Connie22

queen

Thanks Roger This prayer is really neat and expresses how a lot of us feel.

Welcome... I sent you a PM! Connie

Hey Don, I'm with you.....Gorilla here.

time heals

I love campfires and beaches and especially love campfires on the beach!!! This person is still working on their dreaded taxes Connie

Holy cow!!!! What a nightmare. It is so frusterating, as caregivers, always double checking everything. They give me a printout at every chemo visit with the lab results. I had to ask the 1st couple of times and now they just print one out. The nurse will even take the time to go over each number with us. Most of the time we feel rushed at the Oncologist's visit. My mom's radialogist oncologist, would usually take the time we needed, but we haven't been there since Feb. 15th. Good luck. Hugs and Prayers Connie

She and her family are in my prayers! Connie

Katie said what I was thinking when I first read this post. Please have patience with your Mother! Hugs and Prayers Connie

Eppie, I am extremely saddened to hear about your Dad!!! I will keep you and your family in my prayers. Please let us know how you are doing. Hugs and Prayers Connie

Welcome Melissa, This disease is very trying at times. SVCS is horrible. This is how my mom was dx in Jan. The swelling looks really horrible. Have faith and trust that the radiation will help. We noticed the swelling going down after the first treatment, but really noticed a difference after the first week. Also please make sure there are no blood clots in the Superior Vena Cava. My mom developed these, but the Drs. didn't catch them tell we insisted on another CT scan. Let me know if I can be of help. I too live a few blocks away from my mom, I take her to all of her appointments, plus try to keep up with home and work. Hugs and Prayers Connie

Congratulations Ry, You are the one that really made me feel welcomed, you even took the time to PM me, when mom was really sick!!! Thank you. God Bless Connie

Hi Jodi My understanding is that would be mets, but at least they found it before it was way big. The radiatin should hopefully take care of it. Does your mom do chemo once a week or every three weeks? My mom chose once a week, because they thought it would be easier on her. She is also having Taxol/carbo cocktail. Good luck and you have my prayers. Hugs & Prayers Connie

When my mom was dx, we told the Dr. not to give a prognosis. My husband's 44 year old brother was dx'd with pancraetic cancer and given 2mths. He died exactly 2 months to the day. We just always keep a positive attitude and try to get through each little bump in the road and try really hard not think of it as a death sentence.You have my prayers!! Hugs and Prayers Connie

Deb, You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers, hoping the chemo will work. Hugs and Prayers Connie

Sandy I am so sorry to hear about this. Where in SD do the kids live? That's where we live. If there is anything I can do, please let me know. Hugs and Prayers Connie

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and comments. Here's a little update: After I wrote last evening I came down to her house, and she was extremely swollen and coughing (maybe a little less than yesterday morning). I called the Onc. office and spoke to the Dr. on call, as to whether or not I should bring her in or if there was something that we could do for her. His response was a little better than the other two. He told me "the tumor will grow a little with chemo before it shrinks." Has anyone been told that before? It is the first we had heard of this. Which he thinks is causing the swelling along with the blood clot. He said as long as she is not convulsing we shouldn't worry about it, but if it get's worse then bring her into the hospital. So it was once again a long night with a restless sleep. This morning the swelling is alittle better and her cough is much better. She was taking Robbitussin every 4-5 hours, now every 6-8 hours. I think and pray that as the day goes on, there will be even more improvements. We are going for a 2nd opinion, I am not sure where yet. I hope everyone has a GREAT Sunday!! Hugs and Prayers Connie

These last two weeks have really been difficult, for me and my mom. She was doing so awesome, and theyn she started swelling bad again, almost as bad as when we rushed her by ambulance to the hospital on 12/28/05. So her Oncologist is gone for two weeks, so we get another Onc. in the same office to look at her, a week ago Monday. He sends us over for an ultrasound and CT. Before she is even out of the CT room, he calls and tells us to come back to the office immediately. So, the news is she has blood clots. When asked where he just said her chest, Ok so should she be in the hospital, He was extremely snoty and said "she can do everything that we can do for her". Ok so what is that? One shot a day of Lovelox, that's it. My question is what if it or they move? He said then we have a problem, bring her right into the hospital. So how do I know if they move, He said "Oh you'll know" Anyways, long story short..... This past Thursday (11 days past the blood clot appt) we meet with the regular Oncologist. The first thing he says is "You have a blood clot huh? I don't like blood clots" We say yeah she has several in the chest and a big one in the Superior Vena Cava (the nurse told us about this on Tuesday). He says "NO, you have a big clot under the right arm" He named the vein, but I can't remember, I think at this time I was getting pretty hot. I said nobody told us about that one. I asked about the CT scan and he said "you had a CT scan done?" Anyways he's fumbeling through the papers "Here it is, you do have a huge one in the superior vena cava and under each shoulder blade you have some. Her face is still swollen and she has developed a horrible cough, with some blood being spit up. He thinks she is doing good. How can this be. She cannot sleep because of the cough, and it is getting hard to see again because of the swelling. I am just at a loss as to what to do. He says if we seek another opinion right know, her treatments stop. We cannot afford for the treatments to stop. The good news is that her tumor went from 4.5cm to 3.8cm. He says that is very good news beings it has only been 2 1/2 months. I don't know what to believe anymore, I don't know if I can believe him!!! She did ask for her records, they will have them ready next Thursday when we go for more chemo. They didn't want to give them to her. They quized us as to why she wanted them. Anyways, we are thinking about a 2nd opinion, knowing we are going to get one, but we are nor sure as where to go. Thinking about the Mayo in Rochester, it is only about 4 hours from here or Cancer Treatment Center of America. I would like to know what everyone else thinks, or if you have any other suggestions. thanks Hugs and Prayers to everyone on this board Connie

I was watching CNN today, and they were talking about Lung Cancer and what is not being done to find a cure. They mentioned going to a website and signing a petition, for the President of the United States and the Congress to make early detection, treatment, and chemoprevention of lung cancer a national public health priority. I am just passing the info on, and I e-mailed it to everyone that I know. Here's the wesite: http://lungcanceralliance.org/ Let me know what you think. Hugs Connie

OH MY!!! I am for sure sending prayers up for Richard!! Connie

Lori this is terrefic news, I thought about you and your mom all weekend! I am so glad she made it through. Prayers and Hugs Connie

Lisa, My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. This has got to be one of the hardest things to go through in life. Hugs Connie

Prayers sent up for Devin and her family. Connie

This is GREAT news! My mom handles it the same way and you will find that a lot of people don't know how to take this reaction to such a horrible disease. But, it really helps them with their treatments. When we go to the chemo room, we take it like it is a party, and the nurses find this amusing and want to spend time around us, because it is not a case of doom and gloom. Good luck!! Connie

Welcome Darlene, I am sure you will find great comfort here!!! I sure have. You and your husband have been through a lot. Connie