fillise

Hang in there Rod. Glad you got the confirmation from Dana Farber and hope your treatment goes well. Will be rooting for you! Susan

Great News! Susan

I am so sorry to hear this news. I hope your husband will be more determined than ever to beat the disease. ((((Hugs)))) Susan

Wow--so soon! I know y'all must be soooo excited. Get some sleep now, cause it will be scarce soon. Susan

I'm so sorry to hear of your father's passing, but it sounds like he won many victories before he passed. I hope you will be comforted by memories of his love and his strength. Susan

Sending many prayers your way and ((((hugs)))). susan

Vespa--It might help if your mom were to talk with some folks who have been through chemo. It was our biggest fear and we were so relieved when mom discovered it wasn't going to be nearly as bad as she feared. She can always start chemo and stop it if the treatments are too hard on her. Susan

Try to get an much specific information as you can. . . until then I will be sending prayers your way. Susan

Tina, I am praying for strength, peace and comfort for you, and your parents. Susan

Please tell Bill that he has more friends, more support, and more prayers that he can imagine. God has many miracles for us--the biggest one is the Grace that Bill claimed in his Baptism. Love to you both! Susan

I second the idea that you get a definitive diagnosis. There is help out there. Some folks have mentioned Medicaid. Livestrong.org also has a phone number you can call to get information on financial resources. Most pharmaceutical companies have foundations to help low income patients. Don't give up simply because of money. Susan

My mom didn't have any LC symptoms when she was diagnosed either. For a long time she refused to believe she had LC at all (she was convinced it had to be some other kind of cancer). Not being sick from the LC at diagnosis is good because you can generally tolerate the chemo and/or radiation better if you are stronger at the beginning. My Mom did lose her hair, some people do and some people don't. Perhaps your mom doesn't want any chemo because she doesn't think it will do any good, or if it does she will be so sick that she won't be able to enjoy it. That is genrally not the case. There are very effective treatments for even stage IV cancers and many rs seem to be much more sensitive about the quality of life issues than they used to be. Help her to understand the facts so that she will make her decisions based on knowledge rather than fear. I know this is frightening for you. At first it is so overwhelming and terrifying, but you can ask questions here and someone will likely have had experience with it. We will do what we can to help. Susan

Please tell Nancy that we are rooting for her! Susan

I'm praying that your Dad has a good and swift (No coughing!) response to the chemo. susan

((((HUgs)))) For you as you try to deal with this setback and plan your course of forward action. Susan

Sue--great news! Rest assured that you and your mom will remain in my rpayers as well. Susan

The fact that your mom's cancer was dx before she began having symptons is good. She will be stronger for the treatment. My mom's oncologist keeps telling her that she is perfectly healthy 'except for this one small problem," and therefore he feels like he can be aggressive in the treatment. So far so good! Feel free to ask any questions. This can be so overwhelming and frightening. We are here for you. Susan

Welcome. Plese don't think that there is absolutely nothing that can be done for your mom. I think it is important that she have an oncologist that she feels comfortable with and that she can talk to. Don't be afraid to get a second or third opinion. It in te beginning it is all overwhelming and confusing, please feel free to ask any questions you have. Someone here generally has experienced it or can help you find the information you need. Susan

Ann, glad you are back and congrats on the baby news! We deal so much with fears about the end of life here that it is wonderful to celebrate its beginning!

I'm sorry your mom has chosen not to have treatment. While it is hear decision, I'd talk to her carefully to make sure she understands that quality of life is not necessarily a tradeoff if she gets treatment. Dr. West has an article on onctalk about studies that demonstrate that quality of life is preserved or improved in patients undergoing 2nd line treatments (that's what I remember it saysing--I'll see if I can find the link for you--here it is http://onctalk.com/2007/05/22/survival- ... v-lung-ca/). Here is the conclusion: But all of the studies I highlight above show that for the patients fit enough to tolerate the treatment, the agents that have shown a survival benefit don’t appear to require a choice of paying for survival benefit with quality of life. Instead, you can get the double benefit of treatment, especially if the therapy actually works well against the cancer. Second, I would make sure that she is not making ths decision because of financial issues. If necessary take the bills she has received to the doctor/hospital and ask them to go through it with you to determine when and what insurance will kick in and whether there are resources of assistance if it is needed. My mom is also stage IV and doing well 5 months after diagnosis. She got almost immediate relief from the pain her mets were causing once radiation began. Again, it is her decision, but make sure she is not using fear or reasons that don't exist to make it. Susan

You've gotten some very good advice here. If your mom's insurance is PPO, then the physicians have agreed beforehad to accept "reasonable and customary" costs. I was on a BCBS policy one time where the 'reasonable and customary" part was left off the contract so the doctors and hospitals (doctors office often contract out billing services so they just send whatever the computer generates) billed me for the amount above. I found that if I called the doctor or hospital and asked if they would accept the same payment they do with other BCBS patients (the reasonable and customary charge) 9 out of 10 would. I switched away from the 10th doctor who wouldn't. That said, do wait. It often takes 2-3 months for everything to sake out. Susan

Shelley--y'all have fun with your mom!

Alright! Susan

Tina--this STINKS! We will be here with you every step of the way. Susan

Shelley, My mom is slated for CTs at 3 months without monthly chest x-rays, so it sounds like your mom is being watched more closely. Is she excited about the break from chemo? My mom practically did cartwheels out of the drs. office. Susan