Don Wood

And the wisdom goes on, I think. Lucie has asthma, we have two dogs (like you, not to give away but to cherish and get support), and we live among the pines. She uses inhalers, and every now and then, she has to use a nebulizer for several days. It soulnds like you have come to terms with what is and moving to what can be. Good for you. Don

Janet, prayers for you. Don

Lauri, if you exit and don't log off, you will be permanently in log mode and not have to worry about logging in again. Don

Kim, sorry your mom has had so much trouble, and I pray that things will turn around now and get better. Welcome to our boards here. Don

Great news, Andrea!

Zippy Bubblenose, that's me.

Super about the NED, Karen. Don

Sounds good, Linda. Blessings. Don

Becky, ain't it grand? Lucie has enough hair to cover her scalp now, and she is going out in public without head covering! It is wonderful! May the good news keep on rollin'. Don

Tami, sounds like you are in a depression. To do nothing is to get worse. I agree you should see your doctor and maybe even get antidepression med. Also, you need to focus on something positive and fun and do it to get you out of this tailspin. Good luck. Don

Anne, wonderful news. I can share the feeling of seeing spouse go in on their own. I watched Lucie do the same recently. Blessings. Don

I like the line in Lord of the Rings. Fellowship of the Rings, where Frodo the Hobbit is bewailing his fate. The wizard Gandolph says to him, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." In other words, we can't control what happens, but we can make decisions of how to live through it. Good luck. Don

As the caregiver to my wife, I would rather she tell me everything, painful though it may be, rather than have her brewing privately about something and my guessing what is going on. I can only do my best if I know what is going on at any given time. I don't know your husband, so I don't know how much he can take. I surprised myself that I could take on and hear more than I ever imagined. Of course, I have had to take care of myself as well and be sure I am healthy mentally and physically. Unfortunately, a lot of men don't want to deal with things they can't fix, and some withdraw. I hope your husband is more like me and wants to know how he can help. You job is to get well -- period -- and his job is to help you do that. Let him o his job. My prayers are with you. Don

My wife, Lucie, had bone mets. She had chemo, and then radiation on those mets that either were causing her severe pain or were threatening the integrity of the bone area. Some mets were not treated with radiation. Perhaps your mom's doctors are using the same criteria for radiation. Don

Hi, Lauri. Sorry about your mom. On the question of telling your kids, DO it. They already know something is up and what they imagine, even the 8 year old, is worse than knowing. Trust them. And you can get support from them and give them support once it is out in the open. Tell them they suspect cancer but won't know until they do testing. And then keep them informed. You all need each other's support through this. Don

Welcome to the boards, Kathie. Glad you finally found us. Much support and info here. Don

I will definitely share it with Lucie. Thanks. I think I posted this on the board before but it seems to fit here. About 7 years ago, my two grandchildren were having father's breakfast at school. My son was going to be out of town and asked if I would go with them. I did and had a great time. My granddaughter was in kindergarten and I would up at the end being with her in her classroom. At one point, all the dads began leaving, and I told my granddaughter it was time for me to leave. She looked up at me with those sparkling eyes and said, "Papa, you don't have to leave! You don't work!" She had me there! Don

Kristy, praying for your mom. Don

Great news, Dave! Keep it up, guy! Don

Ray, prayers comin' at ya!

Ray, we are ALL tired of living with this cancer, so you have much company and you are not crazy, at least not about that (ha ha). Don

Andrea, I am praying for your mother. I am glad they caught this deterioration before extensive damage was done. Lucie takes Zometa once a month as IV for bone strength, and perhaps you should inquire about it. Don

Oh, Jay, my heart is heavy at your news. I appreciate you sharing the info with us, so we can be here for you. There are many people on this board who have dealt with brain mets, so know that you have much support here. Keep in touch, guy. Tears on my pillow. Don

Sorry about your dad's recurrence. I hope the Iressa will be effective for him. Don

I'm 69 and proud of it! By the way, my wife has a family friend who is 88. One day someone was talking to her that she should move out of the house she lives in alone and move into a retirement place. The woman looked at the suggestor incredulously and said, "You treat me like I'm old!" I guess it is all in the perspective.