Jump to content

tiredmom959

Members
  • Posts

    254
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by tiredmom959

  1. So sorry to hear about your mom.
  2. I haven't posted much on here lately, but still visit frequently to see how everyone is doing. Lost my mom November 23rd, 2007 to lung cancer, so it's coming up on the 2nd anniversary. I took my dad to an eye doctor appointment today, and as I'm sitting in the waiting room, I pick up a free magazine called "Western Pennsylvania, Guide to Good Health" (we're from a suburb of Pittsburgh). They profile/interview various doctors in the area and one of the featured docs is an oncologist by the name of Dr. Stanley Marks. He's with UPMC Cancer Centers (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) and, from the article, seemingly very "high up" in the hierarchy of the system. He was mostly talking about research and funding, but a couple of his quotes caught my eye and I wanted to see what the members here thought of them. It may be the thought of my mom's anniversary approaching, but for some reason, they made me angry! This is from the article when the doctor is asked about cancer prevention: "Most cancers are preventable," he says. "if you look at all the cancers across the board, more than 2/3 of them are preventable, such as quitting smoking and reducing sun exposure. The other third are caused by obesity and bad diet." .... "I think a healthy lifestyle and exercising weekly clearly prevents most cancers." SO, if I am to believe what this doctor -- an expert in oncology -- says, with the exception of a few percent, we bring cancer on ourselves? He doesn't even MENTION genetics, let alone anything else! I have the urge to write this guy a letter, although it may not be so nice. Am I wrong?
  3. Amanda ... please accept my deepest sympathies in the loss of your father. There are many, many wonderful people on this board, but to me, your dad was special. His posts were encouraging and just portrayed to me a truly honorable, wonderful, intelligent man who loved his family and was really at peace with his future and this awful disease. When I lost my mom a year ago, his post to me gave me peace and strength. I don't post on here much anymore, but when I saw that your dad went in to hospice, I wrote because I was so touched and full of admiration as obviously so many on here were. While extremely saddened, I'm also honored and grateful that I got to "know" you dad through this board. My best wishes, condolences and prayers to Don's wonderful family. Maybe when you feel ready, you can come back to the board and read some of his posts to others. Take care.
  4. Hi Andrea; your question caught my eye because when my mom was diagnosed and after they had told us about the lung cancer, they described the treatment that was suggested. That was a pretty devastating time, and it's possible I'm not remembering everything perfectly, but then they said they were 99% sure the primary was lun. There was also the possibility that with cancer of the lung it could be spread from ovarian or colon being the primary. However, they had already looked at her ovaries and saw nothing, and she had absolutely no signs or symptoms of colon issues, and had a clean colonoscopy only a few years earlier. It turned out that lung was the definite origin, however I've wondered ever since then if those cancers were related.
  5. I was at my friends the other day and she pulled out her vacuum cleaner ... it was a PINK Dyson Model supporting bc reasearch!!! I took one look at it and then at her (she'd gotten my lack-of-lung-cancer-research speech already) and she says, "I bought it cause it was cheaper than the non-pink model, that's why"! I've also seen Campbells PINK Chicken Noodle Soup!
  6. I had a rant here but I deleted it ... it DID help to write it originally though!
  7. I see your point, and don't like even walking by someone smoking, especially if my kids are with me. But if I'm honest with myself, I certainly do not do everything else in my power for myself or my kids to ensure they do nothing, eat nothing, participate in nothing that isn't 100% healthy and safe. I certainly do my best, probably even more than the average parent (I'm always told I'm over-protective). But do I let them eat fast food every once in a while? Sure. Am I the ideal weight with a perfect BMI? Heck no! Do I refuse to put anything in my mouth -- or let them -- that isn't 100% perfect for my body and 100% proven-carcinogen free? Who could. I would never sit in a smoke filled room for even a few minutes and probably wouldn't want my kids to even enter it. But I think if you take normal and reasonable precautions, isn't that enough? Do I have to worry if my kids pass someone on the street and they happen to be smoking?
  8. Nova ... that's my point exactly when I started this whole thread ... there is no way to reach adulthood without having willingly done something that isn't 100% healthy for your health and well-being. I'm not a non-drinker, but think of all the negative things that happen due to alcohol consumption alone ...
  9. Kelly ... Shadyside is where my mom was diagnosed, and she visited Hillman Cancer Center quite often (although she got her chemo at a closer office in Monroeville). We hail from Murrysvlle, east of Pittsburgh. My dad also had his heart bypass in Shadyside ... it's a great hospital. Congrats!
  10. I just read a story somewhere today that Paul Newman is battling lung cancer. I've always liked him as an actor. But the story angered me ... this is an exact quote: "Paul Newman -- an exsmoker -- is battling lung cancer". OK, let's try a couple other scenarios: Jane Doe -- someone who was promiscuous in her sex life -- is battling ovarian cancer. John Smith -- who ignored repeated suggestions of adding fiber to his diet -- is now battling colon cancer. Mary Jones -- who refused to eat a healthy diet -- is now battling the side effects of diabetes. John Baker -- who insisted on getting a tatoo once in his youth -- now is diagnosed with Hepatitis. Must we use lung cancer like it's a justified end result of having smoked in your life? ERR!!!!!!!!
  11. So sorry to hear this ... your posts always led me to believe your mom was a little like mine. They are both at peace and pain free now and, hopefully, both proud of their daughters. My thoughts are with you in the days ahead.
  12. Hi Renate ... I'm usually not high on the list to help someone on the site technically-speaking, but ... I think I can help with this. Ernie (I believe his last name is Puckett) is a real inspiration on this board. He's kept excellent records of his journey and everything he's done (both traditional treatment-wise and "natural" supplements) and he's just a wonderful person in general. If you're on the message board, along the top you'll see various options ... under How To Help is an option for "Memberlist". Click on that and the same options are still on top; then click on the "Search" option and in the first box on the right hand side, type in "ernrol". This is Ernie's screename. From there it will give you his profile and some basic information. It will list his number of posts (probably over 1,000 I'd guess). Then click on "find all posts by ernrol" and you can go from there. Good luck to you.
  13. My mom thought she had gall bladder or ulcer syptoms ... tightness in area in the middle of her chest. Pneumonia was found, but gave her antibiotics and told her to return for a recheck. Just started feeling anxious, lightheaded ... she had also just been dx with diabetes, so we assumed it was her blood sugar. Finally on third hospitalization found pleural effusion.
  14. Definitely acknowledge it, with a call or a card. My mom and dad would've celebrated their 60th on June 9th, my mom almost made it. I think my dad appreciated that I remembered.
  15. tiredmom959

    Harry

    My deepest sympathies for your loss.
  16. I'm so glad you all liked the poem ... I really am convinced it's exactly the way my mom would want me to feel about her death (and life).
  17. This is a poem I found the night before my mom's funeral that I read at her service. The funeral director said he thought he'd "heard them all" but had never heard this one ... sometimes I think she led me to it. You can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived. You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left behind. Your heart can be empty because you can't see her, or you can be full of the love you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember her and only that she's gone, or you can cherish her memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back, or you can do what she'd want: Smile, Laugh, Open Your Eyes, Love and Go On.
  18. She DOES resemble your mom's picture! She's beautiful!
  19. I think it may be more likely caused by low red blood cell counts.
  20. Anger comes and goes ... it's all part of the ride. One thing I wanted to comment on ... NO ONE in this world deserves lung cancer (or anything nearly as loathsome) because they didn't take perfect care of their health!!!! Please, please don't be so hard on yourself about that. Not only that, but there are people on this board who were young and likely did take very good care of their health and STILL got lung cancer. Be angry at the disease, be angry at circumstances, heck even be angry at God if you want ... but don't be angry with yourself or your husband.
  21. tiredmom959

    My uncle..

    So sorry to hear this ... although I can't say I blame people in situations for doing this, in a way it's selfish not to think of those you're leaving behind and even the legacy you leave with the family. My best friend that I grew up with, her dad was dying from prostrate/colon cancer. He was NOT going to get well or beat the disease and his time left was limited. However, his family thought they had some time left with him. He couldn't walk unassisted, but one night he somehow got himself down to the basement and did the same thing. No note left, nothing. My friend alternates between sadness and anger, and any and all happy memories of her life will constantly be clouded by the situation. When I bring up happy memories of our childhood with her dad (he was such a funny, fun-loving man who was like a second father to me) she can't enjoy them and I can see it in her eyes. She misses him at time, but at other times, thinks "how DARE you do that to me, MY kids and generations to come". It's a tough thing and I'm so sorry to hear your family has to go through it as well. Prayers for your father especially.
  22. Anger is definitely my most common emotion. And I honestly feel for anyone with any type of cancer, but that Susan G. Komen organization just about puts me over the edge ... is they ANY product you can't buy now in a "PINK RIBBON" version. When I would tell people my mom was battling lung cancer and they asked, "did she smoke" it made me angry. But now that she's gone, if someone asks that I feel like strangling them while yelling "WHAT THE *#&@ DOES THAT MATTER". There is a woman I sit by at work that is syrupy sweet to everyone she comes in contact with ...except her mother. You can tell when her mother calls or she has to call her ... the whole voice, attitude and demanor changes. She is SO MEAN to her. She'll readily admit she it's for no other reason than that she's "annoying". What I wouldn't give for an "annoying" phone call like that from my mom right about now ...
  23. Me too ... and it's definitely worse as time passes for me.
  24. Is it my imagination or is this the case? I know I'm certainly more aware of it now because of my mom, but everywhere I turn ... an acquaintance of mine came to the funeral home to see my mom in November ... just that day her father had been diagnosed with SCLC, he was gone right after the New Year. A friend from high school's mom (same age as mine), suddenly passed out one day a month ago at a senior citizens dinner ... no other symptoms. It was from brain mets from lung cancer ... already spread to liver and various other places. She passed away last night. Unfortunately, I could cite several more examples ... does anyone (Katie or Randy or anyone) have any actual statistics on where it is actually on the rise?
  25. They prescribed marinol (pill form) for my mom when her appetite got so bad right before she passed away. It didn't seem to help her at all, but I don't know if the "smoking variety" works any differently.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.