missyk

Dean... Don't kick yourself too much...i'm the klutz in the family, i know what it is to be on that end!! LOL Hugsssssssss and prayers that you're not feeling a bit of it if you don't have to. Daughter had 2nd degree on her hands when she fell in the remants of a fire (she's such a mommy's girl!!!) We're all in it with ya!! Hoping and praying the burns heal soon, quick...and that they don't cause you too much trouble!

David... As an associate teacher i LOVE seeing ways to get the kids involved with causes...and that teach them a better way to live! Thanks so much!!! I loved reading this post! Always an inspiration!

Minnie.. I'm so sorry for the loss of your mother. I can feel your love flowing in your posts. What a lucky woman she was to have your with her through her journey. Speaking to "mourning" for the loss of her when the brain mets were diagnosed...i can understand where you are coming from. Though my mother is still in her battle i have mourned for her. I have mourned for the loss of the things that have changed and the things that might never be. I suspect that the complete mourning process will take a little bit of time. I pray strength and love for you and your family during this time and as time passes.

Actually, there were multiple. *sighs* She's supposed to be getting out today, mom, that is (sues). They added lovenox to the coumadin for her to take at home after a struggle getting the lovenox approved by the insurance (they apparently don't like paying for injectables very much). The doctors are even stumped by this, they say, because her warfarin levels have been perfect, but she's still throwing clots. Taking a week off of chemo to give her cell counts a rest (the procrit didn't do anything to help). Continuing with the radiation as scheduled. Supposed to have a date for a rescan of the brain to see how the SRS worked, though, coming up. Anxious and excited for the possibility of some GOOD news, all rolled up in one. Will let you all know when it's scheduled and the results. I just feel so down right now, it's so much to deal with and such uncertainty. Leaning on God and friends to make it through each time the phone rings. I'm so afraid of what the next complication may be. Sorry for the "down" post...i try so hard to stay positive...this is where i can have a "uck, i feel terrible" moment and not feel so guilty for having one. Thanks again for all you do on here.

In the hospital, that is. Mom was admitted (again! *sighs*) for chest pain and shortness of breath this evening...or, well, last evening now. (That danged 'ole "sob" made an appearance!) They are looking at the possibility of pulmonary embolism, especially after the treatment of the clotting in her right arm. She told me that they did two CT scans (about time they went for over-kill instead of saying "oh, it's nothing"!) and she should have results this morning, sometime. In the mean time, the shot of procrit did absolutely nothing for the cell counts. So, she's now not allowed children to visit (having to explain that to my daughter ) and we're all wearing masks when we go to see her. Always wanted to look like a real doctor, i guess now is a good time to pretend? LOL Our chins are up...just frustrated by this whole thing. Seems like, right now, we can't catch a break for more than a day or two! Yes, Mom, (cause i know you'll read this when you get out!) i know i'm the baby and "worry too much"...but someone has to! And right now, i'm able to...so let me! Thanks all, again!, for letting me vent the frustration i feel at this dam*ed disease and what it's doing to Mom. She is so strong, so willing to fight for that HOPE...i'm so proud of her. She is my hero.

Brandy... First, let me say welcome, though i'm sorry you needed to find this site. As you can see by the time i posted this...not being able to sleep (from your other post) isn't too uncommon for those of us not going through the treatments themselves. Mom sleeps alot right now...i told her that i suppose she's just using mine up, too. I haven't slept right since she was diagnosed. I'm sure you can relate, unfortunately. Oh, dearheart, you're SO young to be dealing with this...and i thought i was the baby of the boards! First and best advice i can give you if you can't sleep is to take the time to do a little research, if you can get your daddy or mom to clue you into exactly what kind of cancer he's dealing with. It helped me to find this board...to see that there are people that are LIVING with this disease, that are beating this disease! There is HOPE here...even when we don't feel it ourselves, others can give of theirs to help you through. I feel, alot, like i take more than i give...but i know that those on here that have walked this road before me know just what i'm going through and don't mind me taking right now. Hopefully when the results of the scans are back your mom and daddy will let you know exactly what your family is dealing with... My dad quit smoking about 5 years before diagnosis, mom quit almost 20 years before diagnosis, and i still smoke...as do my brother and (much less so) my sister...and you know what? They don't care on here...it's not about judging you or your daddy or mom...it's about support, love, caring, sharing, and hope! You're a wonderful daughter! You're daddy is so lucky have you!!! You're handling it just as we all do...one step at a time. Prayers for you, your daddy, your family...

Brandy... As i post this i've not looked into your history at all...but i can assure you, i care. I lost my father four years ago to lc and my mom is currently undergoing treatment for the same darned disease. We're having our ups and downs, believe me...but i'm still here. Please, if you need to/want to...send me a message and we can talk a little more in-depth. Prayers are for you and your daddy!

Welcome Back!!! So glad surgery went well...and i can sympathize about missing the computer. I do believe that i'd be lost without mine for even a day! Good to see you back on here!

Just sneaking in long enough to give everyone a great big hug, say thanks for all the advice, love, and prayers...they help SOOOO much..., tell you all to have a great time, and buy the pub a round!!! You all deserve it!!!!

Uncle Doug... I always wait to see what new and interesting take you have on this crazy thing called life. Gives both Mom and i a chuckle to read someone else as "sane" as we are! Good luck with the scans...fingers, toes, eyes, and everything else i could find are crossed in iowa for ya!!! By the way, i think we have some of those charcoal fliters for the tushie around here somewhere...but if gas is a side effect of some of the chemo...i'm thinkin we're gonna keep them!!! hhahahaha

Oh Nancy, I'm so sorry to hear of Mike's passing. Please know we're all grieving with you and holding you and Mike in our prayers. Bless you at this difficult time.

Peggy... Gotta just love the decadron...not only the up all night, but the pink cheeks mom gets are just so darn cute!!! LOL I completely understand the scarcasm...sometimes it's the only way we can deal with all this! Mom and i scare the staff at the hospitals and clinics we go to, laughing all the time. Oh, and btw, we "nuke'um" or "zap'um"...will have to tell Mom about "burn'um"! I liked that! Prayers for a great outcome on another round of zapping...i'll keep an eye out for "the green glow"!

Cyndy.. Thanks so much for posting this!!! You, who have walked this road, have so much to offer those of us who are just starting the journey. I still wish many times that i didn't have to be trudging along with Mom...but then i think to myself...i wouldn't have it any other way, either! I'm so terribly sorry for your loss. I don't know how you do it, but i'm sure glad ya do, sticking around so we newbies can pick your brain. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Kathi... I so hope that you can spend more time with your dad...but remember he feels your love from wherever you are. Prayers for you and your family

Thanks everyone... They had to put in a pick (sp?) line because they couldn't get an iv in for the heprin...so, mom's officially got extra parts! LOL Told her she might as well see if she can keep it in to finish off the rounds of chemo left...would save her veins, at least. They are giving her heprin AND coumadin to try and break up the clots...the whole vein from wrist to carotid is full of them. Apparently they're thinking that the dramatic drop in b/p is from the combination of medicines she's taking, a couple for a heart condition that the pulmonologist says is nonexistant and that the cardiologist says is there! Got to love feuding physicians! LOL Still not sure what they're doing with the low cell counts...guess we'll find out tomorrow...it's supposed to be chemo day for her! Thanks again for all the support and prayers...they're much appreciated! You are all continued in mine, also!

Just got a call from mom...she's in the hospital. The pain that she's been having in her right arm that we were told was "nothing" is a clot from the wrist to the carotid. B/p's crap and, of course, white and red cells are almost nil...could explain all that fatigue! LOL So, i'm off to go see who's butt needs jumped about what and i'll let you all know what i find out! Thanks for all the support! Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers always!

Karen... Mom's not up to answering right at the moment, but i did want to let you know that she has told me (and everyone who would listen! lol) that there were NO side effects to having the stereotactic. She did lose a small amount of hair in the area where it was done, but not all of it. She also told me that there was no pain, just "a weird feeling, hard to describe" in the area where the tumor was located. Not sure if that was a side effect or her imagination. Mom did not have the halo head frame, she instead had the mesh mask and bite plate to keep her immobile. She is also severly claustrophobic, so we were wondering how she would handle the "mask" and being screwed to a board. She said it was easier than she expected and got through it without any antianxiety medication, though those were an option, of course. She's been extremely pleased with how her stereotactic went...but of course, she's not had scans yet since she had it done. Expecting all is fine, though. Hope this little bit of information is helpful, i'm sure someone will come along with something more insightful...until then, many prayers for great outcome!!

Suzanne... I can't answer your questions, either, but i'd like to welcome you to this wondeful place of HOPE and caring!! It's been wonderful to know there are others who have walked the road i'm now on and willing to walk it hand in hand with me. Sorry to hear about your dad...i know it was hard for me at first after Mom's diagnosis. It still is, but it's a little easier knowing i can come here. Prayers for you both! and again, Welcome!

Hey all... It's not a good news/bad news thing tonight...just a plain ole regular update. We're through three rounds of chemo now (carbo/taxol) and for the most part she's not doing too badly. The fatigue is driving her nutty!!! She's not able to be up moving about much at all which depresses her a little bit, ok, well, alot! If she's sitting still she's not too bad, though. The taxol is giving her cramps in her arm and leg (odd that it's much more common for her on the right side) and quinine wasn't helping, so they gave her some ativan to take at night to help her sleep through...thankfully it's working. Through 15 rounds of radiation...they're going to reposition it on tuesday because they don't want to injure her spine...oddly, i'd never even thought about that possibility. Learn something new every day, i guess. LOL Starting to have some esophageal irritation and they have her using liquid tylenol for now...will go on to the lidocaine/maloxx mix when the tylenol isn't cutting it anymore. Dietary changes are interesting...no longer able to stand any carbonation...she told me, "Guess i better learn to like iced tea for a while." And she told me that anything really hot or really cold hurts...room temperature is best. Again, learnin something new! Prayers for all!

Just couldn't pass up a line of posts about our mothers pushing our buttons.....and wanting to strangle them!! God love them, they do all they can to make us the strong women we are...but SHEESH, there's nothing like a good ole "mom guilt trip" to make your day complete! Oh, and NOOOOO, i've not started doing that with my daughter! Honest! LOL OK, maybe i have! Thanks for a good warm fuzzy feeling this morning before heading up to spend the day with that great mom of mine in the pool with "the grandkids"!

Glad to hear he's recovering well and prayers continue that you'll both be back together at home soon!

thanks and thanks again...mom told me earlier today she got "weird sick" and we suspect the antiviral she was put on and all we could find were the normal "nausea, vomiting, ect ect" You guys are great!

I KNOW i saw a post about someone reacting to their meds for shingles...mom's having some weird stuff going on and i can't find it again for my life!! Anyone point it out, i'd appreciate it...or if you have heard of bad reactions, please let me know...i'm advising her to NOT take another dose until she talks to her dr...but now i'm curious, too! Thanks so much!

What wonderful news, Don!!!! SOOO happy to hear that for Lucie and you!! Hope the pain continues to lessen for her. (((Don and Lucie)))

I know the last time i posted for myself, i was having a truely terrible day. Today was quite the opposite! For reasons unknown (maybe God just new i needed it) i have felt so relaxed and at ease. Even with storms blowing through and i hate storms!! Instead of running away and hiding from them, like i normally would...i stood out in the first part of it; the windy, uncontrolled part (no lightening at the time, thankfully!!! hahaha) and just let it blow...and for once, i wasn't scared. Tomorrow my daughter and i will take Mom to radiation/chemo for the first time. Mom asked last friday if Sabrina (my daughter) could go in and see the room where Grandma gets radiation and the machine and all the "stuff". They told her she was welcome to bring her in! We're excited! Sabrina has some understanding of what is going on, she's a smart cookie anyway, and we've hidden little from her. The only thing we do not discuss with her in ear-shot is the possible outcome of Grandma's diagnosis...but we also never tell her that Grandma will be "cured" when she's done with treatments. She knows the doctors are trying to help treat Grandma's cancer...we leave it at that for now, but she knows if there is ever a question she has (even that one) she can ask Grandma or me and we will tell her honestly. She's excited about going to meet all the doctors, so am i actually! And for Sabrina, we're hoping it helps her to understand, make more tangible, what Grandma's treatments are like...so she doesn't get scared of the unknown like we all tend to do!! This is round three of chemo!!! We're getting there! Mom's getting irritated at being short of breath and achy when she moves, but feeling absolutely fine when she's sitting still. She's going to talk to the Dr.s about it and see what they say. All in all things are going pretty well so far! I think the once weekly chemo helps keep the side effects down...and prays daily that the radiation will hurt her as little as possible! Thanks, Katie, for posting on that last one of mine and reminding me that i need to remember to share my good days, too!! LOL Sometimes i forget until i'm about ready to burst into tears yet again that you all share the GOOD and the bad! Prayers for all of you!! Cancer survivors (because to me, you're all survivors!), families, and friends! May you have a day where storms don't scare you and the sun follows closely in it's wake to make that beautiful rainbow! (We can ALL use on of those now and again!)