Carolyn Flournoy

Ginny... Stable is fantastic when all you have to do is take one pill a day. Glad he lost his cast but sorry you lost your cap. Two out of three is a pretty good day. Carolyn

Thanks Ginny for posting Earl's onc. opinion on GVAX. All the information about treatments and drugs from Onc. all over the country is so helpful. Carolyn

Cindy...Last year Jim went into the hospital because of SVPT (high pulse, low blood pressure) They had to stop and then start his heart. The onc. suppected he had fluid around the heart. He had a echocardiogram which was negative. Hope you have good news too when you have your test. Carolyn

My husband had his 8th and last treatment Wed. Carbo/taxol every three weeks. Compazine and Zofran for sour stomach first three days. On the fourth day his bones begin to ache for about 2 to 3 days. He takes pain medication for this and also Celebrex. Another side effect has been the lost of all body hair. Do ask your dad's doctor about the Celebrex. Carolyn

Peg....I am so sorry to hear of your Bill's current condition. May the days ahead bring the miracle that you are praying for. I will keep you both in my thoughts. Carolyn

Ginny Been wondering how you both were doing. We have about the same routine. Ensure in bed medications then breakfast about noon. Jim goes to bed about 7:30 or 8:00. He's recovering from bronchitis. Onc. nurse gave him a B 12 shot Wed. and he managed to walk around the park yesterday. Being inactive really gets to our guys.(physically&mentally) March will be better Ginny getting that cast off in time for a Irish jig,clean scan,hairy body from Iressa all this I'm wishing for you both. Carolyn

Berisa...Jim takes Tylenol PM Extra Strength usually 2 for sleep. But if he has to take pain pills (Hydrocodone) during the day onc. nurse advised him not to take Tylenol also. Hydrocodone has Tylenol in them and too much can cause liver damage. On those days he takes Temazepam 30mg. a prescription drug. Hope you both get the sleep you need. Carolyn

The information we received was that seizures or convulsions are a fairly common disorder. (healthy people without lc ) Husband had a seizure last May. He was transported by ambulance to hospital. Given ditantin with an IV. Had a MRI came back negative for brain mets. He hasn't had one since then. Hoping you hear the same good news we did. Carolyn

Dear Norme....So sorry for the loss of your beloved Buddy. My condolences go out to you and your son. Carolyn

Judy Husband is on Carbo/taxol 1 dose every 3 weeks. Had his 7th infusion yesterday. Hasn't been nauseous takes Zofran every 12 hours for first 4 days for his sour stomach. About third day after treatment gets some pain in legs and feet which goes away in a couple of days. Not that much weakness or fatigue. Hair started falling out about the third treatment. He has tolerated this chemo combination very well. Everyone reacts differently hope whatever treatment you and husband decide on gives both a good and long life. Carolyn

Husband has been on Carbo/taxol since Oct. One of the side effects has been aches and pains on the tops of his feet through his legs. Sometimes he feels like his knees are going to give out on him. This didn't start until his third treatment. For him it starts about three days after chemo and lasts about a week. Onc. nurse said this happens with Taxol. Hope this helps Carolyn

Judy Buy a digital thermometer. He will need to keep up with his temperature during treatments. Chemo drugs affect the blood cells and he could have trouble fighting infections. This is the flu and cold season so watch this carefully. Positive outlook and a willingness to seek information will win this fight. Carolyn

Peg Jim has private insurance and is on Arensep. It has worked very well for him. His blood work has stayed up enough to skip a couple of shots. Hope it is as effective for Bill. Carolyn

Fantastic !!!!! WHAT A RELIEF Just in time for all the Sunday Parties have fun Carolyn

Linda Half way though radiation & chemo my husband developed the dry heaves(with a little phem) That was seven or eight months ago. Now they happen maybe once a week when he's tired or first thing in the morning. Like Mo I believe that the radiation causes this problem. When the gagging first started it was an every day occurrence. It was both disturbing emotionally and physically. Onc. prescribed lorazepam for anxiety it helped. As time has gone by not as violent and not as often. Hopefully your dad's gags will go away when the pneumonia is cleared up. Carolyn

Andrea My husband weighs the same. Although he has lost muscle mass. Jim has never been a big eater or enjoyed food that much. But at his first meeting with onc. was told that most cancer patients die from starvation. This has been in the back of his mind since then. So he eats 3 meals a day plus Ensure no matter if he's hungry or not. He also makes a habit of drinking lots of water. Sounds like your mother is going to be healthly next month for your second wedding. Enjoyed your web site of first wedding. Carolyn

Oh Ginny so sorry you have all these new problems.(and extra work). It isn't going to be easy. Broke my leg 7 years ago Jim took the shower door off. Used a plastic chair and plastic bag for showers.(couldn't stand for shower and couldn't get into tub) Have you called onc. about putting off taking Iressa for a couple of weeks. Until Earl gets his walking cast with the diarrhea and rash it could be quite a battle. Thinking good thoughts for you both Carolyn

Chrissy My husband Jim also had a seizure like your description. It happened last May and never again. His onc. had him get a MRI just to make sure it wasn't brain mets. The infomation we received was that seizures or convulsions are a fairly common disorder. No definite cause is found most of the time. But with lung cancer you need to rule out brain mets. I would ask dr. for a MRI. Carolyn

My husband has been on Celebrex 200mg twice a day since Oct.03 along with Carbo/taxol. I suggested the Celebrex to the onc. and he agreed. The first week he took 200mg no diarrhea or stomach problems so they increased the dose. If you go to Search and put in Celebrex lots of pros and cons also clinical trial. Hope this helps Carolyn

Ginny Good news about Earl's stable liver tumors. And no other sign of disease that's great. Jim was on Iressa for 3 months. His overall health improved on Iressa. He was out and about more. Even his gray hair started to get dark. Also grew hairs on his belly and chest where none had ever been before. Postive thoughts for Iressa to be the drug that will destroy the cancer and grow a new set of hair all at the same time. Carolyn

Ginny It was going in the right direction on the last c-scan and that's a good sign. Will be thinking good thoughts about the both of you. Carolyn

My husband had a collapsed lung when he was diagnosed 12/13/02 with NSCLC. He developed pneumonia also. The doctors need to treat these health problems first and get your mother-in law stable before they can treat the cancer. My husband was given a poor prognosis. It's been a year and now we're going for the second. I'm sorry to think of what you are all going through now. But once they get her stable you all with her onc. can plan for her treatment for the cancer. Carolyn

Sounds like Earl will enjoy the New Years celebrations. Jim is a little vain about his bald head. So only attends social functions that a baseball cap looks acceptable. I'll tell him about all the women that Earl is attracting. Jim had his 5th infusion Monday. New Years we will sleep through. With each treatment he is flushed for a couple of days. Also like Earl he has joint pain. Says his knees feel like rubber. The joint pain last about a week. All the best for you and Earl for the coming year treatments that work and new ones on the way. Carolyn

Feliz Navidad from Southern California we even have tamales and posole for Christmas eve. Last year, Christmas just wasn't as hopeful for both our families hooray for good reports and many more Christmases with family and friends. Carolyn

The American Cancer Society has a Transportation Assistance Program that you could look into just call your local chapter to see if they have this program. Hope this helps, Carolyn