antoinettev3

Cindy o'h, Thanks for the info. I was not aware of the shift to the PharmD program. Makes me feel a bit more confident. I will inquire as to the education of my local pharmacist. God Bless Antoinette Rich, Thanks for reminding me of that link. I forgot about that source even though I have it bookmarked in my list of favorites. I checked all the drugs I'm taking (mostly OTC) and according to the site there is no interaction w/ my combo of drugs. On a side note, how long were you on Tarceva before the side effects started showing up? I've been holding off taking it for a few days because I have a couple of important meetings and appts. scheduled for this week and didn't want to have any problems or "interruptions" (if you know what I mean ). Thanks in advance. God Bless. Antoinette

Bill, Thank you for the guidance I really appreciate it. I will contact my hospital's clinical pharmacist and see what they have to say. Antoinette

Anyone taking these two drugs together? My oncologist's office felt there should be no problem taking the two but recommended I speak with my pharmacist. I decided to just call Genentech figuring I'd get it straight from the horse's mouth. Unfortunately they weren't terribly helpful and suggested that I speak to my pharamacist as well. Their reasoning being that since they did not specifically test for interactions between Neurontin and Tarceva they could not say if there would be a problem or not. They did test other anti-convulsants but not this one. Now, I may be way off base here but wouldn't you think that if the manufacturer of the medication cannot say, one way or another, if it is safe to take these two pills, that my local pharamacist won't have a clue either? I mean where does the PDR get it's information about the drugs they list? Also, not all pharmacists are created equal. What if the one at my local drug store graduated at the bottom of his class? Am I to trust the "expertise" of this professional without knowing his background? Sorry to go off on a rant over a simple question. I had a rough night and I guess I'm still cranky. I'd appreciate any info. Thanks, Antoinette

Prayers for your daughter and your family. May God bless her with a healthy baby. Antoinette

OH! That's just too cool! Where else could you get an opportunity like that? Sometimes the Internet just impresses the hell out of me. Thanks for posting this. Antoinette

Wonderful news!!! Congratulations. May all your scans be NED. God Bless. Antoinette

I'm SO happy for you! Praise the Lord! May all your scans come back NED. God Bless. Antoinette p.s. I decided to start Tarceva, thanks so much for the info on it and your experiences with it. I pray I have the great results you're having.

OH! That was painfully accurate. I would post that on another forum I frequent but it would become a viscious circle and probably bring about the end of civilization. They have no sense of humor over there. Antoinette

A college class was told to write a short story in as few words as possible. The story had to contain the following three things: 1. Religion 2. Sexuality 3. Mystery Below is the only A+ short story in the entire class: "Good God, I'm pregnant; I wonder who did it."

Traditionally my family cooks up a leg of lamb for dinner with tons of garlic. My Mom also makes this awesome rice dish that has dill and fava beans in it. Mmmm. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Sadly we won't be having that this year since we're all scattered across the country. We'll just do dinner out somewhere. By the way I think chickin' & dumplins sounds pretty tasty too. Gosh all this talk about food, I need to grab some lunch. Antoinette

Nancy, I'm very sorry that your oncologist is being difficult about this. Usually it's the non-cancer patient that runs into problems with getting adequate pain relief. The Duragesic patch is very safe when used as directed. The deaths that have occured were caused by people abusing the patch by either cutting it or opening up the patch itself to get a quick release of the drug. The patch is designed for long acting relief but people who are looking for a high will break open the patch, thus making it a VERY high dose short acting drug. I was not able to stay on the patch last year because the lowest dose 12.5 mcg was not enough and the 25 mcg was too much (made me sick and feel VERY bad) but many people tolerate it very well. There are drugs specifically for bone pain as well though I have no experience with them. You might ask your oncologist to refer you to a pain management clinic or doctor who will be more comfortable dispensing adequate medication. I pray that you will get the relief you need. God Bless. Antoinette

I spoke with a woman who lives in CA who goes there for treatment. She has mesothelioma like I do and has been going to the clinic for a few years. She is on maintenance therapy and is very pleased with the treatment she has rec'd there. She is a 5+ year survivor of the disease. She meets up with 3 other woman who had been receiving treatment for their cancers at the same time as she was. I've also spoken with the son of a woman (another meso patient) who went there but the treatments didn't help her. He did admit that his Mom's cancer was pretty advanced by the time they sought out this clinic. He did warn me that the Bahamian doctors that are required to be on staff by the Bahamian gov't are, in his words, idiots but that the doctor who runs the facility is wonderful and knows what he's doing. I spoke with the medical director, Dr. Clement and he is a lovely man who was in absolutely no hurry when he called me and was more then happy to answer all my questions. I am still considering this facility. The biggest problem I have with it is that you need to stay there for, I believe it's 3-12 weeks for the initial treatment and then fly back for maintenance (2 weeks every 4-6 months). The clinic has discounted rates with local apartments and hotels. Time shares are another way to go. My surgeon in L.A. had a meso patient who went there who said he felt better after his treatment then he ever had in his life. Sadly his tests showed that his cancer had advanced despite his feeling so well. My surgeon observed that 12 weeks in the Bahamas would probably make ANYONE feel better then they have in a long time. I think like any other treatment that there are people that see great results and others that are not helped at all. The cost of the treatments are not astronomical compared to what chemo costs but insurance will not cover any of it. The cost of having to live there is what tends to make it rather pricey for most people. We calculated it would run us apx. $20,000 for 12 weeks assuming mid-range accommodations. The treatment for me was going to cost around $9,000. I highly recommend contacting the facility and speaking with Dr. Clement personally to judge for yourself whether it's suitable for you. I am going to try Tarceva first and see how I respond to that. If it doesn't work out then I will give very serious thought to at least trying this clinic. Anyone who is interested in getting an excerpt from the Moss Report re: this facility please email or PM me and I'll send it to you. Sincerely, Antoinette

Guess I'm tied with Connie B. at 10.5 years. It was May 22, 1995 for me. 3 days before my birthday. I'm just so grateful to be able to celebrate my 44th this year. Antoinette

Kasey, I'm SO very happy for you and your test results. May they ALL be good news. I am sorry that your niece is having to deal with this but please know that she's in my prayers. I saw your reply to my test results post and I would love to hang out at the pub and get to know you better too. I'll catch up with you tomorrow. Antoinette

Nancy I am so sorry that you and your family are going through this. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for all of you. I'm also very sorry that your father's pain is not under control. Have they tried the Duragesic patch for him yet or the Actiq lollipops? Both contain the drug Fentanyl. The patch is a long acting form of the drug and the lollipops are quick acting for breakthrough pain. My pain was in my chest and radiated to my back as well. I found that the patch worked well but I could not tolerate the side effects but I am overly sensitive to narcotics. If your father is tolerating Kadian well he probably will have no trouble with the Fentanyl. Please know that you and your father are in my prayers. God Bless. Antoinette

The object of this is to change MY answers and put your own in Subject: All About me 1. What time did you get up this morning? 8:00 (2 hours later then usual) 2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds 3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Crash (on DVD I don’t go to the movies any more) 4. What are your favorite TV shows? Gilmore Girls, E-Ring, My Name Is Earl 5. What did you have for breakfast? Coffee 6. What is your middle name? Anais 7. What is your favorite cuisine? Persian 8. What foods do you dislike? Most organ meat 9. Your favorite Potato chip? Taro Chips 10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Joss Stone : Mind Body & Soul 11. Favorite sandwich? Corned Beef & Pastrami on Rye 12. What characteristics do you despise? Hypocrisy 13. Favorite item of clothing? Fleece zip-up jacket 14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Botswana 15. Favorite brand of clothing? That I can afford: Old Navy That I can’t afford: Escada 16. Where would you want to retire? Even though I’m not retired I’m already living where I would: Palm Desert 17. Favorite time of day? Mornings before the phone starts ringing 18. Where were you born? Tehran, Iran but moved to NY when I was 2 ½ years old. 19. Favorite sport to watch? Figure skating 20. What laundry detergent do you use? Country Save 21. Coke or Pepsi? Coke 22. Are you a morning person or night owl? Morning person 23. What size shoe do you wear? 7 24. Do you have pets? One Cat 25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? Husband & I are embarking on completely redoing our church’s web site and then starting our own company to create web sites for other churches. 26. What did you want to be when you were little? Marine Biologist 27. Favorite Candy Bar? Nestlé’s Crunch Bar 28. What is your best childhood memory? Going to the carnival and playing games with my Dad while my Mom sat and just smiled and smiled watching us. 29. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? retail management; clerical; legal secretary, leasing agent, business owner 30. Eye color: Greenish Hazel 31. Ever been to Africa? No, but I sure would like to. 32. Ever been toilet papering? No 32. Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes.. 33. Been in a car accident? Yes 34. Croutons or bacon bits? Croutons 35. Favorite day of the week? Friday 36.Favorite restaurant? LG’s (a steak house here in the desert) 37. Favorite flower? Freesias 38. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate Gelato 39. Disney or Warner Bros? WB 40. Favorite fast food restaurant? Burger King 41. What color is your bedroom carpet? No carpet all stone. 42. How many times did you fail your driver's test? None 43. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Anthropologie 54. What do you do most often when you are bored? Surf online 55. What time is bedtime? Usually around 11:00 56. Last person(s) you went to dinner with? My B-I-L and his girlfriend 57. What are you listening to right now? Heart pounding in my chest waiting for my PET/CT report to be faxed. 58. What is your favorite color? Green 59. How many tattoos do you have? 0 60. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? God

Many prayers being sent your way. Antoinette

HAPPY B'DAY!!! I wish you continued good health and many more then 5 birthdays to come. God Bless. Sincerely, Antoinette

The very first ever Blonde GUY joke..... And well worth the wait. An Irishman, a Mexican and a Blonde Guy were doing construction work on scaffolding on the 20th floor of a building. They were eating lunch and the Irishman said, "Corned beef and cabbage! If I get corned beef and cabbage one more time for lunch, I'm going to jump off this building." The Mexican opened his lunch box and exclaimed, "Burritos again! If I get burritos one more time I'm going to jump off, too." The blonde opened his lunch and said, " Bologna again! If I get a bologna sandwich one more time, I'm jumping too." The next day, the Irishman opened his lunch box, saw corned beef and cabbage, and jumped to his death. The Mexican opened his lunch, saw a burrito, and jumped, too. The blonde guy opened his lunch, saw the bologna and jumped to his death as well. At the funeral, the Irishman's wife was weeping. She said, "If I'd known how really tired he was of corned beef and cabbage, I never would have given it to him again!" The Mexican's wife also wept and said, "I could have given him tacos or enchiladas! I didn't realize he hated burritos so much." Everyone turned and stared at the blonde's wife. (Oh this is good, ready?) The blonde's wife said, "Don't look at me. He makes his own lunch."

Beckie, I had facial hair problems too while I was on Decadron. It was very subtle at first but got worse the longer I stayed on the drug. It started out with the hair looking coarser and darker and then it started to get longer. I didn't dare shave for fear it might get worse or cause problems with ingrown hairs. I used bleach specifically designed for lightening eye brows, mustaches, arm hair, etc. The most popular brand is Jolen but I prefer Surgi Invisi Bleach. It has a cream bleach instead of a powder. Mixes up very easily and I believe it comes in extra strength too for thicker, stubborn hair. I found it worked on my steroid beard just fine. Of course it didn't get rid of it but having the hair blond made it MUCH better. As far as a support peer. I can relate to her wanting to wait until she is feeling better. When I was going through radiation I didn't want to communicate most days. It's hard when you're feeling so bad and if she's a people pleaser, like me, she'll feel like she's letting the other person down by not being like her old self. When my friends would call I would force myself to sound better so they wouldn't feel bad. Silly, I know. Does she prefer to be left alone when she's ill. I'm that way whether it's a cold or cancer. I'm kind of like a wounded animal. Best to just throw me some food and my pills and leave me be. When I feel sociable I'll poke my head out. The steroid too can make people moody, depressed, angry, etc. I didn't realize just how depressed I was until I got off the Decadron though my husband could see it all along. Of course if you feel that she's slipping into a depression that's not just fatigue and treatment related it might be good to speak to her doctor about it. I'm a Christian too and I understand how your mom feels that her faith is being tested but why does she feel as though she has failed? Forgive me if that is too personal. Has she ever read Dodie Osteen's book "Healed of Cancer"? She's the mother of Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston. A very inspirational book as well as an easy read. Whenever I'm feeling like my faith isn't as strong as it should be I think back to Dodie's experience. I pray that you're Mom will feel better. Know too that the two of you are in my prayers. God Bless. Sincerely, Antoinette

I'm sorry that your husband is having a hard time with weaning off the steroids. I can commiserate. I'm still suffering the after effects and it's been 5 months since I stopped taking Decadron. The worst for me was joint pain in EVERY joint in my body not just the ones that were giving me trouble before I started the med. When I would try to walk I felt and looked like my 96 year old granmother. Thankfully the symptoms do ease up but it's slow and subtle. I'm still trying to lose the 40 pounds I gained in 6 months. So far have dropped about 1/2. Blood pressure has returned to normal and all the edema I suffered in my limbs and belly has also cleared up. I asked the same question too regarding long term use and learned first hand why you can't. As good as it feels and I mean I felt great when I first started on the Decadron the side effects quickly start to outweigh the benefits and the long term damage to our bodies is pretty bad. I pray that the test results will bring good news. Antoinette

Just snopes-ed this and it's fake (from Reno 911!)but still VERY funny. Antoinette

While I question the veracity, it's still funnier then all get out. http://www.bestwebatlanta.com/humor/humor_dui_stop_of_champion_dancer.shtml

Congratulations!!! Antoinette

Sorry that you're suffering with the hot flashes and mood swings. They can be brutal. I never tried the over the counter pills but did get wondeful relief from bio-identical progesterone cream. I was prescibed this by a local physician and it was prepared at a compounding pharmacy. I believe it is available online but don't know about the quality or efficacy. If you do a search for progesterone cream you'll find several web sites that will provide you with quite a bit of info. Good luck and I hope you find something that will help you and won't cause any additional health risks. Sincerely, Antoinette