Ann

Choose your partners, one and all, Aspirin, Advil, or Tylenol !!! Now fling those covers with all you've got, One minute cold, the next minute hot, Circle right to the side of the bed, Grab the tissues and Sudafed. Back to the middle and don't goof off; Hold your stomach and cough, cough, cough. Forget about slippers, dash down the hall, Toss your cookies in the shower stall. Remember others on the brink; Wash your hands; wash the sink. Wipe the doorknob, The light switch too, By George, you've got the it, You're doing the Flu! P.S. Some like it cold, some like it hot; If you like neither, get the shot.

So sorry you had to look for a support group of this type but...I can tell you that you have found the very best. There are so many wonderful people here that will laugh with you, cry with you and cheer you on when you need a little push in life. My husband had sclc and I know how terrified you must be right now. Just try and pay as little attention as possible to the statistics. I know how very tempting it will be to do a Google search for amlll cell lung cancer and then sit there all night driving yourself crazy. I know, because I did that. Instead, pay attention to all of the great success stories out there....like our very own Cindy RN. Your mental state and readiness to fight will have a great outcome on how you fare with this disease! We're here to support you!!!!

What do you consider to be your very strongest character traits?

Dearest Pat...my heart is truly breaking for both you and Beth. Reading your posts bring back so many memories of the path I was walking almost three years ago to the day. You spend so much time alone, while they sleep, that your mind can make you absolutely crazy. Like others, I have no advice about whether this is caused by the treatment or the progression. I do know that Brians body has taken a real beating from Chemo for this length of time. I know that both Bill and Brian are so well loved and cared for. This is what really matters! I wish I was closer to lend support and help both of you during this tough time. I'm sending both of you lots of hugs, love and support. I'm saying prayers and begging God for positive answers. ((((((((((((((((Pat and Beth)))))))))))))))))))))))

Elaine, it is so very good to hear from you. So many of us have wondered how you have been doing. I'm so sorry that your daughter is having problems right now. It sounds like she has a very positive attitude and is ready to deal with this. I know how very worried you must be. I am so glad to hear that your test results have been looking really good. I'll keep saying prayers for you and will add your daughter to the list!

Please remember our Debbie and Alan (dchurchi) in your prayers today. Alan is not doing well. They are seeing the doctor this afternoon. Our group can send up some powerful prayers. I've seen it done so very many times. Let's please remember Alan and Debbie today.

Christy...so sorry to hear this terrible news. I'm remembering your family in my prayers. What terrible news this will be for your grandparents to deal with.

Cindy, this is wonderful news! I am so happy for you!!!

I will be doing a fried turkey this year. Everyone seems to love the taste of the fried turkey much better. I just pray my son doesn't burn the house down in the process...lol! I'm also doing a small ham, as I'm not a turkey person. I'll be cooking Southern Comfort sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole (my son's favorite thing), cranberries...and lots of pumpkin pies. Thanks for the idea of mixing horseradish and cranberry sauce to dip the turkey in. We all love horseradish on just about everything!

What a wonderful story. I know this will bring a lot of comfort to your mom right now. I am adopted and I remember the day I met my biological mother. Your story brings back so many memories for me. I'm so glad you have a big brother. It's a wonderful feeling to be "connected" to other people in life. I am saying prayers that your mom is able to enjoy a beautiful 40th anniversary on December 10th.

Heather, we are all so very proud of you! What a great job you did with this interview! You are definitely a great spokeswoman for bring attention to lung cancer!!!

Fi, so very sorry to learn of your fathers passing. I am so glad you seem to have come to terms with his death. Yes, we need to believe that they are pain free and are no longer suffering. It is so hard to let them go but I think most of us would make a decision not to bring our loved ones back if they were in pain and suffering. Thanks for sharing such a warm and heartfelt post with us. I'm sure there are so many people here that will find comfort in your words.

Peggy...I sure hope you can still use hugs, cause I'm sending a bunch of them your way. I'm so sorry this is late but I've had a nasty stomach bug and I can guarantee that you wouldn't have wanted my hugs the way I was feeling!!! Those dark, dreary days can really do us in! Just "Cowboy Up" and hang in there! I'm saying prayers that you will be feeling better. ((((((((((((((((((((((((Peggy))))))))))))))))))))))))

What will be on your traditional Thanksgiving menu? Thought we would share ideas before we all go shoppping.

Thanksgiving 2002 was a day I will never forget. Not that the memories were necessarily happy ones but are definitely ones I will have forever. Dennis was always a wonderful son that absolutely adored his mother. He was always so kind and complimentary of anything she cooked. We always had Thanksgiving dinner at her house and the meal was wonderful. On this particular day, Dennis was so weak we thought we were not going to be able to get him to the car to make the 10 minute trip to his parents house for dinner. His brother had flown in from Dallas and all the family was gathered for what appeared to be our last gathering, as Dennis was failing so rapidly. Although everyone tried to "pretend" that things were as normal, everyone was broken hearted. Usually, Dennis loved Thanksgiving and filled his plate to the brim a couple of times. I knew what trouble I had been having getting him to eat anything at all, so I put just a tiny bit of his favorite things on his plate, hoping he could eat. He ate a total of three bites during that meal. I don't think any of us realized that he would be gone in less than a month. After eating, he wanted to go to the sofa, as he was having a lot of back pain due to the spinal mets. But...he took the effort to tell his mother how very good dinner was! At this point, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. I will never forget that meal. I pray that my children will always be the wonderful sons to me that their father was to their grandmother.

Share with us a special Thanksgiving memory.

Lil...I am so sorry that you are having such a hard time of things right now. If you stop and think, maybe most of this is about timing more that situations themselves. I know this time of the year is really hard for you, as every day brings only memories of Johnnys death. Lil, you are such a firm and faithful believer in God. You know that He can and will help you cross every hurdle. Maybe your life just isn't where He would like it to be right now. My ex-boss was going through a period in life where absolutely nothing was going well for him. It seemed as if everything was a dead end road for him and every turn was wrong. Finally one day, he sat down across from my desk and started to cry. That same day, he had a long heart-to-heart with God and told God he needed to show him where he needed to be and what he needed to be doing. He told me he was just "standing on the edge" waiting for God to make the next move. Well, some very interesting changes came into his life and he made some drastic career decisions. Now, things are going much better for him. Have you ever thought that maybe you're not doing something with your life that God truly wants you to do? I'm usually not one to "preach" about this type of thing but the parallel between your recent happenings and my ex-boss are very much alike. I'm saying lots of prayers that you'll get all this figured out. You're a very strong and couragious lady and I know you can make this all work!

Ways to annoy your Public Bathroom Stallmate 1. Stick your palm open under the stall wall and ask your neighbor, "May I borrow a highlighter?" 2. Say, "Uh oh, I knew I shouldn't put my lips on that." 3. Cheer and clap loudly every time somebody breaks the silence with a bodily function noise. 4. Say, "Hmmm, I've never seen that color before." 5. Drop a marble and say, "Oh crap! My glass eye!" 6. Say, "Darn, this water is cold." 7. Grunt and strain real loud for 30 seconds and then drop a cantaloupe into the toilet bowl from a high place and sigh relaxingly. 8. Say, "Now how did that get there?" 9. Say, "Humus. Reminds me of humus." 10. Fill up a large flask with Mountain Dew. Squirt it erratically under the stall walls of your neighbors while yelling, "Whoa Easy boy!" 11. Say, "Interesting ... more sinkers than floaters" 12. Using a small squeeze tube, spread peanut butter on a wad of toilet paper and drop under the stall wall of your neighbor. Then say, "Whoops, could you kick that back over here, please?" 13. Say, "C'mon Mr. Happy! Don't fall asleep on me!! 14. Say, "Boy, that sure looks like a maggot." 15. Say, "Darn, I knew that drain hole was a little too small. Now what am I gonna do?" 16. Play a well known drum cadence over and over again on your butt cheeks.

I have also noticed this. It makes it really hard to keep dry eyes while driving. I think people have just accepted the fact that I have red eyes most of the time. It just hits me out of the blue and I can't control the tears. I have tears right now while typing this. Today, it all started when I read the post about our dear Addie.

ROFL....See what a follower I am. I knew I had read an "S" yesterday but just followed along behind Kasey anyway!

"S" is for sharing. Something that every one on this board does so wonderfully...sharing...whether it's hugs or information.

Yes, Becky...all my thoughts, prayers and positive energy is being sent Addie's way! Thank you so much for posting this!

So sorry to hear this terrible news. I know this must make things really difficult for your dad. I'll be remembering your family in my prayers.

I would say that true love is caring more for someone else than you do for yourself and being able to put the needs, wants and wishes of that person above your own. True love is looking into the eyes of that special someone and being able to see into their soul. When younger, true love was all about a magical feeling. It was about fireworks when you kissed, electricity when you touched. Now...I know all that is merely a myth...something to read about in novels and look forward to. Now, at this stage of life, I think true love is about sharing and caring. It's about holding someone's hand while they sit for chemo treatments. It's about listening to dreams that may never come true. It's about lying awake all night, just to remember what every line in their face looks like, just so you'll never forget. It's about being there and holding their hand when the good Lord calls them home. As Kenny Chesney would say....that's the good stuff!

Please let Addie know that she is in our thoughts and prayers. She is so loved on this board. Addie is such a good friend and a wamr, wonderful person. I am sending all my positive vibes in her direction. Thank you so very much for giving us this information!