Rower Michelle

@AleHondaa good for you! On both The trade school and the attitude change. I am working on mine (attitude). 

Hi Ale,
Just checking in to see how you are feeling?  Please let us know when you are able to update us. 
 
 

Hey all, 
Treatment with the new drug starts today. I found out it’s called enhertu and it targets the mutation in my blood to kill it off or put it under control. Let’s hope it works and does the trick! 

Will the therapy be pills or Intravenous?  Good luck, we all are rooting for you!  

Hey all, 
Quick update on my targeted therapy. It was accepted by insurance and I’ll be starting tomorrow. Let’s hope this does the trick and controls this thing! 

Hi Susan- wow that post was a looong time ago!   I’m still here, in remission, 27 months on therapy.  Never let go of your hope!!
Michelle

Hi Marie-
I am an ALK mutant taking an inhibitor drug very similar to Tagrisso.  We all learn to live with the uncertainty of what to do when our magic pills stop working which can be YEARS from today.  So for now I live life everyday, laugh and try to do at least one fun thing each day.   While I’m no longer working, my life as a continuous learner continues.  I’m into tai chi ( but not very good at it yet so who cares? )  and learning this whole Food as Medicine thing in the hopes of increasing the length of the inhibitor ride.
Ask your onc what the Plan B is if it gives you some peace of mind. (sometimes EGFRs go onto a chemo cocktail successfully) like Carbo/Taxol.  My onc gave me Plan B & C with the hope in another year or two there’s going to be a next gen inhibitor around  
With all the EGFR research ongoing, clinical trial participation is a strong possibility.  I’d like to think that when the time comes, there will likely be a new & better treatment even possibly a cure on the horizon. 
Try not to let the black cloud take up too much space.   
You might find some more specific answers on the EGFR Facebook page.
Michelle
 

Now is the time you need to stay strong.  While this is surely a dark and terrible time for you it will pass; they always do.  There will be better and brighter days when things will be and feel better to you and for you.  Hang on and keep looking to the future.  I just went through a couple of pretty rough days and though I dreaded going through them they are now in the past.  Longer times are surely more difficult, but you'll be through them.  So, hang on, stay strong and believe that there is a future.  Don't live in the past as that can be depressing and don't dread the future as that only creates anxiety.  Live now and know that things will change.
Lou

Blood transfusions are verrry slow. I hope you feel better afterward. 
As an AYA (Adolescents and Young Adults with cancer), you may find some of the resources within the links below helpful. You shouldn't be isolated during these awful times. 
https://www.cancer.gov/types/aya
https://www.dana-farber.org/for-patients-and-families/care-and-treatment/support-services-and-amenities/young-adult-program/related-websites/
Take care, Ale. 

Thank you all for the support. I’ve been in a very dark place these last days. I’ve reached out to a therapist for me to see about all the issues in my life. The cancer and all the stress that comes with it and this breakup that has hit me really hard. I’ll check in when I can, hope everyone is doing good. 

Breakups suck.  I know this is not comforting right away however better now than later.  You want every one in your circle to give 100% when you need support.   We love you and will be here for you, no matter what.  

Breakups suck.  I know this is not comforting right away however better now than later.  You want every one in your circle to give 100% when you need support.   We love you and will be here for you, no matter what.  

Breakups suck.  I know this is not comforting right away however better now than later.  You want every one in your circle to give 100% when you need support.   We love you and will be here for you, no matter what.  

Breakups suck.  I know this is not comforting right away however better now than later.  You want every one in your circle to give 100% when you need support.   We love you and will be here for you, no matter what.  

Breakups suck.  I know this is not comforting right away however better now than later.  You want every one in your circle to give 100% when you need support.   We love you and will be here for you, no matter what.  

Ale,
I remember when all of this started for me having been discharged from the hospital with broken ribs from all the coughing not having had a good nights sleep in months.  It felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel.  We’ve all been there.  One day at a time, one step forward two steps back but eventually you will start to pull ahead...

PS- I did a quick search on line & found something that could help
 
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-to-eat-when-nauseous#TOC_TITLE_HDR_13

First you need to loosened up the phlegm. What I do to break up the phlegm is drink something spicy & hot. It’s kinda gross but I boil water, place some lemon juice with Tabasco & honey together.   That might help.  Toast, saltines also help with nausea. Sometimes plain white rice or plain oatmeal helps settle my stomach.  I stayed away from dairy as that can cause an increase in phlegm too.  

Hey all,
I've been feeling much better thankfully. All side effects from the vaccine have subsided. Mucus is still a pain in the rear but I can manage, plus I spoke to my doctor about managing it and she gave me options. Today is my second infusion so wish me luck! I have scans soon to check on the status of everything so hopefully they’ll be good. 

Hi Mike, 
Welcome to the Durva Club.  While I'm sorry you find yourself here, this is a good place to learn from a number of others who have crossed the Durva finish line.  
I'm very familiar with Jane's program.   Here is the US, it's considered fairly controversial.   She's a big supporter of Metformin, and I've had physicians over here in the US take a deep dive into the research.   It's all inconclusive.  Supplements with lung cancer treatment can become very tricky.  One of my peers took a DIY approach and ended up unintentionally impacting the effectiveness of his treatment plan because it washed the chemo out of his system too quickly. 
I am treated by a Board Certified Physician in Integrative Medicine. There are a number of supplements that I take that were reviewed and approved by both my clinical pharmacist and my oncologist.  My oncologist will generally go along with what the pharmacist recommends.  I am taking one off label drug, Low Dose Naltrexone (which is mentioned in the footnote of Jane's book).  LDN does have clinical evidence to support it's efficacy.  I've been taking that now for two and  a half years.  My labs and supplements are carefully monitored.  In the beginning as my treatment plan was initiated there were quite a few and as my cancer stabilized, many of them were discontinued to hold in reserve if there is a recurrence.  
 I think physicians's attitudes are starting to change about some of the alternative/integrative medicine approaches.  I've had lengthy discussions with my oncologist about this, at first he was skeptical, then he was curious, and now he says, let's not do anything different without talking to your Integrative Doctors.  
Here's a resource from NY, Memorial Sloan Kettering for you to take look at: 
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/diagnosis-treatment/symptom-management/integrative-medicine/herbs
I hope you find this helpful.  
Michelle 

Hey Barb!
It’s a weird anniversary someone outside our circle of friends here would understand so a big hug of congratulations to ya!!! That’s great!  

Hey Barb!
It’s a weird anniversary someone outside our circle of friends here would understand so a big hug of congratulations to ya!!! That’s great!  

Hey Barb!
It’s a weird anniversary someone outside our circle of friends here would understand so a big hug of congratulations to ya!!! That’s great!  

Ale,
I remember when all of this started for me having been discharged from the hospital with broken ribs from all the coughing not having had a good nights sleep in months.  It felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel.  We’ve all been there.  One day at a time, one step forward two steps back but eventually you will start to pull ahead...

Ale,
I remember when all of this started for me having been discharged from the hospital with broken ribs from all the coughing not having had a good nights sleep in months.  It felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel.  We’ve all been there.  One day at a time, one step forward two steps back but eventually you will start to pull ahead...