Don Wood

This is a hard one to call. Your husband seems to be in good shape right now. Forget the statistics. There are many on this board who are Stage IV and living on. My wife is two years from Stage IV diagnosis. One thing we caregivers have to remember is that the patient has to have something he or she can work towards, goals to achieve. As soon as my wife was able, we took a trip to Scotland last May because she always wanted to go there. Having something to work toward, to live for, gives them strength to move on and feel optimistic. Since this is a financial deal, only you and your husband can assess if the risk is worth it. I tend to say, "Go for your dreams", but I am not in your shoes. How many people of good health make big plans and commitments, and then are suddenly killed by heart attack, car accident. etc? We never know. Follow your heart. Best to you both. Don

Hi, Marion! Your story is similar to my wife's. She was diagnosed two years ago with NSCLC, Stage IV, with metastasis to five bone areas. She was a non-smoker, but had asthma as a child, and lots of allergy problems. She started out with Taxotere/Carboplatin and radiation, which took care of everything for about a year. She took Iressa for about a month,but it caused pneumonia, so she was taken off that. She took Zometa for bone mets for a while and then they switched her to Aredia. She is presently taking Navelbine for new spots. Glad you have joined us. Best to you. Don

A day to cherish always.

Kim, thanks for the update on your mom. Hang in there. Don

Sounds like "fast food" to me.

Nell, you are a good friend to these people. They are fortunate to have your support and caring. Now -- of course, this woman your friend talked with believes that all will be like her husband's case. Not true. Each one is different. When Lucie was diagnosed with LC two years ago (YES, two years!), she was Stage IV, with five bone mets, three of them very large. She went through chemo and radiation and was clear for almost a year. She is now undergoing a second round of chemo and it seems to be working, with other treatments ready for backup. So, there is always hope. This lady meant well but she is taling without a lot of knowledge. Tell your friends what I said. Lucie is a walking testimony to it. Don

That is soooo cool!

That's great, Karen.

Prayers your way.

TeeTaa, appreciate the update on DeanCarl. Thanks.

Lucie has just completed 6 of 8 treatments with Navelbine. She had constipation at first but has some meds (Kristalose and Senecor) that have straightened that out. It also gave her sweats, so she is on Effexor, which helps a lot. She initially had acid reflux (gave her Nexium), but that soon subsided. The main side effect has been fatigue. She gets worn out easily. For instance, if she gets dressed, she has to rest about 10 min. before tackling anything else, even going out. nevertheless, it has been much milder than the Taxotere/Carboplatin she took last year. Good luck. Don

Nell, glad you had a good vacation. Welcome back! Don

Renee, so glad Scott is home. Don

Cindy, glad to hear the good turn of events. Don

As I understand it, A and B are just subdivisions of each stage category that the docs use to choose protocols. A is closer in to the original site than B. I don't think it is particularly helpful to us non-med types. Don

Yes, Lucie had nausea and acid reflux from the Taxotere. She took Nexium for the acid reflux (got off it after chemo) and, for the nausea, she had medications. The best thing for the nausea was to have snacks every two hours instead of three big meals. The stomach seemed to like it better when it had something in it. Good luck on the rest of the treatment. Don

Congratulations, Jack and Cheryl, on your 21st anniversary! Just a couple of kids, yeah! Glad things are still stable and wish for shrinkage in the future. Cheryl, you should be a writer! Such beautiful imagery and descriptions! Blessings! Don

We went to see the onc today. He seemed pleased that Lucie is taking the chemo well. He decided to do treatment 7 and 8, and then do a PET scan, since that is what detected the new places. Lucie asked what if this hasn't worked. He said there are more options, including the new drug, Alimta (I felt so smart that I knew that one from the board here). Her sweats have gone down significantly, but not completely. He suggested the Effexor dose be raised from 37.5mg to 75mg, the normal dose. We will do that, starting tomorrow. So far, so good. Don

I would forget the teeth cleaning.

I beg to differ on that one.

Carleen and Keith, where are you guys?

I have a suggestion on where you might put that coupon. (LOL)

Great pic, David. Glad to see you up front. Don

David rocks! David, I am so proud of you. You are one special dude. My prayers were with you this weekend. What a story! Don

You got it, Geoff.