Don Wood

Is this fantastic news or what?! Ray da man! Don

David, since you are racing on my birthday, you can't miss! Don

Michelle, my heart is heavy at your loss. My sincere condolensces. I hope you will stay with us and let us support you in your time of grief and beyond. Blessings. Don

Welcome to the board, Snowflake. You have a great sense of humor and that will get you far. Good luck. Don

I can't give any better advice or suggestion than Dave just did. Good luck! Don

You got it! Don

Hi, Tim! Kathy has made you real to all of us and I'm hoping and praying, as a cyberfriend, that you hold on to the fight and the hope. My wife, Lucie, is in the hospital right now with serious pneumonia, and she and I made a pact that we will fight this together and she will get well. So, Tim, let's have a pact and fight this thing together, buddy. Blessings. Don

Estrea, Lucie still holds my hand whenever there is a scan or a doctor's appointment, etc. If I could detach it, I think she would hold it all the time! Hang in there with us. Don

Terre, your mom's doctor is a jerk. Is it too late to get another one? I;m glad you are getting a second opinion. Don

Veronica, the people you describe who seem irresponsible and get by with it have their own kind of hell, believe me. There is no answer in this life to "Why me?" It is part of our broken world. What you need right now is a friend you can talk with -- I hope and pray you can find that person. We all need that. And, you have many friends here who understand the path you're on. Stay plugged in. Don

Deb, that is good news. Happy to hear it. Don

The pneumonia is in both lungs and Lucie will be in the hospital one to two weeks. Don

Glad it is good news for your mom on the mets. Don

Bruce, it doesn't get much better than this! Celebrate! Don

Sounds great! Always good to hear good news. Blessings. Don

CT scan of chest clear. She does have fluid in the left lung, of course. Also her legs were swollen and her blood oxygen low, but she had no clots. So we are still blessed! She wants to come home as fast as she can, and I am with her on that, as long as she is clear of the pneumonia. Take care all. And thanks. Don

iv = intravenous of saline solution, like you get in the hospital, except you get it as outpatient. It takes about 3 hours. Don

Candy, a ray of sunshine has come! Don

Hi, Kellyu! Glad to hear the good news of your dad. Way to go, dad! Ask your onc about maintenance treatments. Don

Soooo sorry that you both had to go through that whole scenario. I pray that this will get better and better for you two. Don

Carleen, so sorry so much is coming at you at once. I do have you both in my prayers, and I hope all these things will sort out well. Don

Lucie has been coughing and wheezing terribly the last several days. We have been to the regular doctor twice, with meds to try -- no improvement. This morning at 3:30AM, I had to take her to the ER, where they discovered she had pneumonia in her left lung. She is coming along fine and should be home in a few days. I know pneumonia is not unusual for lung cancer people, but I also have several sources on Iressa that say it may have been triggered by the Iressa. We will keep you posted. Things look pretty good right now. Don

Marsha! Marsha! Great news! Don

Blender shakes, where you pulverize everything may work. Gator Aid or the like is another idea. It is vitally important, especially if he had chemo and radiation together, to maintain a good liquid intake or he will become dehydrated, and off to the hospital you go. In fact, with the combination, you may want to ask the onc about having a weekly IV. Don

Hi, Ellen, and welcome to the board. Unfortunately, the general experience is the side effects get worse with each step, since it has a cumulative effect. It is really important that his liquid intake and calorie intake be high to keep him from dehydration and from losing weight. Best to you both. Don