eppie

Inspiring and Ecstatic about the news!!!!

TAnn, Dad won't be taking Decadron....I am glad too...if we can avoid it we will. I have a meeting with the onc. today to go over some questions. Did anyone here do six months straight of chemo (carbo/taxol)? THat is three days of infusions: one day carbo, next taxol then pamidronate. That's what my dad has been told he's doing. SO far week three he's tolerating it well. I want to know if we're being aggressive enough. How do we know for sure if he's responding...what exactly does response look like? I managed to get them to draw blood for a CEA today. THat should provide baseline. GOd, I want to grab cancer by it's throat and throttle it for giving us all this much trouble. On the good news: I bought my dad one of those space age memory foam mattresses. He loves it. The only problem is that it props his bed up another 6 inches and it's like his bed surface towers above everything else in his room. I will probably take it apart today so the whole thing sits on the floor and not the railing. Peace and healing to all in pain and strength to those in need. May all our prayers in mass bring peace! Eppie

WE're taking hope that the mets are small and that there are only two. Does anyone know about temozolomide? It supposedly crosses the blood-brain barrier to attack mets. Thanks for all the kind support. It means the world to us to know we're part of a chain of hope. It's strange that he has brain mets. I was more concerned with bone mets. HE's the one who pushed for the brain mri. THe radiologist admitted the she was only doing to fulfill his request. Just thinking "what if we hadn't scanned him" is another reason to keep hoping we're moving in the right direction with this fight. He does have many hot spots on both of his lungs. But this brain situation trumps all.... Gotta go....Much love and healing to all on this blessed message board, Eppie

Hang in there. Our prayers are with you. EPpie

change in stage. now IV with brain mets. Two small lesions. asymtomatic..10 rounds wbr. Stereodatic after. More later. spirits hopeful.....nothing else to say.. Prayers for all. eppie

I taught my students this week. I must have done a good job because every single one got it correct on today's assessment. So I was thrilled to read this post by you, Surveyor. You brought peace to us today. We always drank ROsemary tea with my grandmother. I always thought it was great and now I am even more convinced. Thanks, Joining others in prayer tonight for healing and power against this cancer, Eppie

I don't know how to answer your medical questions...but you are in my prayers and i want to hear from you again to know how your mom is doing. HEaling thoughts and a universe of love flowing towards you and your loved ones. eppie

tANN I was just praying that you'd contact me...and you did. I do believe that it was the nodes in both lungs. + the plural efflusions that warranted the stage iiib. I will in Houston next week so if you want to talk to us we;d love to hear from you. 401-2585995 cell phone. Cancer cells were found in the liquid they drained. so far I have no idea what kind of cells they found. The onc two weeks ago was guessing with squamous. could be anything. They feel it is a very aggressive growing type. There is no firm idea which or what or where the primary is right now. I want to know....he wants to know because if he is incorrectly staged....resection after chemo in best case....radation to primary concurrently....or just chemo like you said...makes no difference in treatment. I just want to know if we have mets to other places. It all goes with being aggressive and kicking this thing in the *ss and making the cancer go away. I am wondering about this whole situation. questions like how do they really know it is a carcinoma?

thanks all, Dad went back to the Radiologist today and they are going to do a PET scan and Brain MRI tomorrow. We just have to know more about this cancer. Pathology on the node they removed and the other bit they took off a tumor came back benign......where is this cancer coming from? Where is it metasisizing to? These things must be known. I am glad they are listening to him and doing what they can to help. In other news.....hubs stayed home sick with flu like symptoms.....I am odering Tamiflu from my doc and ordering him to quarrantine.....I am going to Texas this weekend and I AM NOT bring the flu with me. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. Much love and healing energy to all those in need and strength to the all in battle with this beast..... Eppie

Sending good thoughts to Jim. I know you will get through this. I am pulling for you!

Reading your words is like a soothing balm on my aching mind. Thanks Ralph for the explanation and Don, too. I with you and not buying this attidude about insurence. My quesion remains does knowing more change how we treat this beast? My money is on the impulse to get more info. Shouldn't he have bone scans? That would determiine if it has moved out of the lung. I am worried about how will they know whter or not he has brain mets. I am trying to gather my rationale before mentioning anything to Dad, of course. The gamble is to stay the course and see if there is a reponse. We're still very early in the treatment. I should call his ONc. I like to have a list of questions. Good night and prayers to all on this list seeking hope and strength, Helling thoughts and love to all, eppie

Ok, The node (and he has many in both lungs) they biopsied was not cancerous. This is one from the other side of lung. The Radiologist says the only way to rule out which nodes are or aren;t is by PET scan. They can not do the PET scan during chemo. ????? Do they normally do PET scans two months after chemo like she's saying? They can't do radiation if they don't know what to shoot rays at so.... I have lots of questions....I have to sort what is most important to know. One is has anyone had news like this? Two) This could impact staging but does it impact current chemo treatment? Three) Can he have a bone scan during chemo? I am sure hoping for no mets outside the lung. But shouldn't we already know this or does diagnosotic information come in piecemeal like this? That plural efflusion is scary stuff. Can you be stage IIB with plural efflusion? WOuldn"t that be a better prognosis? THis doc said ---now I hate saying this ---he has a 15% survival rate at stage iiib over 5 years. Hell, I'll take that but I am greeedy. I want better. I'll post more once I process this info. I am wanting to hear the good news.....I mean imagine if they biopsied the only non cancerous nodule he has? What does that mean? I hate to imagine....must go to the gym.

This is my latest visual---- Thousands of Fans in the stands cheerleaders chanting: Go Lee NEDlower lower and Lower CEA Scores! Go Lee!

Hope. When I read someone's posting and see terrible words like Nsclc stage IIIb and later see NED, NED, NED. That is why I am here today.

Hope and Peace for the New Year. Strength to all needing it. There is beauty in every day. Today is a gift, that is why they call it the "present".

YAy, for Cindi!!! Peace to all on this messsage board. Healing thoughts for everyone!

I am glad you found us. Let us know how it is going from time to time, ok. YOu are not alone. Strength to all inthis battle, Eppie

Adding Bronbear to my prayers

Hang in there! I know it is scary and this journey has many bumps along the way. We're all here and willing to listen, cry and curse this terrible illness. Please know that hope is very powerful. Let us know how it goes. Eppie

<<<<<(((((Hugs for Kelly and Mom>>>>)))))

Chopping and stacking wood worked for me this past week. I loaded our Ford f150 twice and unloaded it. I stacked a about a cord. The chopping ws really great. Just pretended the log was cancer. Felt great and good to be helping my family stay warm this winter. I also love to lift weights.

Thrilled the hurricane bypassed Baytown. NOw on the treatment. dad had his 3rd chemo treatment and all his blood work came back good. He had Carbo platin first. Then Taxol and then today pamidonate. I have never heard of this last drug. Has anyone here been one it or know about it? Next week he starts radiation. I had been hopeful about possible resection but Dad says he has tumors in both lungs. I guess inoperable means inoperable.....????? Hoping this treament melts the cancer away. Peace to all in pain and strength to defeat this beast. Eppie

Don, I am glad to hear you are ok and have a plan. My parents left yesterday and are fine in San Antonio. My sister left Spring this morning at 5 am and is only as far as HWY 6! My aunt left the Heights at 7 am and turned around at 3 pm having only reached Memorial Mall. That is absolutely insane!!!! I think in a disaster, time is your only friend. The good news is the storm is pointing at La. now and getting weaker. I feel so bad for all affected by this storm that hasn't even hit. What a mess.

My mom and dad are in Baytown Texas which is very close to La Porte. I am a nervous wreak. I was going ther this weekend from RI to hand hold cuz of this recent diagnosis. NOw it looks like I will be going to hand hold and clean up. That is if there is anything left. Dad said he felt cursed. I told him that there was no such thing. Last night I went at my wood pile with a fury. I am so angry and helpless. My family is all in San Antonio. Prayers for safety to all in the path of the storm.

Mom and Dada asked that I not come. They are evacuating and want me to stay where I am. They and other family members are all staying at my sister's house in Spring Texas. Baytown is being evacuated. Dad is being discharged from the hospital early tomorrow with pain meds. His tubes are being pulled and his onc called me personally to say his chemo will start Sat in best case scenario and Mon. in another case. I am terribly upset and worried. My sister's house just had the throw up visus go through. She has three little kids under age 7. bad business. Prayers for all on this message board and peace for all.