ztweb
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Posts posted by ztweb
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Grateful to be Irish on such a great day...
Grateful to be wearing an audaciously green shirt, stitched with a shamrock, that belonged to my grandpa, who would be 100 this month...were he still living.
Grateful that I have all of you to keep me grounded and to remind me of the wonderful gifts I have been given in my life.
Grateful that the 3 inches of snow we got overnight will be gone by the end of the week....grrrr....bring me spring!
Jen
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Wow. Two years ago today we were sitting in Dr. Jhett's (renowned lung doctor at the Mayo clinic in Rochester) office when he told us that indeed dad does have lung cancer. Tomorrow we would find out what kind.
When I think of it, my stomach begins to churn, and I am reminded of how desperate we were, how prayerful I was, and how surreal each and every day was following.
But today, exactly two years later, I call home to find my dad outside, splitting and organizing his firewood pile for next year. "It was such a mess," they tell me!
Wow...what a great phone call!
Dad is doing great. He is still in remission, still blessed by God, and though changed, he is still very much my favorite dad. Cancer HAS changed him. He is cautious, slower, thinner, and living in fear. But he is also alive, watching his grandchildren play hockey and with dolls.
I have changed too. I am busy, a bit of a hypochondriac, and unfortunately...and I don't know why...I am less prayerful. For that I feel so guilty...I have taken it too much for granted our precious gift of healing. Of course, I say prayers every day...I pray for health of my own family, as well as for yours...but it lacks the desperation-if you will-that it used to have. I don't know...maybe this is a good thing????? Mom says I worry to much...hmmm....I know I get that from her.
Anyway...these are just my ramblings....two years later...
Let it give you hope...let it give you peace. Untreated Dad was looking at best 6 months - by the way...this was through our own research...nothing the docs told us...they only EVER had hope and still do.
Blessings,
Jen
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I am worried too...hopefully he just took another one of those cruises, and forgot to let us know!
Ernie...check in, please!
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Patkid....we miss you! Stay strong and know the prayers are going!
Jen
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Hmmm. My parents use medicare and they have blue cross and blue shield supplemental insurance. With everything dad had at Mayo, I think the total out of his pocket was less that $200. It was amazing.
Good luck.
Jen
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Now the ball is rolling! So glad you are off to such a great start. Keep the fluids going, keep something in that tummy, and keep us posted!
Jen
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Carrie,
I have NO idea what to tell you. Please continue to know that you are in my prayers. I took the kids to Tonya's a few days, and was beginning to wonder, as I passed by your house each day, where you were with this cancer booger.
May you know God's peace.
Jen
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Bless you Ms. Greeneyes...glad you found us. May you know the peace and healing that can be found with this disease. Thank you for joining and being a ray of hope for others.
Jen
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Sherri,
Welcome aboard, although I wish so much you would have never had to find us. Please know that you have found a wonderful place for information, support, and hope (check out my dad's info below!!!).
If you need anything, let us know. Tell us where you are with treatment, and how things are going.
Blessings,
Jen
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MRI
in SCLC GROUP
Bill....welcome aboard. Sorry you have to be here, but hope we can help!
Blessings,
Jen
keep us in the loop!
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Welcome aboard Bob. Sorry you have to be here. Know we are here for you!
Jen
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Allie,
I am so sorry you need to be here. Cancer is a horrible disease that robs us of all normalcy. But here is where I say, put on the fighting gloves, because it CAN be beat.
You ask about time with or without treatment. I don't know specifics, as of course, everyone is different, and anything you read is just genreal rather than specific...but here is what I would have to say...I do know it is one of the fastest growing cancers that exists. It starts taking over and "moving" around the body.
This cancer IS beatable, as many can testify here, including my dad. But get the treatment started...that would be one of the biggest things. Treatment is no fun, but encourage mom to keep her eye on the prize.
Blessings to you.
Jen
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OH my gosh. I was NOT expecting to see this. I haven't been posting/reading as much as in the past, but I didn't realize it had progressed this far.
Blessings to this family. What horrific news.
Jen
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**bump***
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As many of you know, I have no experience with NSCLC...so this story is so interesting to me...
The sister of my neighbor and good friend was diagnosed with pneumonia in November, and through a CT in January was diagnosed with "cancer" of some kind. She had to do a "blow" test (which I know nothing about) followed by a PET. The PET lit up at the tumor and then at two of the lymph nodes.
They have been dealing with this for months now, and even this week, with the biopsy on Monday morning, the doc didn't call her until after hours on Wednesday night...and gave her the number of a surgeon she should call (didn't call himself)...he told her that he didn't know if the lymph nodes were cancer or not, but that it would be a good idea to call the surgeon.
So...today, FINALLY she was able to get ahold of the surgeon, who knew NOTHING of her story, and hadn't been updated by that original doc.
Urgh.....this is taking forever. Have any of you saught treatment around the Denver area? Do you have any recommendations? We were so, so fortunate at Mayo, and I think I might be spoiled at their treatment, organization, and overlapping care.
Upon hearing this story, I thought right away that she should get a second opinion. I want to be sure she has a doc who is prepared to fight this beast, rather than one who is content to say, "Oh booger, you have lung cancer...doesn't look good. That is too bad." We all know there are docs out there who don't fight extra hard, and we also know we have to be advocates for our own health care.
Please...any recommendations or ideas? This family is a wonderful, wonderful family, who like many of us do NOT deserve to have to deal with this horrid disease.
As always, blessings to you all...
Jen
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Oh Carrie. I am so sorry. I cannot believe how quickly this has come. It just isn't fair. How is your family? Do you feel comfortable with this? Is there any way she would look at a Mayo or something else? I know you have always trusted and believed in your doc, and I don't suggest that you shouldn't...it is more out of desperation that I ask.
Again, please let me know if there is anything I can do. Does your Beta group know? They should. Theirs and our prayers will be going up for you and your family.
Blessings,
Jen
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Ugh. This makes me sick. I am so, so sorry to read your post. Please know that you have our many, many prayers for peace and God's miracle of healing.
You are right...stick with your faith!
Jen
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She's here
in HOPE
Congrats to you! I am so glad to hear all is well! Enjoy that little lady, and look deep in those eyes to see your mom...she will be there!
Blessings to you!
Jen
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Dad had the collapsed lung too. This posed a few problems when he got sick, but in general it was just something they watched, and eventually it ballooned back out again! Yeah!
Good luck!
Jen
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Yes. That is why my dad went to Mayo (in our opinion the A TEAM) for his second opinion, and then proceeded to get all his care there. I think after all the chemo, radiation, PCI, follow ups for 2 years, he has paid maybe $100 total...they do have supplemental care though...either way very good coverage.
Jen
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Dad had it all in a row on the weekdays, and it wasn't too bad. He had PCI.
He didn't like being strapped to the table, and I will say that the mask was hanging in his bedroom for a very long time...come to think of it, I don't know where it went! Interesting!
He lost all of his hair, and it had a VERY hard time coming back. His head got very, very tanned. He didn't have too much trouble with swallowing...but it was harder with dry things or bread products that he felt "swelled" after he chewed them. He would try to eat a "little" "alot" of the time.
The biggest thing we thought was staying hydrated. We always said how it was as if he was getting a sunburn from the inside out...so he needed to keep the fluids. He wsan't a huge boost fan, but he took it. He ate a TON of watermelon, and drank juices that weren't acidy.
Good luck!
Jen
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Christine,
Yes, my dad had this. He was frozen from the inside out almost all through treatment. Even when it went into warmer weather (today it is 18 below zero here!) he always wore a sweater and we would laugh about his stocking cap in June!
My dad would try to get warm from the inside too. Lots of warm tea, rice bags heated in the microwave and such. We often did this for him before bed, and then would put it between the sheets to make crawling into bed not so uncomfortable.
Good luck!
Jen
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Great news!
Chemo finished - now living life
in MEMBER UPDATES
Posted
Jussi,
You go! Stay strong and keep us posted!
Jen