MsC1210

Max and Inez Sounds pretty positive for you! I have you both in my thoughts and prayers and will be waiting for the next update! Hugs Christine

Hello Everyone I wanted to take a moment before we all get into the mad rush of the holiday and wish each and every one of you a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving. There has been much sadness here lately and it truly breaks my heart to see so many in such pain. It seems like the right moment to remind us that even in times of loss and deep, profound sadness we all have many blessings to be thankful for. We lose sight of this from time to time and that is part of being human beings. None of us are perfect. (think how boring THAT would be!) If you are traveling for the holiday, I wish you a safe and uneventful trip. If you are staying home, I wish you a peaceful day full of love and blessings and all that the day can bring. I am so thankful for each of you here, especially Katie and Rick who make this place, our home away from home, possible. Happy Thanksgiving my friends With warm and gentle hugs and love Christine

Dear Barb I am so very sorry. Please accept my sincere sympathies and condolences. You and your family remain in my prayers. Christine

I'm very sorry about your Mom. My sympathies and condolences to you and your family. Christine

Welcome Rebecca Marie And Congratulations Auntie Kelly~ Hugs Christine

Shirley I am so very sorry My prayers, symapathies and condolences to you and the family Christine

Wow Mike, so much at once! I hope things begin to settle down and am sending wishes for the best of luck in finding the right team to fight your cancer. Keep us posted and vent away any time~ Warmly Christine

Dear Patti You and I have discussed this topic and I just want to add to what I already said. You are AMAZING! The things you are doing for Nick and for Joe and yourself are nothing short of incredible. As I mentioned to you, and I will share it in brief here as well... Sometimes we as caregivers just get so overwhelmed with cancer that we need a break. When we take that break there is often times such a sense of guilt that goes along with it. I think in our heart and soul we just want so much for you to be well again that we turn off that part of our brain that knows how sick you are. A defense mechanism of sorts.... Now, come on, let's get dessert! lol Hugs Christine

Hello and welcome Jasmine Ned, thanks for letting us know about the other post. Christine

Hello Drea73 and welcome I am sorry about the problems your Dad is having. There is not much we can offer in the way of advice until you have answers as to what the mass is. Please know that I am hoping and praying for the very best as far as his operation and tests. It is so hard having to wait and wonder. We all know that feeling. Please let us know what happens.. we will be here for you Christine

Jerry Congratulations on your accomplishment with the marathon! Looking forward to reading more about your experience. Warmly Christine

So very sorry for your loss. Prayers and sympathies to you and your family. Christine

Hello Dick and welcome I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis but you have found one of the best communities as far as support and guidance. Please ask any and all of your questions and know that there is always someone here to offer advice and give you information. Warmly Christine

Oh Sharon this is wonderful news! Congratulations to you all and of course I will keep you all in my prayers. Happy Early Birthday to Gavin! Hugs Christine

Bucky Have a wonderful, safe trip~ Warmly Christine

(((Cheryl))) Sending my thoughts and prayers to you and hoping you will find the perfect way to honor your Mom. I wish I had some awesome suggestions for you. I do like the balloons idea.... Warmly Christine

Thank you all so very much for your heartfelt replies to me here. Your posts and private messages mean so very much to me. This whole cancer journey/grief nightmare is so tough on us all. My hope is that my site will bring some valued information as well as comfort and hope to those who visit. Katie and Rick, after having taken on this project I have even more admiration and appreciation for all that you have done here. My site was "born" in February of this year and has involved countless hours of research and work but has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Again, my appreciation to all of you who chose to encourage me and thanks so much for all of your well wishes and support. You guys are the BEST! Hugs Christine

I feel I need to clarify my earlier post by saying of course there will be tears of joy, that is to be expected as are the tears of sorrow. I probably should have chosed my words a little better perhaps as my message was simply that time alone to pull ones self together is also a very acceptable thing, especially in a case like this. My apologies if my post came across as inappropriate. (((Kelly))) Christine

Leslie and Adrian Thank you for allowing us to share this. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Warmly Christine

Suzy, I posted an article in the Alternative and Complementary Therapies forum not too long ago about acupuncture and neuropathy. I went back to the site that I got that from and found this.. I hope it will help answer some of your questions.. Wishing your sister all the best Warmly, Christine Acupuncture in Cancer Treatment By: Eugene Mak, MD, Board Certified Oncologist and MARF Board Member A frequently asked question by patients undergoing cancer treatment is, "Can acupuncture help me?" The issue then becomes: is there a place for acupuncture in the vast field of cancer with its diverse treatment modalities? 'Vast' since cancer is not one disease but over 300 different malignancies, each with its own unique histology, patho-physiology, and clinical behavior. 'Diverse' because of the different chemotherapeutic classes of agents, hormonal agents, types of High-energy particle beam generators, and various delivery systems for radiation treatment. 'Diverse' also because it encompasses various types of surgical procedures, nutritional support, and the body-mind holistic approach. Timely diagnosis and early surgery offer the most favorable possibility of a cure for solid tumors. The germinal cancers and Hodgkin's lymphoma, along with some hematologic malignancies such as childhood leukemia, are the few exceptions. These are treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, bone marrow or stem cell transplantation singly or in combination. Some of the latter are the most predictably curable malignancies with or without surgery. If the diagnosis is late, surgery unsuccessful, or should the tumor recur after surgery, then the chance of a cure, with rare exceptions, is considered lost. This class of patients, along with those not amenable to surgical approaches, are treated palliatively. Palliative therapies also consist of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and radiation therapy and/or palliative surgery. The role of Acupuncture in Cancer Treatment The role of acupuncture in the curative group is in its adjunctive use in: anesthesia in post-operative pain control Nausea and Vomiting and in aiding and hastening recovery from the side effects of the various therapies. Acupuncture is effective for control of pain, of local swelling post-operatively, for shortening the resolution of hematoma and tissue swelling and for minimizing use of medications and their attendant side effects. Energetic acupuncture, an approach consisting of the use of needles with electricity and moxibustion (a form of local heating with herbs) imparts a sense of well being and accelerates patients' recovery. In conjunction with nutritional support, its use is routinely employed in some cancer institutions. Nausea and Vomiting The dreaded nausea and vomiting which commonly occurs in some patients undergoing chemotherapy and inevitably, with the use of certain classes of agents, can often be worse than the disease itself. Most oncologists have experienced the patients who start vomiting at the thought of their next clinic visit. At the University of Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine, a well-controlled study completed over two Years ago, the authors of the published paper reported significant reduction of nausea and vomiting when pre-treated with. It is now routinely administered before, after and in between chemotherapy treatment sessions for control or nausea and emesis. Such treatments are relatively simple and easily executed in an outpatient setting. Its effectiveness helps in minimizing the use of standard, expensive multi-drug anti-nausea regimens with their attendant side effects, given along with the chemotherapeutic agents. Pain Control That acupuncture is a powerful tool for general pain control is widely known. Less known is its successful use in some cancer-related pain and in reducing narcotic use and thereby minimizing the side effects confusion, disturbed mentation, behavioral changes, nausea and severe constipation. Needling a variety of trigger and painful points, percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and osteo-puncture, along with whole body energetic acupuncture support, are approaches available to the acupuncturists. In the acupuncture paradigm, any chronic disease process depletes the energy level in the organism. Such depletion can be ameliorated, at least temporarily, by tonification, a process of imparting energy into the system. This is deemed necessary for more durable, successful pain control. It can also add to the patients' sense of well being and decrease the malaise associated with any chronic disease, especially cancer. Re-balancing Energy and Unblocking Energy Flow Nutritional support as an aid in boosting immune response in cancer patients, along with minimizing the immune and white blood cell suppression that occurs with most chemotherapeutic agents, has been receiving greater attention and funding for research.. Kenneth Conklin, M.D., Ph.D., an anesthesiologist at UCLA working with the Oncology Department, reports gratifying results utilizing nutrition and supplements combined with energetic acupuncture. Energetic acupuncture repletes energy level to the organism as a whole, reestablishes homeostasis by re-balancing energy distribution and un-blocking energy flow. This systems approach to deal with system wide patho-physiology can be complemented by distinct meridian acupuncture, which directs healing energy to specific organ pathology and is a routine approach in treating diseased organs such as liver, pancreas kidney, including those ravaged by cancers. While the degree of beneficial results from acupuncture treatment is dependent on various clinical factors such as presenting symptoms, clinical staging, timing of the encounter in the course of the illness, areas of involvement, the answer to the opening question "can acupuncture help me?" is, in all probability, yes! It can help in the care of the cancer patient. About the Author Eugene Mak, MD is a Board Certified Oncologist and MARF (Medical Acupuncture Research Foundation) Board Member http://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+In ... +Treatment

(((Kelly))) Congratulations on the new arrival. What a blessing. I will have you in my thoughts and prayers as well as the rest of your family that day and will be sending many positive thoughts and hugs as well. You'll be fine, Mom will be there with you all and watching over this wonderful event. If the tears come, I agree, just excuse yourself and let them fall. I am sure everyone will understand. Can't wait to hear if you have a new nephew or niece! Lots of hugs and many prayers, Christine

Hello Susan and welcome I am sorry about your friend but glad you have joined us. Please let us know how we can help and know that there is always someone here to offer advice or suggestions as well as HOPE. Warmly Christine

What a beautiful post. I am so sorry about your Dad. It is very obvious through your words that he was a remarkable man. He and your Mom sound like such a wonderful couple. I am very glad you found this site and have joined us. Welcome and I do hope you will stick around. Warm regards Christine

Hello And Welcome Littelfootann I am so sorry about your Dad but so glad you found us. I cannot offer much in the way of advice other than maybe talking with his doctors about the depression. There are so many options for treating that now. Please keep us posted and let us know how things go and what we can do to help you through. I am sure that the other more knowledgeable members will be along and post to you soon with more suggestions.. Warmly Christine

Just wishing you and your husband ALL THE BEST with the upcoming radiation treatments. Please let us know how it goes... Warmly Christine