LindaMRG

Hello Carmen, glad you found us. You fought before and won, you will do so again. My father also battled a different cancer before lung cancer and will beat this one too. He is also being put on Zometa because they werent sure if his bone scan showed metastases or trauma. Come here and visit, it is a wonderful group of people.

Glad you stopped in and posted, so happy things are moving along so nicely!

Hi David, glad you checked in. Good luck with chemo, my father starts new chemo tomorrow too!

Hello, and Im glad you find our board because it is filled with HOPE! I dont know all the details of your mom's situation, but I see no reason to give up hope. My father was originally diagnosed back in May at Stage IIIa, he had one lung tumor about 2cm and one node in the mediastinum. He was going to have surgery but then a supraclavicular node popped up which moved him to IIIb ineligible for surgery. He began a course of radiation treatment called IMRT (intense modulated radiation therapy). It goes precisely for the tumor sparing surrounding tissue so there are not really any side effects at all. It is high dose radiation too for better results. They were going to do this for the tumor and node and just while they were seeing some results with the node, he had a seizure and three brain lesions were found. He had whole brain radiation and in two weeks they'll do an MRI and if anything is still there, they will do stereotactic radiosurgery which is a type of radiation that will zap whatever else is left over. We're praying the whole brain radiation took care of everything though. Tomorrow he goes back to chemo, they are starting him on Gemzar. They will also use Zometa because his bone scan showed "something" in the rib area but they are not sure if it is metastases or from a few other things it could be. Let me add, he also battled two bouts of non hodgkins lymphoma and had a stem cell transplant 9/01. Our family prays very, very hard for him. We ask everyone we know to pray for him, he is on many prayer lists. He has had Anointing of the Sick, been to a healing mass,we have been to healing masses by proxy for him too. We rely heavily on the power of prayer. Ive done nothing but research since his diagnosis in May. I know how serious lung cancer is. We also went for a second opinion at Sloan Kettering in NYC which is an excellent cancer research hospital. Having said that, I WILL NOT GIVE UP HOPE. This Friday I am taking him to a doctor who deals with alternative therapy. This is vitamin supplements, nutritition, etc. Ive read a lot about high doses of vitamins, minerals, etc and all the success stories associated with that and nutrition. He already drinks Essiac Tea but I wanted a doctor's advice on how to handle the rest of it. If I can help you in any way, please feel free to email me or PM. But, please dont give up hope. Learn what you can, ask questions. Come here, read all the success stories. Keep in touch, let us know how its going.

So glad you posted, Peg, been thinking about the two of you every day.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(((((((((((((((((HURRAY)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Ive been thinking and praying all day! I didnt know you'd find out so soon!!Ive heard that also about measurements being taken from different angles. If there ever comes a time when you are healed that you want to pursue those nodules, my father had a needle biopsy done which is not traumatic at all. You are not put out and its not surgery. Im not sure if nodule has to be a certain size for them to do it, but you might want to ask your onc. But I believe if you ever have it done it will only confirm what these CT scans are telling you - that they are BENIGN! Im soooooooo happy for you, Cheryl!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Shellie, I agree that "no masses" is a good thing. I was thinking pneumonia too. Keep us posted on how he's doing.

Dear Peg and Bill, We just went to the oncologist today with my father. He had terrible shoulder pain so a bone scan was ordered. Bone scan showed nothing is wrong with the shoulder but there is some uptake in a few ribs. It says it could be trauma or mets of course. When I questioned onc as to what he thought was more likely, his response was "It doesnt matter, its not going to change how I would treat you, we know the cancer spread out of the lung so we have to treat it with chemo". He starts Gemzar on Monday. I had been thinking of you all day, thinking how good Gemzar has been for you. He also said (and radiation onc said same thing the other day), they will only radiate those mets (if they are mets) if they bother him and she said they would respond well to radiation. So, why are you thinking that the bone mets are going to kill you? If they start to bother you, theyll take a short chemo break and radiate. I asked why he couldnt have radiation and chemo at the same time since the radiation he had IMRT causes no side effects. (My father also has a mediastinal node affected).Onc felt it still really is very taxing on the body. Especially my father with his already weakened bone marrow, and maybe in your case too as youve been through a lot. If you want to ease your mind, maybe get a second opinion, but if not, let that 'ol Gemzar do its job. And youve got us praying for you too!!!

Thanks for sharing all this info, Heather, I always learn something from you!

Dont be discouraged, your scan isnt showing any new spots and you still have many options available to you. Boy, what a day meeting with both docs!!!

((((((((((((((SWEET NORME)))))))))))))))))))) Praying that Buddy is among the many, many people finding success with Iressa.

Prayers going up strong at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning, friend. Hugs to you.

Okay, so you know exactly what youre dealing with now. My father has a mediastinal node. Have you asked about IMRT, (intense modulated radiation therapy) mega doses of radiation, very specific so surrounding tissue is spared; hence less side effects. Actually, my father didnt have any.Thats what they were using on my fathers node till he got the brain mets. Ive mentioned it here before and if you need any other info let me know. We went for a second opinion at Sloan Kettering in NYC and he agreed with how our onc is handling it. He just finishing WBR and if anything is left over they will do stereotactic radiosurgery, but he wont have an MRI till the end of Jan. We are also going to a doc/nutritionist dealing with alternative medicine next week so his own body will help in this fight. Tomorrow we are back to onc for new chemo plan. We're praying for you, friend, keep us posted.

Thanks for sharing this!!! I was hoping one of you would post a pic! She's BEAUTIFUL!!!

Hello Friends, We went to rad oncs today for bone scan results for my father's shoulder pain. Well nothing is wrong with his shoulder, but they said there is some "uptake" in some of the ribs on both sides. So now they want to compare his bone scan that was done in June and see if theres no change. We wont know about that till Wed when we see the chemo onc for the new chemo plan. They said it could be mets, if it is they will see what chemo does and if they dont go away or they get bigger theyll radiate them but only if they become a problem. The rad oncs are so good to us, always hopeful and optimistic. They said radiation works well with this. Or, it could be his Paget's disease, or it could be from a fall he took awhile back. They said trauma would show up on a bone scan. So, friends, anyone heard of this or had this and it turn out to be nothing??

It was so nice to find your post tonight!!! Our family said the same thing as 2003 came to a close - GOOD BYE 2003!!! Sounds like you have a great onc with some great plans!

This is WONDERFUL NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How relieved you and your family must be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless!!!!!!!!

((((((((BECKY))))))))))))))))))))) Prayers goin up, friend.

I just want you to know Im praying, my friend. Much love to you.

Thank you, thank you my wondeful friends for your prayers. My father had his bone scan today and we go for the results (praying for no cancer!)on Monday. Next, he will have an MRI to check on the brain mets, praying they are gone! Then, he goes back for chemo, we see onc on 1/7 for that. On Jan 16 we are going to a doctor/nutritionist who deals with alternative medicine. I will keep you all posted with that info too. Ive been reading Patrick Quillan's book "Beating Cancer with Nutrition" and there are some great success stories. Im having computer problems, Im only on tonight because Im at my parent's house. Just know you are all prayed for every night and your prayers for my father mean the world to me. I miss the nightly support, hopefully it wont be for long.

Hello Friends, Just asking for prayers this week. Remember I mentioned my father's shoulder pain? Well, xray showed nothing so we were glad and even rad onc said he didnt think it was a met so we were relieved. He had hurt his arm while on the radiation table so it was likely due to this. Well, the pain has been bad and he has a pain patch which is really helping. Soooo,,,, just to be sure, they will probably do a bone scan and you know how agonizing it is to wait for results. Tomorrow is his last day for WBR so they will be doing an MRI to check on the status of that as well. I dont have dates yet for these tests but if you could offer a small prayer for him, I know the power in that. He looks so good, and that cough is GONE so I know that was prayer at work. You guys are in my nightly prayers as well. Thanks, everyone. God Bless each of you.

HURRAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ive been praying and looking eagerly for this post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im soooooooo happy about this wonderful news!!!!!!!!!!!! Merry Christmas from NY!!!!!!!!!!! Love to you both!!!

Okay, the good news is the cancer isnt anywhere else. The second good news is what I was told when I came to this board devastated once again when they found the brain mets on my dad. What I was told was that they are VERY treatable and beatable. My father will have his last WBR treatment on Monday. He did not get the headaches, blurred vision, etc that they said might happen. He had 3 - 1 is 1.2 cm and the other two were very small. They said WBR will probably get rid of the two small ones. If the other one remains they will do stereotactic radiosurgery which will pinpoint that remaining one and zap it outta there! I received many emails from this board and another one Im on for lung cancer from people who went through the treatment and are here today to tell about it. Is this why you had the back and shoulder pain? Yes, disappointing, but doable. You hang in there, friend, and keep us posted. Youre still in my prayers!

Thank you for updating us, Cathy. Im glad you are asymptomatic, that is good, and Im sure it means there is no other spread. So youll start your treatments and get rid of the BEAST once and for all!!! It sounds like your brother is going to be good for you too!!!