tumor treating fields for meso - does anyone actually have experience with this?

My dad's on palliative care now so we didn't pursue TTF, but from what I understand as a provider it's usually used alongside chemo, not instead of it, and yeah it's a wearable device you keep on most of the day. Definitely worth asking Dr. Reeves about at your next appointment since Mayo has solid data on outcomes, and honestly it's one of those things where if your mom's oncologist thinks it's appropriate they'll bring it up, but there's no harm in asking directly.

Hey, I get the running on empty thing. After my EPP surgery in February I was basically a wrench that somebody forgot to oil, and that was just me dealing with my own stuff without driving anyone around. Your mom's lucky to have you doing all that.

So here's what I'd say about the TTF question. I didn't do it myself because I caught mine early and we went straight surgery route, but I talked to a couple guys at my follow-up appointments who were wearing the device and they said the biggest thing wasn't pain or anything like that. It was more just the inconvenience of it. You're supposed to wear it like 18 hours a day and yeah it's a vest basically with these electrode pads. One guy told me he had to plan around it for everything, couldn't just throw a shirt on and go. The pads also gotta stay clean and you're buying new ones and it adds up.

But here's the thing that might matter for your mom at stage III. The studies show it works better when you use it WITH chemo, not instead of. So if Dr. Reeves thinks chemo is happening anyway, then the TTF is just extra on top of extra. I'd ask him straight up at the next appointment whether he thinks it buys her any real time or if it's just one more thing wearing her down when she's already exhausted. Doctors usually appreciate when you ask that directly instead of dancing around it.

I'm glad Helen found that useful. One thing I didn't mention in my first response because honestly I was exhausted when I typed it at like 2 AM, but the device itself is pretty bulky. It's not something you hide under a shirt easily, so there's a whole adjustment piece with body image stuff that nobody really talks about. My dad looked at the literature when his oncologist brought it up back in April and just said he wasn't ready for that level of visible treatment, you know? And that was valid too.

But here's what matters for your situation: the fatigue you're describing is real and it's not sustainable. I'm a nurse practitioner so I can tell you clinically that caregiver burnout tanks decision-making ability, and then you're second-guessing everything. Before you ask Dr. Reeves about TTF, maybe ask about what palliative care could look like for your mom right now even if she's still doing active treatment. It's not giving up, it's just making sure she's comfortable enough that you're not both running on fumes. We didn't add palliative until October for my dad and I genuinely wish we'd started it earlier because those last few months got really intense and I was trying to manage everything alone.

Don't feel bad about missing details in appointments either. I literally have medical training and I still miss stuff in my dad's appointments because I'm emotionally activated. That's why bringing a notebook or even recording the appointment with the oncologist's permission is totally reasonable.

Oh I'm so glad you asked this because we literally just talked about it at our appointment last week and honestly I was confused too at first. So my mom's doing TTF right now alongside her chemo and yeah it's a device, like these electrode pads that stick to her skin where the tumor is. She wears this vest thing over it that connects to a battery pack she carries around. It's not painful but it does feel weird at first, like a tingling sensation, and she said some days the adhesive irritates her skin a little.

The thing that actually surprised me is how it's just part of her routine now? Like she wears it for hours every day but she can still move around and do stuff. She watches TV with it on, sits in the garden. Dr. Reeves explained that it works alongside chemo, not instead of it, and that for stage III it can help slow growth and sometimes improve outcomes but it's not a magic fix or anything. I think what helped me decide to ask about it was that our oncologist brought it up first, so maybe just mention at your next visit that you've been reading about it and want to know if it could be part of her treatment plan.

And hey, I get the running on empty thing. I had to miss grading for like three hours yesterday because of a follow up scan and I just sat there feeling guilty about my lesson plans while also being terrified about what they'd find. It's exhausting juggling both sides of this. But you're doing good by researching and asking questions. That matters.

I haven't done TTF myself but I know enough vets who've been through different treatment combos that I'll tell you what I've picked up. It's a device you wear, looks kinda like a vest with electrode pads. You're wearing it most of the day, usually around 18 hours or so, and yeah it's alongside chemo not instead of. The electricity part sounds weird but guys say it's not painful, just feels like a slight tingle if anything.

Here's the thing though and I'm gonna be straight with you like a drill sergeant would be. Mayo Phoenix is solid, Dr. Reeves knows his stuff. If he hasn't brought it up yet there's probably a reason. Could be her staging doesn't fit the protocol, could be other factors. Don't go in there pushing something just because you read about it at 10 PM. That's how people make bad decisions.

What I'd do instead is write down three questions before the next appointment and ask them directly. One of those questions can be "is TTF an option for my mom and if not why not." Write it down so you don't forget it when you're sitting there stressed out. I did that after my surgery in December and caught stuff I would've missed otherwise.

And look, you're doing the fourth grade thing and the caregiver thing and the insurance thing all at once. That's not sustainable. Talk to the social worker at Mayo about support resources. They have people whose job is literally to help families not burn out. I'm serious about that.

Hey, I totally get the overwhelm. When Joe was diagnosed I'd come home from teaching and just sit at the kitchen table with stacks of printouts trying to make sense of it all. The brain fog is real, especially when you're also being the caregiver AND working full-time.

So Joe did TTF actually. His oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center mentioned it as something to do alongside his chemotherapy, not instead of it. It's this device you wear on your chest where the tumor is, looks kind of like a vest with these electrode pads. You wear it like 18-20 hours a day and honestly it was way less dramatic than I expected. No pain really, just this gentle tingling sensation that you get used to pretty quick. He wore it under his shirt most days and just went about things.

The thing that surprised me was how normalized it became. By week three he wasn't even thinking about it. We traveled to one of his oncology appointments in February 2026 with the device and it was fine. The company that provides it handles a lot of the logistics which helps because you're already stretched thin enough.

Did it help? I think so but it's hard to say what's doing what when you're doing chemo and immunotherapy at the same time, you know. His scans have been stable which is what matters. But I'll be real with you, it's another thing to manage and another company calling about refills and it adds to the mental load when you're already exhausted.

I'd definitely ask Dr. Reeves about it at your next visit. Write down the question beforehand so you don't forget it in the moment like you said happens. Mayo's pretty thorough so they'll give you straight answers about whether it makes sense for your mom's specific situation.

How's your mom doing with the immunotherapy so far?

Didn't do TTF myself but I'll tell you what I know from the VA side. It's a device you wear, yeah. Looks like a vest with electrode pads. You wear it most of the day, maybe 18 hours or so. It's supposed to work alongside chemo, not replace it. Some guys at the VA have tried it and honestly the results are all over the place.

The real talk? Your mom's gonna be exhausted anyway from treatment so adding the vest is just one more thing to manage. But if Dr. Reeves thinks it could help and your mom's up for it, worth asking about. Mayo's solid on this stuff.

Here's what matters though. You're grinding hard right now and that's gonna catch up with you. I was a CPO for 20 years and I learned that you can't run a ship if the crew's burnt out. You gotta take care of yourself or you're no good to your mom. Even if it's just 20 minutes a day, you need that time. We got a second opinion at Hampton VA after my initial diagnosis in June and having someone else look at the scans gave us more options and honestly gave me peace of mind that we weren't missing something.

At your next appointment take notes or bring a recorder if they let you. I used to do this at briefings back on the Oriskany. Write down exactly what Dr. Reeves says about TTF so you're not trying to remember it at 10 PM. That'll help.

Your mom's lucky to have you fighting this with her, L. But don't forget to eat and sleep.