Liz13

Laflood, What wonderful, wonderful news for you. Please stay diligent with your follow ups. And insist on CT scans not chest xrays. I'll be raising a toast tonight for you getting back to your life. Live it safely. Hugs, Liz

Hi Aaron, I always had good luck putting it on my lower back, right above the hip. I would switch side to side each time. I didn't have any problem with it falling off, though it would certainly begin to peel up by day 3. Just remember what I told you about the vomiting. I am so proud of you. Get in there and kick a**!! Hugs, Liz

Thanks, Mary Colleen, I was hoping for that. No Trish, I'm not. I still have a long ways to go. I just remember reading about someone else doing it recently and was curious.

I was just wondering what was involved with the port removal? Do they go in the same scar? Hospital stay or out patient? Pain? Recovery? Dangers? Thanks for any info. Hugs, Liz

I have certianly found this to be true. My whole life I wasn't ready for God to be in my life. I didn't know it but I just wasn't ready to give up the things I did in my life. Then I got sick. And I had to give them up. And I asked God to forgive me. And I am so amazed at how my life has changed. And I thank him everyday. Hugs, Liz

Dear Flowergirlie, My heart absoulutely breaks to hear this news. I have been thinking and praying for you both constantly. You know how I feel about you. Please continue to hold steady and grab my hand if you need it. Strength, courage and peace to you and your children. Hugs, Liz

Thickening is the right word. It showed up 2 times on my CT. I had 37 days of radiation. Hugs, Liz

Great news!! Happy to share in the celebration. Hugs, Liz

That sounds like a plan, Eileen. I'm looking forward to it. Any other Tampa/St. Pete folks want to join us? Terri, I did ask him about the 5 year thing, and I beleive he said that it was certainly a goal. I actually think he's a great doctor for me. He talks my languge and doesn't sugar coat anything. And I trust him, which helps. My other doctor I had in West Palm Beach, I never felt good about him. I beleive if I had stayed there, I would be a statistic now. And it wouldn't have been from the cancer, it would have been the treatment. Like I said, I feel different on different days, but for the most part I feel optimistic. I always have. I just let those monsters take over my head every once in a while. Then I go in for an attitude adjustment. Hugs, Liz

I am so thrilled to hear of plan "C". I can't tell you anything about them, but I can offer you this. That pain patch made me vomit. Constantly. For weeks. When they put me up to 75MG, it got really bad. Nobody knew why. Day 1 was the worst, day 3 I would be much better, switched patches and start vomiting again. So if you do get sick, look there first. Still praying hard for you Aaron. Hugs, Liz

Thank you Terri, for putting the right words in my mouth. And for giving me an update on Bill, and why he doesn't come here anymore. Obsessive is the right word for how I was feeling too. It seemed I went along alright since October, then when things I didn't like started happening, it made me have to confront my own mortality and scared the sh** out of me. Then I mixed that with ambien and well, you can see what happened. I am doing better now. I don't read all the sections, all the time. A lot of time I'll just mark all posts as read, so it's not there staring at me anymore. I guess I feel differently at different times. Today I went to see my doctor to get "official" results of CT. During our discussion, I asked him, "I know you can't say for sure, but the fact that there's no progression, I've gained my weight back, I feel great, I don't have SOB, can any of this mean I don't have cancer anymore?" And he said no. That I will always have cancer, even if he can't see it. And it will probably be back. He is very happy that I'm doing so well now, but that it doesn't mean anything about the future. He agreed with me that I can really only live 3 months at a time. But I can live fully and squeeze every last drop out of everyday. That's where I think we get lucky. We surely do appriciate people more. The conversation did stop me in my tracks for a moment, but it wasn't anything I hadn't heard before. I guess I just got a little complacent. It's just so hard to be dying when I feel so good. I'm going to have to do a lot more thinking on this one. Tell Bill I said "Hey" and I do miss him, but I understand. I started writing on my own a little. Maybe as I get better at that, I'll stop coming here so much. Hugs, Liz

Toilet paper Milk patience coffee gas Name 5 things you have too much of:

I've got to say, you stumped me on this one. I'll echo the shaving part. Under my arms. Hugs, Liz

Well, here's Liz being a pain in the a** again. Ladies, you don't need an excuse. Just tell them you won't be making it. Maybe they won't invite you next time!! Hugs, Liz

I love the idea of the pre schoolers doing it. Freash air, clouds, rainbows,stick people and animals. Our enviorment is one of the things that causes cancer. Plus the "Breath Deep" through the center. Can you get a bunch of the little one's to carry it? Perhaps an adult on each end and the little one's in the middle. What an attention getter!!!

Barb, Go to the ER. I went through this. I would wait 2-3 day before I went. No good. Once I waited 4 days and ended up in the hospital for 9 more. Just vomiting. Doctor told me to come to the ER after 24 hours. I would usually stop vomiting after getting hydrated, until the next treatment, which was once a week. I was at the ER every weekend getting hydrated. Don't try to wait it out. It will get the best of you. Learn from my mistakes. Praying for you. Hugs, Liz

Rain. Which is worst? Too fast or too slow?

(((Hugs))) Warm Blankets Big girl panties opinions understanding Name 5 drinks to toast good news was??

roller coaster

Hi Aaron, I have interminent pain in my joints. 1 finger on left hand, different one on right. I'm also very stiff and uncomfortable in the hip area. I asked Dr. West about this. He said that cancer related pain is not interminent. So I'm just assuming I'm getting old, it may be artritis, or the chemo may have made it happen. Not much in the way of relief to offer, but I hope you find some soon. Hug, Liz

Hey Bucky, Don't let it get you down. We do look wonderful, considering what the alternative was. Everyone here has got it right. I think we all feel about the same, just different thing stand out for different people. I don't mind the first few minutes. I just smile and say thanks. It's the next ones that bother me. Neither one of us has anything to say. They are afraid to say the wrong thing and I, personally, just don't care enough to say anything. Though when they start the cancer stories, I stop them in their tracks. " I really don't want to hear about people dying". Smile. Hopefully it makes them think the next time they open their mouth. And when they talk about us at a distance, it's a good thing. They're certianly not talking smack. ( It's not allowed when you're sick) So any talking about our cancer is a good thing. It raises public awareness. As far as a "new" normal, I don't have one. I have a "new" life. And I love it. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've found peace, hope, patience, delight. I've learned to smile. So many things that I didn't have before. I told someone the other night. "I didn't know who I was until I wasn't." I enjoy each day now, and I smile when I think of how much God has blessed me through this illness. In the begining I thought it was quite a rude smack in the head, but now I am grateful for all that I've learned. Hugs, Liz

red head

hungry. Which is worse? Too big or too small?

Variety

I consider it a blessing that we can even have this conversation. We are truly blessed. God bless America!!