trishnmiller

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!

Prayers for healing are on their way. Trish

Dear Peggy, I am so sorry and know there is nothing anyone can say to ease your grief at this moment. Perhaps the only peace here is that you knew Don would not want the kind of life the doctors were predicting. He has gone with God and here on Earth we grieve with you. Prayers for a peaceful heart, Trish

I have dealt with my husband's irrational behavior so I know the helplessness you are feeling. Here's the thing as best I can figure it out from reading all of the postings; What ever "negative" traits your mother probably already has are being enhanced greatly by the steroids. My husband has never had a check on his temper but when he was on steroids he was just plain crazy/scary. Thanks goodness that is over and he had the gamma knife...very successful. But after the procedure most doctors do have the patient on steroids for a week or so. It was worth it in the end but not much fun going on the rollercoaster of his moods. Trish

Your local chapter of the American Cancer Society should be able to help with financial resources. Trish

Wow, 6 bucks for a manicure! So glad to hear that Suki is up and about, racing down the corridors. I've been following but not always jumping in. You are the best daughter..I just want you to know how much I admire your devotion. Trish

Jeffrey had only fatigue after the first 3 treatments but then experienced episodes of irritability bordering on rage. The symptoms are short lived however and better than strongeer chemos. He never had a rash but does have severe skin itching. He is getting a great response: major shrinkage in all tumors. We will stay the course. Trish

Jeffrey has Northern European ancestry ( German and Austrian) and has type o positive blood. He did not respond at all to Tarceva...nothing, no rash, no side effects, nada. It was as if he was taking aspirin. However, he is getting a resounding response to Alimta. Hmmm, go figure. It sure reminds us how much we don't know about the beast. Trish

I think that cyberknife would be a great option. My husband is having it on his liver tumor on Wednesday. The insurance covers it (after some nudging). cyberknife.org Trish

Well, it's really a busy weeks for all, hasn't it? We got back from the oncologist a few hours ago so I wanted to update everyone. When Jeff had the fiducials inserted in his liver tumor on Monday the radiologist came out and told us that he had really good news..the tumors in both his liver and lung were signifigantly smaller than they were on the scans fom a month ago. Because of the new size they only implanted two seeds in the tumor instead of four. Today our oncologist confirmed that and said that Jeffrey was doing extremely well all the way around. No chemo this week as he will have his tumor cyberknifed on Wednesday the 3rd. I'm glad because his friends are giving him a big party and I didn't want him feeling "punky" at the gathering. It's good to feel good. Trish

Ok, it sounds like things are pretty stable..great! Today at the ocologists office Jeffrey weighed 225. Two weeks ago he weighed 238. The only change is the steroids. Once we started cutting back on that his appetite followed right behind. Good luck keeping up...flag down the Ice Cream man like I did. Biggest sale he made all month! Trish

Dear Peggy, I am sorry about Don's breathing but glad that the care is there. I know what you mean about the heat..it is such a strain on Jeff to work in this South Florida sauna everyday. Prayers, Trish

I rarely give my opinion but in this case I feel like weighing in with my 2 cents. My husband had 13 brain mets and I refused whole brain radiation. We found a doctor who would do gamma knife. Your dad doesn't even have tumors so I don't get it. Whole brain radiation is associated with pretty nasty side effects that don't show up right away: confusion, tremors, paralysis, and so forth. That's a big risk for an unnecessary procedure. I would most certainly get another opinion. Trish

Great news! SRS is the best! Trish

Jeffrey is just having the liver done as the lung tumor is too close to the ventricle (or something like that). His lung tumor is now quite small (less than a centimeter) and has never been obstructive so I guess I won't worry about that right now...I'll save it for later when I need something to worry about...as if! I will keep everyone posted as to how it all goes. I'm more worried about the new CT results that we will see on Wednesday 07/27..it's not that I think anything is wrong it's just that I hate braceing myself for the worst and hoping for the best... over and over again. I go through this after every single MRI or scan. I guess this is my (our)life now. Sigh, Trish

Hi Mary Lou, Call your friend, send E-mails, send her here where we can help look after her. You are a dear friend and she is a lucky person to know you. Trish

Welcome Donna This is the place to be...trust me! I come here at least once a day for insight, information, and moral support. I am a caregiver. You will find both patients and their loved ones here to cheer you on and help you anyway you need. You are not alone. We are on this journey together. Trish

I was sitting here reading about Don and the night sweats and I realized that as the oncologist has weaned Jeff off of the steroids his sweats have almost completely gone away. Back when he was taking 4 pills a day (I really don't know how much that is) he would drench the sheets every night. He complained all of the time that his head was "hot" and he would keep saying, "Here, honey, feel my head!". Of course it was cool to the touch and it drove him crazy that I couldn't feel the heat coming off of his head. Gawd, these medicines and treatments can really get the best of you are not prepared for the side effects. Anyway, it wa definately the decadron causing the sweating. Jeffrey is finally getting his cyberknife treatments at Miami Cyberknife on August 3,4 and 5. Keep him in your prayers. Trish

Dear Peggy, I read your post a few days ago but it hit so close to home I just gasped! Here in South Florida the grass grows at an alarming rate all summer and I think my husband sees the shaggy lawn as a reflection on him. We can only afford the hired man once a month and I tell him it is OK to wait but he still insists on TRYING TO KILL HIMSELF once a week. I just shake my head and wonder what it will take to slow him down. Trish

...and in Miami at 8 pm another candle will be lit. Trish

Cathy was one of the first people on this forum to reach back out to me and offer words of comfort and support. I am so sad. Trish

Sorry to hear about the seizures. Is she on medication? My husband was taking dilantin and steroids to prevent seizures after both of his Gamma Knife procedures for his brain mets. Luckily (maybe because of the meds) we never had to deal with seizures. Sound like it's time for a little "in your face" with the docs. Trish

Great news. Just wanted to know that I shared your info with my prayer group so they can know their prayers were heard! Trish

Dear Cheryl, I am going through the same thing and I think it is a reaction to the chemo and the entire situation. My husband has never had great coping skills (I have been the "peacemaker"). He always apologizes but I have to admit it gets rough and is scary for my kids (ages 10 and 12). I write in my journal, explain things to the kids, and in saner moments, talk to my husband about how his behavior impacts all of us. That's all I can do. Just wanted you to know that you are not alone! Trish

Dear Ziggy, Your post was so important to me. My husband didn't have a reaction after his first or second round of Alimta but a few days after his third treatment he became really nasty to all of us and then went to bed for about 24 hours! I didn't know what to make of it...now I know. Thanks for sharing your experience. Trish