Don Wood

Praye4s comin'.

Oncodoc! Oncodoc! Rah! Rah! Rah!

Incredible times. Prayers said.

Very well said, and thanks.

Rich, glad things have gotten better and I wish for that to continue. You actually have two years on me as a heart bypass survivor. Let's have a glass of red wine to celebrate! Don

1) Taxotere discolored Lucie's fingernails and toenails, so I would not be surprised if chemo turns the polish. 2) I have a friend who has kept his metastatic prostate cancer at bay with acupuncture for about 4 years.

Song by Josh Grogan When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary; When troubles come and my heart burdened be; Then, I am still and wait here in the silence, Until you come and sit awhile with me. You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains, You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; I am strong, when I am on your shoulders, You raise me up to more than I can be. There is no life - no life without its hunger; Each restless heart beats so imperfectly, But when you come and I am filled with wonder, Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity. You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains, You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; I am strong, when I am on your shoulders, You raise me up to more than I can be.

I know I am not the lung cancer survivor here, but I am a caregiver. So I decided to post here to emphasize that caregivers have to take care of themselves as well. I had my annual physical today and everything was in normal range -- in other words, I passed with flying colors! I think we will celebrate. Don

I thought SUV was for sports utility vehicle, so that shows how clued in I am on this. If your husband has two large tumors on his spine, I'm wondering why they have not been treated with radiation to reduce or remove them. I would think even without pain they would threaten the integrity of the spine. Don

That ought to get a rise!

Glad you found Dr. Farat. Glad you are putting your trust and faith in God. All the best. Don

Geoff, prayers for you and your mom. Don

Hi, Xena in the UK! Welcome. Don't give up hope and pressing for the best treatments. My wife was given 9 months and is now at 2 years. Keep us posted. Don

That sounds really tough, Teresa. I know -- it's a tough job, but someone has to do it! Have fun! Don

Sharon, I am so sorry. My prayers are with you all. Don

Now that's funny! I was wondering about Frank (the one in the story, of course) myself.

Welcome! I am not sure what you want specifically. My wife is a NSCLC, Stage IV survivor of two years and has weathered the cancer as well as systemic staph infection and bilateral pneumonia. There is always hope. Don

Kim, I am so sorry for this turn of events with your mom. Prayers for you all. I can relate to your dad. Two years ago in December, Lucie was in the hospital on Christmas eve with systemic staph infection and almost died. Two of my choldren were present when I reached over to hug her and burst out crying. My kids have not seen me cry many times. It was a bit rattling for them. I felt very desperate at the time. She did pull through, obviously. I wish you all a better turn. Don

I can relate, Fay.

I like oncodoc's answer. Lucie has had the present port now since January 2003. We are glad she did not have it removed when treatment was completed in May 2003 because she has small hidden veins and the second round of chemo she is presently under is so much easier with it. Since she is Stage IV, we plan to keep the port in. The first one was installed in Nov. 2002 and she got a staph infection in it that went systemic while she was in the hospital in December. The second one has not had any problems because it is only used for chemo and is flushed regularly. Don

Joe, I appreciate your opinons from your perspective. Makes me think broader. No way would we toss you off here. Now that we've got you, you're stuck with us! Your approach to your patients is hopeful -- for quality time, for more time. That is what I seek for Lucie. I know to whom you refer here in Houston and I think he is a quack -- I would not recommend him to anyone. The second opinion or new onc, in my opintion, is not one of those types. And I agree with DeanCarl that it is ultimately the patient's decision, and should be. Hang in there with us us, doc, and we will all be better off. Don

I know this is nitpicky, but as I recall (and I'm old enough to do so), the Twist was popular in the early '60's.

What a great honor! Enjoy to the hilt! Don

Welcome! I agree you should get a second opinion, maybe even a new Oncologist. I would not want an onc treating my wife who did not give her hope and was not doing all he or she could to lengthen her life. If you have guys on the football team whose hearts are not in the game, you lose the game. My two cents. Don

Welcome! I agree you should get a second opinion, maybe even a new Oncologist. I would not want an onc treating my wife who did not give her hope and was not doing all he or she could to lengthen her life. If you have guys on the football team whose hearts are not in the game, you lose the game. My two cents. Don