mary colleen

Tracy, I'm glad you're feeling better - yell for help anytime! MC

Bill, have Teri make you a chart.....

Thanks, all. We are going to do our best to solve this at home. He is feeling a bit better tonight, sitting with his feet up, drinking Gatorade, and being a curmudgeon, ...which is a sign of impending normalcy at our house. I am going to work from home in the morning to make sure he is doing okay. If he isn't a lot better tomorrow, he is to go in for IV fluids. From there, we'll look forward to clean scans on Thursday!

Randy, what a thoughtful and kind thing to do.

I so very sorry for your loss.

My husband had his final scheduled chemo treatment on Thursday, and is getting Neupogen shots about every other day for now to try to kick-start his bone marrow again. He has completed 4 cycles of chemo; each cycle is 3 weeks long: week 1 = Cisplatin/Gemzar, week 2 = Gemzar, week 3 = no chemo. He has been moderately sick through the middle of chemo, but still working and doing some routine activities. Over the last couple of weeks, he has become more and more sick, unable to work, etc., and this weekend the trend continued. This morning, he developed signficant swelling in the arms and legs. Took him into the Oncologist, who attributed the edema to dehydration. Not sure how he could have become dehydrated - he is taking fluids, has had only one episode of vomiting, and has had no recent diarrhea. I really don't understand, but.... They offered him an overnight IV to replace fluids, but he declined and decided to give it a try at home. Wondering if anyone has experienced edema in the arms and legs as a result of dehydration? (I don't think I have ever heard of edema as a sign of dehydration.) Or experienced dehydration simply from chemo, when not losing fluids in any apparent way? Thanks

Not LC related, but my late Mom had several episodes like that, and it was attributed to fluid in the middle ear. She occasionally became nauseous with it. Antihistamines were used to dry it up, and it seemed to work. Episodes were more prevalant during (but not restricted exclusively to) periods after she had a cold.

Heather, I'm so sorry for your loss, but so glad that your daughter had the "dream" and that it comforts you. It should!

Judy, You sure are not alone. Many of us have a way (I do) of giving off a vibe of being ok on our own and not needing help. Combine that with the natural tendency of youger adults to be caught up in their own day to day struggles, and the desire so many of us have to stay away from things we would rather not know about, and you can end up with kids who 'forget' to be concerned. I'm sorry that you had to give up your horses. Hope that you are able to get some back in the future. Anyway - happy birthday!

Ha, I just have to be careful at work - I tend to spontaneously bend words in ways that they were never meant to be bent. I just write and speak very, very carefully in most cases in order to avoid doing it by accident in, say, a corporate memo!

Thanks - I normally feel pretty confident that things are ok, and I certainly work to maintain a calm demeanor around the house with him, but I get a little doubtish once in a while. (Bill, I know that you're a writer, and I know that "doubtish" is probably not a word, but...it's what flew off of my fingers! Cringe if you must, and ignore!)

My husband had his final scheduled chemo treatment on Thursday, and is getting Neupogen shots about every other day for now to try to kick-start his bone marrow again. He has completed 4 cycles of chemo; each cycle is 3 weeks long: week 1 = Cisplatin/Gemzar, week 2 = Gemzar, week 3 = no chemo. He has stuggled with side effects since about mid-way through the 4 cycles. This last week or so, and particularly this last weekend have been especially bad - nausea, rash, slight fever, substantial SOB, really severe leg pain and weekness. In addition, he picked up a cold about three weeks ago, and has been coughing and congested since then. (I assume that the poor RBC and WBC counts have made it impossible for his body to move the cold virus out.) He has had to pretty much give up the idea of working at all. He was so weak last night that I had to help him to the bathroom. The Onc clinic nurses are at least somewhat aware of his condition - he is seeing them frequently for his Neupogen shots. He said that the RN on Friday noticed his poor appearance and told him that "this is just how it is" at the end of several chemo rounds. He has his first post-treatment CT scan on Thursday. I assume it will be "NED" after surgery and chemo. I guess I'm just asking how far outside of normal range (if at all) these symptoms are. Though I do see some descriptions of people this ill from chemo, I really don't see it much. Or is it pretty normal? I think I'm just looking for a reality check here. Thanks!

Well, Michele, as I read your profile, it occured to me that you are already a major survivor. Good for you, and good for you for taking such a positive approach to your illness. Hope that you continue to post. It looks like you have a lot to offer others!

Aaron, I am trying really hard to maintain my moodiness today, and you're messing that up. You are bad news:)

Crystal, It DOES all just blend together and get fuzzy during times like this. You may feel for a time as if you're in a weird fog, and you may be somewhat absent minded. (Word of experience: be careful driving.) It's all perfectly normal.

Ernie, I am so impressed on so many levels!!

Aaron, For some reason I can't define, I believe you will beat the odds. I thought so from your first post. Intuition, maybe. I understand the reasoning for your statistical venture here, and your weariness at non-patients telling you (all) how long you'll live, etc. As a lawyer, you can probably prognosticate intelligently over the outcome of a particular case, but I'm sure that you are also sometimes very surprised by the actual outcomes. You would probably tell us that you can never call it in advance without doubt. MD's can also prognosticate about probablity, but there are simply too many individual factors to call an individual case. Live your life, set your own course, and follow it. In a few years, you will be an inspiration to others needing hope. MC

Tracy, hope things are better tonight.

Sounds like you are having trouble getting the disabilty paperwork completed by everyone so that John can get disabilty payments, right? Is it just the doctors office that needs to get their part filled out? Hang in there!

Tracy: Of course, you know that you don't deserve to have cancer - you know that unjust things happen to innocent people all of the time. I'm so sorry that you're having this overall struggle, as well as the unease tonight. There is nothing more natural (and inevitable)than a mother worrying about being there for her children. My prayer for you tonight is for you to have peace. You're not alone!

I'm glad that you had it done and are past it.

I'm very angry that this happened to both of you, and so very sorry. God knows - you need every bit of spirit that you can gather to fight this, and no one has the right to casually take any bit of it from you. No one can tell you what is going to happen. Praying for you to re-gather your strength and go back into the fight.

I agree, trust your gut - it's gotten you this far, right? (And when you're out there around others, wash your hands a lot!)

I spoke with the nurse at the Oncology office yesterday. My husband is having his first post surgical, post chemo scans in a week, and I was trying to coordinate the scheduling. I asked what scans he would be having next week, and she said that only a chest CT was ordered. This surprised me a little bit - I guess I thought that he would at least have an abdominal CT while having the chest CT, or maybe even a PET scan. Maybe someone can tell me what the norms are on this? Thanks

Robin, First, I hope that you are feling better this week. Second, my husband has a port and had no real discomfort to speak of at the time of or since insertion.