MelanieLR
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Posts posted by MelanieLR
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Hi again Dave,
One more thought, Have you considered a possible change of pain meds from Oxycontin to Morphine? I was having some incredibly bad reactions of all kinds to that blasted Oxycontin. My life is SO MUCH BETTER with the Morphine & I'm able to keep the dosage low enough to function quite well while on it.
Talk to you later,
Melanie
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Hi Dave,
I was wondering about your potassium level as well. I know that when my potassium dipped rather low, I was having some incredibly bad leg cramps. Just a thought & pretty easy to fix.
Glad to hear from you. I hope you both have a wonderful little retreat.
Hugs & prayers,
Melanie
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Dear Tess,
I'm so sorry to hear of your heartache. Heaven only knows why some of us are hit so many times. I know that I certainly have had no easy way to go. Sometimes I think "will I ever get even a little break?" & then something will just strike me square in the face even harder.
Of one thing, I am certain. All of the trials prior to my dx definately helped to prepare for the journey I now encounter. Had you told me a year ago that I would be in the condition that I am in & for the most part, having the time of my life, I would have had you locked up in a padded cell.
Well, I'm here to tell you - I wouldn't want to change a thing. Yeah, I'd like to live a lot longer than they say I will & I believe I will. The person I've become through everything makes me so happy. I've also learned that the person I've evolved into makes those who love me so much happier than I've ever made them before too. I guess that is the whole point. When you finally get that it isn't quantitiy - it's quality.
Anyway, please feel free to ask for help at any time. It really helps all of us when we can be of assistance.
Hugs & prayers,
Melanie
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Oh Bill,
I just can't imagine what you've been going through. While I was dx at stage IV & given the "not a cure" speech, I was still given the option to fight to see another day. Frankly, my life is so beautiful today because of some very caring people & a radical attitude adjustment on my part, I just couldn't imagine not having been the choice to persue treatment or not.
Honestly, these "professionals" whom you & your wife have had the unfortunate experience of encountering during this journey should lose their licenses.
Please know that you are both on my "A List" for prayers.
May God bless both of you & put only people in your path that are willing to assist rather than hinder your progress.
Hugs & prayers to both of you,
Melanie
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Dear Lucie,
A very happy birthday to you. I am toasting you with a small glass of chardonnay!
Hugs & Prayers,
Melanie
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Hi Kimberly,
Ditto. You should be learning a lot tomorrow. No matter what you hear - NEVER LET YOUR MOM BE A STATSTIC! If you hear anything that doesn't make sense or that does not give you hope, RUN - don't walk - for a second opinion. Truly - had I not been the strong-minded individual that I am, I probably would not be here today to be telling my story. I was given little to no hope at my initial dx & boy am I glad that I tend to rely on my own research & not numbers! I feel pretty darned good today. Yeah, I know it will not "go away" but my life is so good right now. The days I have right now are better days in most ways than any I've ever had in my life. Amazing what it can take to make some people to get what life is really about.
Please know that you & your Mom are in my prayers.
Take care & please keep us updated.
Melanie
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Hi Cindi,
So glad to hear your good news. So sad you are still so SOB. I hope they find the cause & get rid of it soon! Kind of hard to do a good solid shot of something stiff to celebrate all of the good news we're getting lately when you can't freaking breath!
Well, I guess if it comes down to it, I could be persuaded to assist in celebratory consumption to help you out here! I'm breathing pretty well these days. I'm still having a problem figuring out the pub timing & how long it takes to get from my house to yours in a power chair! They say my battery pack is good for 36 hours.
Hugs & Prayers,
Melanie
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Cool! Yo, Hey, Cindy! Are you open for business? How long do you think it will take me to get there from Cleveland, OH in a power chair?
Melanie
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Dear Frank & Connie,
Thanks for the up-date. We "mother hens" just can't rest until we know where all our little chicks are, ya know? So sorry for the difficulties you encountered on your adventure. You know we're all pulling & Praying for you.
Hugs & prayers,
Melanie
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1.) My Hubbie gave me a wonderful rubdown last night. He does most everynight but last night he hit just the right spots!
2.) My Mothers grandmother clock chiming on the wall. It doesn't keep great time any more but it is so beautiful to me.
3.) Peaceful morning meditation - even my Cockatiel is being quiet!
4.) Comfie, snuggly robe.
5.) My Grandmother's anniversary clock chiming in the bedroom (3 minutes later than Mom's clock). Again, it doesn't keep great time any more but it is so beautiful to me.
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Hi Charlie,
Great for you! I just love to hear about our triumphs.
Thanks!
Melanie
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Hi Kim,
I'm so sorry for the dx. Take it from one who knows, RA stinks at best. We all have our crosses to bear & what makes what any of us are going through more significant than your pain? You deserve a break too after what you've been through. Here's to hope for the miracle treatment program for you. Heaven knows that with the practice of medicine (as we see daily here), one never knows what will work best for any given individual.
God bless & you are in my prayers,
Melanie
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Hi Pat,
Wow, deep question. I know that I have had some sort of new transformation & I'm not really sure how to share it but I'll try because somehow amidst all this insanity, I've found an inner peace & quiet strength that just amazes me. I've never had a smooth life. Some sort of major crisis or another has always been sitting there just waiting to stomp me. I've always been a strong minded woman who was determined to make everything better. You know what? It can't be done.
Every day I wake up now & just knowing that gives me permission to live a good life that day. I get up in the morning & one of the first things I do is to start compiling my list of 5 things to be thankful for & I find them much easier every day. Just a little happy thought goes such a long way. I thank God every day that I have a good day & I even thank him for the bad ones because heck, if I'm still sucking wind, that's a good thing! It also makes me appreciate the good days even that much more. I really believe that God has blessed me with this peace. Again, I'm not certain of exactly where it came from but it is wonderful. All I can really be certain of is it seemed to change when I made a concentrated effort of finding my daily 5.
May God bless you & your family,
Melanie
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Dear Tammi,
Sometimes a Duck really is a Duck. I think that with the Dr. monitoring him while on the antibiotics, you can probably relax. Just remember that our immune systems are pretty shaky at best & if some little bugger wants to crawl in a set up house, sometimes the only & best thing we can do is get on a good antibiotic right away. I can see that you are a very loving daughter. Just remember to let him feel he has some control over his treatment. That has been a very difficult thing for my Hubby to deal with. When to just let me make the decision over who & when to call. There have been times (being totally honest) when I won't tell him how I am feeling because I know he's going to over-react.
I'm not saying that this is nothing but that I believe that you've done exactly what you should have - called the Doctor & let what is probably a Duck be a Duck.
Take Care,
Melanie
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Yay!! Not much better club to join in my book! I won't know till the beginning of June if I will be readmitted to the club after my last Gamma Knife. I think that's the worst part. WAITING!
Congrats!
Great to get a vreak sometimes, isn't it?
Hugs,
Melanie
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Dear Sharon,
Please stop beating yourself up over this. It does NOBODY any good. Speaking as someone who at times is in considerable pain a lot of the time, I'd choke the living crud out of a loved-one who wouldn't give it to me at the end. I was the one who gave my Mom her final dose of Morphine & I know she thanked me. Not because I killed her. I didn't. Because I helped her go with dignity & less pain. I asked her to go with God. I just couldn't stand to see her hurt like that any more. 5 minutes later, she left this world. This was not my decision to make. God made it.
I pray daily that God may give you the peace & comfort you need to deal with this in a healthy manner. You deserve it.
God Bless,
Melanie
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Hi Autumn,
Boy do I remember those words "this is not a cure". That really ticked me off. Maybe that's why I fight so hard. I've always been the type of person who when told, "you can't" - I'm going to find a way! Welcome to our little world. Sorry for your need to be here but I'm sure you'll find it quite helpful. I sure have. Sharing our strengths & weaknesses makes us that much more able to deal with whatever seems to get tossed our way. Sometimes, one little sentence I'll read on this site will sustain me for days. Just do everything you can to keep a postivie outlook.
May God bless you & your Family,
Hugs & prayers,
Melanie
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Dear Carls,
I know this is really the last place you WANT to be but we are all here to help. Please feel free to chime in any time you need encouragement, hope or even just to vent. We are all so happy when we can be of help to others. Just do everything you can to keep your attitude positive & know that there are so many here who are beating the odds & doing a pretty darned good job at it.
God bless & my prayers are with you,
Melanie
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Welcome to our site. I am so sorry you find yourself in need to be here but it really is a big help. The people are really A #1! One thing I can guarantee you is that you can NEVER allow yourself (or your Mom) to be a stasticic! Back the end of May or beginning of June, I was given a couple of weeks without treatment & not a much better outlook with. Today, I'm kicking pretty darned strong most of the time. God knows that could turn, but for now, I'm going take whatever great days I have & run with them. I really believe that the more positive your outlook, the better off for all concerned.
May God be with you on this unwanted & undeserved journey.
Prayers & hugs,
Melanie
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Dear Jaime,
I just hate to welcome people to this site but even though it is not a place you really want to be, everyone here will be happy to be of any assistance that they possibly can. This is truly a terriffic group. In the beginning of my dx, I was so totally freaked I couldn't function. I really do quite well most of the time now. It really takes some getting used to.
Having been on the caregiver end as well, that was even harder for me to live with.
Most of the time right now, I have a lot of great days & I take them gratefully. That is one thing that's hard to get used to. The up & the down times. Feel free to vent or whatever you need to do to get you through this with your sanity here.
May God bless you & your Family.
Hugs & prayers,
Melanie
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Hi Sadie,
A sad welcome to our site. While I know this is the last pleace you really want to be, you'll find the people here will be of immense help to you during this unwanted journey.
There are so many variables in the treatments & how each person reacts physically as well as mentally to them is totally unique. While there may be many shared reactions, this is so individual! I've unfortunately visited this disease from almost every possible angle now. I lost both my Father & Mother at relatively young ages to LC. My sister is currently batteling breast cancer. Little did I know that while I was attempting to nurse my family through their fights, I was in the process of developing my very own stage IV NSCLC at the ripe old age of 43 (at dx).
The one thing I am absolutely certain of is that it is so much easeir to be me than you. The best advice I can give at this stage in the game is to remain as positive & supportive of your mother & her decisions as you possibly can. Treasure every moment that God gives the two of you to share & do the best you can to keep hope.
My thoughts & prayers are with you both,
Melanie
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Dear Andrea,
I know this is not a favorite test for anyone but I'm sure you'll do fine. I agree with Cindy's training & conditioning regimine. They wouldn't let me go for mine this year because of the chemo-port. They said it would damage the port. Now that's what I call a worthwhile surgery!
My prayers are with you,
Melanie
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Dear Lilgina,
My prayers are with you.
Melanie
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Dear Karen & Dave,
Praying all goes well for you today.
Melanie
Oh Crud... I'm such a Goober!!!
in GENERAL
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Hi All,
I think I'm going to have to make a BIG stretch to find my 5 today! I not only didn't sleep one wink last night but I just now ran 2 stitches through my left index finger doggone it! I'm in the middle of sewing one of Greg's birthday gifts. He wants a Cleveland Brown's bath robe. So here I am all sleep deprived with no clue as to why I can't sleep, but bored out of my tree. So I figure the only intelligent thing to do is operate machinery on zero sleep. CRUD!!! Now I'm sure I won't get the robe done before his birthday (3/23) because this finger is really going to be hurting, but now I also have to go buy more fabric in order to complete it because I've got blood all over it! CRUD!!! You know, sometimes I really have to wonder about myself.
Greg is going to lose his mind when he sees my finger. AWW CRUD!!! I'M SUCH A GOOBER! Ok, I'm going to have to find a reason to laugh about this after it stops throbbing. You think?
Talk to you all after I figure out my 5,
Melanie