fight

Hello All I'm Rachel, I live in Grand Junction, CO. which is on the western slope of Colorado. I have a wonderful husband I have been married to for 13 years. Two beautiful children-Logan (Age 7), Maya (Age 3) I am a stay at home mom. I thoroughly enjoy volunteering at my children's school and working on scrape books in my free time. I was diagnosed with NSCLC Oct. 06' and have been fighting it ever since. We have two cats-Sempre and Snickers and a dog that is a yorkie mix who's name is Sparky. Rachel

Mitchell, What a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing all your feelings-Last year vs. this year. I think we can all relate in the sorrow of not knowing what might happen next. Therefore the news this year of your mom being cancer free is so much sweeter after you have been in that dark place. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Take Care, Rachel

Patti, I think you hit on a very important topic. I too see myself in your post. In the beginning the phone rang off the hook and people wanted to do anything they could to help. Recently one of the mother's at my childrens school said to me "I'm so glad that the cancer thing is behind you. You went through so much." I wanted to say "Hello!" I still have cancer." I don't remember what my response was but I remember being shocked. I think people automatically assumed that when my hair grew back in that the cancer must be gone. I guess I've realized that no one can really understand this unless they or someone close to them have been through it? Cancer is such a tight rope act. I try not to let the insensitive comments bother me. Just the other day a fellow mom from my daughter's pre-school came up to me and asked me about my cancer because she had just heard about it (my daughter just started pre-school this year). She wanted to know what kind and when I told her my story she cried and said "your children need you." And then she asked if there was anything that she could do for me. There are so many angels I have met along the way in this journey. They completely overshadow the insensitive people that I have encountered. Take Care, Rachel

Maryanne, So glad to hear your good news! Have a wondeful weekend. Take Care, Rachel

Tom, I also had what my doctor considered a moderate to severe rash and while he told me that he smiled. He said that's a good that and that it probably means that the Tarceva is working. He then told me to stop taking it for about a week to calm down the rash. I had it all over my back, chest, face and head. The back and head were painful. It was uncomfortable to lay on my back and my hair hurt. Anyway I stopped taking it for 7 days and started taking Minocycline and Clindamycin. All the above seemed to help. The rash went away and I haven't had as severe of a rash since. The rash does seem to come and go though. I've had spots showing up on my legs and arms as well. My doc also mentioned that if the rash contintued to come moderate then he would lower my dosage. I'm taking the 150mg. I also found comfort in taking a nice hot shower a couple of times a day and then applying vaseline to the trouble spots. Straight vaseline and not the lotion seem to provide the most relief. As Ned said it not about the way you look but about feeling good. I hope you get some relief from the rash and hang in there. Take Care, Rachel

Alisa, I love reading posts like yours. Wonderful news! I am so happy for you! Take Care, Rachel

Jussi, Welcome! You will find so much support here. I'm sorry I don't know anything about the fever question you had but after diagnosis I lost 5lbs. right off the bat. I don't think it was from the cancer but from the sheer stess of everything that was going on at the time. I have since remained at the same weight for over a year. Try to eat as much as healthy as you can. I find that 6 small meals a day work the best. Take Care, Rachel

Prayers, prayers and more prayers. God bless you and your husband on this difficult road. Take Care, Rachel

Welcome Dave, Keep up the positive attitude and you will do just fine! Take Care, Rachel

Welcome LMLV, Your story is an inspiration. Thank you for sharing it with us. Isn't it so true that after you have fought a battle for your life that everything else is just small stuff. Take Care, Rachel

Rich, Thank you for sharing. I love it! It totally describes all of us fighting here. Take Care, Rachel

Patty, More prayers are being sent your way. Glad to hear the pain in your side is gone. That is a good sign. Keep up the positive spirit. Take Care, Rachel

Bucky, Ditto on what everyone else said. Focus on the moments and schedule things in future and look forward to them. I'm in the mind set that it's a chronic disease and although I have my down days I try my best to stay positive (Like our good friend Ernie always says). Take Care, Rachel

Max, Sounds like an excellent report to me. Wait and see is what we all seem to do the best. Glad to hear you are doing well. My brother lives in Phoenix and last week told me the weather was starting to cool off to......95 degrees! Still a little bit to hot for this Colorado girl but in November the weather your way is beautiful. Enjoy. Take Care, Rachel

Welcome, I'm would have to say I'm a little bit too familiar with this type of cancer. It is the same one I was diagnosed with over a year ago. Take heart....there is hope and many treatments out there for it. Let us know what questions you have and take the doom and gloom from the doctors with a grain of salt. They never take into account the human spirit! Take care, Rachel

Welcome friends of Lenny, You are a true friend to be looking out for Lenny! Send him to us. There is hope and we are stronger when we can all stick together! Take Care, Rachel

Welcome Vivian, I'm so sorry your aunt is going through this....after already losing so much to cancer. It is a difficult journey. My brother-in-law died from cancer 5 years ago and my sister died in a car accident 4 years ago and then my mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 3 years ago. When my cancer was diagnosed I thought that there was surely some kind of mistake. Some families have to endure so much heart ache. Take heart--there is much hope here. Offer to go to the appointments with your aunt. As much as she wants to shield you from all this she needs to have some support right now. Vivian, make sure you take care of yourself too. It sounds like you have always been in the caretaker role. Make sure you take time for yourself. Come back with questions and take care. Rachel

Teresa, Prayers are on the way. Expect the best for your dad. There is hope here. Take Care, Rachel

Welcome JB and Coleen, I second that emotion...cancer sucks! I totally understand where you are coming from. Being diagnosed at such a young age is hard. All the women I see at my local support group have at least 30-40 years on me and while they are a God send they don't quite understand how it is trying to raise a family and deal with all this at the same time. Sometimes it's just too much to take. Come here with any questions and most of all come here to vent when you need to. I'm also on Tarceva and hope I can be on it a very long time....I'm wishing the same for your wife! Take Care, Rachel

Hebbie, I haven't experienced significant hair loss but my hair sure is thin. I call it "Grandma hair". I must say that I am just happy to have hair. Sorry I don't think I helped but wanted to put in my two cents! Take Care, Rachel

I don't remember ever having shoulder pain before diagnosis but when I started chemo I started to have some pain in my right shoulder that would come and go. I still have the pain on and off but it isn't anything severe but mostly a muscle pain. I have had several shoulder films to look at it but there is never anything to be concerned with. My theory is that the pain comes from the pleural effusion I have? Rachel

Welcome Max, I really hope you don't have lung cancer but you have a wonderful attitude to start up the fight with. As they are teaching my son in Boy scouts....Be prepared! It is good to have all your ducks in a row so your prepared for whatever might come next. Keep us updated. Take Care, Rachel

Dawn, You will find a lot of hope here and I'm glad you found us. The initial diagnosis is so hard to hear but many of us are doing well. I was diagnosed one year ago and here I am still feeling good and living life to the fullest. Take heart in the fact that there are so many here who understand what you are going through. Come here with any questions and I will put in a prayer for your dear mom. Take Care, Rachel

Hello All, Exactly one year ago today I was told "Theres a malignancy there." Many tests and scans later I found out it was lung cancer. In a way It seems like it has been such a long time since I heard those words and in other ways I can re-live the diagnosis just like it was yesterday. I feel thankful that I'm am still here and especially thankful that I have spent so much quality time with my family. I don't know what the future might hold for me but I'm enjoying every minute of this beautiful fall in Colorado. Tomorrow I meet with the specialist to determine whether the Tarceva is working or not? I've been praying a lot and have tried to turn over all the worry to God. Please send some extra prayers up for me. I will keep you all posted. Take Care, Rachel

Heather, Sorry I don't have any advice but I wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you and sending prayers that you feel better soon. Take Care, Rachel