Don Wood

Bruce, glad you are taking your time and sorting things out for yourself. Good luck. Don

Good for you, Andrea! Super! Don

Great news, Barbara! Thanks for sharing it. Don

Hi, Becky! So glad to hear the good news of NED. As for the gall bladder, that's a piece of cake. I had mine out about three years ago and my 36-year old son just had his out. They don't even cut you open these days, just make four small incisions and pull the thing out. You go home the same day usually. And the recovery is rapid. As for the diet, I have not had to limit anything, but I am already on a limited fat diet. Good luck. Don

Kerry, I had that kind of relationship with my mother-in-law, and when she died 10 years ago, I was crushed. It was a blessing to have had her in my life. Sorry for your own losses, and I hope you will get through it all okay. Don

Overall, it sounds pretty good to me, Becky. Here's to further improvement. Don

Way to go, Ray! Happy for you, dude! Don

Trisha, the symptoms you describe could be due to the chemo. Sounds like you and your onc have a good plan going, and that you are moving on it. That is good. Try to think of the positives here. And do something fun to get your spirits up. My prayers are with you. Don

Can your dad call the onc and get the results before the appointment? I know that oncs do differently but my wife's onc will talk with her over the phone whenever scans are involved and she does not have to wait until the next appointment which could be weeks away. Don

Being a caregiver for a close relative who has lung cancer takes A LOT OF PATIENCE -- with the patient. I think you got wise counsel here. You want the days ahead, how many ever there are, to be quality time. Whenever I have lost my patience with my wife (really, not her but the situation), I apologize immediately because it is not her fault. I promise to do better, and I vent my frustrations elsewhere. Good luck on this bumpy road we are on. Don

Also ask about Zometa to fight bone mets. Don

Ha! Ha! Bud, I love your retort!

Lucie and I are reading together a book called, "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. Several friends have recommended it to us, and I recommend it to you all. It is about "What on earth am I here for?" I think it can be a help in our time of trial. There are 40 chapters, each just a few pages of reading, that focus on important life issues. You are supposed to read one chapter each day with a friend or loved one and then discuss together the question posed at the end. We have just started and already we are sharing some important areas of our life. I commend it to you for your consideration. Love ya! Don

I firmly believe that people who have not been through the cancer experience themselves or with a close loved one have no clue as to what we are going through. We have to forgive their ignorance. Some are savvy enough to realize they don't know what it is all about, but love and support you anyway. And there are others, like you said, that want it to be over one way or another and don't know how to deal with the in-between. Just know that there are people who do care and want to support you through the whole mess. Don

Prayers for you and your mom. Don

Can an X-ray be X-rated?

Today Lucie and I went to Wendy's for lunch. I was in the line to place our order when I overheard the lady in front of me ask, "Does the chicken BLT salad have bacon in it?" I almost bust out laughing. Perhaps BLT has lost its meaning.

Happy birthday, Dave. I wish you many more. Don

Cheryl, thanks for asking. Randy is doing very well. In fact, he came home this past weekend to attend his sister's one year of health party. My daughter broke her leg last fall and was in the hopsital twice for lung clots. She decided to throw a party. Her parents 9Don & LUcie) and her two brothers attended. Lucie stayed all three hours! It was a great family time. Best to you two. Don

David, that kind of excitement you don't need. I'm glad you came through it all well. Blessings. Don

Hurray for NED!!!

Denise, I can only share with you my wife's experience in the areas you asked about. (1) I would think more than the sternum should be scanned. Lucie has had bone mets in a number of areas, and some were found because they did a whole body scan of the bones. Her onc uses CT, MRI and x-ray where appropriate. He will have scans done in any area where she has had severe pain. But since she has bone mets, he does a full bone scan every now and then, even if there is no pain. (2) Lucie's medical onc has her go to the radiation inc. whenever a tumor is discovered and it is causing severe pain or is threatening the integrity of the bone. Radiation and chemo can be done together, but he did not have every met radiated. (3) My wife's onc uses primarily CT. MRI and x-ray for scanning. She has had only one PET scan in the past year and probably will have another in a few months. Her onc uses PET just to be sure there are no new surprises. I hope this helps add to your info. Don

I have answered this on another place for you. I don't know about tumor growth, but I do know that Iressa can cause pneumonia as an allergic reaction in some cases. My wife was one of the cases and had to be removed from the medication and treated with steroids. The FDA website has information on Iressa and pneumonia. You may want to check it out and inform the doctor. Don

Marylou, I notice by your post that your mom is on Iressa. You should be aware that in a small number of people on Iressa, they get pneumonia as an allergic reaction. If your doctor is not aware of this, you should point it out. My wife was on Iressa for four weeks and got double pneumonia as a result. When she was taken off the medicine, she began to improve. They treated her with steroids and she got better. She was in the hospital for two weeks and then in rehab for alomost two weeks. She has fully recovered. It is worth checking into, and don't let the doctor dismiss your info until he has checked it out. My daughter went on the FDA website and found out the info for us and the doctor. Don

My prayers are with you, Sue. Don