Don Wood

Cat, I would take my records and find another onc. You need to be treated by someone you trust and have open communication with. Don

I firmly believe that God never leaves us, even when we leave him. Sometimes, it seems he is far away, but truly he is right at hand, waiting for us to return home. I'm glad you have experienced this. Since I have been paying more attention to him, I see him everywhere now. Funny how that works. I don't believe every tragedy is his punishment nor every blessing his reward for something we have done. I think he has a plan for each of us and tries to carry it out even though we often get in the way. His ultimate plan is a better relationship with us, and with each other (that's where being servants to each other comes in). Thanks for sharing your story. Don

Prayers comin'.

Good to see you posting, Shelly. Hey, don't apologize for having to take a break -- you need it. We understand that. Just let us support you in any way we can. Love ya! Don

Hang tough, Don. You're doing a fantastic job of taking care of your mom. I'm glad you all got to celebrate 79th birthday -- you both needed that. Try to put a little more "fun" in this horrible scenario if you can. It will be good for you both. Don W.

Hi, Shiva! Welcome! As you can see from bio below, my wife's situation is similar to your mother's. Right now she is 21 months from dx and doing well at this time. Best to you. Don

Super!

Paddy, you have to hecome the food Nazi and insist he take nourishment of some kind. I gave Lucie choices, but "nothing" was not a choice. Try different flavors of Ensure and Breeze. Try smoothies and things you blend in the blender. First, he can become dehydrated and this will land him in the hospital. Second, if he loses weight and energy, he will not be able to fight this. Good luck. Don

Welcome to lchelp! Keep us posted on your husband's progress, and let us know how we may support you. Don

Hi, Dolly! Good luck with the Iressa. Don

T H A N K S !!!

Welcome back, Joni.

Ellen, glad to hear the good news of the MRI. Good vibes your way. Don

Well, guys and gals, I'm back. After three weeks, the problem with my accessing the website is fixed. Let's hope it stays that way. Lucie had a total bone scan the first week of June, and it showed a small spot on a rib on the upper right side near her shoulder blade. It has been giving her some discomfort. She started radiation of the spot and has had 8 of 14 so far. It is being done superficially so that lungs are not overly irradiated. So far, the discomfort has not subsided much. On our last visit to the med onc, he informed us there may be some small "activity" in the medial lymph node area near her lungs. So he had a PET scan done last Thursday, and we will know if anything has increased since the last PET. Hopefully in the next day or two, we will know. Lucie has been enjoying her "nonsickness" period, so please add your prayers that this continues. Today (June 27) is our 45th wedding anniversary. We are going out this evening with family and friends. This is special not only as 45 years together but Lucie did not think she would be here to see this. We are very blessed and grateful. Blessings to you all. Don

It is good to see you post, Dean. Thanks for the update. Lucie likes NYPD Blue, too, and also Law and Order -- she can find one or the other every day almost at any time. I like the "doink doink" sound on L&O and the frantic scene at the beginning of NYPD Blue. Keep us posted when you can -- and relax, guy. Love ya! Don

TBone, seeing you post is the best news I could get. Here's hoping for better times soon. Don

Don, you are doing a terrific job being primary caregiver for your mom. I do worry about you, though. You need to take care of yourself as well, besides eating every pizza in sight. Can you get anyone to help relieve you from time to time so you are not living cancer 24/7? Do you have any fun outlets to relax? If you neglect your own health, you, too, will be sick and that not be able to take care of anyone. Again, big commendation on taking care of mom. Don

Yep, this is a good place to talk and let loose. We are all in this together. Your son-in-law may seem okay, but he needs all the help and support he can get -- even being relieved to do other things from time to time, especially something where he can relax away from it all. The radiation on your daughter's spine should shrink the tumor and relieve some of the pain. My wife had that. Keep us posted and let us know how we may help you. Don

Lucie teared up a lot, and we found out the chemo closed the drainage ducts in her eyes. So all the tears filled the eyes and then ran over. It stopped and went away after her chemo. There are some eye doctors that can unplug the drainage, but we didn't get that far. Don

Sounds good, Jen. Keep us posted. Don

I also was a food and drink Nazi! I kept insisting that my wife eat or drink something. For a while, it was all liquids, like Ensure, Breeze, smoothies, Gatoraid -- anything that would go down easy. A blender is a wonderful thing to have -- you can liquefy almost anything. I think the caregiver has to keep pushing, even if it gets ugly (LOL)! Good luck. Don

Having chemo and radiation together will tend to tire one out, and the radiation keeps working after the treatment. Also, it is easy to become dehydrated, so watch out for that -- be sure he is drinking plenty of liquids. If the radiation was near the throat, this will often cause hoarseness and loss of voice. It usually goes away with time. Don

Happy birthday, Katie!

Hang in there, Rich. We're all with you. Don

Well, that was quick! Tonight, I am back on! It feels good to be able to access from my own computer. Thanks to Rick and all who helped and all who had good wishes for me to come back. Don