Don

I drink a can of boost (Chocolate is my favorite) each day and I take 1 oz of Miracle 2000 each day. Selenium is fast becoming a known mineral of fighting and slowing down cancer growth and both products have selenium and a balance of other recommended vitiams. God Bless All and keep the faith. Don PS During treatment I did not take any vitiams except my can of boost each day figuring it is made by Mead Johnson which is owned by Bristol Myers which makes a large amount of chemo. I hoped that it was designed to work with the chemo and repair only good cells. I was afraid that too many vitiams might make the cancer cells better and stronger. This is my opinion and there are no facts that I know of to back this up but my onc kept telling me during my treatment that whatever I was doing keep it up cause I am cancer free now. What is your ideas?

Hey Sharlene, Am so glad you have taken control of the cancer and your life. Only you know whats best for you and we all go down different roads but we meet up sooner or later. God Bless Don

Sorry about the fear factor Sharlene but I am retired military and when I say hop, skip, and jump I mean it cause I dont want to see anyone go down from cancer and if its a grumpy word from me that motivates and gets them off the pity sofa then ok by me. When onc said I might have 2 weeks left I said dont worry doc am gonna make you famous. I got down right serious about what everyone one said I cant do and then I did it. Today I am back to breaking horses for customers and getting tossed around like a little monkey and loving every second of it and I am not looking back for anyone. So if any of you want to get on this lets go, giddy up, and ride into the face of cancer like we have no common sense then call 1 800 298 2436 and ask for a phone buddy by the name of Don. Web site www.alcase.org. Its free and I love to argue so give me call. God Bless Don PS Sharlene you are so nice to me LOL.....

Hey Sharlene, I think you need a appointment with a neurosurgeon to really explain the gamma knife cause it can be used to do 4 at a time and can be repeated again. I have a excellent report that Dr Mark Kinskey who is a surgical neuro-oncologist at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock wrote that Radio surgery is now the primary treatment for metastatic brain tumors and plays an evergrowing role in the treatment of other neurological disorders. That is his quote. Gamma Knife can be used for one to four lesions in patients who are doing well functionally in controlling their primary cancer Dr Linskey estimates that description fits about more than 500 of the estimated 1,000 new metastatic brain tumor patients diagnosed in Arkansas every year. WBR can still be used at a later date if needed but the question that most of the neurosurgeon ask is why radiate the whole brain when they now have a way to kill just the tumor. All I can say is that I had Gamma Knife and now they cant find any evidence that I ever had one and the chances of another one forming there is extremly low if not zero unless it comes back in my lungs first. I say check out all the options first. God Bless Don

Dani, I have had second line treatment and it was topotecan. Worked well for me. When I had a Pet scan last Oct they really couldnt make up their mind if it was still the old cancer, cancer coming back or scar tissue. That is not fault of anyone its just that sometimes it is harder to read scans for some reason. Well anyway my onc said well lets start 2nd round treatment and lets hit it again while we are ahead. If you read my profile you will see how far I have had to go. Is not easy road as you know but it is possible if you are willing. If you call ALCASE at 1 800 298-2436 or look at www.alcase.org and ask for a phone buddy named Don. They will get some info from you and then they will pass it on to me and I will call you or your mother. This is all free of charge so please use it. CANT HURT. Dont assume the worst, think of the best and keep the faith. God Bless Don

Your Welcome Cat. ALCASE has given me a great opportunity to talk with people like you and I enjoyed our conversation so much. I want you to keep the faith and use this second chance. Your sprit is rising now. God Bless Don ALCASE is at www.alcase.org if anyone would like to visit the site and their phone number is 1-800-298-2436 and tell them you want a phone buddy. If we all work together pulling each other up we can beat this cancer. And its all free of charge. God Bless All. REMEMBER: November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Wear your pin.

Not sure what a thecal sak is but sounds like it needs to go out with the trash. Good Luck and God Bless. Keep the faith. Don

Now thats what I am talking about. God Bless Don

Welcome to the group. The people here are very supportive and lots of good info. Keep up the good work on your chemo treatments and keep the faith. God Bless Don

Hello Don. My name is Don also. I understand how you feel. My father passed away. Just when we starting hanging together, me going to his constuction sites working doing little things, we started hunting together and he was even teaching me to drive the old family truck. He had just bought the first family boat so summer was going to bring great fun in the sun. I worshiped the ground that my father walked on and my shadow was never very far from him. The last time I saw my dad was when he stopped at my school bus stop that morning to give me and my sisters money for ice cream at lunch. Later that day he was killed in a hunting accident. I was only 12 years old. Just when life started it ended. The one difference we had is your mother lived to share a life with you and in her time of need you were there for her all the way. My hat is off to you for such dedication to a parent. But now that is over with and you must carry her memory in your heart and in your soul never looking back only looking forward to the day that you go home to God where your mother will be standing in her favorite dress looking as pretty as you have ever remembered her. You are a very lucky man. Now as mom would say get up, get over, and get on with it.

I was considered extensive with superior vena cava. Inside both lungs, outside both lungs, bleeding out the nose and and looked like a balloon. My onc said lets see if we can clean up lungs first then we will watch the brain. Well after a few months I had a very large tumor show up in the brain and rad doc sent me to brain doc who said why do whole brain rad when we can do gamma knife and really smack that tumor. I said cool go for it and today that brain tumor doesnt even show up just empy space LOL. His opinion is if you dont have it dont do it and see how or what new procedures come up since it is almost a daily thing. Also like he said let us save frying the brain till a later date when you might really need it. I kinda joke as I write this but I try to look at the brighter side of things. May God Bless You and keep the faith. Went to Denny's for breakfast 1 hour after gamma knife. Don

I can understand how you feel but I dont want to waste time worrying if it will come back. After all that we have gone through with chemo, radiation, drugs and endless nigths of worry its time to ease up and let life just take you for a wonderful ride. Like my Doc told me now go enjoy life and live everyday to the max. So I went back to breaking and training horses and I am making plans for the future not the past. Good luck and may God Bless You. Keep the faith. Don

Well said indeed. Is amazing when we look up what we see.

Welcome to the group.

Sorry www.alcase.org. always get that com and org and gov confused. i use the net to sleep on

Thank you all for those nice comments. Still checking the lids everyday and saying thanks for being here. I invite all of you to look at www.alcase.com and see what they do also. The phone buddy program is great and I enjoy being part of that also. We have had to learn alot about something that is not well received and now is time to pay back and help others. So if I can help please let me know, I will be happy to talk with you here or on the phone. God Bless all of you and keep that and when someone ask how you doing give them that

Thank you all for the warm welcome. I hope that I can be of help and will always take time to answer your questions or just talk. God Bless.

Are you talking about Gamma Knife?

Here is a pic of me and one of my cats in mental therapy and also checking to see if any holes in eyelids. If you have read my profile then you see that I had a slight problem on my hands in Jan 03. Only being given possible 2 weeks is a real wake up call. Well am not sure if I should post this here but here goes anyway. People ask me Don how in the world did you make it the last 2 yrs and you look and act as if you never had cancer. My reply I dont have cancer the cancer has me to deal with. A person has to overcome mentally the shock of having cancer. Yes you must deal with doing everything your doctor says, doing chemo, radiation, meds, eating right, drinking fluids, and getting lots of rest. Your body heals better during sleep than at any other time. My opinion of course. Look at picture for proper eye positions. But always remember that there are many people out there that have more problems and we are lucky to have done the things we have done. I also looked to God. I know that each day I wake up is a blessing and to try and enjoy all of it with whomever I am around and realize that if things go bad that the place we are going is even much better than where we are now and we wont have cancer to deal with. Think of the many that have gone before us that we will get to see and hug again. This my friend is called faith. Faith leads us through all times good and bad. Well I have rambled enough for now but if anyone ever needs my help please email me and I will send my phone number to you. Get up and walk today, look at the sky and say Thank You Jesus for letting me have this time to and with your strength I will fight the battle of cancer without question cause I have FAITH. God Bless and Thank You for reading this.

18 Dec 02 my wife ask me what I wanted for my birdthday. I said for her and I both to quit cold turkey and never look back. We did it so I would like to congratulate all those that have made the break from that nasty thing. 3 weeks after I quit I was told that I have sclc. Hmmm wonder what me think of quitting. Can smell so much more now and clothes stink alot less.

Thank all of you for the welcome. After looking at many of the posts on other topics please dont feel like you have to be sorry am here due to cancer or ever feel bad for me. Getting sclc was a blessing for me. It has changed me from a very mean tough guy attitude to a very humble, have all of the time to talk to anyone, happy, and giving type person. It was like getting a second chance at life and I would not trade it for anything. We as cancer patients get to see life different from anyone and play the odds like a Vegas gambler. God will take care of us in the end and in the present it is up to us to make the most of everything. I have enjoyed being a member of the bald head group not once but twice for me now. I also am a phone buddy with the ALCASE program which is another great group of people. So, if I can help with Gamma Knife questions, chemo or just plain am fed up with treatment please ask. Smile cuz you know you look good and God loves you for it.

How do I post a picture on here.

Hi everyone. Am Don and I am a SCLC survivor. Had superior vena cava since Jan 03, a brain tumor, and several other things that could go wrong. But asm still here, enjoy each day and I hope that I can help someone or at least tell a joke now and then. First Joke: I had Topotecan as a 2nd line treatment. When doc ask if I had any side effects I said hmmmm everytime I pass Wal-Mart I want to stop and buy a pair of panty hose. For anyone that doesnt know Topotecan is mostly used for women with overian cancer. By the way I cant spell either and chemo must have done that to me. I forget everything especially bills again due to chemo. I blame everything on chemo even my wife's cooking. Can you all put up with someone like me.