Tom K

Interesting topic. When I was first diagnosed, I didn’t want my wife to be afraid or anxious, so I tried to keep test results and details secret. She would not be left in the dark. She insisted on going to every appointment and listening to every discussion with the doctors. Even when things got really scary, she kept a positive attitude but never shied away from the difficult subjects. I am still amazed at all she did for me while I was going through treatment and continues to do for me. I recall her cooking as many as 4 different meals trying to find something that tasted good to me and I could swallow. I have heard that adversity will make a good marriage better, while I believe this disease has made our marriage even stronger. Now, I not only love her with all my heart, but I am extremely grateful for all that she has done for me. If I become a long term survivor, she deserves has much credit as any of my doctors. I can’t imagine how hard it would have been to go through this without being able to communicate with her.

Ralph, I am with you all the way. I just had my first 3 month checkup and I was surprised how anxious I became while waiting to see the doctor. I hope the nodule is nothing, but you are handling it very well. Any of us would be a little worried over something like this.

HIP HIP HORAYYYYY! Way to go Judy.

Alexan, Wait until the biopsy is performed. That will be the definitive test. Recently, a PET scan indicated spots on my liver, the doctor ordered an MRI then a CT scan, and they all indicated something was definitely there. I was worried sick. When the biopsy was performed, it turned out to be benign fatty tissue that was inflamed. I recommend you wait for the biopsy until you start asking those other questions.

She was loved by us and she was always there to help us where she could. We will miss her.

Losing her is so sad and we all share in your grief. Her story and the battle she waged against this disease is an inspiration.

Prayers for Lucie, You and your children.

After everything you have been through, you have more than earned the right to whine. You are in my prayers

It has been a few hours since your first post, so I hope you are reading this after you returned from the emergency room. Sending prayers that it is nothing serious.

One of our favorites Neuropathy

Wow!! Congratulations Betty. It always brightens my day to hear good news like this.

Welcome Sharon, Life has not been easy for you, but you seem to have a great attitude. It sounds like your chemo has been extremely successful. Congratulations and prayers for continued to success. I just finished chemo a few months ago, so I don’t know if the neuropathy will ever go away. Mine has not. It does seem to be a pretty common side effect of the taxol. But as you said, it is something we can live with. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. There is a lot of knowledge and experience in the group and they are more than willing to share.

Congratulations and wishing you many more anniversaries.

I had a PET, CT and MRI done in June and they all pointed to the possibility of liver mets. The surgeon did a biopsy and found it was non-specific inflammation. I was told a PET scan can light up from infection, inflammation or cancer and that a PET can give false indications of cancer about 20% of the time.

I have no idea what the problem could be, but I am sorry he is feeling ill. Fevers can really knock the wind out of your sails. I hope he gets better quick.

I do not have experience with either of those drugs, but here is a link to a web site that has a lot of clinical information on chemo drugs. http://www.chemocare.com/

Hi Betty, Welcome and please do not hesitate to ask questions. This is a great group of people who are more than willing to share their experiences and knowledge.

Icbn, It is you who are lifting us. Your dignity in the face of adversity is inspiring.

Lori, After my Onc laid out the plan for my treatment, I went for a second opinion. The second opinion agreed with my Onc with one exception. He recommended Taxotere instead of Taxol. He said it was less toxic and just as effective. When I mentioned it to my Onc he said they normally start with Taxol and switch to Taxotere in the unlikely event the patient can not tolerate Taxol. Here is a link to a site that describes most chemo drugs. http://www.chemocare.com/

GREAT NEWS!!! You 2 behave yourselves during those 4 weeks of good times.

I am sure this will get me banned from the board, but here it is. The Guys' Rules­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Finally, the guys' side of the story. We always hear "the rules" From the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side. These are our rules! Please note.. these are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE! 1. Men are NOT mind readers. 1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down. 1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be. 1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way. 1. Crying is blackmail. 1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it! 1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question. 1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for. 1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a Problem. See a doctor. 1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days. 1. If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't Expect us to act like soap opera guys. 1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one 1. You can either ask us to do something Or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself. 1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials. 1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we. 1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is. 1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that. 1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle. 1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear. 1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine. Really. 1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as sex, Cars, the shotgun formation, or Basketball. 1. You have enough clothes. 1. You have too many shoes. 1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape! 1. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping. Pass this to as many men as you can - to give them a laugh. Pass this to as many women as you can - to give them a bigger laugh

You most definitely need a second opinion. Today there are lots of options for treating cancer. In a very honest conversation with my Onc, I was told that in a worst case scenario, I could expect 4 or more years of reasonably good quality of life provided I did not mind gong through multiple different therapies. She stressed that there were many options available with more being developed each year. You need to find an oncologist who is well versed in all the options available. Check out the people on this board and you will see there are many survivors who have been holding the disease at bay for years because of the many therapies they were treated with. BTW, age has very little to do with treatment success. In fact, I have read that age can be advantage, because the cancer tends to grow slower in older people.

From all that I have read, I understand that uncontrolled pain is one of the reasons people give up this fight. You must tell his doctors about the pain and insist they provide him relief. If they can’t help him, find the pain management team at the nearest hospital and seek their help.

I did not get nosebleeds per se, but while I was receiving chemo, I would see a noticeable amount of blood when I blew my nose in the mornings. It went away within a few weeks of stopping chemo. But like Cindi said, if your dad is bleeding profusely, it should be checked out by a doctor.

Welcome Eileen, Yes you are lucky you are eligible for surgery and yes the surgery is doable. Just before surgery, they may offer you an epidural, the answer is yes. If they don’t offer it, ask about it. I think mine stayed in for about 36 hours after the surgery and it made it a lot less painful to cough. Don’t be afraid to ask for the pain meds when you need them. Within 2 weeks I was down to the occasional Tylenol. I don’t know how big your tumor is, but if it is larger than 3CM, your Oncologist will likely recommend adjuvant chemo therapy. My Oncologist recommended it for me and my PCP discouraged it. I didn't know what to do, so I asked this group and everybody that responded encouraged me to do it. Long story short, it probably saved my life because after I agreed to do it the Onc ordered another PET that showed I still had 2 lymph nodes that were cancerous.