Chanwit

Don't normally see articles about lung cancer on MSN.com but this caught me eye. As you might expect, I started thinking back to the early symptoms of NCSLC that struct down my lovely and innocent wife Lisa. http://health.msn.com/health-topics/can ... &gt1=31025

LOVE PRAYERS AND HUGS THIS Evening from Thailand. I think we all have these doubts and unanswered questions but we all do and did the best we knew how. I hope we live to see the end of this soul taking desease. Chanwit

Teri, Hope you enjoy your new work and knowledge. Consider your feelings an experiment and see where it goes. For me there will be new things in life but it will never be normal just like it was so it's just different. Take from the good and make it grow. When I'm one-on-one or a group I don't bring up the conversation about me but people like to talk about their own lifes; they like to talk about themselves. Eventually all eyes will be on you and just tell your story. At home in private is a different thing. I guess because of the things set in motion I carry them in motion. I talk to her and talk of what I'm doing and where I'm going, and when I'll be back. Well why not, her spirit is still with me and Spirits need conversation too and you have to talk in order for them to hear you. This is the new normal. Chanwit

Teri, glad you asked. One thing about being aware and taking 1 step at a time is that the Universe will speak to you and make things happen 1 at a time. For instance, my brother paid a rare visit from CA to TX a year before Lisa was sick. She taught him meditation and how to calm the mind. He returned to CA (Sacramento) and married a Thai girl. Now they are going with me to Thailand. His wife Choosri was born in the next village to where Lisa was born and about 10 minutes drive. She is very friendly and will be my interpreter. That's a good and a bad thing. I have to make sure I convey my wishes and thoughts so there is no mis-interpretations. I've never met Lisa's brother and her mother only once and they don't speak English. There are some other internet friends that I met on these cancer support sites that have lost a loved one and they will be in Thailand during my stay. I have friends from Switzerland and Holland that have retired to Thailand in Hua Hin I will want to meet. There are many monks in the 4 corners of Thailand that I want to visit. And then there is the cooking school in northern Thailand. Not sure if my 30 day stay will be enough. I can work my Internet Marketing business as long as I can get to an Internet cafe. I will stop for a few days on the way back to visit my business partners in Taiwan. Just listen to the Universe - It walks and talks. Chanwit

Thanks Teri for your 2nd post to summarize a few replies. I think my eyes are tiring from reading off the computer monitor; or maybe I need new glasses. I've been neglecting that. Your posts are always most interesting and parallel to my own quite feelings that I keep to myself. I will always try to be brief, cheerful, positive, and informative in my replies. The brave and courageous spirit Lisa had fighting for her life gives me no alternative but to honor her memory with Right Spirit. Teri, your quality of awareness is very rare these days. Being aware of things like the medical center of treatment is one thing we have in common. I briefly peer at the sun blocked windows as I drive by and say a silent prayer for the new patients in the Room of Hope. I think it was on a questionaire for my own medical treatment lately that I checked the box Widowed (not remarried surviving spouse) just to be honest. When the data was entered the printed computer form came back 'Single'. My awareness of this has now given me permission to just say I'm Single from now on. So you have worries about the house maintenance. I guess that's one of the reasons to have a partner. My worry is I don't know how to cook and by that I mean Thai cooking which is all I knew how to eat. (Lisa was Thai). So it really is One Step at a Time. When I travel to Thailand in March I plan to hook up with some Thai Cooking schools for foreigners. So now I am on a fast pace to complete a Thai language course. I started it many times but things get in the way. I will carry Lisa's ashes back so her family can have some closure and ceremony but I want to bring some of her back. I have heard that some monks there can create Amulets from ashes and herbs and that may be one solution. It's all about taking One Step at a Time and some people call this Baby Steps; so consider yourself a New Baby. -Chanwit

Thanks Randy for letting us see more of your beautiful wife Debbie on the web site. Happy Birthday Debbie. She lives on peacefully in her paradise of her new and abundant life. - Chanwit

Thanks Randy, I needed your message of Comfort too. Chanwit.

I 'Second' Nova's motion and the 'Caring' nurse to see an oncologist. Not wanting to confuse your mom's decision to do nothing (that is always an option) but as Nova said: "There may be loads of stuff they can do to help her.... ", like draining the effusion to help her breathing. I'm sure she is not the only cancer patient without health insurance that is being treated so there must be financial help out there. Hospice has always been an option for my wife since the 'get go' 17 months ago and we are always reminded of it from the words of her oncologist. We just have not decided to go there. Peace - Chanwit

For a while there I thought we had the same oncologist but as your Q&As continued I realized that our oncologist wasn't so bad after all. Maybe I'm confused but did you ask all those questions in one office visit? You certainly did your homework in short order. Your dad's profile sounds promising. You said that there was remarkable improvement in SOB and cough reduction. Those were the results my wife had after a few weeks on Tarceva and later scans confirmed that her tumor in her right lung was disolved. I hope his scans will show the same good results. Thanks for the suggestion that Wiesia made to Google 'Cancer Performance Status'. 'Performance Level 3 Capable of only limited selfcare, confined to bed or chair more than 50% of waking hours.' Well my wife received her first Taxol/Carbo dose and radiation while in hospital and subsequent treatments while in wheel chair, on O2, and in bed more that 50%. Sounds like level 3 to me. Maybe we just have an oncologist willing to work with us if we are willing not to give up. You may need to plan for what's next because in our case her Tarceva good results started to slow down after 9 months. If Tarceva is working enjoy the good ride and catch your breath. Take care of yourself - happily - Chanwit

Flowergirlie, We have all been here for you both since your first post on Lung Cancer Support Community. You have always been in out thoughts and prayers. You both were strong and fought so hard for survival and that's all any of us can do. Continue to be strong and take care of yourself and your wonderful children. We continue to be here for you. Chanwit and Lisa

Since we are close to MD Anderson in Houston (6 hours drive) I called them and the representative and scheduler for the Proton Therapy was very nice and spent some time talking to me and answering my questions. This Proton Therapy is quite new and it's only been in Houston since May 2006. They don't treat metastatic cancers yet with this technology. She said maybe in the future. The site that has the most experience is in CA at Loma Linda. Their web site says almost the same thing; they only treat Localized Cancers. Proton Therapy is very precised and would seem like a good choice for boney spine mets but they don't do it yet. Take care of yourself - Chanwit

I would have someone who has the Medical Power of Attorney or your mom give a call to the clinic to get clarification of what 'clear' meant. I always get a hard copy of the CXR or scan report when my wife get's her scans. I always have to ask questions for the doctor to explain the terminology on the report. I get a copy of the CXR or scans on CD. The scans are interesting but I have never been able to make sense of them so what they saw should have been explained by the doctor. I'm curious too. Chanwit

I thought about you when I saw this article recently and that Winston-Salem was near where you lived. I guess I'm dumb on College sports. I saw a basketball game on TV with Wake Forest but didn't pay any attention where the college was. Now I know. I guess I'm covered ACE inhibitor wise. I been taking an ACE inhibitor (Lisinopril is an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor) for many years. Take care - Chanwit

With Lung cancer you might see many colors coughed up. When my wife had her productive cronic cough she coughed up green, yellow, red, and brown. Somtimes we would ask for antibiotics just in case there was pneumonia and that sometimes quietened the cough. One time she was coughing red tinted sputum non stop that I got her admitted to hospital where they used antibiotics and steroids to stop the cough. The doctor said the brown stuff was Old Blood. I summarized all this to mean that the cancer was dissolving and expelling it's blood supply. The doctor said that's probably what was happening. The Tarceva dried up the lung cancer and left a cavity in the lung. Maybe you should ask your doctor for some antibiotics to see if that will solve the problem. Chanwit.

Your final words on this post mean the most for me and should be the guiding words for all of us. It's not an easy decision to make but the most peaceful once made. I can feel your confusion. Interesting enough is that in our case it has always been the opposite situation. Doctors and Nurses always dropping the H word (Hospice) because it was incurable. Lisa was in serious condition and didn't tolerate the Chemo very well but we stayed on top of the complications and were very proactive. She made a 180 degree turn back from the Edge with the proper treatment and now the dotors and nurses list her as a Miracle and who would have thought it. Reading your post it sounds like if the pain can be managed you both would have a big relief and right now. There are extreme measures for controlling pain. With pain out of the way, maybe what the radiation nurse said would be more understandable to keep trying to fight it back. I wish for both of you to have peace and comfort in any decisions you make and to know that you are doing the right thing what ever decision you make. Be good to each other. Chanwit.

My wife never knew what the doctor was writing in his reports and what the rumors were in the office and on the hospital floor. She never knew they were saying weeks and then months. I think that is why she is still alive today 1 year and counting after DX and start of treatment. Take care of yourselves - happily - Chanwit

For starters: Clindamycin Phosphate Topical Solution 1% which is a topical antibiotic approved for the treatment of acne vulgaris. She used this on face and body. Cetaphil Body Moisturizer. Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer. Aloe Vera Gel is soothing and healing. Royal Spa® Smooth As Silk Hydrating Lotion. We continue to look better products and monitor and adjust. Chanwit

Our oncologist and pulmunary doctors were always under estimating my wife's prognosis. Don't let that affect you one bit. Either block the negatives out or clear memory everyday. My wife did start to have a rash a few weeks after starting Tarveva 150. Is your dad on the 150mg? Men's skin is tougher than most women and it may take longer to break down. My wife's skin has always been sensitive to everything. The next scans will be the judge of the success. If he has any symptoms that start to diminish is also a good sign. Take care of yourselves - happily - Chanwit

Don summed it up real good. In our case I was the favorite first born alive child. (older brother died at birth with an RH- blood problem). The problem was still there though. I could not do enough and neither could the good intentions of my wife. So it sounds like things are about normal for human nature. I suggest pasting Missy's poetry "Let Me" on your Frig. (Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 in Family Members..) It will help diffused the situation and you will feel a lot better. Take care of yourself - Happily - Chanwit

That is great news for your dad, esp since it looks like he only received radiotherapy. Is that right? X-rays never showed enough for our now Fired PC to help us DX Lisa lung cancer earlier. When you are well CT and MRI scans seem like big deals. After cancer DX they are everyday language. Don't know what you can squeeze out in England but he needs to have some CT scans done at least. Many more happy years. Take care of yourselves - happily - Chanwit

I showed Lisa all of your Replys. Deep down under it makes a big difference to her. Let you know when she reaches 90 lbs; her next goal .(now at a whopping 80 lbs) Take care of yourselves - happily

"Let Me" is now pasted on our Frig. I see us in these words every day. Thanks for the Wake Up Call.

"Who would have known..", "amazing..", "Miracle" is what we hear from nurses and doctors in the Oncology clinic as well as when we visit the hospital oncology floor as a visitor and not patient. Lisa is truly a miracle lung cancer survivor and she celebrates her 1 year aniversary today since DX. She is living with cancer and now has the chance to do some of those things she vowed to do when she got well. She has been given another chance in life and just like the first life, no one knows for how long. I see positive improvements in her everyday. Happy Re-Birthday Lisa.

My wife was in hospital and just DX when I heard of the death of Dana Reeves. I never told my wife about it. We were just getting started with her treatment and it shook me a little but we just kept on going. I guess everyone has a choice to publish or not their treatment schedule and share that with the world like we do here on this forum; I never heard what treatments Dana was receiving. Has anyone? The news releases only said that treatment was going well. I guess we will never know. As a caregiver, just be as proactive as you can and try to handle or avoid complications so that treatment can continue. Ask lots of questions here on this forum and also to your doctors. We were comfortable with combining Traditional and Alternative treatments together. Everyone can put together their own program that they believe in. You have to believe. Take care of yourselves - happily

It's hard for any of us to realize the anxiety of reduced respiration exchange unless you have experienced it. My wife is a calm person but no amount of relaxation or breathing exercises could make up for the sensation of blood O2 below 90%. It becomes an panic attack. When she needed O2 assistance we made use of the Oxygen Concentrator at home and portable O2 tanks for Clinic and hospital visits. We always have a backup full tank in the car. She felt confortable with this and as her condition improved she came off the O2 but feels confortable sleeping with the O2 concentrator at night. As long as he knows that you've got plenty of O2 in hand hopefully he will begin to trust in it. Lisa used to go to the Oncology appointments attached to her portable. I'm sure the Oncologist gave her reduced doses because of her weak condition and being on O2 and wheel chair. She now walks in without O2 but we always keep a tank in the car just in case of the unexpected. Take care of yourselves - Chanwit