-Cheryl-

Bob, Get well soon. We miss you soooo much. We don't have anyone to poke fun at while your away!!!! I hope you are well enough to attend the Cure Conference in Dallas in May. We can hook up a funnel to your feeding tube for the Wine and Cheese Welcome Reception. It will be loads of fun! Nah, actually I think it would be more fun to taste the wine and I am praying that you get rid of that darn feeding tube! Hope you get back to living life to the fullest soon. God Bless you! Cheryl

Gregoery, Thaks for the info. I feel strongly that it should be done with intial diagnosis. If only more people knew about it. I quickly educated myself on lung cancer 101 after my diagnosis. Most people don't have this information and doctors don't volunteer it. Shockingly, when I was having treatment and would ask people about their diagnosis, few even knew the type of cancer or stage it was in! Chemosensitivity testing should be standard procedure!!!!!!!!! Cheryl

Hi Pretty Lady, Karen, I am so glad that you are o.k. with this surgery ad have every confidence in your doctor. You let us do any worrying if there is anything at all to worry about. Hey Andrea, you, me and Angie can be on that committee since we are all pretty good worry warts. And Karen, I am suprised that Ginny let you escape with "the Dr. said that there didn't look like there was anything else up there." Tee Hee She started this whole "Empty Headed Club." Ha! Anyway. I am sure she would like nothing more than to intiate you herself. WE will all be there for your coronation. You are in my prayers and I am crossing everything that will cross. And on a serious note, Karen this will all be over with soon and you will be just fine. We love you Karen! Cheryl

Curtis, Thank you for posting. I would love to see the tribute of Becky's life. I appreciate you sharing your stories of Becky wth us. I hope that you pop in from time to time to let us know how you and Katie are getting on. We are here to comfort you, and in so doing are comforted ourselves. I really admired your Becky, and can only imagine what it must be like for you and your daughter to be with out her. Please PM me if I can be of any help. I wish that there was something I could do. Her death came as such a shock to us all. I just feel like all her doctors let her down and failed her. I am sorry. Cheryl

Andrea, I am so sorry that you are having to go through this. I have been called back in for another mamo and ultrasound, prior to cancer diagnosis. My MIL thinks it is a scam just to make more money of of patients. Please try not to worry, because most masses are not cancer. I think your mind would be more at ease if you knew for sure what it was; however, would it be considered a pre-existing condition to your new insurance? Also, does your doctor think you could wait, or is this a really suspicious area of concern? Andrea, I would also check to see what this new PPO offers as far as mental health benefits. You have really had some stressful events come to light as of recently. I am a therapist, so please don't be offended by my suggestion. I think "talk therapy" would benefit everyone! Ha! Keep us posted. Cheryl

Hey Elaine et al, Tissue samples of the cancer must be available to send off for the chemo sensitivity testing. If the sample comes from within the lung then the patient is put at a high risk to confirm a diagnosis, much less get a sample of a tumor for chemo sensitivity testing. So, I am all for the testing and it makes perfectly good sense to me to have samples taken early on when all the tests are going on to stage and diagnose a person; or to take a sample of tissue if surgery is planned and adjunctive chemo is needed to mop up any cancer cells possibly still there. I met wth my onc today, and asked him if he would do chemo if he had was diagnosed with cancer. His response was, "It depends on the cancer and the chemo. I would have done exactly the treatment you have done thus far. Some cancers can be cured with chemo alone, lung cancer is not one of them. Chemo may only buy you a couple of months more. Something will come along. Besides, the oncologist in the poll you speak of haven't had cancer. There opinions would change entirely if the shoe were on the other foot!" Oh, and I also asked him about payment out of pocket for GVAX. He said the vaccine is covered by the trial; although, insurace is expected to pay for tests and bloodwork since it is a gov. trial. Becky G. had planned on chemo sensitivity testing. I wonder if she had a sample of tumor taken during the bronchoscopy? Didn't this pocedure cause her lung to collapse and compromised her breathing even more? I am still so stunned by her death. I, like many of you, wish I had more answers. I just feel like every doctor failed her, then her own lungs gave out on her. I am so sad for Curtis and baby girl. God please hear our prayers and find a cure for this awful disease. Cheryl

Mo, "Feeling good" is a state of mind. If you decide that you don't feel that bad, then by Gosh you don't! You are one tough Bird!!! I am so impressed by your sprit. God Bless you Dear Girl!! Sometimes I have errands to run, and I think "I am just so exhausted, What it I pass out or something?" Well,the tiredness never goes away entirely, does it?. Heck, I figure I have been tired since 1985 anyway. Ha! I figure if I drop dead out somewhere, than so be it. I will die doing what I want to do!!! You are always in my prayers Mo, Cheryl

Berisa, Your Brave Dad has ben through so much. May God Bless him and help him heal. Praying for your Dear Father now. Cheryl

DeanCarl, That was moving. I know I appreciated hearing your words, and I imagine the family members and friends of those recently lost will as well. Cheryl

Deanna, You may want to talk to you doctors, but I understand that both will have lasting effects. Even when the chemo leaves the body, the cells are still rejuvenating and turning over. Changes in the body from radiation can last up to a year I have been told. I was really nauseated after treatment for a few weeks. I had no appetite and was vomitting daily, and had to force my self to eat. (The top of my stomach got hit hard by radiation, as did my mid chest due to mediastinal lymph involvement. So I couldn't swallow either.) That soon went away. Did you Dad's scans show any mets to the liver? This could cause nausea too. Cheryl

It just seems like one doctor after another failed Becky G.. She had a bronchoscopy on thurs. or Fri., right before she got the collapsed lung and breathing problems. She needed a vent, why was she transfered to a regular room from the ER, and not into the ICU? What went wrong. Just like the mediastinoscopy when her chest was cracked open to stop the bleeding. Then she was overradiated so that surgery was completely out of the question. A case example of the cure being worse than the disease. Her disease had not metastisized. I do believe she had radiation damage, which cause some sort of breathing problems, just like Sam. Any thoughts on this? Cheryl

Dean, You help so many people with your words and genuine spirit. Thank you for sharing. Cheryl

John, I did my last treatment a couple of weeks ago. After talking to the researchers at Mary Crowley's Research Center at Baylor I decided to stop all immunotherapy because it could interfer with a trial should I chose to do one. I suppose the same concept applies if doing chemo and taking supplements, the supplements make the chemo not as effective. I was told that all of this garbage would come out of your body as you detoxed. I can certainly attest to this. I eat mostly whole, organic foods, lots of veggies, fish and poultry, complex carbs-grains. I still do have some sugar. My onc doesn't believe all the bad hype about it. I will have like a few oatmeal cookies, or sweet tea. I do pretty good, but have my weaknesses like every else. I have convinced myself that I like seaweed- NOT! I am still taking supplements and love to walk. I am really interested in therapies to boost the immune system's response to cancer, and hope I can find something that works or me! John thank you for your dedication to lung cancer and to the members of this board. We appreciate you, and your Mom would be so proud. Cheryl

John, Thanks! I haven't found anything on these drugs either and want to look at options for treatment. It is interesting that "80% of the oncologists treating cancer would not do chemo themselves." Or would they, when faced with zero options, except death. It is even more frightening that the treatment may kill you quicker than the disease. I am in a qandry as to what to do, if anything at all. The most promising treatment GVAX, is so controlled that I do not know of anybody recieving it. Is there anyone out there on the board participating in the GVAX trial? Cheryl

Thanks for info John! What do you know about the Transforming Growth Factor vaccine, and Dosataxol & Pt100? Plus have you heard of a new chemo called Pitanex? I hope I spelled that right. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Cheryl

Bob, Sending you prayers. You hurry up and get better. We miss your sense of humor and wit. Can't wait to have you back on line with your cyber fans!!! Cheryl and Jack

Danni, Welcome. Sorry to hear about the loss of your step-father. What a loving tribute it would be for you to pursue a field in cancer research. May you be the one to find the cure! Cheryl

Andrea, Don't stress over this. I appreciate the fact that you want to help. I must purchase professional insurance so that I can practice privately, outside of my agency. It is fairly inexpensive, but I do not know what insurance would cost for a non-profit organization. I do know that the agency I work for has 501c status and is exempt from being taxed as a buisness. Unfortunately, I am not adept at coorprate or buisness law. I would imagne that Katy and Rick are set up as a non-profit buisness or group and have insurance already. Could you not do something under the LCS board. I raise money all the time for my program under our agency's name. P.S. you are a very busy women. I would not recommend doing it alone. Invite othe survivors to help, and consult with someone who can answer your legal concerns. Your parents and in-laws have good intentions and are worried about you taking on too much. Don't stress about it though, just do what you can. We appreciate anyones efforts to help the cause on what ever level. Good luck! Cheryl

Ry, So glad you are home! We missed you a bunch. You gave us a little scare. The IV pole should really come in handy dandy to dry various asundry langerie garments... You could put all your "honey do" post it notes on it, not to mention decorate for numerous holidays...like May Pole Day, Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree, and especially Connie B's Flag Pole idea! Anyway, Glad you and your IV pole are home!!! Cheryl

Cindy, My husband told me the same thing, "Stay off for a while if it brings you down." I couldn't sleep thinking about Becky and Judy...and all the rest. I am so sad right now and the tears are giving me a headache. It doesn't help that I had surgery this morning and was put under general anthesia. I will probably take off tomorrow, then back to work on Wed.. I need my job too bad for the insurance, plus I love what I do. I am fine, I had a fistula in my bowel removed. Anyway, I, like Fay, and all of you, needed to talk about this. It just happened so quick. A life, so precious, is gone. And when I think of what is left behind in the wake of this disease, it really gets to me. Such as Becky's baby girl growing up without her. I sure don't envy Curtis having to explain why Mommy isn't coming home from the hospital. Now the leaky faucet is pouring...but I cannot stop the thoughts. When we lose someone on this board, I feel the need to reach out to all of you, because only you guys can understand my emotions. Sure this board brings me down from time to time, but it lifts me up similtaneously. I think I need some drugs, I am in pain now from the surgery. Plus, I guess I just need you guys is all. Pleae God send your band of Angels to watch over all my LCS family while I sleep. Love, Cheryl

Curtis, How can this be? I am so shocked and confused. I was looking foward to seeing Becky in Dallas. Becky has inspired me on so many occassions. Seeing her work and pursue her hard earned dreams, motivated me to pick up myself and go back to what I love and do. She never let this disease keep her from living her life to the fullest. God Bless you and your baby girl. I am so very sorry and heartbroken for you. Please let me know if we can do anything. Cheryl and Jack

Stephanie, I can barely see to type through the tears. Your Mom was a beautiful and intellignt woman, a friend to us all. She was so supportive to me when I first joined this board. I am so sad for your loss, as well as a loss to those that knew this special lady. Cheryl

Lucie, Way to go woman!!! I am impressed by your sheer will and determination, No wonder Don is so proud of you his beloved. I Can't wait to meet you someday in person. Will you guys be coming to the conference in Dallas sponsored by Cure magazine? I hope to see you there. Cheryl

Welcome Leo, Sounds as if you have some experience w/ all of this...as well as the board helping you, maybe you can lend some guidance to the rest on the board. Hope this session of chemo goes well. Cheryl

Cindy, How is that husband of yours doing lately? You know, that excuse he has been using to get ot of house work is wearing pretty thin....you know the one about the "torn bicep?" Ha! Anyway, hope your breathing improves!!! God Bless, Cheryl