Muriel

Ann, I'm sorry that I don't have any money-making ideas either. It sounds like a good event. Your poodle skirt is a riot and I like the new picture. You look sooooooooooo young. Hmm, you probably are sooooooooooooo young. I, too, am experiencing mugginess today - seems like the whole summer has been muggy. Hope everyone has a good day. Muriel

The fifth item from the top, on the "menu" next to your avatar might be what you're looking for. Muriel

I'm so old that I don't know one muppet from another Muriel

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DONNA

You never know how many people sneezed on the whole tray of items while working with them or putting them in the counter case. Maybe it really doesn't make a difference. This is what I did and I don't know if it was a good way to handle it or not. I really wanted to scream at her and tell (not ask) her to throw the donuts away and wash her hands and arms. (It was a big sneeze.) I didn't do that. I took the box of donuts and thanked her. Then I set it in the basket and got a couple of those wet towelettes for cleaning off the cart and used them to hold the box. (The box was plastic.) Before I checked out I went to the service counter and explained that I didn't want the donuts because the clerk had sneezed on them. The woman was happy to take and said she'd speak to the head of that dept. She also asked if the clerk had washed her hands before she continued or before she served the next customer. She hadn't. So, if I get sick in the next few days it will be from something other than the donuts. Muriel

Well, Ann, we could always meet at the bakery counter, but not at my grocery store. I raised this question because I had this experience yesterday. I'll wait a while to tell you what I did and how I felt about it. In the meantime, I'd love to read more responses. Muriel

About an 8, I think. I'm not dissatisfied with anything. I'm very lucky that my cancer was caught as early as it was; I have a supportive hubby and adult children; a wonderful Golden Retriever; and an easy life here in FL. I don't have everything that I want, but enough not to complain Muriel

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:18 am Post subject: Let's Play This or That..... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chocolate Chip or Oatmeal CHOC. CHIP Chocolate Brown or Navy Blue NAVY BLUE Wedge or Stacked Heel NEITHER Pogo Stick or Hula Hoop NEITHER Sisal or Wool rug WOOL German Chocolate Cake or French Cruller GERMAN CHOC. CAKE Newsweek or Time (magazines) NEWSWEEK Gift Bag or Wrapped Box WRAPPED BOX Wooden Pencil or Mechanical Pencil NEITHER Black or Blue ink BLACK Jello or Pudding PUDDING Zipper or Buttons ZIPPER Hedges or White Picket Fence FENCE Roses or Black Eyed Susans ROSES

This is marvelous, Ann, and it gives me a good reason to start teaching Bailey to read. Goldens are soooooooooooooooooooo bright, it shouldn't take too long. I'm sure you agree. Muriel

Hi Cynthia, This is a very scary time for you. Things will get better, tho. I remember thinking, after getting my CT and PET results, that anything would be better than surgery! That was in June 2003 I've had two lobectomies - URL in June 2003 and ULL in Nov 2004. Both tumors were considered primaries and were staged at IB. I had followup chemo both times and now, six years later I'm still here to talk about it. This surgery isn't a whole bunch of fun, but not as unpleasant as my total knee replacement. They can do a wonderful job of managing the pain. After you go home, prescription pain pills and then something like Aleve should work just fine. It takes a long time to recover and when you get to that point, lots of us here will tell you what to watch out for, what to do, etc. I was in the hospital 6 days the first time and four, the second. I think the Dr. was ready to send me home on day 5 the first time, but I told him I thought I needed to stay another day. It does look sort of barbaric, if you've seen pictures or video of the surgery, but it's really not. It definitely is NOT unbelievably painful (the pain can be managed). The drainage tube can be annoying and a little uncomfortable after a couple days, but not something to fear. Yes, it does come out eventually - generally before you go home. It comes out very, very quickly - esp. if the doctor is really good at removing it. I was truly terrified at this stage of my journey. My doctor gave me welbutrin to help me quit smoking and to calm me down. She also gave me a Rx for ativan and that helped a lot, too. My surgeon and pulmonologist didn't think I needed chemo. I talked to an Onc. and decided that it would be safer (as a 1b) to have chemo. He also changed my "panic" meds. from Welbutrin to Zoloft. All of this happened to me when we were living in northern Virginia. 2+ weeks after the second surgery, we moved to the Orlando area and I had chemo here. I'm on my 3rd Onc. in Orlando. The first was sorta strange and the second was very evasive and not very caring about the little things that go with followup - CTs and followup appts., for ex. My 3rd Onc is at MD Anderson Cancer Center and she and MDACC are marvelous. If you'd like to talk to me on the phone, send me a pm with your phone number and I'll call you. (We pay a fixed rate for long distance.) BTW, I was 64 when this started and wondered if I'd see 65. Muriel

Great picture, Ned. Muriel

I guess it isn't morning anymore. Hope everyone is having a good day. We live close enough to KSC to see the launches and landings. Not last night, tho. It was too overcast. We stood outside the front door, with our dog - knowing he would appreciate seeing a launch, and saw NOTHING We even thought it might have been canceled at the last minute. Now, if they can just stay safe 'till they get back. Judy, I hope you start feeling better soon. This seems like a long time. Muriel

My name is Muriel and I'm a 6 year survivor. I live in a suburb of Orlando, FL. I have a recently retired husband and three adult sons - living in Chicago, Minneapolis, and NYC. We have a 7 and a half year old Golden Retriever and recently lost our 13 year old Labrador Retriever. I retired in 2000, when we were living in northern VA. In June 2003 I was diagnosed with NSCLC (dx = IB) and had surgery (URL) and chemo. Eighteen months later, another tumor was found in the other lung (ULL) and I did the surgery/chemo thing again. The 2nd tumor was considered another primary. Muriel

Yuck, yuck, yuck! cilantro

This will date me, too, but I also loved "I Remember Mama." Other good mothers: Clair (Clare?) Huxtable - a wonderful role mode as a working mom back when that wasn't quite so common. Also, Sally Field/Nora Walker and Meredith Baxter as Michael J. Fox's mother. Muriel

I am so sorry for Tracy's family and you and Fred, of course. I feel terrible about this. Prayers for all. (I don't know how I missed this yesterday, but I did.) Muriel

Welcome Annette! I hope you start feeling good pretty soon. It takes a long time to recover from lung surgery. I found making comparisons with how I felt 4 - 5 days ago better than comparing today to yesterday. You will feel good soon, tho. On June 26th Six years ago I was diagnosed with stage IB NSCLC (URL), had surgery, and just not wanting to take any chances, had 4 rounds of chemo (Taxol and Carboplatin). Eighteen months after that a CT scan found smaller tumor in my ULL. Again, I had surgery and 4 rounds of chemo (cisplatin and Gemzar). That was four and 3/4s years ago. Since then I've had numerous CTs and PET scans. Occasionally, a CT scan shows something that worries a radiologist and I have a PET scan to be sure it's not something to worry about. I hope that the small spot in your other lung is nothing at all. But even if it is, there is lots and lots of hope for you. The early days/months of a cancer diagnosis are very, very difficult. Be brave Muriel

That's great news, Bruce. Muriel

Debi, I'm so happy for you and your son. Six years ago, who would of thought we'd be here now. You've made so many changes in the last year or so, too. Hope you love your new home and your summer being a stay-at-home Mom. It's a nice life. Now for your weight. Congratulations. How did you lose so much? I can't imagine that you even gained that much. Enjoy all your new clothes, etc. Muriel

Hi Katy, I've had chemo twice. The first time (Carbo and Taxol) Kytril was part of the meds, along with benadryl, and some other stuff. I also had a Rx for Kytril to take for a few days after chemo (2 I think). After the couple of days on Kytril I used compazine and ativan. I slept a lot for a couple days - don't remember which ones, tho. The last time I had chemo they gave me a Rx for Zofran. That worked, too. It comes in dissolving tablets and pill form. Aloxi was popular the second time I had chemo (cisplatin and Gemzar) and that was included in the pre-chemo cocktail. I had different doctors this time and first one prescribed a bunch of stuff that didn't work too well and the second Dr. gave me zofran, and Emend. I did learn that you shouldn't mix aloxi and zofran - that made me really, really sick. Good luck. There are a lot of things out there and if one doesn't work something else will probably help. Muriel

Yes, Xanax helps, too. One of my better friends just before scans. Judy, the radiologist's name was Widena (or something like that) and Dr. Tseng was on maternity leave (still is), so it was Leslye that tried to make sense out of the report. Patti and everyone else, I'll meet you at the Pub later this afternoon. Hope Kasey, Fred, and Teddy are there to open it. Muriel

Amazing! Thanks for sharing the good news. Muriel

Yes, Kasey, you'd think that soon I'd graduate to 6 mo. or longer. I'm a 6 year survivor, or a 4 and 3/4 yr survivor (from the second tumor). The scans show "something to be watched" just about every time. Nothing ever happens, tho. Just more scans, etc. I am grateful that this is my biggest cancer problem and I know that I shouldn't complain. The stress gets sooooooooooooooooooooooo bad tho. Muriel

Well, it was the same as last time - a nodule reported by the radiologist. Everyone panicked, the NP said maybe a PET (AGAIN), maybe watch it closely. Took it to a hospital committee. They said it hadn't changed since my first scan at MDAnderson in Jan. '08. This is good news, of course, but I'm getting really tired of this. Next scan in 4 months. Muriel

All of the above and ----------- lung nodules that require a follow-up PET scan Poorly written radiologist's reports - lots of words, no real info. RAIN HOT WEATHER HUMIDITY And probably a lot of other things that I'll think of later. Basically, I'm just tired of a lot of things. Muriel