Muriel

Must be. But, I'm enjoying my life, too. You can do that and still spend a few minutes on the computer. Muriel

Where is everyone? It's almost 2 pm on the east coast. I can't imagine that you all have such great weather that you haven't turned your computers on yet. The temp is 93 in Orlando and the skies are partly cloudy (or if you make lemonade from lemons, it's partly sunny). Also very humid. I'm hoping that someone has something interesting to write about. Eric?????????????? You always do a good job. Have a great weekend. Muriel

Good afternoon! We got a late start today. Eric, I would love to see a pic. or two of each of the sites you mentioned. Please? We're having a quiet weekend here. Two days of rain - heavy rain - so far. Not good for outdoor activities. Muriel FYI. I'm sorry to appear soooooooooo stupid, but what holiday are you celebrating Eric? Sorry to have to ask.

That's great news, NED! Enjoy your Waikiki vacation. Will they let Rosie in the pool? Muriel

That's great news, NED. Let us know what your Onc. has to say next week, too. Thanks. Muriel

What course of action does her oncologist recommend? Had she considered getting a second opinion? Hope Dr. West has some good info. for you. Best wishes to both of you. Muriel

Randy, I'm so sorry. She's got my prayers! We'll be looking for your update on Wed. night. Thanks Muriel

I'm home from the car wash. Hope it doesn't rain, but at least I got the car taken care of before they closed due to rain. One of the sons arrives tomorrow - need a clean car. Laurie is right, tho., so far it's mostly sunny and very pleasant. Muriel

Good morning! I like Judy's idea about posting info. about where we live. And I've really enjoyed Eric's info. Everything seeems to be/can be political these days. Even the space program! We live about 30 - 40 miles from Cape Canaveral (sp?) and the Kennedy Space Center. The space shuttle landed this am. at 9:08 am. The last couple times the Orlando area has been cloudy, so we couldn't see the shuttle from our front yard. Decided not to bother trying to see it this morning, but watched on tv. I think our Golden Retriever heard the shuttle approaching before we did, as he started barking a 5 - 10 seconds before we heard the sonic boom. The boom itself sent him searching - from one window to the next - for the cause of the noise. It's really, really loud here. One of our local tv stations - located about a mile and a half west of us - heard the boom and said the windows, etc. shook. There are three more shuttle flights and then this phase of the program ends - maybe the whole program will end. Very difficult times for the space coast. The loss of jobs will be enormous and everyone out there will be affected by that loss. My first task today is to go to the carwash - with a car, of course. Gotta get there before it starts raining. Muriel

I guesss it's still morning for some people - not here, tho. It's become very, very humid and those with allergies are still suffering. We really need this "promised" rain. Congratulations to your daughter, Eric! I'm sure she is "one in a million." Muriel

It's late and I'm tired. Wanted to say this to you now, tho. Lots of us who were diagnosed early have had wonderful outcomes. In June, I'll be a seven year survivor. What do you need to know to "navigate?" Not sure what you are looking for. Muriel Also, I used to live in Portage, MI

Wow! That's fast. My husband had this surgery (both sides) as an outpatient a few years ago. It slowed him down for a while, but it wasn't long until his life was pretty much back to normal. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Muriel

Welcome to our group, Van. I'm glad that you found us so quickly. I think you'll find lots of support and information here. Do let us know your treatment plan after that is determined. We're good at trying to answer questions, so come back soon. Muriel

Barb, I'm truly sorry for your loss. May Bill have eternal rest and may God help you through these difficult days. Muriel

(((Tina))) I'm so sorry to hear this news. Your family has had more than their share of cancer. Prayers Muriel

I like that idea! Muriel

Welcome! I'm sorry that you have reason to be here, but I think you'll find the people have a lot of information and are very helpful. I'll try to answer some of your questions. According to Newsweek (I think), the best places to treat cancer are; Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC; MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; Mayo Clinic in Rochester; Dana Farber (Boston?) and several others. You might research cancer and hospitals on google. Surgery is considered to offer the best option for cure or long life without cure. Sometimes, depending on the stage of the cancer, surgery is followed up with chemo and/or radiation. My understanding is that radiation before surgery isn't an optimal situation because radiation damages tissues and makes healing from surgery more difficult. Sometimes people have chemo and radiation before surgery in hopes of shrinking the tumor before trying to remove it. The sooner that you dad can get rid of the tumor the better, so hopefully, he won't need other treatment first. If he has surgery, then the next problem is to keep the cancer from returning. Frequent CTs will be needed. I had a 3" tumor in my upper right lung (URL) removed in June 2003 and had chemo following that. The doctors seem to think that in Nov. 2004 I had another primary tumor. Had surgery and chemo again and have been cancer free since then. In June 2010, I'll be a 7 year survivor. We have a number of people here who are longg-time survivors. The longest being a woman from MN who is a 14 year survivor. Let us know how things are going with your dad and what treatment plans are decided upon. Muriel

Well, I certainly feel stupid! I thought I was reading about Melanie. So sorry. Muriel

Bruce, Are you saying that she is going to decline all further treatment? I don't understand why her dr. is advising radiation. Many follow surgery with chemo. Do you know what stage her disease is? Muriel

Melanie, It's sooooooooooooooooo good to hear from you again. Sorry about the little "surprizes" in the hospital, but it sounds as tho. everything is fine now. I think many/ most of us have experiences one or more little glitches during/after this procedure. Remember, to keep ahead of the pain/discomfort take your pain meds before you start hurting. Good luck with the rest of your recovery! Muriel

That's great news! Calls for a celebration. Muriel

There are so many I can't just name one. Mac and cheese with lots of cheese, choc. ice cream, Key Lime pie frozen yogurt, mashed potatoes w/ beef gravy, the list just goes on and on. Can you tell I've been dieting for a number of weeks? Muriel

No, Kasey, I don't think you're having fun. Did you stock up on enough food to last till Sat.? Muriel

Ann, unless you really enjoyed tieing (sp?) shoes when your kids were little, you might consider getting some shoes or firm-soled slippers with velcro straps for hubby. Another almost "live-saver." Muriel

Ann, give your husband my best wishes for his knee replacement. I did that in 1999. He'll need lots of help after and if the doctor doesn't order physical therapy (some don't) ask him/her to do so. Muriel