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Thanks Kasey for Posting this. Have a very Merry Christmas! Lilly

It's easier to blame poor diet, cigarettes, and lack of exercise on our cancers rather than potentially blame things like estrogen from the pill or the hormones they have been adding to our food for years as well as the pesticides on our fruits and the radon emitting from the ground and the polution we breathe every time we step outside. Because then we can line up and start sueing alot more people. Unfortunately it will never change.

I was diagnosed in June 2006 with tumor on right lung and mets to lymph nodes, staged IIIA. After lung resection, dr's found brain mets and mets to adrenal gland. restaged IV. After lots of treatments and a major surgery that almost killed me, I have no evidence of disease at the moment. 3yrs and 3 mos. survivor so far. It's been a long road but I'm still alive much to my surprise and loving life every day. I have been very lucky and blessed and so thankful for all the prayers I have received. Lilly

Like connie, I also heard one shot will do it for adults. I called my oncologist and they told me to call my pulmonologist because they don't expect they will get doses of the vaccine early. She thought my pulmonologist may. I haven't called him yet. I believe children are first in line for the vaccinations. I'm not sure if I will vaccinate my kids. My plan is to get the regular flu shot next week and then follow up with the H1N1 as soon as someone will give it to me. The swine flu seems to do the most damage to people with existing respiratory illnesses. With my COPD the way it is, if I get the swine flu I could go into respiratory failure so I'll take my chances with the shot and hope it gives me some protection. Lilly

Congratulations Geri!! Great News Lilly

I'm home from MSKCC. They did a biopsy first before the CryoAblation and they tried 12 times to find cancer and came up with nothing...yipee!!! The dr. thinks that maybe the pet scan picked up some inflammation (SUV was 4.7). Anyhow, he felt that there was no reason to move forward with CryoAblation which has some risk if he couldn't find a specific spot to freeze. So I'm home and feeling great, will get scanned again in a couple months. Lilly

I'm off to Memorial Sloan tomorrow to try this CryoAblation that comes with some risk that I'm very nervous about tonight. I hope I get to talk to you all again Friday and beyond and wanted to wish you all peace. Lilly

I have not been able to cut sugar out completely but I also try and cut what I can do reasonably as I feel it is better to be safe than sorry.

Bucky was so sweet. What a wonderful woman..I am so sorry to hear this. We are losing so many to this disease, it is so unfair. Lilly

I'm with Nick on this issue. What Obama wants to do scares the hell out of me and I pray that it does not move forward. My husband is Portuguese and my family is Sicilian. We have dealt with hospitals oversea's. We actually hijacked my late father in law out of a hospital last year to get him back to the states where they would actually take care of him. In Sicily when you get to the emergency room you are put in the hallway until a bed opens. The doctors are not allowed to treat you until you are in a room. I know several people that died in hallways including my cousin from complications due to Rectal Cancer a few months ago. My mother in law waited 6 months in Portugal for an appointment to see a doctor because she couldn't walk well. My brother in law had a cyst or gash in his head and waited a month to see a doctor. These countries have National Health Care Systems. Yes, noone has to pay anything, everyone gets treated eventually but by the time some people will get treated it will be too late or they will have already been dead awhile. My cousins 9 year old daughter almost died this year drowning here in CT. She was clinically dead for several minutes but they brought her back to life and after incredible amount of work by the doctors at Hartford Hospital she fully recovered. My cousin in Sicily said to me while I was there "Thank God she was in America---they would never work that hard to keep someone alive here". What really gets me about the debate on government deciding when end of life is is that for me when I was in the hospital and went into respiratory failure one middle of the night. A young resident looked at me and said "do you want me to intubate" I said "YES". The nurse next to him started arguing that I was a lung cancer patient and they shouldn't because it was pointless in not those exact words but I got the gist of what she was saying to him. What makes her GOD? If I want to live a long time, I'm going to and noone is going to stop me...I work my *ss off so I can have medical insurance to pay precisely to keep me alive for as long as I want to put up with the treatments. I have not quit working so I don't plan to die so easily. With that said Obama and the rest of the government can go pound sand if they think they are going to choose my end of life. Sorry...my two cents. Lilly

I also started smoking at age 13 and chain smoked for 27 years. I quit smoking about two weeks after the doctors figured out there was something wrong with me and I potentially had cancer. I chewed nicotine gum and wore a patch at the same time for a little while eventually stopping the gum I kept the patch for about 3 months until I read that any nicotine either smoking, gum, patch etc lessens the effect of radiation. Well I wanted my radiation to work so I pulled the patch off and never put another one. For about a year or so after that I would occasionally crave them but then I also went into a coma after a surgery (two weeks). When I woke up I no longer had any cravings. I never ever think about it and cannot stand to smell smoke. That hospital stay also got rid of the bad coffee habit I had. I don't drink American coffee either anymore, just a morning expresso. Lilly

Kasey, I am so sorry to hear this news! I'm quite stunned and so sorry for you and the rest of Tracy's family. She really helped me alot when I first learned of my disease. She was very special. Lilly

It has been three years since my diagnosis and I'm generally doing okay...Imagine that. For those of you that remember my first post here...I was in a complete panic and thought I was going to die in a month. Thanks to everyone who calmed me down with your responses and your continued support over these three years. I'm ready for when this thing comes back to fight on! As much as I respect God, I'm not going easy...I have alot to contribute still. Lilly

Brian, I'm sorry all this has happened to you. You have really been through alot. I am also Stage IV and am 43 years old with a 15 year old, 9 year old and three year old at home. I know it is not easy. I also work full time and am the primary financial resource for my family. My husband has been a great support and I'm at a good place now. In remission since September although I think it is back but won't know for sure until August when I get my Pet Scan. (I've had some familiar pain lately). I tend to live my life in monthly increments with big goals with bigger stretches. Right now, my goal is to make it to October 10th for my 25th High School class reunion. I'm on the committee so it is very important to me to be there. After that it will be something else I'm sure. Fight hard to stay alive and exercise whenever you can even though it is hard to breathe. I have fluid around my heart..it has been there for three years and it does make it difficult. (I hate stairs)...Anyhow...You are in my thoughts and prayers. Lilly

Hi Sue, I'm sorry you had to join our group but there are alot of people here that understand what you are going through. I am also stage IV NSCLC. Currently with no evidence of disease. I'm almost three years from diagnosis. I on the other hand did smoke up until the time I was diagnosed but I believe I would have gotten this even if I never did. I think the food we eat and the air we breath causes cancer as much as the smoking might. Anyhow...you are right, starting off healthy probably makes dealing with the chemo easier. I like you work and kept working all through treatment. It wasn't always easy but for me well worth it. Lilly