Donna G

Hi Barbara, welcome. I read your post, did anyone suggest chemo? Keep us posted. DonnaG

Welcome Bette. You've got nearly 2 years down and many more to go it sounds, congratulations. We all know what you've been through and it is a big job. DonnaG

I am so sorry. I pray for you and the family that you will be comforted and know where he is- he has been cured. DonnaG

Thanks, really puts todays readings at church to a very visual level. We started with the triumphant march and palms but as the readings progressed we were at the last supper, the arrest of Jesus, him being accused and later crucified. thanks again. DonnaG

I had induction chemo and radiation then surgery, and my plan was chemo after also. I had my doctors appointments at my local clinic and a hospital up in the cities. I had a lot of confidence in my Onocologists decisions for I knew he also taught at the University of Minnesota medical school. I suppose if you are uncomfortable it is not an unreasonable amount of time. Myself I really wanted to just get it out of me! As you see below I am over 10 years since diagnosis and still cancer free. Best wishes , keep us posted. DonnaG

Why is she loosing her job? DonnaG

I took Cisplatin ( and VP 16). Do you have a port? I never got one but they say it should be given in a central vein. At the end of my second round of chemo after surgery I started falling down , I got neuropathy from the Cisplatin so they stopped it and I missed the last dose. Small price to pay considering I am over 10 years cancer free. By the way I don't fall down anymore either. DonnaG

Rosie looks so sweet! I bet she is potty trained and out of the chew everything up stage too! I hope your Hannah is happy in the great friend dog park in the sky. I am sure she would like my dogs that are there, Rex ( German Shepard) Baron (a Rat Terrier) Rusty ( Airedale Terrier) Kenoe ( Siberian Husky) and Mitch ( Standard Collie) . When I go to my local dog park with my Rocky and Sally ( Border Collie mixes) I see the other breeds and always remember my old friends. DonnaG

Boy Connie. After I was diagnosed and started Chemo I had instant menopause , flash, flash, flash. I was given hormones for relief. Within a year my sister got breast cancer and since my grandmothers died of breast cancer and I DID NOT WANT ANY MORE CANCER - I quit them. Reading this how glad I am! I never knew or suspected that they could give me a higher risk for more lung cancer too! No wonder the ad is on TV for us to call this lawyer if we got cancer and ever took hormones, that he would sue for us! DonnaG

Great walk down memory lane. DonnaG

Wish you the best results with this trial. Mass Gen is a great Hospital. My sister lives in Franklin, don't think that's too far from you, my brother in Foxboro. Again want to hear good results. DonnaG

Welcome Laura. I am a nurse also. I am a 10 years survivor. Believe me I have learned a lot the last 10 years! When disease hits so close to home it is so hard. Glad you found us. DonnaG

On the one hand this article has us think about what legislation ( or laws) the candidates have made or proposed concerning Cancer. On the other hand this article discusses how the government and the FDA control treatment and drugs and what can be advertised etc. Do we want the government to run Health Care? Do we want the government making more laws about health care. For years now for our Senior citizens the government has been legislating what care they can have and how little they will pay for it. I do not believe that the great strides made in Breast Cancer have been due to anything the government has done. DonnaG

We have heard how smart dogs are smelling lung cancer but now perhaps we are closer to a screening test for lung cancer! Laser can detect diseases in your breath Device identifies compounds that may indicate cancer, asthma, study shows A new laser technique could enable doctors to detect certain diseases, such as lung cancer or asthma, simply by analyzing a patient's breath. A new study shows the laser system can identify trace levels of compounds that may be signs of disease in breath samples, and companies and investors have already expressed interest in developing the device for routine use in doctor's offices, said Jun Ye, a physicist at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Colorado at Boulder, who led the research. The advantages of the laser technique — known as optical frequency comb spectroscopy — is that it would provide a painless and non-invasive way of detecting certain diseases. In addition, it could enable physicians to detect some conditions earlier when they may be more easily treated, Ye said. With each breath, we exhale a variety of chemicals. The predominant compounds are carbon dioxide and oxygen, but a typical exhalation will also contain more than a thousand other chemicals in very tiny amounts, some of which can indicate disease. For example, ammonia could be a sign of kidney failure, while nitric oxide can indicate asthma. Breath analysis systems have been around for several years, but a common problem with previous methods is they could only detect one or a few types of compounds in the breath. This doesn't provide enough information to determine if a person has a specific disease because they could have elevated levels of a single compound for other reasons, Ye said. But the new laser technique provides a way to assess the levels of many different compounds in the breath at once, offering a more accurate picture of whether a person has a particular disease. “It's like seeing the entire forest, rather than just individual trees,” Ye said. In the study, which was published in this week's Optics Express, Ye's team had human volunteers breathe into the laser system. The device reliably detected trace levels of methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the breath samples. The device was able to detect higher levels of carbon monoxide in the breath of a smoker compared to a non-smoking participant. The device also distinguished ammonia — an indicator of kidney failure — from water, which can be a tricky issue because of the similarity of the compounds. The next step is larger trials to show the technique can accurately diagnose diseases. The technique would be most useful for detecting lung problems, such as lung cancer and asthma, because these conditions create changes in the body that show up in the breath, Ye said. It also could be used for digestive problems because these can lead to alterations in the composition of the breath. Immediate results To use the device, a person breathes into a tube into which a laser is shining. Mirrors positioned around the tube reflect the laser signal to enhance detection of compounds. The laser signal bounces off the different chemicals in the breath sample, and the device is able to detect the unique light signals of specific compounds. “It's almost like a radio,” Ye said. “Each molecule has a unique set of frequencies, like a certain radio station, so the device can easily identify them.” The results are nearly instantaneous, he said. So there's no need to wait for an analysis to be processed, as there is with a blood test. Dr. John Hunt, a pediatrician at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville who has been involved in breath analysis research for more than 15 years, said the study results were promising but a lot of kinks need to be worked out before the laser technique could be used in patients. He said it still remains to be shown that the technique provides reproducible results and that the breath chemicals it detects can be used to accurately determine whether a person has a specific disease or not. “It's an interesting early study with a very long way to go,” said Hunt. More personalized treatment He noted that the laser system has the potential to improve the treatment of some conditions, such as asthma, which have numerous different causes. Being able to analyze all the different compounds in the breath simultaneously may help pinpoint the specific cause of a person's asthma and enable physicians to develop a personalized treatment instead of treating each patient exactly the same, Hunt said. So far, Ye said, at least one physician and two companies, including a local Colorado firm and one in Germany have contacted him about their interest in developing his laser technique for use in patients. The system may have other important applications as well. Ye said the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico has said they're interested in developing the technique for use in airport security screenings to detect explosives or nuclear material in the ambient air. And the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., is considering whether it could be used on remote locations, such as the surface of Mars, to detect the composition of the air in these environments. Steve Mitchell is a science and medicine writer in Washington, D.C. His articles have appeared in a variety of newspapers, magazines and Web sites, including UPI, Reuters Health, The Scientist and WebMD. © 2008 MSNBC Interactive

Skin Cells used with success. 14-February-2008 -- UCLA Researchers Confirm New Stem Cell Breakthrough Los Angeles, Feb 14, 2008 (CNA).- U.S. scientists have reprogrammed human skin cells into cells with characteristics similar to those of embryonic stem cells, confirming the breakthrough discovery made by a Japanese researcher, according to news reports. Stem cells are considered to have significant potential for medical treatments including tissue regrowth and transplants. While some stem cells can be extracted from adult tissue, others are produced through the controversial process of cloning human embryos and destroying them to harvest their cells. Embryonic stem cells have the ability to become every cell type found in the human body. Scientists at the University of California at Los Angeles genetically altered human skin cells using four regulator genes, publishing their findings in the February 11 edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences. Their process produced what are called induced pluripotent cells, or IPS cells, that are almost identical to human embryonic stem cells in function and biological structure. The lead author of the study was Kathrin Plath, an assistant professor of biological chemistry and a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research. She described the research in a prepared statement. "Our reprogrammed human skin cells were virtually indistinguishable from human embryonic stem cells," she said. "Our findings are an important step towards manipulating differentiated human cells to generate an unlimited supply of patient specific pluripotent stem cells. We are very excited about the potential implications." The UCLA research confirms the similar work of researchers Shinya Yamakana at Kyoto University and James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin. Plath said the studies demonstrate human IPS cells can be easily created by different laboratories and could mark a milestone in stem cell-based regenerative medicine. The new technique could replace a stem cell harvesting method called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), sometimes called therapeutic cloning. At present, therapeutic cloning has not been successful in humans. The first study author William Lowry, assistant professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology, also addressed the findings in a statement. "Reprogramming normal human cells into cells with identical properties to those in embryonic stem cells without SCNT may have important therapeutic ramifications and provide us with another valuable method to develop human stem cell lines," he said. Like other prominent stem cell researchers, Lowry claimed that embryonic stem cell research was still necessary. "It is important to remember that our research does not eliminate the need for embryo-based human embryonic stem cell research, but rather provides another avenue of worthwhile investigation," he said.

Skin Cells used with success. 14-February-2008 -- UCLA Researchers Confirm New Stem Cell Breakthrough Los Angeles, Feb 14, 2008 (CNA).- U.S. scientists have reprogrammed human skin cells into cells with characteristics similar to those of embryonic stem cells, confirming the breakthrough discovery made by a Japanese researcher, according to news reports. Stem cells are considered to have significant potential for medical treatments including tissue regrowth and transplants. While some stem cells can be extracted from adult tissue, others are produced through the controversial process of cloning human embryos and destroying them to harvest their cells. Embryonic stem cells have the ability to become every cell type found in the human body. Scientists at the University of California at Los Angeles genetically altered human skin cells using four regulator genes, publishing their findings in the February 11 edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences. Their process produced what are called induced pluripotent cells, or IPS cells, that are almost identical to human embryonic stem cells in function and biological structure. The lead author of the study was Kathrin Plath, an assistant professor of biological chemistry and a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research. She described the research in a prepared statement. "Our reprogrammed human skin cells were virtually indistinguishable from human embryonic stem cells," she said. "Our findings are an important step towards manipulating differentiated human cells to generate an unlimited supply of patient specific pluripotent stem cells. We are very excited about the potential implications." The UCLA research confirms the similar work of researchers Shinya Yamakana at Kyoto University and James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin. Plath said the studies demonstrate human IPS cells can be easily created by different laboratories and could mark a milestone in stem cell-based regenerative medicine. The new technique could replace a stem cell harvesting method called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), sometimes called therapeutic cloning. At present, therapeutic cloning has not been successful in humans. The first study author William Lowry, assistant professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology, also addressed the findings in a statement. "Reprogramming normal human cells into cells with identical properties to those in embryonic stem cells without SCNT may have important therapeutic ramifications and provide us with another valuable method to develop human stem cell lines," he said. Like other prominent stem cell researchers, Lowry claimed that embryonic stem cell research was still necessary. "It is important to remember that our research does not eliminate the need for embryo-based human embryonic stem cell research, but rather provides another avenue of worthwhile investigation," he said. .

Our hope is in adult Stem cells which can be donated in umbilical cords. Thursday, September 21, 2006 Politically Incorrect fact of the day, #1: Stem cells. Stem cells work. They are used to cure actual diseases RIGHT THIS MOMENT. I mean that, literally. In a May 2005 article in Citizen Magazine, you can see the list of things that stem cells cure. It cures cirrhosis of the liver, paralysis, inernal organs, luekemia. Two women, years before Christopher Reeve died, were cured using stem cells... However, it only works with adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells only help embryos turn into children. Embryonic stem cell research only helps people who'd like to see fewer children in the world. adult STEMS CELLS Repairs spinal cord injuries with nasal and sinus stem cells-- in fully formed adult. They reverse type 1 diabetes (at the moment, just in mice) with adult spleen cells. I'd like the FDA to approve THAT before my father dies from diabetes. (You hear me, FDA?) Crohn's disease, a rather nasty virus, can be put into remission with the patient's own blood stem cells. Lupus can be put into remission in a similar fashion. Umbilical cord blood, from a fully developed and BORN child, treats sickle cell anemia and puts leukemia into remission. Stem cells from adult bone marrow can repair heart muscles in cases of congestive heart failure. Skeletal muscle cells restore weak heart muscles. Bone marrow cells heal bone fractures. Ocular SURFACE cells [ie] restores sight to the blind. Even stems cells using muscles from the armpit heal urinary incontinence. Diseases cured by adult stem cells: 80 and counting. People cured by embronic stem cells: zero, and counting. People killed by the embryonic stem cell research, 1.3 million children aborted per year since Roe. Vs. Wade. And counting. And now you know why embronic stem cells require federal funding: if it were a real cure, a true solution to anything, it would be funded by every medical research company on the planet. As it is, governments are the only people stupid enough to even consider it.

Welcome Vernon. I've survived over 10 yrs now so it can be done. Keep us posted on how things are going. DonnaG

Welcome Renate. You should come to Minnesota. Lots of people here of German descent. My husbands grandparents were and the town they were born in , Gaylord, Mn you could talk to anyone in German and they would understand. One thing I should warn you about though, it is -13 degrees here today with a windchill of about -49 degrees. They says if you go out today with exposed skin you will have frost bite in less than 10 minutes. Keep us posted on how things are going DonnaG

Welcome Hampshirebear. Simple Chest X rays do not let us visualize lung tumors unless they are very solid, and most are not. Since screening all people with high doses of radiation is not good for you either I pray that someoe will invent a machine we could blow into that could pick up the odor of the abnormal cells. Trained Dogs can do it! Glad they are getting you into treatment without delay. When I eventualy had surgery all the tumor was dead and scar tissue. Wishing you these great results. Keep us posted. Donna G

Hello and welcome. The beginning of this journey is really , really rough! Believe me I have been there! I too had chemo and daily radiation to shrink my tumor that was touching nerves and blood vessels and the pluera ( lining of the lung). When I finally had surgery the tumor was all dead scar tissue. The original plan was for more chemo after surgery and I did have that too. My journey started 12/3/97 !! My last CT still showed I am cancer free. Keep us posted on what your plan will be and how you are doing DonnaG

So sorry your father in law has a Pancoast tumor. The shoulder pain in part of the "Pancoast syndrome ". It is what most all of us with a Pancoast tumor had as a symptom. The syndrome was described by a Dr. Pancoast hence the name. You do not mention a plan for him. In the beginnning most all of us have appointment with Pumonologists, Onocologists, Neurologists, Radiologist etc. Most of us do not start with surgery. First is chemo and radiation. For your father in law I imagine he needs that brain metastasize treated soon. Keep us posted. DonnaG

Boy this is a deep question. I don't believe the Lord wishes any harm on us for He loves us. The Lord's will is that we know him, love him, and be with him forever. I believe he can use any circumstance for our greater good. I believe we can pray for a cure but it is most important that we know he is with us through life and in the bad times we need to pray that we can see him and his work during these times. Perhaps in these times we learn how to reach out to others. By the way studies by Harvard University done by double blind also showed that people who were prayed for did better, had fewer complications etc even if they did not know they were prayed for. DonnaG

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stori ... 900&EDATE= Found this news story. DonnaG

Prayers going up for you Katie. Someone shared their cold with me last weekend but now compared to pneumonia, I've got nothing wrong! Hope you're over it soon. DonnaG