Boysmom

Don, I just read your post. I am praying that your son is done with the Dr. and all is well. Please keep us posted. I will be thinking of you both. Leah

Glad to hear you will be home for the weekend rather than in the hospital. Take it easy and I hope you have a good weather weekend to enjoy it! Leah

Joanie, when my dad ws going thru radiation, There was a CD packet at the cancer office that went over some of these concerns. There were 6 CD's each covered two topics. On a few of my six hour drives I listened to them then passed them on to my step brother and his wife. They were put out by ACS and I remember a part being about employment and cancer. I even remember them talking about what to look for when changing jobs and what to say. But as my dads job being secure and enjoyable I didn't focus in on the details. I'm sure you could get a copy from your local Dr. office or contact ACS for one. I believe it was called Cancer Survival Toolbox. PM me if you can't find it and I can get more info for you. Best of luck Leah

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDI! Hope your day has been as great as you are! Wishes for many more!! Leah

My dad's cancer returned in Feb, since then I have had two friends parents diagnosed one with pancreas and another with lung. I also read a local obituary for a 21 year old boy who died after a courageous battle with lung cancer. Also within this time my cousin in law (and best friend) mother died due to complications with MS and surgery, my husbands cousins son 19 died autopsy being done, and my stepfather had triple bypass open heart surgery and ended up back in the hospital 4 days after coming home from initial surgery to be in ICU for a week and total time in hospital 2 weeks and the doctors saying to call the family in twice within the first day. I just can't believe all that has happened in this short amount of time and the large amount of cancer affecting all of us. Naive would be the way to describe me prior to Feb this year. Since then I have learned so much about cancer. Prayers for a cure!!!! PLEASE GOD!! Leah

Beth and Pat, First off do ask your step daughters for help. If they are like me (also a step daughter), they do want to help, but don't want to intrude. I have intruded a lot this year to make sure I was there to help, but I also worry about being in the way. As I do come along with three little boys (5, 2 and 8mos). So at times (getting dad to radiation, running errands or just having someone with him through the dad) it has been very helpful, but they also have me and these three little guys in their space all the time (I have to stay with them as I live 6 hours away). This is what I worry about when I am there. Are the kids behaving well enough? Are they driving them (dad and my wonderful stepmother) as crazy as they are driving me? Are we making too much of a mess? (We come with a lot especially since the youngest needs bottles, baby food, diapers, etc.) Then I start to worry if our help is as much help as our inconvience of always being there. They say they love having us there, but you know everyone likes a little space too. I too am so glad that my dad has my stepmom. I am so glad that I have her too. This is my dads third wife. #1 my mom whom I am also very close to (they divorced when I was 12) #2 his second wife, whom I was close to, but she didn't try to keep a relationship after their divorce and now #3 who is definetly his soul mate. They should have met first. They work so well together. If my dad did not have his wife, someone would be helping him. Probably one of his sister's (my wonderful aunts) or possibly myself if I could move him to my home. With the distance of six hours it is so hard. I know it is hard to ask for help, I am guilty of that everyday. But do ask. I can't imagine that they wouldn't want to help. Also please do not take this as I am defending them, but just as I say ask. I do try to ask my stepmom how she is too, because we all know the question is always asked about dad. Prayers for all to get a little help from each other. Leah

I too am so frustrated with the whole smoking situation. Luckily somehow something affected me that I never even tried smoking once. I just wish I knew why? I have three very young boys and worry about how to keep them from ever even trying it. When my dad was first diagnosed, my doctor had me see the local onc. to assess my risk factor as there is also other family members that have had breast cancer. The dr didn't feel that I would be at any greater of a risk. So how does that explain how some families have been so affected through generations by this horrible disease? Is there more heriditary factors than the doctors say? And what role does second hand smoke play? I am not worried about myself today, but I did live with second hand smoke for about the first 20 years of my life. It would be naive of me to think I couldn't get it. If they would quit selling cigarettes and work for earlier detection, so many future worries would be gone. Leah

Curtis, I loved your post about your wonderfully sweet daughter. You should print it up to save for her. It would be a story that she would enjoy in her adulthood and if she so choose to have children, they would love to hear too. Thanks for sharing your story. It made me smile. Leah

Welcome Uncle Doug! I am glad you have found this site as helpful as I have. It really seems to help to talk with others in the same boat verses just the Dr. mumbo jumbo all the time. My dad recently got out of the hospital after a 5 day stay with pneumia (sp?) and his mother (my wonderful grandmother, age 85) was going to stay with him. I told him it would be good to have her there, moms and dads always make things better. She didn't have to get her license back, since she never gave it up, but they should consider taking it from her. Well anyways take care of yourself, I will be praying for you. Leah p.s. Cindi you are too funny. Your post made my day!!

OH Melanie, I am so sad to hear of your most recent problems. Please know I am thinking and praying for you and Greg. It sure has been an unbelievable year for me too and I can't bear the thought that it is really still just the beginning. I have been to three funerals, my dads cancer has returned and one of my best friends just called to let me know that her mom has inoperable cancer (pancreas, lung and other spots to yet all be looked into with scans this week). So when Pat and Brian say "piling on" I sure can relate. I wish I could rewind and freeze time to when we weren't looking at such horrible things for all of us. Hugs and prayers to you, Leah

Happy Belated Birthday TAnn!

Lisa, I'm so so very sorry. Love, Leah

Has anyone ever had Xcytrin for brain mets? I have been reading some info about it and never recalled hearing of it before. Thanks to all! Leah

Jen, My dad just completed 15 WBR treatments 1 week ago. This last week he has started to feel better and not having any of the symptoms that he had prior to diag. of mets. Just be sure to get a 2nd opinion on further treatment if the drs say there is nothing else to do. That is what they told my dad and his 2nd opinion said they think gamma knife could be done. My dad has 7 mets. Hopefully 0 after the WBR. I will be praying for your family and hoping that the WBR zaps them all gone. Love and Hugs, Leah

That is so AWESOME (as my five year old would say)!! Keep up the celebration everyday! Hugs to you both, Leah

Thanks for all the support. I had to end earlier without the rest of my good news as I had a crying hungry baby. Anyways my stepdad is doing good in should be out of the ICU by the first of next week. I finally feel like I have had a couple of normal MOM days. Obviously still worried about the cancer. My dad saw the dr today and didn't need any fluids and labs were all good. He is also feeling much better after being off the radiation for a week and weaning off the steriods. Only concern I have left is that he doesn't want to take the Temodar chemo drug that the dr suggested two weeks ago. The drs say that it isn't necessary now that he is giong to be able to do the gamma knife, but if he wanted he could still do it. His insurance covers most of the cost and he has cancer insurance which would cover more than the remainder. Cost was a big worry to him. Enough to drive me crazy!! But his fear is the potential side effects. The dr. says the side effects are minimal, but now that the headaches are gone and the radiation and steriods are over he just wants to feel normal. Has anyone had any experience with Temodar? Love and Hugs to all, Leah

This has been a crazy week for me. I came home Sunday from being at my dads house (300 miles away) for the last three weeks. It was so hard to leave. It was 4 weeks ago today that my husband came home from work to tell me the news that my dads cancer was back. My stepmom didn't want me to be alone to hear the news. Those first three weeks were just horrible. The Dr. told nim to get his affairs in order to later give a time line of 4-6 months. The lung cancer had now metastised(SP?) to the brain. They said there are so many lesions and some are so big nothing could be done other than WBR. I was so frantic. It just couldn't be. I feel so naive to have thought they got it all 2 years ago. I packed up my three young children and headed to his house to help in any way and to spend as much time as possible with him. I took him to his radiation and went to the Dr.'s appts and tried to get as much knowledge as possible as fast as I could. We got a contact at Loyola who thought he should be seen after his three weeks of WBR. So I headed home to see about getting someone to watch my little ones so I could meet them at the appt. at Loyola on the coming Tues. When I arrived home I came home to more bad news. My husbands cousins 20 year old son died on Friday. Sun evening we found out the funeral was to be Tues afternoon(same day as dads appt.). Talked to stepbrother who was going to Loyola appt. with what questions I had for the Dr. and he was going to help out there. Ten days prior my stepdad had triple bypass heart surgery. Had been home recovering, visiting nurse came Sun. low on oxygen go to ER. Admitted to ICU for the night. Mom calls Monday morning hospital called things are worse come now. Head in there touch and go all day, told to call the family in that evening 6:00 before GI dr arrived. By 12:00 they have him back stable and a plan to follow to try to take care of all the days problems. Spend night there with my mom and stepbrother. Stepdad remains stable through the night. Off to the funeral. What a horrible thing for these wonderful people. I can't even imagine their pain. I am now at the point of not even wanting to hear the phone ring out of fear of what else could be wrong. Then I finally get the call from my dad about his appt. The DRs at Loyola think that more can be done along the lines of Gamma Knife. They want him back in 6 weeks for a new MRI to see what the WBR accomplished. The original MRI shows 7 lesions. Some of which they say may be more pools of blood from the bleeding or may be totally gone from the WBR. Anyone who ever thought about just sticking with the first DR and not listening to a 2nd opinion, please just take one day to hear from someone else. My dad kept saying that he figured they would look at the MRI for ten minutes and say nothing else could be done, BUT they DIDN'T! I told him his onc's don't do this surgery talk to someone who does. Just a quick thanks to all of you for all of your stories and words of encouragement. Reading and posting here has really helped me over the last few weeks. I plan to keep checking in as often as I can (which can be hard with three little boys). My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Leah

Sounds like good news. Can't wait to hear more good news!

Val, Best of luck to you! I always love the thought of a first baby coming into the world. The feeling when they hand you your precious little baby girl will be the most amazing thing ever. I am so excited for you. As for the pool, I wouldn't be a very good guesser as my three boys were 10lbs 2oz (1st), 7lbs 13oz (2nd), and 8lbs 6ozs (3rd). I'll give you an average of these three and sayabout 8lbs 2oz and I hate to say it but how about March 7th. I was always overdue. Can't wait to hear all about her! Leah

Has anyone ever been on or currently on Temodar? My dads PET scan came back that all is clear other than the brain and the Dr. is wanting to put him on Temodar. If I understand correctly it is mostly used with brain cancer patients. Thanks, Leah

Way to go Beth! You sure do make me smile with that great fighter attitude. It's gonna work! Leah

Melanie, I'm so sorry to hear your bad news, but so glad that it seems as if it was caught soon enough to do something about it. Best of luck to you. Also if someone could help me, I have figured out most abrv. other than NED. Thanks in advance. This is all so new to me. Leah

Patti, I know exactly how you feel. My dad was told 4-6 months on the 11th because of brain mets. Since that daymy brother, 2 step brothers, stepmom, myself and other family members have been in and out trying to learn all we can as fast as possible. It is so hard to find all the right info. and to know where to go for help. You are right that it is your moms decision, but with all her families help and support she will hopefully want to try to fight it. Over the last week I have thought a lot about all the what ifs. In some ways, I think for your mom and my dad it is easier to face what they are facing than what we are facing. They know that there would be peace in their passing on to a better place and they would be done with the day to day rat race that we all face. For all of us left behind there would be such a great big hole in our hearts. I know they are also very sad at what they want to experience yet in life. My dad told me that having us all around rooting for him and looking up info. has given him hope. This board here has really given me a lot of info and hope also. There are some amazing stories on here. see if you can share some of them with her. I will be thinking of you and your mom and praying for everyone of us dealing with this horrible disease. A cure cannot be found soon enough. Leah

Karen and David - I am praying so hard for you a miracle. It is so good to hear that family is on the way to help. With all the support David has from you and other family and friends, he will be able to feel the need to fight for his miracle. Many hugs, Leah

Thanks for the encouragement Shelly. I am so sorry that you have had so much loss from cancer. It is such a horrible thing. Leah