Tracy

Hi Spanky! I am so glad to hear about the good results! Thats awesome! Great to hear someone who had the same chemo cocktail that my dad is on do so well...congrats! Tracy

Fantastic News!! These are the posts that make me cry but for all the right reasons!! Thanks so much for sharing...it truly gives me hope! Tracy

Welcome to the Club!!! Thanks for sharing the wonderful news! Tracy

Thank you for your strength. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your kind words. Thank you for what you are doing. I am sure I could go on and on. THANK YOU for everything and I wish you all the best in your race! Tracy

Kathy, Your post made the eyes well up....I see it with my mom too. I am having a hard time dealing with this as a daughter, I cant even imagine what it must be like as a wife. Hang in there. Sending hugs, prayers, and good vibes! Tracy

Thanks for sharing such wonderful news...no cancer..wow...I can only hope for the same for all my friends here on this site, and of course for my daddy. Thanks for warming my heart. Tracy

Wow you sure have alot on your plate with the kids and your dad!! Thinking of your dad and you and wishing you a happy reunion! Tracy

My mother has lymphedema in her right arm. She is a breast cancer survivor now for 5.5 yrs!! She used to have to drive herself to the hospital to have her arm "pumped" but found that to be quite a pain in the butt. So she checked her medical benefits to see if they would perhaps cover her to rent a pump to do at home, but instead they outright paid for one!! The machine is over $5000cdn!! Now she just sits on the couch and puts her arm in the sleeve, turns on the pump, and watches T.V. She also wears a stocking/sleeve daily to help keep it down. Before my dad was diagnosed, my mom was a member of weight watchers and had lost over 20lbs. When she lost the weight it seemed her arm got quite a bit smaller, not just from the weight loss. Since my dads diagnosis she stopped going to WW and due to stress has put it all back and some more. As a result her arm is again quite large. I see that John gave you an article to read, which I am sure is probably a whole lot more informative than my post...but this is my moms experience and if you have any questions that I may be able to help you with please feel free. Tracy

I, too, just wanted to check in and see how the weight gain is coming?!?! Right before my dads last round of chemo they said he had lost so much weight that he had to lay off the water and only consume liquids with calories. Seems kinda odd to say no more water but its ok to drink Coke! Another thing my mom has started doing with dad is when he is feeling up to eating normally again she loads up the calories. For instance, when making a "sunday night dinner" of roast beef she will add extra flour to her gravy and when mashing the potatoes she adds creamo instead of milk and adds butter. Also instead of eating regular vegetables she will buy those frozen Green Giant ones that are soaking in butter sauce! It seems to be doing the trick...even my sister and I have gained a few pounds!!! Hoping you have success in whatever method you use, and if whatever you are doing is working please share for the rest of us! Tracy

Glad to hear it was all a mistake...I really dont understand how mistakes like that can be made...just a few days ago my dad got the results from a xray, or at least thats what he thought was going to happen! Turns out it was an xray of someone who has testicular cancer! I guess I can see how they got those two confused Wishing you all the best Tracy

Peg and Bill, Never give up, thinking of you both and sending good vibes your way! Tracy

It seems that my life has gotten so hectic recently that I have not been regularly signing in...days go by sometimes a week or two..and everytime I have logged it seems that more and more people have lost a father, mother, husband, wife. I may not have posted to each individually and just wanted to let everyone know, that I knew your story and I am deeply saddened by your loss. My tears are uncontrollable right now. I am so sad for all of you. I pray for each of your families. God bless. Tracy

I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your father. May God be with you and your family at this time.

I just got out of my car and while I was in it I was listening to a news station that had a quick blurb on new "genius" testing. It is some kind of a saliva test that is able to catch lung cancer early. Has anyone heard of anything like this? Is it approved already in the states? My dads doc said that they have recently linked lung cancer to being a gene that could run in the family...I sure would like to know more about this test if thats the case! Tracy

Hi Janet, I am an insurance agent in canada, however, I DO NOT sell any kind of life or disability insurance...thank god too because they are all awful. My experience with dealing with colleagues that do sell it is that they are highly paid on commission and that agent was probably just a loser who knew he wouldnt be able to get a sale out of you and wanted to dismiss you as fast as he could. He knows nothing of your situation and has no insight on the future. Try to forget about him. Tracy

Lucie and Don, Thinking of you both at this time and wishing you the best. Tracy

My dads nutritionist said to load him up with calories!!! When he has cereal he has it with cream instead of milk. What my mom has been doing as well is making milkshakes...with tonnes of calories..ice cream, cream, and then she adds the powder mix of those carnation instant breakfasts (they alone have I think 200calories). Lately it seems that this is all dad has. Best of luck Tracy

Glad to hear you're done!!! Take Adas advice and rest up well for that surgery..wishing you the best of luck. Love Tracy

Oh Ray that is absolutely fabulous news!! Awesome Thanks for sharing and giving hope to us all. Love Tracy

Its been awhile since I have updated everyone on my father so here is a brief one. He has now completed 4 weeks of radiation and 2 rounds of chemo. This last week was the week of having both treatments so it is really taking its toll. He feels like his skin is burning from underneath ( is this normal from radiation?) and he is really antsy. This week the hair loss started and by saturday night mom and dad decided to shave it all off! My daddy is so handsome.... even bald! Unfortunately he cant sleep and has been really really really sick. The above breaks my heart, but I try and look at it like him being sick is just a way of ridding the body of the bad cancer cells. Now here comes the emotional part.... My sister, nephew, and I went over for dinner yesterday. Dad was lying down and after about an hour of being there my mom went to the bedroom to get him to come out and visit. Well next thing you know my mom comes out of the bedroom bawling her eyes out. Apparently as she was leaving Dad reached over and grabbed her arm. He told her that he is "going" and that he loves her very much. He said he prays every night that she will be ok once he is gone. He told her that he is very scared and while saying all this he was crying.This was very hard to hear and right now its very hard to type it out...my eyes are all tearing up as I write this. He finally came out ( after he dried his eyes so that my sister and I wouldnt see it...damned stubborn man, its ok to cry!) and joked about how he was sorry he didnt take the time to comb his hair. Everything seemed to be better, but once my sister and mom left the room to check on dinner he turned to me and made me promise to move in with my mom and take care of her. I told him he was talking nonsense but now I wish I didnt because if he is "going" then I want him to know everything is in order. I think I will sit down with him this week and listen to everything he wants to talk about that no one wants to hear. Poor guy is shaking from being so weak. He cant keep anything down so he doesnt even try to eat now. Last round he was like this for two weeks and then got better the week before chemo. It sucks so much to see him like this...but its temporary right? God I hope so. I keep thinking about how this is exactly what my cousins went through...my auntie did radiation and chemo and we still lost her within a year. I know people are different, different cancers and different treatments but I am just so scared to lose my daddy. I want to wake up from this nightmare.

Carleen & Keith, It must be so difficult to have so much going on all at the same time, hopefully your stress load will lighten. Praying for you both Tracy

Hi Tim, When I first joined this message board I was so unaware of what to expect. After posting my first post I had so many warm people I have never met cheering my dad and me on. This site is absolutely fabulous. What I love so much is that I know that when I am scared the most I can just log on and have the support I need given to me. I love my family so much but it is here where I feel the most supported. Even just the knowledge that there is someone out there caring about my father and me makes me feel so comforted. My dad is currently going through radiation and chemo together and my goodness does it ever take its toll. Hang in there my friend, it just means that its doing its job! We may not have ever met, but I feel like I know your story through your loving wife Kathy. You are in my prayers. Love Tracy

Welcome to the Empty Head Club

Shelly, My grandmother was 92 as well when she passed on 4 yrs ago. We should all be so lucky. I am so sorry for your loss. Tracy

Hi Donna, Thank you for thinking of my dad. He is still in treatment ( halfway throught radiation and just about to start the second round of chemo). Tomorrow will be a hard day for me because I have to step in and help out by taking him to the hospital for treatment and take care of him for the rest of the day. Its going to be so hard to see my daddy like that. My mom usually takes him but tomorrow is an important day at her work and she just couldnt get it off...not that I mind helping out, I like to take care of them both, but I think its going to be a little TOO REAL for my liking. Friday he had a chest xray done to see if there was any progess and there was "a slight improvement". I will take whatever kind of improvement I can get so I am happy to hear that! Dad has just started to lose his hair and is quite upset about that. I look at it like the treatment is working and with each hair follicle that comes out its only a sign of the cancer leaving his body! I hope you had a good birthday!! Tracy