lenr8

Glad we're back on line. I've done my second chemo with no side effects thank goodness. The decadron I have to take everyday because of the brain met is screwing me up the worse. Don't sleep much and seem to be in a haze most of the time. Hopefully I can quit taking it when they do the gamma knife in 2 weeks. My wife likes me on the decadron because I'm wired all the time and I'm getting a ton of stuff done at home.

Natalie When I was first diagnosed my HMO refused to let go to a major cancer center in Chicago. With the help pf my father, we have pretty much gotten what we wanted, however it has been a horrible fight and uphill battle with them. Basically we started by putiing an article in the paper about how my HMO treated me from the beginning. That got an immediate response frm the HMO. Then he looked a their website and started calling the offices of the big wigs. This has han some effectiveness. They will still fight against you, recently they rejected my center because I couldn't be in the trial anymore but referred me in network and theat might have actually been better. So, don't just drop your HMO if you have any questions e-mail and I will put you in contact with my father he was very mean to the insurance co and It was great. But he will have ideas on how to helpyou

I am Lenny's wife (lenr8) and this is the first time that I have participated in any discussion. When my husband and I first learned that he had Stage IV Lung Cancer we were (like everyone else) devastated. We had so many family and friends supporting us and trying to understand but no one really could understand what we were going through. Then one weekend my husband told me that he had found this wonderful group of people that knew exactly how he felt and he all of the sudden became much more positive and hopeful. I almost cried because this was just what he needed to help fight this terrible disease. Since then he has not only received an incredible amount of suppoprt from all of you but has been able to give others some support too. I can't tell you how much this means to me. Though I have not participated until now, I have been viewing the different discussions and I am so amazed at how incredibly strong and supportive you all are. You are all an incredible source of inspiration to so many people. I feel honored to be a part of this. I really hope that everyone can just forget about and get past all of this. I don't want anyone to leave. We all need each other. My husband needs you. I need you. Our 2 and 7 year old sons need you. Please remember why we are all here. Thank you. Lori

shellimacs Try to convince her that she's killing cancer but it will be worth it

i've been reading the good news section and there seems to be alot of good news. I finally started chemo this week. Initially i was going to have brain surgery this week because they found a met up there. But that has been stopped, then I was going to have whole head radiation to treat it and then the next day they said gamma knife would be better and I don't have to stop chemo to do it. So I'm scheduled for gamma knife July1. I think now I really understand the roller coaster part. i did have to start chem o on my birthday, I was kinda bummed about it but then i thought what a better way to spend my birthday than killing cancer cells

I know things are tough and I wouldn't know what to do without this board. Please talk to your dr about an antidepressant. It may help alot.

I went to the ONC today. I knew I wouldn't be starting chemo today because they found the brain met saturday. The had me scheduled to be admitted to hospital when I left the office to have surgery to remove it, however my insurance refusd to pay it since it was out of network. I was suppose to start a clinical trial there but since I can't they refuse to let me go there. Now I have an appt tomorrow in net work, but have probably delayed y surgery by a day or more. Also I cannot start chemo til after the brain surgery. All I want to do is get rid of this S**T but i have to keep waiting. However I am plotting on how to get back at my insurance company

Carleen Me and Lori are praying for you. When I am waiting for results I try to realize that I cannot change what is in the scan and that I can face whatever comes my way. We continue to get bad news but I just keep my chin up higher. You have already been told the worse basically, that he has cancer, the rest is just a roller coaster ride. You can't doubt that he will get better. You have to believe that you are stronger than this D**N cancer

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I kind of expected it just because of the way things are going. I am not as worried about the brain tumor as I am the other mets. But I feel strong. I am still curious how come it didn't show up on the pet scan. Does anyone know why?

Well I went for my brain MRI to check for mets. I was having no symptoms but guess what? They found a tumor unfortunately. I seem to only be getting bad news. Don't get me wrong I will still beat this thing. The DR. thinks i may have surgery to take it out since it is only one tumor the odd thing is it did not show up in a PET scan. I have not lost hope I just wnt to get some better news

Ray I start chemo Monday and I am also stage IV. We can beat this so keep your chin up and we will kick A** and take names

GREAT NEWS!!!

Well I didn't start treatment. Yesterday my insurance company scheduled this chemo even though I had an appt today with an onc to start a clinical trial and cisplatin/gemzar. I decided to keep the appt for the trial. I will still be getting first line chemo and and trial. I thought this would be better to try a third agent also. Unfortunatley I don't start the trial till Monday. I am getting very anxious about starting treatment in that I want to start now. Plus I have to get new ct(chest and ab). brain MRI and bone scan by MOnday. I would like to know if you gys think I am doing the right thing. Istill can start with the other once this week, and I liked both dr's. Even though the clinical trial dr seems a bit more thorough. PLus in his office he has a secretary about my age who is a three year survivor of NSCLC 3b.

Finally I 'm starting chemotherapy tomorrow. It seems like this all started 3 years ago but its only been 2-3 weeks. Istart using cisplatin and gemzar. It's kind of scary but like I keep saying I've got kids toraise and no time for cancer.

Thank you guys for all your support. I get a lot of strength from you. If I start to doubt my feelings of beating this thing I come here and get renewed energy for the fight.

I have a small pleural effusion right now and they haven't done anything with it and it doesn't seem to bother me.

the visit wasn't that great. They staged me at 4. I start gemzar/cisplatin and a clinical trial that's a pill. I haven't read all about it yet. They didn't pull the rug completely out from under me yet. They said because of my age etc they will be aggressive. Exactly what you guys have said. this is my chance to start fightng with more help. Like I keep saying I have kids to raise and no time for cancer so guess what has to go! I saw some stuff about lance armstring. Can someone tell me the title of the book so I can buy it. I would l ike to thank everyone for there support already, with you guys I can win

Tomorrow I have my first onc appt. I have been picking up all my reports and x-rays etc. I read through some of them and then quit. I startedt o think the worst and then came here and read almost all of the posts, it always makes me feel better. A little anyway. The more I read those reports the more determined I became to fight this, I am not going to leave my family! I hope that I get some slightly better news tomorrow it seems all I have been getting is bad news, but I will deal with it like I have all the other bad news.

I do imagine my body attacking the tumor several times during the day. It helps me feel like I'm fighting it. My outlook is good about what my outcome will be, it is hard the waiting.

I just got my PET scan results. They were pretty much what we expected no surprises. Primary tumor in rt lung 4 cm with some lymph node involvement in chest. One small node on adrenal gland but not in kidney and one lymph node by clavicle. Dr expects me to be in stage 3. I am just happy that there were no surprises.

beckyg last week I was diagnosed with NSCLC. I am 31 years old and have a son who will turn two in july. This is a great place to come. These people have made me feel so much better already, there are long term survivors here and they are encouraging! Keep coming back

David P Thanks for writing, each day it gets alittle easier its not been a week since I found out. Although I am still a little depressed I am already fighting it and when they start the treatments the fight will tougher for "it" As for a ittle about my self as you know I am 31 have two small kids. I am a paramedic in northern Indiana. I've been married three years. I should find out today what the PET scan saw so I'm alittle anxious about that.

I did have a bright spot today, the insurance finally ok'd me to go where I want, that was not as big of a battle s it started ou to be, just like getting this crap out of me I will win.

I seem to be having a bad day today. Physically i'm fine but I'm depressed. I am trying hard to sta positive but it all seems so overwhelming. I have no doubt that I will win, I have kids I want to raise. But I'm waiting for my PET scan to see how far it has spread, naybe that;s why I am in a mood, I have spent alot of time reading through this site and it has helped me tremendously, but whenever I tell a friend about this and I hear their voice it gets to me, I haven't started any treatment yet and I all I want to do is start fighting.

Thank you all for your support. I really does help. I have a pet scan today. The mornings are all the hardest of all on me, I wake up just dreading the day but later on I am ready to start fighting. The fight with the insurance co is in the media, so we will see. T hey want me to go to Indianapolis for treatment but the universuty of chicago is better, I am young enough that i feel it may make a difference.