wendyr

Lots of prayers Nova that he will return victorious with the rest of the troops. God Bless him for his service. As Sir Winston Churchill once said. "They also serve who only stand and wait' so prayers for him, your Daughter, their kids and YOU! Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Two months seems way too long to wait. I'd push for having the PET done sooner. The earlier you know the earlier you can attack it. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Hi Kelli and welcome. My hubby has had serious issues with depression. When he was first dx he was still very upbeat, but as the treatment started to take it's toll he became more and more withdrawn. The onc prescribed zoloft which did nothing, then cymbalta which did nothing. then our primary prescribed Lexapro which did nothing. He finally went on Wellbutrin 200 mg twice daily and it has helped. Not a major change, but enough that he is less withdrawn and is more interested in the world around him, and has gone back to working on his artwork. I guess the moral to my story is to try to get Mom on anti depressants, but if at first they don't produce results, please keep trying until you find one that does. I wish there was a 'one size fits all' but there isn't. Unfortunately these things take time to get into the system and you can wait for up to 6 weeks to see any results. Then if no improvement, you have to go on to the next. I understand what you're going through and wish you well. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

A little known carol here in the US, but better known in the UK as Christians Awake wendyr

Hi I'm Wendy: born in England moved to Canada & lived there 30 years moved to Florida and lived here 22 years presently married to Maurice, native Floridian, metal artist I have 2 sons ages 38 & 44 (who needs a kidney transplant) Maurice has 2 daughters each of whom have been treated for a rare familial cancer of the endocrine system known as MEN2A Have 6 gandkids between us 6,9,11,15,25,30 Too much cancer in my life: one grandfather died, nslc mother died 1995. nsclc father died 2001, nsclc 2 step daughters treated for MEN2A (OK now) Husband in treatment stage 3A nsclc He had previous stage 3 colon cancer 1992 and melanoma 2001 No furry family members yet but looking for one

I am so sorry you have come to this part of the journey. Prayers for your Mom and all of you. God Bless wendyr

Marci: It always amazes me that just when we think we can count on those closest they can let us down so badly. They are thinking only of themselves and certainly not of you. They have now shown you what they're all about and although it is painful for you to come to terms with this, it's also showing you who you cannot count on now or in the future. Future vents from you to them will probably just cause more tension and so my advice is to avoid that. In order to have a 'good vent', one has to feel safe. You no longer have that option with your mother's people. So armed with that knowledge, leave them alone to see what they want to see. There is nothing you can say or do that will change their opinions, so let it go. Come here whenever you need to or go to your hubby or a very good friend. Wherever you feel the safest. You are doing a difficult job. You and your mother know the truth and that is really all that counts. Don't hesitate to come here for anything, we are here to help. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Welcome Richard wendyr

Welcom Patti: sorry you have to be here but as Randly said you'll find a ton of info and support here. Please continue to post and let us know how we can help you. wendyr

Hello Brian and welcome. Your question re 'did you smoke' is a valid one and you will get some good responses here. I would like to suggest as part of your analysis that you try to determine why less research money is spent on lung cancer, although it claims more lives than breast, colon and prostrate cancers combined. For example there is about $23k spent per breast cancer death compared to less than $2k per lung cancer death. That's right, less than 10% !!! The stigma that is still attached to lung cancer is still pervasive which is why the question 'did you/he/she smoke' is still asked. But there is so much more to it than that. Perhaps one day when the true stats come out regarding folks who never smoked the stigma will start to disappear and I have high hopes that people like you will help to get that message out. Good luck with your research. Let us know how it goes and how we can help. wendyr

Hi Bruce I cannot offer you any advice. There are others here that have more experience that will be able to guide you, but I just wanted to offer a very warm welcome to you. Wendyr

a potential banker and a computer geek as well This kid has a great future only if Mom and Grandma can survive it wendyr

done again

Prayers for Lucas and for no side effects (or any more coins) Maybe he'll grow up to be a banker wendyr

done wendyr

Hi Chelsea: Most studies show that concurrent radiation with chemo usually give a better outcome so that's probably why it's been recommended. As far as changing the 'chemo cocktail' I'm afraid I cannot give you any input but I know there are others here who'll have more info for you. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Hi Christine: my hubby has been on tarceva for 11 months and is still stable. You may experience some side effects such as a skin rash (usually means the tarceva is working) and some people experience diarrhea. If that happens to you be sure to post here as there are many different ways of managing the diarrhea. The other side effect could be extreme fatigue. My hubby changed his regimen and now takes the tarceva at night so that he sleeps through the worst of the fatigue. Whatever your side effects, please keep us posted and you'll get lots of info on how to handle it. Tarceva has been a miracle for many, and I hope it works for you. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Prayers for Mom. God Bless wendyr

Hi Max. Congratulations on having an early stage lc that can be removed surgically. It sounds like a very promising procedure and I wish you a successful surgery, a speedy recovery and adios cancer. wendyr

Barb, I'm very sorry to hear of Rod's passing. Please accept my condolences wendyr

If drinking plain old water is a problem, Gatorade is very good. Maurice's onc prefers he drink Gatorade. wendyr

Sure, I would contact the VA. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and you'd have the satisfaction of knowing you've done all you can. Good Luck wendyr

Thanks Nova: definitely prayers for Liz. Hope to hear back from you soon. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

/Welcome Lorie: you'll find tons of support here and I believe your decision to go to MD Anderson was a good one that you won't regret. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Maurice was never offered a port and we didn't know enough in the beginning to ask. Now he sees others in chemo and how easy it is & wishes he had one. wendyr