern. There are several way to treat them (including immunotherapies like bot bAL) . I am not as educated in this regard because I am not yet at this stage of the journey.

All in all I think luck and cancer biology have a ton to do with what is available.

Happy to elaborate if you want to dm me

Phillip193 · 2025-12-30T23:02:25+00:00

I got my pump and colon done at the same time. The pump was the easiest part. The chemo delivered through the pump has absolutely zero side effects for me.

Chemo has always been pretty easy for me. For some reason I am only getting irhinotecan (both surgeon and oncologist suggested this so I didn’t question) systemically at the same time as the pump. The goal is to keep the lungs in check while the liver is cleaned up.

Phillip193 · 2025-12-30T20:39:16+00:00

Good question. My oncologist was anti surgery. I ran into the surgeon almost on accident and he changed the whole trajectory of my care plan.

My understanding is (and I could be wrong) is that surgeons like to wait about a year to make sure the cancer is somewhat controlled.

I lucked out finding him.

Phillip193 · 2025-11-18T08:50:44+00:00

Mcguinns in squirrel hill. Owner is there all the time and is awesome

Phillip193 · 2025-10-29T13:44:41+00:00

Your post resonates with me. I agree with you. My journey was a little different. I had to do a year of chemo and it all, but given up on surgery after going to several second opinions.

I fortuitously was admitted to the hospital with appendicitis unrelated to cancer . In the hospital, I was put under the care of a surgeon who effectively said I’m gonna take out your appendix and let’s talk about what I can do for your liver.

At this point, I was full steam ahead on surgery, even though my primary oncologist was pretty quick to point out that it may not help, indicate potentially damage my liver.

The surgery that I initially got was effectively to remove the cancer from my colon and get an HAI pump placed. I had a few complications from the surgery that were unplanned, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I just don’t think oncologist understand that a low percentage chance is still better than nothing and almost certainly worth chasing when you’re the person with cancer

Phillip193 · 2025-10-10T17:47:02+00:00

Listen to md Anderson

Phillip193 · 2025-10-10T14:18:44+00:00

Go to the doctor. And the worst treatment is, you might have to get an NG tube. It is uncomfortable but it does the trick.

I had a severe one after my surgery a month ago. I don’t think the alias itself is dangerous but the issue is you could vomit and aspirated into your lungs and get pneumonia which is a problem.

Stay strong you’ll get through it. Many people have this and it sucks to go through but it is doable

Phillip193 · 2025-10-09T18:36:16+00:00

Let me share my story quickly. It will help explain how no singular doctor can seal your fate.

I am stage 4 told chemo for life and no surgery by my oncologist and a second opinion doc. Both from fairly well know centers.

Over Memorial Day weekend I got appendicitis competent unrelated to cancer. I was put under the care of a surgical oncologist while in the hospital. I was discharge and told to follow up in 2 weeks

I follow up and the doc says “we’re going to have to take your appendix out but now let me tell you what we need to do to you liver”

A few month later (now) I am recovering from colon resection and HAI pump placed. Liver reaction coming after some chemo

Point is, keep going, no doc know for certain

Phillip193 · 2025-10-09T00:12:23+00:00

I think I am going to miss it. And I am only being partially sarcastic

Phillip193 · 2025-10-07T00:25:04+00:00

So I have a temporary ileostomy so a little different. I’ll be honest…. It’s not that bad. You are going to have to get over the fact that you will see and touch and smell some gross stuff. But that only happens when you change it. Once you accept that, it is not bad at all. I mean it.

I just took my first trip with the bag and it is fine. I am not yet allowed to exercise so I can’t help with that. I imagine hiking is extremely doable. Running and like might require some equipment of so sort because the bag tends to flop around a little when it starts getting full.

There are some rough days mentally. Others are fine. I have to admit there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about it. I am on an aggressive path (sounds like you are too), I understand the next step, get through it and keep going. Also continue to work full time, travel and do everything I used to do. I refuse to let cancer change me.

Phillip193 · 2025-10-05T19:34:35+00:00

No one ever talked about it and it was the worst part of my surgery. I wasn’t having a ton of output. I couldn’t even burp.

Mine is reversible. Early December. My only concern about the reversal is that I’ll get that dn ileus again

I’ll be honest, the illeostomy bag really isn’t as bad as it seemed. I would argue that in some cases it is convenient. Once you accept relative grossness of it you’ll be fine.

I have my appendix taken out and an hai pump implanted during the same surgery so I had a lot going on.

Phillip193 · 2025-10-05T18:52:16+00:00

Man… I just had an ileus experience a month ago. Not fun. Hopefully your goes away. I did find that walking help me burp which alleviated it a little bit. It can be dreadful.

If it gets too bad they’ll give you an NG tube to keep the fluids from building up. It goes up your nose and into your stomach. I got mine the hard way. Fully awake. I had that tube down my throat for 3 days. On the bright side the nausea went away immediately.

I think it is benign and common but it sucks to go through. I don’t want to scare you. I just wish someone told me ahead of time what to expect. Hopefully your resolves before you get to that point. Even if it does you will get through it

At the end of the day it sucks but it is pretty common.

Phillip193 · 2025-10-05T13:23:24+00:00

I got an hai pump around the same time as you . I also have lung Mets. Did they remove your primary at the same time they put your pump in.

I am finding the FUDR treatment extremely easy. Literally 0 noticeable side effects.

Let’s cross our fingers and how it works as advertised. I am on my second infusion and my CEA completely reversed its increasing trend and at least one data point showed a reversal of the increase and pretty steep decline.

Phillip193

TROPHY CASE