MelanieLR

Hi Jen, There have been some scans that I've had to have without the contrast. Not because I'm allergic but because my veins have always been uncooperative at best. Now after all the abuse they have been through, they "blow out". I had a port put in but most of the scan centers can't use it because they have no RN on staff. The times that they can't get the contrast, they increase the amount of pictures they do & I've had some of the doctors tell me that some of these are actually easier to read than a lot of the ones with. I really think it just depends on the care your tech is willing to take with the scans. Take care, Melanie

Hi, I have no experience with liver resection so I'm really no help there. I just want to let you know that you will both be in my thoughts & prayers. Good luck in your search for info & take care, Melanie

Dear Pam, I'm so sorry your sister is having so much trouble with pain management. While I know that everyones experience through this journey is highly individual, I can't help but to relate to the situation your sister is in. It sounds SO familiar. I was having the worst kind of reactions to Oxycontin & Oxycodone. Some of them allergic & others just plain mental. I can't begin to describe the change for the better in my quality of life since I got off that stuff & went on morphine. She might want to look into it. Before my med change, I really had no decent quality of life. I was miserable. In pain, itching, incredibly crabby with everyone, headaches, nausia, night sweats, totally out of it, sleeping 18 to 20 hours a day, no appetite. I may as well have given up & I really was about ready to do just that when I asked my Dr. is it was possible to try morphine instead. I was taking 20 mg. Oxycontin 2X daily with 5mg Oxycodone every 4 hrs. for breakthrough pain plus 650 mg. tylenol every 4 hours. We eliminated all 3 of those meds & he prescribed 100 mg. morphine2X daily. The first 2 days were kind of bad. I was totally looped but figured there had to be a way to work around that so I got a pill splitter & cut them in half. I started taking 50 mg. 4X daily. The change was immediate, absolutely life altering & heavenly! By breaking it down to a smaller dose more frequently, I am not out of it & I have better pain control than I had ever had previously And all this with none of the nasty side effects. My quality of life right now is something I would never dared to imagine before. My husband & I go out & do more fun things now than before I was dx with cancer. Sure, I "run out of gas" every now & again but not too badly. I had quite a few medical issues prior to LC, like multiple herniated discs in my spine so I had been no stranger to pain & really have built up a pretty high pain tolerance as a result. However, as I said, I would never have dreamed that I could have this great a quality of life at this stage of the game. I just hope you will discuss it with her. It is incredible to me, the change that morphine has made. I really have my life back. Again, I know that not everything works the same for everyone but who knows? She may get lucky like I did. God Bless & you are both in my prayers. Melanie

1.) Today is our 1 year anniversary in our beautiful home! 2.) A really great visit from my sister yesterday evening. 3.) Sea shells. 4.) Memories of Mom. 5.) Grandmother is back from Kansas! Can't wait to see her! Melanie

Oh, I'm not sure if we mentioned... Wait till you see what you may end up with when it comes back! I used to be dishwater blonde with TOTALLY straight, limp hair. I'm not sure what to call what I have now. Hey, it's hair! It's much more coarse, black with a ton of grey & get this... CURLY! Hair is like a box of chocolates! Take care, Melanie

Hi! Give Your precious bundle a big hug, kiss & welcome to the world, for me! Hugs & prayers, Melanie

Dear Bill, When I had my Pet Scan & CT Scan, they were indeed 2 seperate tests. However, so that they can get a better view of exactly where everything was in the proper relation to one another, they took the 2 scans & overlaid them, fused them together so that the images were combined. Hope that helps. Melanie

Dear Rosemary, I'm so sorry dear. My prayers are with you that you may find the peace & comfort you so need & deserve. Melanie

So sorry to hear you were under the weather. Hey, you know, I was doing that crossing everything I had two of thing. It makes it kind of hard to type when your eyes are crossed! Glad you're back. Hugs & prayers, Melanie

Hi Beth, I know the guy you're talking about! I just saw him in my mirror! What the heck!?! Hugs, Melanie

Dear TAnn, A very happy birthday to you! It's kind of funny how now all of a sudden we WANT to keep getting older, Huh? Hugs & prayers for many more, Melanie

1.) My loving hubby is smiling this morning! 2.) I'm smiling this morning! 3.) Finally got the address of a friend so I can mail him the watch I bought for him 4 months ago! Have been asking him to e- mail the address for 4 months - & I thought I was a procrastinator! 4.) Kitty gymnastics - they make me laugh! 5.) Someone gave me a great idea for a gift to someone who REALLY needs it. Melanie

Dear Brian, Your Father's dx sounds slightly close to my own. In the beginning of June of 2004, I was dx with stage IV NSCLC, mets all over the daggoned place including the brain. Lets start with the fact that we should NEVER listen to their numbers, but I'll go on to say that they gave me a couple of weeks without treatment & no real clue - possibly 6 mos. with. Guess what. I'm still here & kickin' pretty darned strong most of the time. They can take their 2 wks, 6 mos, or whatever & (*&$#$^#)*&$^ OH GEEZ, SORRY! If you care to look at my profile, I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon. You just really never know what will work best with whom in this disease. I'm currently on a Chemo break & lovin it. I also know, I'll get to confront that beastie again but that's just the way it goes. I was 43 when they found my dragon. In a few months I'll be 45. I truly believe that the attitude has so much to do with what can be done for you. I just want you to know that it's not the battle that is important. It is waking up everyday to believe that there is a new adventure, life, awaiting you that matters. Please know that you, your Father & all who love him are in my prayers. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you. It may turn out that I will have useful treatment info pertinent to your Father - then again, it may not. Heck, what I had for my last chemo is probably totally oblolete by now (about one month off now). I'll be more than happy to share. Hugs & Prayers, Melanie

Dear Bruce, I guess you are a true testement to what we are here for, HUH? God Bless, Melanie

It's odd. Back in 2003, when my Mom was facing her battle with LC, when her hair started coming out in big clumps, she asked me to shave it for her. It was too much bother. I cried like a baby while I shaved her head & I shaved mine as well so that she wouldn't feel so solitarily bald. I gotta say, that felt a whole lot different than when I lost my hair to my own battle with LC. To me, it was not about the hair. It was about the loss of control over the situation. So far in the midst of my own battle, I've lost the hair, shaved the hair, worn hats, worn wigs, worn scarves, worn "Bald is beautiful" & just plain worn out at times. At the moment, I have totally different hair than ever before. Different texture, different color, most certainly blotchy. It wants to grow in some places & doesn't in others. But you know what. I really don't give a half a fig anymore. It's really only hair. Whop-ti-do! I wake up in the morning. DID YOU ALL HEAR THAT??? I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING!!! THAT'S PRETTY DARNED GREAT! Hugs & prayers, Melanie

Hi Cindi, Sadly, nobody is going to touch that. There are so many ways that a tampering lawsuit could be the end result. This is so sad but that is one of the things that really su^%@ about our litigious society. It's so sweet to think of others who are in need but I'm afraid the only way you'll ever be able to help someone with them is to do something illegal. Hugs, Melanie

Dear Sandy, Welcome to our little family. The one place we all wish you didn't find yourself in need of, but we're glad you found us. While I have no personal experience with Tarceva, From what I've read in this community, your FIL is having a fairly common reaction. I'm sorry to hear of his troubles & wish I could do something to help. My heartfelt prayers will have to be enough for the moment. Sometimes just the littlest thing can help. Please know that any time you need to try to gather info from our shared experiences or even just take a moment to vent or find comfort, we'll all be here for you. We'll find the strength we all need to get through this together. There really is strength in numbers. Sometimes, we just want someone to hold our hands like Momma used to do when we were little. If even one of these things brings comfort in any way, then we've accomplished our mission. Again, welcome & please let us know how we can be of help. Hugs & Prayers for you, your FIL & all who love him, Melanie

Dear BeckyCW, You are so right! My prayers go out that they may have the most beautiful time together of total forgetfulness of this affliction - if even for a few days. Getting lost together in the beauty that life is! AMEN! Melanie

She's such a doll! You've been so blessed! Hugs, Melanie

1.) A great morning with no crisis! 2.) Winning bids on E-Bay, I'm so excited! It's so fun shopping in your P.J.'s! 3.) The flowers Greg bought me. 4.) My little Callie Cat purring. 5.) Finished Hubbie's robe. YAY, I don't have to look at that blasted orange any more. I think I'm half color blind right now! Oh well, He loves his Cleveland Browns! Melanie

Dear Laurie, YAY FOR MOM!!! Clean scans are a truly beautiful thing! Hugs & Prayers, Melanie

Have a great time Beth. You really deserve it! Hugs, Melanie

Hi Everyone, Whatever my crisis was, it seems to have passed now. I'll tell you what though. I'll never go through that again without the ER. I look over what I wrote during my "episode" & it looks so trivial. I really can't say what the heck it was but it was truly earth shattering at the time. I've never felt anything even close to that in my entire life. For any of you who prayed me through that one, a HUGE thanks, Melanie

Hi everyone, I don't know what the Devil is my problem today. I just feel SO "not right" today. For starters, I woke up at 2:00 am in the WORST pain ever in my knees & ankles. I could barely move. Then came the fun - getting to my cane so I could go "toity", then to the pain meds. I really am having something close to an "out of my mind with pain" kind of thing going on & this is after the edge finally came off (now 4:30 am). I just keep rocking & whimpering. To make matters really special, Greg is yelling at me over it. Geez, can't he just shut up & let me get through this on my own? The yelling isn't helping one da^$*_ thing. Now suddenly, every spot on my body is itching like crazy! I'm not really sure what the blazes is going on but it can stop any time it wants to. I really would like to get a little sleep. Hugs to all, Melanie

1.) Morphine! 2.) Pretty birds visiting my feeder. 3.) Beautiful new fabric received, can hardly wait to see what I create next. 4.) The elephant plaque my Mother gave me her last Christmas here on this earth. 5.) My bridal boquet. It sits on the hutch of my computer desk. {smile} Melanie