Wendy

Powerful prayers coming you way, Wendy

Great to hear that the biopsy went well. Keep hanging tough! Wendy

One similar product to the Boost/ensure drinks is Carnation instant breakfast powder. It contains the nutrients that are in Boost and Ensure without the heavy after taste. I actually mixed it in with ice cream. In truth though, what ever sounds good to her give her. Junk food isn't going to kill her and may even bring a smile to her face to be eating a box of chocolates and not worrying about gaining a pound - kind of like a mischievious kid. Good luck and keep us posted. Wendy

I am glad that your appointment went good. Confidence in your doctor is half the battle I believe. Hang in there tomorrow - know that we are all pulling for good results! Wendy

Prayers to you and yours, Wendy

PRAISE AND COURAGE THAT WE ALL CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE BEING SEEN BALD AND BEAUTIFUL!

Good morning to all, Can't believe I am wide awake at 3 am - I love to sleep. AS we have all seen, life with cancer has a way of messing with the mind The one thing that I have thought since diagnosis was that this illness gave me the opportunity to reexamine my life and make adjustments to make whatever time I have left - say another 40 years or so - and make my life more fulfilling. You know the "this is a sign" to make a difference somehow mentality. I have made the big changes - dial back the job and stress levels, enjoy my families and friends more, cherish the small things, tell people how important they are to me always, etc...... But I haven't figured out "what I should be doing" or "what is the reason that I got sick". I am approaching my 1 year anniversary and feel like I should have figured it out by now. The down side is - I am at a loss, havent figured anything out. Sometimes I feel panicked about it, others I think I am making to much out of it and maybe I should just relax and enjoy the ride. I am sure there will be wide varying thoughts on this one, I would think that I am not the only one that has gone through this process. Did many of you come to some big revalation? Did you end up making major changes in your lives? Thoughts??? Thanks in advance!! Wendy

Yeah this stuff does suck! It seems like it is a never ending roller coaster. Hopefully your sister is on the road to recovery now. Wendy

My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. I wish there was a magic wand I could wave to make it all better for you (and all of us for that matter). Wendy

Man I sure am sorry to hear about your friend - this cancer stuff is so scary and takes so many wonderful people from us. On the plus side, glad to hear that your mom can now have surgery!! As far as the surgery hospital time it seems to vary so much. I was in 5 days and had my entire left lung removed. No rib removal. I think alot of the recovery depends on how health the person is in general and their pain tolerance. Good luck and keep us posted, Wendy

Hang tuff kiddo! Its ok to be scared - this is some scary shi_ we are dealing with. One things for sure, you have a huge fan club here with you by your side pulling for you. Thinking of you and positive feedback from your surgeon's appointment tomorrow. Wendy

Sounds like a good report to me - Congratulations! Test time is always such a stressful time. Wendy

I agree with the others that most of the time problems arise from the radiation. I actually found about the cancer by having acid reflux problems that they were examining me for. I would definetly see if he is having a problem with that. It is pretty easy to diagnose and pretty easy to treat with a pill and change in eating habits. Add chemo to the mix and my reflux actually got worse for a little while. I did however have problems from my surgery that paralyzed one of my vocal cords. Early on I had tons of gagging problems and was actually hospitalized for a week because I couldn't get anything down my throat without gagging on it. This type of problem occurs in about 3-5% surgical lung patients. Could this add to Joel's problem? Who knows it doesn't hurt to find out. Hopefully Joel will glide on through the chemo without any more problems and that the gagging will subside soon. Lets us know how he is doing, Wendy

Heres to hoping from just some aches and pains and nothing more! Wendy

Hey Cindi, Flowers would be carnations - mixed bouquet. No roses here, my cat Felix eats them for breakfast! Drinks, it's been so long that anything I try may put me over the edge, but how about a pina colada on a tranquil beach in the carribean daydreaming...... Oh sorry I let it get away from me. Cheers everyone, Wendy

Sorry to say that I also had the fun after effects that you mentioned. I lost weight during treatment (some to throat issues not chemo) but gained every last 20 pounds back the month after treatment ended. Darn it.....I kinda liked the little girlish figure that went with the balding head. The aches and pains hit me after treatment too, I swear it gave me arthritis, but low and behold that is starting to get better too. I had taxotere too which really was hard on my body and my nails.....don't know about you but seems like they are now paper thin. Hot flashes - oh yeah......I wasn't menopausal at the start of the adventure and I sure hoped that I would have been pushed into menopause from the treatments but lo an behold it was not to be. Geez isn't this a fun ride? My advise, be good to yourself, pamper yourself - take a long bath and give yourself a manicure. Try to relax and not think of the cancer adventure for one full day. The weight gain can always be lost again, your good health is more important now. Take care, Wendy

Thanks everyone for your wishes and suppport! Wendy

Patience is a virtue, something I don't have much of - Hang in there Maryanne. Glad to hear that Joel is making progress in the right direction!! Wendy

I can smell the baby's scent from here! Congratulations - we are all such miracles when you think of it! Wendy

Prayers that surgery is in your near future. Wendy

Just wanted to let everyone know that I finally had my paralyzed vocal cord operated on this past week. They implanted a disk into the vocal cord which makes it vibrate again. The operation was a complete success. Throat is a bit sore still but managable in comparison to what I have been through prior to this surgery. Let me tell you it has been a rather weird experience. Since the vocal cord is vibrating with this implant, I make all kinds of weird noises all by my self - on accident- A squeek here, a squwach there...... Seems I need to learn how to breath and talk again differently? I had hoped to come out of the surgery with Whitney Houston's voice....not a bunch of squacking (tee-hee-hee). Oh well, I will let you know in a few weeks what I end up sounding like. Cheers to another medical miracle - Thyroplasty. Wendy

Addie, sorry about the crappy news. Sounds like oyu are being watched close and will have a plan of attack soon. Prayers are coming your way, Wendy

Praying for good results! Wendy

Congratulations on your two year journey, cheers to continued good health! Wendy

Beth this sucks! Hang in there though, as so many has said - they don't really know how long any of us have. You are strong and young, you are a fighter, don't give up the fight! Praying for good health. Wendy