Andrea B.

Laurie, Happy Anniversary! Here are to many more celebrations!

Sandy, I am so very very happy for you!!!!!!!! YEAH!

I am so happy you had a great time. I treasure the times my mom and I spent "cancer free" (not in drs. appts., hospitals or talking about the disease". Here is to many more great times with you two!

Dear Norme, I wish I had the words to make everything better. But please know you and Buddy are always in my thoughts and prayers. Don't worry about posting...it is so important you also take care of yourself. Blessings, Andrea

Dear Shelly, First I want to send you a big hug! You are enduring so much and you need not forget about yourself. My dad is my mom's primary caregiver, but towards the end of last year I started taking on a lot of the caring myself. I was spending everyday a few hours a day over there. I also have a 21 month old daughter and I finally felt something had to give. I was headed for a nervous breakdown. I have started taking more time for myself, my daughter and my family. I still dedicate a lot of time to go over and take care of my mom, but I realized I can't give what I don't have. Don't feel guilty about needing help...you are only human. There are a lot of quality nursing homes out there. Know you aren't alone and that you need not feel guilty for your feelings. So many of us here understand. This is a difficult road to travel and one best not traveled alone and without help. Hugs to you.

Becky, My mom too had unbelievable pain in her ribs and back. The doctors did CT and PET scans. I felt they kept "blowing" her off for about two months. Finally we did some pushing and found out that she had a fracture in her vertebrae that was causing the intense pain in her ribs. We were so happy it wasn't cancer, but now she has osteoperosis to deal with on top of everything else. But at least we got an answer and she had a procedure, kyphoplasty, to seal the fractures. I am sorry for the pain you are enduring...I know for my mom it has been debilitating. I hope you get some answers soon!

Great news!!! And boy do I love to hear it!

Great Great News!!!!! So happy for you and your mom. Tell her to keep up the good fight. Blessings to you.

Great news, Tiny!!!! Have fun in Bellingham...hopefully there isn't too much snow for your travel. Enjoy your family. All my best, Andrea

Becky, Here is to one year and looking forward to many more! All my best to you.

Will be keeping you in my prayers, Sandy!

Oh Nat, I am so very very sorry! I know how much your mom meant to you. My heart goes out to you and your dad. My heart aches for you.

1. Andy Rooney on Monica. Can you believe it? Monica turned 28 this week. It seems like only yesterday that she was crawling round the White House on her hands and knees. 2. Andy Rooney on Vegetarians. Vegetarian - that's an old Indian word meaning "lousy hunter". 3. Andy Rooney on Prisoners. Did you know that it costs forty thousand dollars a year to house each prisoner? Jeez, for forty thousand bucks apiece I'll take a few prisoners into my house. I live in Los Angeles. I already have bars on the windows. I don't think we should give free room and board to criminals. I think they should have to run twelve hours a day on a treadmill and generate electricity. And, if they don't want to run, they can rest in the chair that's hooked up to the generator. 4. Andy Rooney on Fabric Softeners. My wife uses fabric softener. I never knew what that stuff was for. Then I noticed women coming up to me, sniffing, then saying under their breath, "Married!" and walking away. Fabric softeners are how our wives mark their territory. We can take off the ring. But, it's hard to get that April Fresh scent out of your clothes. 5. Andy Rooney on morning differences. Men and women are different in the morning. We men wake up aroused in the morning. We can't help it. We just wake up and we want you. And the women are thinking, "How can he want me the way I look in the morning?" It's because we can't see you. We have no blood anywhere near our optic nerve. 6.Andy Rooney on cripes My wife's from the midwest. Very nice people there. Very wholesome. They use words like 'Cripes' 'For Cripes sake.' Who would that be; Jesus Cripes? The son of 'Gosh' of the church of 'Holy Moly'? I'm not making fun of it. You think I wanna burn in 'Heck'? 7. Rooney on Grandma My grandmother has a bumper sticker on her car that says, 'Sexy Senior Citizen.' You don't want to think of your grandmother that way, do you? Out entering wet shawl contests. Makes you wonder where she got that dollar she gave you for your birthday. 8. Rooney on answering machines. Did you ever hear one of these corny positive messages on someone's answering machine? "Hi, it's a great day and I'm out enjoying it right now. I hope you are too. The thought for the day is: "Share the love." BEEP "Uh, yeah...this is the VD clinic calling....Speaking of being positive, your test results are back. Stop sharing the love.."

Dear Marlon, I am so very sorry to hear about your mom's passing. What a wonderful son you were to her and a great advocate. May you find peace in knowing you did all you could. Take care.

Andrea, I sent you an email too. My mom was treated with the Lovonox shots...she had a adverse reaction - coughed up blood. Found out she is allergic to all blood thinners. She had a screen impanted to catch any clots breaking off from her legs. The doctors told us immobility and cancer causes blood to thicken and this all causes blood clots, pretty common. My mom is doing much better now.

Talk to your oncologist right away. My mom had fluid build up around the lungs and was given diuretics to help get it off. She is home now and doing much better.

Becky, My mom was/is on Oxycontin for back pain attributed to fractures. She was taking it for over a month at which time she lost about 20 pounds. She said she just never felt hungry and food had no taste. My mom had a procedure done on her back to relieve the pain and now she takes less Oxycontin and is back to eating and putting some weight back on...from what the doctors told us it does effect the appetite.

Prayers for you Linda and for your dear father, Matthew. I am hoping his condition continues to improve. All my best.

Carleen, my prayers will be going out to Keith for a successful doctor's visit. Even though you don't post, you are always in my thoughts and prayers. I am wishing you some inner peace to help see you through this rollercoaster ride. We are always here for you. Hugs to you.

You sound like wonderful friends who support and love one another. I say to share the information with her! Trust your gut. I think it would be better to share the information with her then to regret that you never had (if it ends up making a difference in her treatment). Plus I think it will show her that you care. Good luck. All my best to your friend.

Becky, So glad to hear you have a new course of action! I am wishing you much success with this new combination. You continue to be in my thoughts.

I am so saddened to read about David's passing. My deepest sympathies to you.

Denise, First I want to send you a hug. It is so hard to be nice all the time when you are under so much stress. I have had those moments with both my mom and dad. My mom was bedridden with constant pain and they found compression fractures in her back due to osteoperosis. I will be praying for your mom that her bone scan comes back clean and that she finds renewed strength. Your whole family will also be in my prayers. I too know how difficult this can be on the entire family, my dad, brother and I are constantly struggling. All my best, Andrea

Dear Sandy, Great news on the CT scan and I am praying it will be the same for your mammogram. In the meantime, I am wishing you some peace while you have to anxiously sit and wait. Also, sending a hug your way. Andrea

Dear Linda, Please know you, your father and family will be in my prayers. It is so tough to see our loved ones have to battle this demon. Take care and I am sending you hugs. Andrea