Remembering Dave

Karen, You are a wonderful daughter. They are so lucky to have you. Keep us posted on your beautiful parents. I will be praying for them. God Bless, Karen C.

Mary Ann - see Dave's post under General (something about white boys and funky music!). I feel bad for your parents. Do they usually get the flu shot? some people never get a shot and somehow never get the flu, either, probably 'cause they don't get out much around lots of people. I, myself, was thinking if it weren't for the fact I have two very sick people in my immediate family, I wouldn't mind getting the flu, I sure could use a week in bed! If they or you keep your eyes and ears open they should be able to find a place to get it in their area, especially considering their age. Karen

OK - in the photo - standing up is Dave in the middle, sister Becky in blue and sister Tammy in red. Their mom and dad are seated. This was at Faith's 3rd birthday party/the Chapman's 50th wedding anniversary party (photo taken in our backyard) at our house Labor Day weekend. The theme of Faith's party was "yellow" since yellow is her favorite color, and everyone wore yellow leis. You can't believe what a difference there is in Dave since last week. Well, his funkiness has been going on for some time, leading up to last week's peak . . . but this week he is 1000% better! Thanks everyone for sending good thoughts and words to cheer him up, it really worked! I am so thankful he is up to going camping this weekend and I think a day away by himself with his beloved labs will be so good for him. Plus, the more he camps, the more likely he'll agree to getting that brand new trailer I dream about, ha! Have a great weekend everyone, Karen

The whole Chapman and Dennie clan is pulling for ya, girlfriend! Karen

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I was in a bad Funk last week but all of you posts helped bring me up. I had my bad chemo cocktail last week and also I realized I did not get my Procrit shot last week. We finally got the nurse to give me Procrit instead of the Aranesp and I think it works much better, soooo........ I got my Procit Monday and felt much better when I woke up the next day. I Finished my 30 rounds of Radiation to my sinus tumor last Wed. and the site of zapping is doing pretty good. It got pretty dry and red but the skin never broke open. I put Aloe cream on it almost every day. I had a CT scan done today of my head and chest so I have my fingers crossed for NED. I beat it once, I WILL beat it again. I will get Chemo this comming Monday and hope to find out the results then although Karen will probably call Friday to see if they have the report. I am not worried about the results (yeah right!!)................... Please send your payers my way. Oncodoc, have you ever heard of SCLC retuning to the upper sinus bone region?? To keep my mind off the results I decided to go camping. We are going to a campgound just West of Charlottesville, VA called Misty Meadows or Misty Mountain, something like that. They have a Haunted Hay Ride Fri. and Sat night so Faith should love that. I am leaving tommorow and Karen and Faith are comming Fiday after work. It is supposed to be peak weekend for the leaves changing color so we will take a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Shenandoah Parkway Saturday and come home Sun.. On Saturday night Karen will fix dinner in her Dutch Ovens while I sit around, tend the fire, drink a few Sam Adams and read the Weekly World News (required camping literature, you must buy one when you go camping, its the rules). Anyway I have rambled long enough. Please know that I read all your posts but do not feel much like posting myself. This chemo is kicking my Bu^^, much worse that last year. My prayers are with each and every one of you. Keep a positive attitude and Put your trust in God. David C

Nancy, I did not notice much shot term memory loss after my PCI of course I had a degree of that before my PCI. You will do just fine. When they strap that mask (and you head) to the bed just close your eyes and say a prayer and then sing a song in your head. When I got my PCI it was a very quick zap. I just finished my 30 rounds of radiation to the tumor in my sinus bone last Wed. and they zapped my from about 8 different angles so my head was strapped down for approx. 5 minutes. . I had a 2nd mask made fo this round so now I have 2 masks here at home. No need to be nervous, thank God you can have PCI, it means you are doing GREAT!! If you wee not you would not even have the option of PCI. Hang in there. David C.

Beth - this is hard, I KNOW, and all that you feel is very normal. I just read your husband's diagnoses and treatment history in your signature line and you know, even though he has Stage IV LC it sounds very manageable to me. Lots of people on this board have had brain mets and gotten rid of them. BethPlace comes to my mind immediately. There IS hope. And yes, your love for him and lots of praying DOES help! I think you feel sort of alone. I know I do sometimes. Maybe you should find a good counselor to talk with? Also, you might want to go see your family doctor and talk about depression - you could have some depression, which is contributing to your feelings of helplessness - all normal things considering what you are going through. It sounds like he is dealing with everything the way alot of men do - not showing emotion, trying to be strong. That's OK. It is probably a good defense mechanism for him and helps him keep a positive attitude. I think every now and then about the future without my husband and it is totally mind boggling and I know how you feel. But take every day you can with him and appreciate it to its fullest - and you may have many many more years of that - so think how great that would be, with that upbeat attitude? (geez, does that make sense?). PM me if you need to. And hang in there and keep the FAITH - it's a fight, and we all have to be strong for it! God Bless, Karen C.

MaryAnn, I think you are all too correct. I am happy to report I got a flu shot on Sunday. The pharmacist where we get all our prescriptions filled gave me a call on Sunday - said if you can get here in two hours I can give you a flu shot - it was a quiet Sunday afternoon, I walked in and she took me in the back and gave me the shot, she'd even filled out the form for me . . . this is a Kroger store pharmacy, there are two full time pharmacists there, a man and a woman, and they both know us by face, voice and person - I can't say enough good things about these people - she said it was important to them to take care of their regular customers and especially the ones who's situation they know so well. So, for all the uncaring people in the world, there are lots of wonderful caring people to offset them, I do believe! God Bless, Karen

Thanks, everyone. Dave is doing much much better this week, despite having a chemo on Monday, but it wasn't his "bad" chemo (cisplatin) AND he got a shot of procrit, he said he didn't get one last week and he thinks that is the big difference. Ray - Dave's had decadron before - and it did give him a bunch of artificial energy - but worse of all it made him very very manic - we both told the oncologist to never give him decadron again unless it was absolutely necessary! Thanks to everyone for your well wishes, I do think it lifted Dave's spirits a whole lot, and he hasn't been on the board because he is getting ready for a camping trip this weekend! He said he wants to go up into the Virginia mountains to do some leef peeping, so he's going up tomorrow with the trailer and the dogs and Faith and I are joining him Friday after work. Says he needs a whole day extra just to rest up from getting there, and I also think a day alone with his precious pups will be good for him. I am very thankful that he's up for this and wants to do it - a victory in itself! Guess we'd better be asking Ry for a hall pass . . . Karen C.

First of all, Bruce, it is good your colon looked good. This exact thing landed my mother in the hospital - four pints low, very anemic, had heart attack symptoms from it actually - and she DID have a nice big fat colon tumor. I do believe MoSugar had that problem all the time, too, can't remember if ever an answer was found, and I don't think that's what eventually got her (excess fluid, wasn't it?). Some people just get very low on blood from chemo and have to have a transfusion - Dave had one transfusion toward the end of his chemo last year. But do make sure you see that oncologist right away, am curious to hear what he says. God Bless, Karen C.

schmaydee, you need to eat plenty of protein, that will help with the healing process, i.e., feel better quicker. Dave had a problem swallowing/chewing for some time - he had plenty of ensure/prosure shakes, ate cottage cheese (he mixed in fruit), soft proteins like that. And ditto what everyone else said. Hang in there, you'll be better soon! Karen c.

Beth - I know you made the right decision. I told Mom about it, too, and she said the same thing - stopping is the right thing to do for you. AFter all, she was right there in the chemo room witnessing one of those horrible episodes of yours - she knows! Hang in there and get better! Karen C.

Wow - that is quite remarkable! Way to go! I'm sure your other troubles will find a way to mend as well. God Bless! Karen C.

Dave is feeling very bad, physically, from the chemo which I know is messing with his wonderful upbeat attitude. I won't go into the details, but it is so hard for me to watch my wonderful (most of the time LOL) husband suffer so much. He doesn't feeling like seeing anyone or talking on the phone, says he doesn't even have the mood to email or post. Prayers to lift Dave up and good thoughts for him, please! God Bless us all, Karen C.

I will pray for a miracle to restore the eyesight in that eye - but it sounds like this great kid is doing great otherwise! Please keep us posted, TeeTaa. God Bless, Karen

Joni - How awful. PM me the name of the company, although it sounds more like one ignorant young man and not an entire company. He obviously has had absolutely no life experiences at all. Another thing to think about - we got a will drawn up when we adopted Faith. The lawyer told us to make sure all our vehicles were in BOTH names, therefore, if one of us died, there would be nothing to do with the title. We have yet to do that, I keep asking Dave, but it's not something he feels like focusing on. But it's a simple thing to do. Unfortunately most of our vehicles, even the car I drive, is just in his name. My young boss lost her husband three years ago suddenly - I mean very suddenly - and she's told me the paperwork aftermath is unbelievable. He had just gotten a rather large life insurance policy (he was a partner in a law firm) and the life insurance company conducted an investigation of his death, on top of it all, but she handled that very well - she expected that. She did get the proceeds without much trouble. God Bless, Karen C.

Sincere condolences from the Chapmans Karen, Dave and Faith

it sounds logical to me to wait until he can fully participate in his decision making process to tell him, as long as no real decisions are being made in the meantime. Maybe you and your stepmum should discuss that with his primary doctor? Does he have non small cell? that's what it sounds like. please keep us posted. it's quite a roller coaster ride, ESPECIALLY at the beginning. Karen C.

Geez, finally found a pharmacist who agrees I should get the flu shot! Someone told me about a Kmart in town that had them - didn't even know this particular Kmart existed - and I called - the pharmacy "assistant" was pretty rude and obviously didn't know what she was talking about ("do you have high blood pressure or something?") . . . geez . . . so the pharmacist got on the phone and I explained my situation and that I had a script from our doctor - he said, absolutely, you qualify under the CDC's guidelines and I will definitely give you a shot at our shot clinic next Friday, get here early and get in line . . . (I don't mind waiting in line, I just don't want to wait for four hours only to be rudely turned away, you know) Every other pharmacy I've called - except for the place we get prescriptions from (and I missed that flu shot clinic 'cause we were SUPPOSED to get them at work the next day) - have told me they wouldn't give me the shot, script or not - husband with chemo or not - I FINALLY find a pharmacist with a brain! Karen

Beth - awesome! You go, girl, that's the right attitude! And you're right, it is time for you to heal. And I'm with you on the healthy living and diet. I'll join you on that bandwagon. And I want our families to go camping together next spring - we'll both be svelte, strong and healthy! Karen

I love it - VERY CUTE, Beth! It's a good picture of you! Glad to see your smiling face! Karen

Man, there's an OUTLET mall in Hagerstown? How come I never knew about that? The band Dave used to play in full time had a gig in Hagerstown every now and then and I'd go up for the weekend (it was a week long gig in some cheesey lounge). If I'd known about the outlet mall I'd been there, ha! Sounds like a great time - what's in a cosmo? Karen

Deepest condolences to you and your whole family, Kim, especially your father. You sound like you have a good head on your shoulders and your faith will get you through this - and I know your faith will help you get your dad through it too. God Bless, Karen, Dave and Faith

wow, Becky, that's great, because the CDC has asked all private employers (except for health care) to return their shots so they can be redistributed to "high risk" people. I think I'll call our medical department and ask them. What the heck. Karen

UPDATE - my family doctor's office called me and said I HAD to get the flu shot - they wrote me a script for it - but the nurse said that ALL the doctors in that practice (three or four of 'em) got together and said YES, I had to get the flu shot, and if any flu clinic gave me a hard time to have them call the practice and any of the doctors would get on the phone and tell them to give it to me!!!! So now I have to find another place to get it. and miss a half day of work. I guess I could take it as a doctors' appointment time out of sick leave . . . I hate this crap! Karen