wendyr

Please accept my sincere condolences during this most difficult time. wendyr

Ann is right. Fighting the cancer is so very hard but my mother's passing was very peaceful. She was under hospice care and was given morphine every 3 hours plus ativan around the clock. She settled into a very peaceful sleep. Her breathing became shallow and she passed very peacefully. It took away my fears of dying also. If I can pass that way, I would be very pleased. Basically she went to sleep on a Thursday afternoon and passed Monday morning. Her feet became blue on Sunday and hospice told us the dying process had begun.

Teri, so glad the first day back went well for you. Sounds like you have some terrific co-workers. wendyr

Hi Mary: I am unfamiliar with celiac sprue but I fix milkshakes for my husband. Low appetite is very common and he has difficulty with appetite. He won't drink ensure or boost so my milkshakes are made from carnation instant breakfast, vanilla ice cream, half & half cream, yogurt and whey protein powder if his protein intake has been low. You can also add fresh fruit, bananas, peaches, strawberries etc. I figure each shake is about 600 calories & the onc has told him to drink 2 each day. Please re-visit the marinol issue with your onc, it's the active ingredient in marijuana, or of course you could always take that matter into your own hands and handle it yourself. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Hi Sylvia: my hubby was never a candidate for surgery but with chemo he is stable and doing fine. You can live for years with the right chemo 'cocktail' that either kills the cancer or at least keeps it in check. Don't get too hung up on surgery, there are other options. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Hello Ves: I'm really sorry to hear you mom is not doing well right now. My hubby had the same chemo and it knocked the stuffing out of him too, along with lack of appetite and weight loss. Poor appetite is something a lot of cancer patients have to deal with. When Maurice isn't hungry he can usually drink a milkshake..ice cream, half & half cream, carnation instant breakfast & yogurt. He tries to drink 2 each day and it helps maintain body weight. Many here have been treated successfully for stage IV and you mom will be too. As far as your siblings go, they want out, well let them go. At this point your Mom is very lucky to have you and probably doesn't need the aggravation of your siblings. Sometimes we just have to learn when to let go. Give your mom and yourself time to adjust to this 'new normal' and you'll both be fine. In the meantime, come here whenever you need to for help, advice, support or whatever. Good Luck and God Bless wendyr

Welcome Sanchez: we're here to help you, answer questions and offer support. Let us know how we can help you. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Hello Leela and welcome. This is the best place for information and support. Your mom sounds like she has a great attitude and is ready to fight this beast. Let us know how we can help you. wendyr

Congratulations Missy. Best wishes for a speedy recovery for you and your little one. wendyr

So sorry to hear of your loss. Prayers for you and your father wendyr

Hi there; Let me be the first to welcome you. You are absolutely right that people have lived with this beast for years and this is the best place for info and support. Once again welcome. wendyr

Hi Christine: As many here have said, you have done nothing wrong. There is nothing wrong with being a pro-active advocate. Keep up the good fight and always trust your instincts. wendyr

Teri, I believe if you follow your heart and your instincts you will not go wrong. wendyr

Check out Ernie's post under Test Time/Updates wendyr

Teri: that is a wonderful tribute to Bill. This Mancunian sends prayers. wendyr

Hi Debbie: you might want to ask the doctor about Magic Mouthwash. It's only available on RX but the pharmacist (chemist) compounds it. It's made up of lidocaine, benadryl and mint maalox. It numbs the mouth and esophagus and makes eating easier. Good Luck & God bless wendyr

BUMP: Hi All: We read with interest all the posts concerning shoulder pain. Maurice also had it & it was progressively getting worse. He has arthritis but because he's on Avastin he cannot take NSAIDS including Celebrex. Anyway last week his range of motion was almost non existent in his left shoulder and greatly reduced in his right shoulder. An arthritis doc did xrays and found severe arthritis in the left and bursitis plus arthritis in the right. Long story short, a shot of cortisone in each shoulder & he is now virtually pain free. I think some chemo's including Avastin can kick up existing arthritis pain and although we always tend to think the worst. Sometimes it's not cancer related and can be successfully treated. Good luck to all. wendyr

welcome Dina, let us know how we can help you wendyr

Hi Rhonda: Maurice was asked the same question and basically given 3 options, see profile 12/06. He has nsclc but it rattled me just the same. We just told her we are pro-active so she fought like hell to get him in the trial. wendyr

Mike, I'm so sorry to hear of your dear wife's passing. Please accept my condolences wendyr

OOps I posted the article under treatment and rx info links on May 29 wendyr

Hi KGirl: so sorry to hear of Dad's problems. My hubby had severe diarrhea problems a few months ago and 8 to 10 lomotils a day didn't help. I posted the question here on how to deal with it and found the BRAT diet worked wonders. Bananas, Rice, Applesause and Toast. I also added a pro biotic. Shortly after getting his diarrhea under control I read an article in the paper, which I posted here, of Coconut milk being a remedy for severe diarrhea. I think I posted it under Alternative Treatments, but it was written by a hospice nurse and was very informative. Prayers coming your way that you can get Dad stabilized. Good Luck & God Bless. wendyr

GREAT NEWS. Gotta love NED wendyr

Hi Wondermom: so sorry that your physical turned out to be so emotionally draining. Sometimes the emotions just come out at the damndest times. I once had a meltdown in a health food store. Wrong place for that to happen, they wanted to sell me everything in the store. Regarding your xray vs ct, I have the same argument with my primary every year. This year I am going to insist on a spiral ct even if I have to pay for it. I had a 43 year, 2 pack a day habit and both parents & one grandparent died of nsclc. You'd think these doctors would take that into considertion before denying a person screening. wendyr

Hi Anne: the cachexia issue is major. if anyone can find a way to overcome it then that would be a real blessing. good luck in you endeavor, I believe there is definitely a real need........wendyr