marion

I started out with l tablet for one month. Had the usual side effects. The next month my doctor decreased it to 1/2 tablet a day. This past Thursday, he has increased it to 5 tablets a week and I see him again in a month. I guess he is working me up to full strength and maybe not so bad side effects. We will see. Marion

From Aug 2004 to Sept 2004 took total dose of Iressa and had the usual side effects. When went back last month, he cut the dosage in half. Yesterday, I went back again and he has increased the dosage to 5 pills a week. Trying to work me back up. I have not been taken off completely at any time. I do take Imodiium AD about every other day. But I stillhave trouble with tummy. When I was on the 1/2 dosage; my appetite was a whole lot better and I felt a lot better also. Don't know what the increase in dosage will do. Will wait and see. marion

GREAT GREAT GREAT. marion

I am sorry for you and your dad at the loss of your mom. When you have great parents; there is nothing that can replace them. I know from experience. Peace be with all of you. Marion

I would like to apologize for the capital letters in some of my correspondence. I did NOT realize that typing in capital letters was the same as screaming in computer talk. I am not that computer literate. Someone mentioned this in one of their letters. Please excuse. Marion

HAVE HAD A COUGH MY WHOLE LIFE. SOME DAYS MORE THAN OTHERS FROM CHRONIC BRONCHIAL PROBLEMS. BUT IN THINKING BACK I CAN REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS DIFFERENT AND I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AT THE TIME BUT IT ACTUALLY DIDN'T SOUND AS BAD AS MY USUAL COUGH. I THINK IT WAS A SHORT DRY COUGH. I GUESS THAT WAS THE REASON I NOTICED IT FOR MY OTHER COUGH IS A DEEP COUGH. SOUNDS REAL BAD BUT IT WAS SOMETHING I HAD LEARN TO LIVE WITH. MARION

I WAS ON CARBOPLATIN/GEMZAR FROM NOV. 2003 OFF AND ON UNTIL JULY 2004. THEN THE DOCTOR PUT ME ON IRESSA. I EVEN FORGOT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY ABOUT THIS AND DIDN' REALIZE THAT I SHOULD HAVE UNTIL I WAS READING UP ON IT ON THE COMPUTER. HAD NO TROUBLE WITH INSURANCE COMPANY AND AM ON MY SECOND PRESCRIPTION. HE DID CUT THE DOSAGE IN HALF THIS TIME. PLACES ON SPINE AND HIP WERE GONE AND SLOWER ACTIVITY ON LUNG AND LYMPH NODE IN JULY 2004 AND THEN THAT WAS WHEN HE PUT ME ON IRESSA. MARION

I am on Iressa and it seems to be working for me also. I am so happy for you and yours. ABOUT HOPE: I don't look at it as losing hope when you are preparing yourself for the next step if needed. If you had lost HOPE, you wouldn't be doing anything. I like to prepare myself as best as I can for the worse, so that when and if that should come, I won't have so far to fall. I am like my daddy; looking at the hole in the doughnut instead of the doughnut itself. I think you can have all the HOPE in the world but I, MYSELF, try to look at the down side also. Just being practical. Marion THERE AGAIN THESE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS

GREAT GREAT GREAT GRE--------A-T--------AT-------AT. MARION

i AM VERY SORRY. PEACE BE WITH YOU AND YOURS. MARION

tOOK CARBOPLATIN AND GEMZAR FROM NOV.2003 TIL JULY 2004. COULD NOT ALWAYS TAKE CHEMO BECAUSE OF LOW PLATELETS AND BLOOD COUNT. PET SCAN THE LAST OF JUNE 2004 SHOW PLACES ON HIP AND SPINE GONE AND SLOWER ACTIVITY IN LUNG AND LYMPH NODE. MY HAIR HAD THINNED DURING THIS. STARTED IRESSA 8/04 TO 9/04. 250 MG. ONCE A DAY. HAD DIAHAREA, FACE BROKE OUT AROUND NOSE AND CHIN (ACNE LIKE) APPETITE DECREASED AND TIREDNESS. PET SCAN IN SEPT. THIS SCAN SHOWS NOTHING SMALLER THAN A LIMA BEAN AND NOTHING WAS SEEN ON THE PET SCAN. STARTED TAKING IT AGAIN BUT HAVE CUT THE DOSAGE IN HALF. SIDE EFFECTS ARE NOT AS SEVERE AS WHEN TAKING WHOLE PILL. BUT THE RESULTS WERE WORTH IT. MARION

YES, THE DOCTOR HAS PUT ME BACK ON IRESSA. IN FACT, WHEN HE GAVE ME THE PRESCRIPTION BACK IN AUGUST,. HE PUT 12 REFILLS. I TOLD MY FAMILY HE WAS BEING OPTIMISTIC. HOPE IT KEEPS ON WORKING AND I CAN GET THOSE REFILLS AND MORE. HE DID CUT THE DOSAGE IN HALF. MY FACE IS NOT BREAKING OUT AS BAD AND APPETITE IS STILL GOOD. SINCE ALL THIS STARTED LAST YEAR; I HAVE LOST ABOUT 17 OR 18 POUNDS. NOT THAT I DIDN'T NEED TO LOSE THAT WEIGHT BUT NOT UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE PET SCAN I HAD IN SEPT. CAME UP CLEAR. MARION

oN MY LAST PET SCAN IN EARLY SEPT. ALL WAS CLEAR. I AM ON IRESSA NOW. DID ANY OF YOU STILL GET TIRED EVEN THOUGH YOU HAD THIS TYPE OF REPORT. LAST NITE I MENTIONED THAT I HAD LAID DOWN THAT AFTERNOON BECAUSE I WAS TIRED. THE OTHER PERSON ASKED ME WHAT I HAD DONE AND I REALLY HADN'T DONE MUCH OF ANYTHING. THAT GOT ME TO THINKING. SO WILL YOU STILL BE WEAK EVEN THOUGH NOTHING SHOWS UP ON THE SCAN. I FIGURED YOU COULD BE. MARION

i AM SORRY FOR THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING. BUT PEACE BE WITH YOUR MOTHER, YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. MARION

ON THE HAIR LOSS; I HAD STARTED LOSING MY HAIR BEFORE I EVER STARTED ON IRESSA. SNOWFLAKE, I AM GLAD YOU BROUGHT THIS TO MY ATTENTION. THANKS. MARION

AM SORRY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY'S PAIN. MAY PEACE BE WITH YOU AS I KNOW IT IS WITH SCOTT. MARION

I HAD THE CARBOPLATIN AN GEMZAR. SOMETIME THERE WAS SOME PAIN AT FIRST GOING IN BUT DID NOT LAST LONG AND I DIDN'T PAY ANY ATTENTION AS TO WHICH BAG IT WAS. I DID NOT LOSE ALL MY HAIR BUT IT HAS THINNED RIGHT MUCH. EYEBROWS ALSO. I AM ON IRESSA NOW. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I HAD WAS FIND A VEIN TO PUT THE IV IN. DID NOT HAVE TROUBLE WITH PAIN AT IV SITE AFTER COMPLETION. MARION

GREAT GREAT GREAT. Marion

If we don't have someone doing this research, we will never find a cure.Even though I think some people's make up is incline to get certain diseases and others aren't. I often think of my older sister who always ate, slept and anything else right and she had breast cancer back in the early 60"s. She had a radical mastectomy and that was all that was done and has had no recurrance of cancer in her life. She is 80 now. Was radiation and chemo available then?. I don't know. Now my brother and his wife smoked for years and neither have had lung cancer. He has had prostate cancer. Neither mom or dad had cancer. Lived to be in mid 80's. Remember when they said cancer of the liver ( I don't know how to spell the P word) was caused by drinking. And there are people with this disease that did not drink. At least I've been told this.It just looks like some of us have what it takes to get this disease and some don't. Dr. Joe, I know this isn't very scientific or medical wise but could there be a certain weakness in our systems that would make us more prone to get cancer when exposed to certain elements. If I sound like a green horn; please forgive. Marion

I am so sorry. Peace be with you and yours. Marion

GET WELL SOON GIRL. WE ARE ALL PULLING AND PRAYING FOR YOU. MARION

I think it was the side effects. My face broke out bad around nose and chin. Just like a teenager. It really took my appetite and that made me weak. But the last week of the treatment; I felt like my appetite was getting a tad better. My skin was rough and had diahreah (spelling). i did take Imodium for that. I took last pill Sept 2 and am back to eating full force now. Don't know what will happen when I go back on it. Will keep you posted. Marion

Went to onc today and he is keeping me on the Iressa for the next month but he has cut the dosage in half. Also began taking Procrit today. See him again in October. Marion

I agree with all of the above, WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME. Thanks for interest. marion

I agree with all of the above, WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME. Thanks for interest. marion