barbaraSanAntone

It was good to hear that your husband did well after his carbo/gemsar treatment. Thats what I will be taking, and maybe the side effects wont be as bad as I think. Of course, Im thinking the worst Anyway, after 1/4/06 I will have first hand knowledge and no more guessing or worrying, I will just have to handle what comes Good luck, god bless you and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thanks very much for the article Laura Ann. I am a smoker, have been for 52 years+. I am 73, stage 3b NSCLC, no symptoms, will begin Carbo/Gemzar Chemo on 1/4/06. I still smoke, I am totally addicted, and when I tried to quit(many times) several years back, a doctor said nicotine is a natural antidepressant and is harder to kick than heroin or cocaine. He was going to put me on an antidepressant for 3 weeks and then use the patch and antidepressant, but I decided to keep on smoking. All my docs (internist, pulmonologist, oncologist and thoracic surgeon) know I smoke, and dont yell at me because they know I am addicted. It makes sense that treatment and health would be better with no smoking, however I felt the article was a little misleading, because MDA, a teaching-research institute did not factor into the results equation of whether the participants in studies continued to smoke during treatment (which also skewed their results). Anyway folks, its hard as heck to have a smoke anywhere you want to nowadays

Thanks very much for the article Laura Ann. I am a smoker, have been for 52 years+. I am 73, stage 3b NSCLC, no symptoms, will begin Carbo/Gemzar Chemo on 1/4/06. I still smoke, I am totally addicted, and when I tried to quit(many times) several years back, a doctor said nicotine is a natural antidepressant and is harder to kick than heroin or cocaine. He was going to put me on an antidepressant for 3 weeks and then use the patch and antidepressant, but I decided to keep on smoking. All my docs (internist, pulmonologist, oncologist and thoracic surgeon) know I smoke, and dont yell at me because they know I am addicted. It makes sense that treatment and health would be better with no smoking, however I felt the article was a little misleading, because MDA, a teaching-research institute did not factor into the results equation of whether the participants in studies continued to smoke during treatment (which also skewed their results). Anyway folks, its hard as heck to have a smoke anywhere you want to nowadays

Dear Cindy, I dont know if this will help you but my input is similar to your dad's case. I am 73 y/o female in excellent health except for squamous cell NSCLC stage 3b also diagnosed in Oct, 2005. I have had no symptoms at all, cancer found on routine pre op chest xray for plastic surgery for basal cell ca nose. To date, I have had no treatment, other than scans and lung biopsy. At first radiofrequency ablation was considered but there is mets to lymphnodes so it has been decided to do chemo 1/4/06. I questioned my oncologist about taking any treatment at all because I feel so good and know the chemo might start me on a downhill course. Now, my oncologist is different than yours (it seems) because he talks to me about an hour and is very frank with me. I asked him what I might expect with no treatment. He said I would face suffocation, hemorrhage, pain, organ failure, etc. in a shorter period of time than with treatment. I said "won't that be the same with treatment eventually?" He said yes, BUT the course is slower, less painful, and there is always the chance of some regression that can contribute to your quality of life, however long that might be. I agree with you Cindy, that at a younger age I would fight like heck, but it really is a difficult decision for an older person, I think. I am going to go through with the Chemo, see what happens. Docs are still talking about ablation surgery but I will handle that when I come to it. My doc talked to me in a way that struck a chord that makes me feel better about going the chemo route, maybe the same way your dad responds to his doc. Anyway, dear, god bless you and your dad. None of us make bad decisions (on purpose) they always seem like right decisions at the time. I know whatever he decides to do, you will support him.

I admire and pray for each of you on your journey. I had to laugh at Tina: her mom was 80 when she quit smoking (and is now 83) wow!! Well, slight change of plans. Saw my oncologist today and he says I am not a candidate for RFA (yes, I'll let HIM tell the thoracic surgeon ). He did not see the PET scan before he referred me, and because I have mets to hilar lymphnode, he says more important to treat mets at this time. I am stage IIIB so he wants to start me on chemo: Carbo/Gemzar. I have to wait until after 1st of year so Medicare RX will kick in. That's just the way it is. I am reading you guys and following your chemo logs and get a lot of encouragement. It will be a short term treatment, 2 rounds, and then we will go from there. Maybe go fishin' Love from San Antonio barbara

I really didnt like any of the options my oncologist was giving me. He said "Barbara, if there was a pill that you could take (I think he said once a week) that would give you the benefit of all the therapy now available, would you take it?" I said "You bet!" Then he said that there were 3 pills right now (well, only 2 because 1 had been excluded) that were being tested, and in probably 5 years they would be available. I don't know what they are, but there is still some hope out there!

Yep, I'm one of you guys I am 73 y/o female in excellent health, no symptoms, even ran in senior games last year, the 1500 meter in 8 min 9 sec, no training for it, I just like to walk. I had a nose job for a basal cell skin cancer on 10/1/05 and the pre-op xray showed lesion in left lung. Follow up xrays, ct scan, FNA biopsy showed NSCLC squamous. CT scans brain, abd-pelvis negative for mets. Bone scan neg. PET scan showed mets to lymphnode in lung. My Pulmonary Function Tests were good. Oh yes, would like to add that I have smoked for 52 years and still smoke. Just cant stop it folks, I'm addicted. My pulmonologist, oncologist and thoracic surgeon think I am a "great" candidate for RadioFrequency Ablation, RFA, minimally invasive thoracic surgery. I know there have been great results w/RFA liver cancer, not so much work has been done w/lung surgery. My surgeon is the only one in SA and Texas that does it I am told. My problem is: I just feel so good I don't want to do anything. Anybody else feel like that? I think that once I start on this therapy train, it just keeps on going. I've had a great life, am not looking for cure or extended life. If, I was 30 years younger, I would fight like hell, but I'm not sure I want to sacrifice the quality of life I have now. Anyway, the doc called me this afternoon and has the surgery scheduled for Jan 4, 2006. Has anyone had this surgery, can you give me some input? Would sure appreciate it. Thanks, and God Bless you all in your journey.

Hi Sam, I just thought I might address what you called a "lump" in a tonsil. That is unusual. You might have enlarged tonsils, but a "lump" in a tonsil is not common and can easily be taken care of: a tonsillectomy. As with any surgery, there can be complications, but at least the tissue has been removed and can be looked at microscopically. How did you get diagnosis of TMJ, how is it being treated? Good luck, good health.