mike_s

That business with the tigers was not my brightest moment. Did I tell you that while I was petting them I had an epiphany? "This isn't the west. There is no-one in a tower with a rifle to take this monster out if he decides to eat me, and worse all of the attendants are Buddhists who would no doubt feel very bad, but believe it was karma." I was just so sure I was going to die that I felt I had to rush to do a bunch of things that I did not want to miss. I am a little more relaxed now. I do still have the shirt, though. No I did not. Very, very cool. I will try to stop by more. Frances Bean looked me up on Facebook and after talking with her, I felt bad I had not stopped by. Thank you very much.Best Regards, mike_s

You are welcome. Nice to meet you. I will try to drop by more! Best Regards, mds

I went to look up Dr. Ross for my 10 year anniversary, and found that she is now working for the Mayo Clinic. I am still a fan of Providence, though. They have a new cancer wing too! Let us hope neither of us ever need it. Best Regards, mds

I was very lucky that I was in very good physical shape(martial arts) when I was diagnosed. My doctor told me that the treatment she was about to give me would kill 60% of her patients. I can understand very well how you could not tolerate it. I almost could not. I asked her why she was giving me the second round of Chemo since I was NED, and her response was "LC is sneaky". I cannot fault her judgement. I will try to stop by occasionally to say hi. You have already beat the odds. Good Luck continuing to beat them. Best Regards, mds

I got an email from an old friend in this group, and it reminded me that I have not been on in years. Since I got massive support from all of the people here when I was sick this made me feel very, very guilty. I have updated my signature to indicate that I am still NED. My wife Naphalai and I are still happily married(7 years now), and my company is doing great. I moved to Vancouver WA from Portland OR to be closer to my work. We plan on retiring to Thailand in a few years. Even in the NSCLC community, miracles do happen; I am one of them. I am very grateful to everyone here for supporting me through what was one of the roughest periods in my life. Be well. Best Regards, Michael and Naphalai

It is a good thing that I am not the kind of guy to say "I told you so", because now is when I would say it...... Congratulations mike_s

I feel a lot better now. I have heard mostly good about Kaiser, but I consider my doctors to be the "A-Team" because of the results they got for me, given my advanced stage. Financially this is great! I get to go from $620 for one, to $297 for two. Happy days! Best Regards, mike_s and Naphalai

If all else fails, contact the Insurance Commissioner for your state to see if they might help. States vary, but they are supposed to be an advocate for you, not the Insurance Company. Insurance companies really do not like phone calls from that office, because they have the power to pull the Insurance Companies license to operate in your state. Best Regards, mike_s and Naphalai

My radiologist was going on vacation to Hawaii for a week, and my throat was sore so I asked if they could stop while he was gone. They stopped both chemo and radiation for a week, which really helped me cope. They said it wass important to stop both, because they interact. A drink made from ice cream, Carnation instant breakfasts, and milk helped keep my weight loss down. More iron than ensure, and tasted better. Best Regards, mike_s and Naphalai

Amazing people for the longest time!! She was definitely an inspiration to me after I was diagnosed IIIB. Keep rockin Connie! Best Regards, mike_s and Naphalai

I just hit 4 years... Welcome, mike_s and Naphalai

Hopefully in Oregon? Hello, all. I am back to annoy everyone again. When I was diagnosed, I was uninsured, which really sucked. I have since gotten insurance through the state of Washington, but it is costing me $620/month for one person. My wife Naphalai just became elgible for insurance through Kaiser that is mostly employer-paid, but you must go to Kaiser doctors, etc. I am quite happy with my existing doctors at Providence, but the $620/month is killing me. Does anyone have anything positive or negative to say about NSCLC treatment via Kaiser? I do not expect a re-occurance, but the time you get one is not the time to find out your doctors really are not very good. Best Regards, mike_s and Napalai

I actually stop by much more frequently that the "drive-by" schedule would indicate. I just don't post much; I am not a terribly talkative guy on the web. Usually when I want to say something, five others have said it before, so what is the point? Thank you. Things are going very, very well. Makes me nervous. Best Regards, mds

Kind of like ConnieB was for me when I got here. I was terrified. I try to, but I am working a lot of hours for a startup company and it seems like time goes by so fast anymore... It seems like I just turn around, and my oncologist is calling me to schedule another CT scan. Whenever I get scanned, I try to come by to encourage anyone who is new, especially if they have one of the later stages. Miracles do happen! Best Regards, mike_s

Hello all, just stopped by to let you know I am still doing well. A clean CT makes for a very happy Thanksgiving. I got to introduce my lovely Thai wife to the organized American gluttony that is Thanksgiving, closely followed by the "Turkey coma". We had a ball with my whole family. I married off one of my daughters, and the other is a software engineer who swears she will never marry. Quite a change from when I was diagnosed, and had a daughter halfway through college, and one in trouble in high school. I have a lot to be thankful for. Thanks to everyone here for your support over the years, and congrats to all with good news. Best Regards, mike_s PS - I am rooting for you with your surgery ConnieB!!