Jump to content

Donna G

Members
  • Posts

    3,940
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    26

Posts posted by Donna G

  1. Hi Rich, I grew up in Roslindale (Boston). We have a young women in our local support group that had BAC lung cancer. She fortunately was able to have surgery and since then had a baby. So far she is doing well. You were diagnosed in May 02 so you have had your first year of survival. Congradulations. I hope you continue to respond to treatment. Welcome .

  2. Did you know that an eagle know when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.

    The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. When the storms of life come upon us--and all of us will experience them --we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God's power to lift us above them.

    God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm. Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them.

    "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles." Isaiah 40:31

    -- from our church bulletin 7/13 Church of the Risen Savior

  3. Yes, when they break your ribs they damage the nerves that run along them. Some say it goes away , many as myself, always are aware of it , also numbness under your breast. Many of us avoid the constriction of the appliance which is used to support the breasts because it also adds to the problem. I recently found a camosol at Target, that has small straps, and could give the appearance under a shear blouse that the appliance is still being worn even though it is not. This may not be adequate for those of us who are very well endowed. I also find to ly flat on my back it hurts until it finally "calms" down. Water aerobics is good to increase lung capacity. This with time we get used to and don't notice after a while. I am not complaining the alternative to this discomfort , not having had surgery, would be not being here to enjoy this beautiful summer day. I hope you continue to improve , and welcome you to the board as a Lung Cancer Survivor :D:D:D

  4. Mary , first I am so sorry that you lost your sister. This is a difficult time for you. Have you tried Zyban? You need a script from the doctor, by the way it is cheaper if you call it welbutrin, the exact same thing. I was a perpetual quiter, every morning. I tried everything, along came Mister Stress and I thought I could not live without my "friend" . Now I really know my "friend" was no good for me. After you start Welbutrin you are suppose to plan a quit date . Before I got there I had forgotten to smoke this being during one of the most stressful times of my life. Mary don't believe that voice that tells you to use those cigarettes, it is a liar. Sometimes all you really need is a big deep breath, or to call a friend, or think of something that makes you happy. Please take care. Donna

  5. Welcome and a very Happy Anniversary ( wedding) and a very Happy Anniversary ( 2 yr survival). What great news! and to think you helped educate a kid that saved your life! :D Please stay with us and share that hope! That verse is very meaningful. Thank you. Keep us posted. Donna

  6. I was just doing a google search re: Judy Jarvis, who died of lung cancer. I stumbled across a site talking about how much money the federal ( not including the state) government collects annually in taxes , that they make more money than all the tobacco companys combined make in profit. That would be 6 Billion dollars a year collected in taxes. They made the point that none of this money is ear marked for CTs or lung cancer research, or cessation. It also makes the point that the states settlement with the tobacco companys $250,000,000 ( that is Billion) went into the general fund budget or the vast majority of it. Just something to think about. :roll:

  7. This may be a posiblility. We have seen it before. I myself had to have chemo and radiation to shrink the tumor before they did surgery, it was up near the nerves and blood vessels in the apex of my lung. Keep us posted.

  8. I took this with cisplatin. My hair fell out ( not a big suprise) . During my second round of it after I had surgery I developed neuropathy esp. in my feet. Other than those and instant menopause I did not have any other problems. So far after 51/2 yrs no return, I had NSCLC. I would go to http://www.chemocare.com/splash/splash.sps and read up on it to check out things to look for. Hope that is some help Donna

  9. Great suggestions, pinch the skin and see if it stays "up", dark concentrated urine, also dry mucous membranes in the mouth , and nose. Gatoraide is good stuff. If nauseaus and unable to eat etc, be sure to try to drink something with sugar and salts. It is very popular right now to hear "you need 6-8 glasses of water every day" but if this is all you are taking you can get into big trouble with "electrolyte" imbalance. The water washes out your needed salt until finally you get too depleted and are sick from that . If this is all you can get down, drink chicken broth, gatoraide, jello things like that :roll: til you feel good enough to eat again.

  10. Gina my incision is in the back. I am nurse and have never seen a thorocotomy scar in the front. I wonder if it feels different. Do you have the nerve damage? The numbness under your breast? The only other incisions I have seen are on people who had VAT surgery , where they don't break ribs, they only make small incisions , one for the video, one for the instruments, and one for the chest tube.

  11. Ask if this surgeon is trained to remove the lobe by VAT ( video assisted thorocotomy) If the tumor is surrounded by good tissue , you have never had radiation to the chest or chemo , you may qualify for this instead of the old way of making a big smiley incision over your back, and breaking a couple of ribs, etc ( that is why a numbing epidural is so wonderful) The VAT procedure only involved making a couple of small incisions, and using a scope to remove the lobe of lung, much less scar, much less post of pain, quicker recovery. More and more doctors are being trained to do this newer procedure. Also after surgery, it has been recommended that you do get chemo therapy because of the significant number of people with micro metastasis the pathologist is unable to identify. Good luck , what ever way this is do able. then you will really join the survivor "club" Please keep us posted how your tests come out and how things are going. I hope you have more family and friends near you, we all need all the support we can get. I bet you son is scared too. Take care and keep us posted. Donna

  12. those first 6 months are really hard, surgery , being told you have the big C, chemo, doctors appointments, etc It is all exausting stressfull, and difficult. Have you had any check up scans, how have they come out? We are glad you are here with us and have shared your story. We are survivors and want to help each other.. Donna

  13. Did you say benefit and cut in the same sentence? I have not heard on the news what you mention but I remember what happened in the 80' s after DRG's where started. Insurance company's said well if a hospital can cure someone 66 yrs old with a broken hip for xxx dollars why do I pay for my 61 yrs old thousands more. Well hospitals could not cure anyone with that amount of money with the standard treatment of the time. Soon you found people leaving the hospital much sooner than before, you cut hospital stays, and many hospital went under and could not survive. We did get same day surgery's from it and care I believe really has improved in many ways. In some ways it is more difficult . trying to teach someone feeling so weak, or sick , sending new Moms home tired and scared , not knowing if they'll be support there for her. We here in the states though have wonderful medical care available to us, please save us from socialized medicine.

  14. Just wanted to share this with all of you.

    Wind moving in and out of your lungs:

    breath rising and falling.

    The world alive with wind

    The world alive with breath

    The world alive with Spirit.

    Wind and breath and spirit blowing at me...

    uninterrupted vitality

    Not just wind alone.

    Not just breath alone.

    Not just Spirit alone.

    But windbreathspirit:

    God!

    WindBreathSpirit wrap yourself around us engulfing us with uninterrupted vitality!

  15. Debi, please be sure to do "range of motion" of your shoulder. Have some one help you by moving it for you if need be. Most of us tend to guard and keep that shoulder stiff, which puts you at risk of it "freezing" . I did not realize this and later ended up having to get cortisone injections, and physical therapy. Move the unaffected shoulder and see how many different directions it goes, up, down, forward, backward, sideward etc. Then do the same with the right one. Down the road you will be grateful you did. Keep us posted on your recovery. Donna

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.