Don Wood

Good to hear.

Glad to hear the good news.

Sounds like a positive approach. My prayers are with you. Don

My prayers are with you.

Prayers for you two.

Glad to hear about your son. As for your hubby, I think the onc should be notified right away, regardless of what hubby says. It is foolish to ignore pain -- we have pain for a reason. I hope he comes to his senses. Don

Sounds very hopeful.

Funny you should mention that. Lucie's leg pain as she has undergone radiation this time was subsiding and then all of a sudden, the pain got worse. The rad onc said that sometimes when the radiation is low dose over a long period, like her present treatment, that this happens. The pain gets worse before it gets better. We shall see. Hoping that is true. Don

Just the bare facts!

Welcome! The radiation will continue to work even after the treatments are over, and this could cause him to be very tired. Zometa is a good thing for bone buildup. He must eat regularly and take his medications if he is to gain the strength to fight this disease. It does sound like he is depressed. Might want to let the onc know about this. Don

My heartfelt sympathies at the loss of your brother. Congratulations to your daughter on her graduation. Don

Love it! Go, Fay!

Ah, 70! The age of wisdom!

Glad you found us, and glad you are posting. My wife's original main tumor was on her upper spine. She has mainly bone mets, which have been treated successfully with chemo and radiation. So far, so good. Best to you. Don

Sounds good, Peggy. Praying for continued improvement. Don

So sorry you and your family have to go through all this. My prayers are with you all and your brother. Don

Cathy, glad that you had a good week and that you can count your blessings. Here's to more of the same. Don

Yep, I have one thought. The original tumor is composed of a variety of cells growing at different rates, like a general population of things. The total rate of growth is an average of all these. The cells that escape from the original site are hardier and more aggressive, and they are the ones that start new tumors. Same things about a recurrence. Most of the cells are killed off, but the hardier more aggressive ones can survive to grow again.

How about Tarceva?

It's good to plan a celebration. Go for it!

Jen, sorry that you have to go through all this, but there is a plan, and I'm hoping for success for you. Don

Congratulations, Beth. I'll drink to that!

My wife had swelling in the legs and feet during both chemo treatments. It is something the onc always looks for during treatment. She was given Lasix, a diuretic, which helped. I agree -- get this looked at right away. Don

Hi, Michael, and a hearty welcome! Sorry you have to battle this disease at such a young age. You are the same age as my youngest child (of 3). My wife also has NSCLC, Stage IV. The major tumor, when discovered, was on her upper spine at C7-T1. She also had four other bone mets on rib, skull, hip and leg. The spinal damage caused her to lose some function in her left hand (fortunately, she is right-handed), but she has no other functional problem from that. She received radiation to the spine, hip and leg while undergoing chemo. That took care of the original bunch. She has had to have radiation several times since as well as another chemo protocol. She is now 2 1/2 years out and going strong. We battle and battle and win each one so far. There is plenty of info and warm support here so take advantage of that. Good luck to you. Don

Clever!