BettyBP

Well, Mom just came back from doctors and they are sending her in for an MRI this afternoon at 2:45. Also more possible bad news is that she had her mammogram Monday and they called today and want her to come in for a rescan and to talk to doctor on Friday. too much all in one day and now the waiting and stress will begin again waiting for results. thanks everyone and will let you know how it goes

Thanks for all the hugs Connie - I sure can use them right now. I will let everyone know what the doctor says after we see him this afternoon at 1pm. Mom is trying to stay positive...and so am I - but the fear is sometimes so overwhelming will get back to everyone this afternoon and thanks for the prayers and kind thoughts

Thanks Connie for the reply. It may not be what I wanted to hear and hopefully it is stress related headaches...I just dont know and am getting sooo scared all over again, wondering if the cancer has returned to her brain? She did not have headaches the first time it was in the brain and after radiation last year she was NED in the head....oh please..... With her being now a one plus year survivor and doing so well - I am just sooo afraid right now and pray her appt this afternoon is NOT bad news. Oh please God take care of my mother......

Just to let you know we are thinking of you and will keep you in our prayers.

SO happy to hear that your husband has surpassed the one year mark and will continue to keep your family and everyone on these boards in my prayers and thoughts. To add some more "good" news, my mother reached her one year since diagnosis this past week as well and is going pretty good right now except for headaches. We had gone to a huge cancer center in our area during the first week after diagnosis and the same situation occured where they did not give her much hope. Our family immediately wanted her to go somewhere that had hope and I think that made all the difference. Staying positive is so huge during treatment, recovery etc. I wish you many more years of NED

SO happy to hear that your husband has surpassed the one year mark and will continue to keep your family and everyone on these boards in my prayers and thoughts. To add some more "good" news, my mother reached her one year since diagnosis this past week as well and is going pretty good right now except for headaches. We had gone to a huge cancer center in our area during the first week after diagnosis and the same situation occured where they did not give her much hope. Our family immediately wanted her to go somewhere that had hope and I think that made all the difference. Staying positive is so huge during treatment, recovery etc. I wish you many more years of NED

Hi everyone - My mother completed her 25 radiation treatments on March 26 and thankfully DID NOT have ANY side effects during this time besides being a little tired some days. She currently is now a one year survivor (plus one week) and has been having head aches since last week and is going to see one of her doctors today at Pluta Cancer Center at 1pm. Are headaches common post radiation treatment to the lung? I would like to be able to give her some information on this before she goes to see her doctor as I told her it COULD be a side-effect from the radiation. Any help advice you can give me would be great. As an FYI, Mom has been doing very well and has not had any severe side effects from radiation treatments - she did have some minor burning of the skin a couple of weeks in, but has not had any problems eating meals etc. She still take her flax-seed oil pills daily and maintains a somewhat healthy diet. We are JUST SOOOO happy that she has surpassed the one year mark and are praying sooo hard to please let her not have a relapse so she can be with us for many years to come. Thanks and any advice/info on headaches after radiation to the lung would be truly appreciated

Ken - the Gaviscon I found at the store in both liquid and tablet form state they are for heartburn/gas/GERD etc and nothing about sore throat? Is this the same medicine you were speaking of? Mom completed her fifth radiation treatment this morning and is doing really well and is sooooo upbeat and I am going to pick her up the Gaviscon and some vitamin water this afternoon and want to make sure this is the right stuff. Another update on Mom is that she asked the doctor if she could color her hair on Monday and he said yes - so her multi-colored white, grey, black hair is now a blonde mix...she is pretty happy about it and it took Dad 24 hours to notice, but told her he thought the radiation was doing something to her hair. She has curls coming in now too and says it is the first time in her life she has ever had curls (at age 65) thanks again everyone here....

Thanks again Jen - your Dad's story sure give me hope and will keep us all on the positive as we have been for the past 11 months.

Thanks Jen again for your help and advice. The doctor told Mom that one thing that wont happen is that she will not lose her hair with the radiation to the lung. FOr which she is very thankful as the hair is finally all coming back and even tho it may only be an inch or so, she is very happy about that. I will keep in mind about the watermelon - she starts today at 8:15 and I am a wreck - she wants to go alone... and told me this morning that she will go alone until she thinks she cant do it (if that time comes) thanks again to everyone on this site that has saved my sanity

Ken, thank you so much for the detailed account and hope you start feeling better soon. I dont want to pry, but can you tell me what feels good to eat? I just want us all to be prepared for when and if Mom starts getting that "broken glass" feeling in her throat that I keep hearing about. So scared for her and my father right now and just praying for all clear at the end of the next 25 days. She goes back in this afternoon and will find out if IMRT or not - she has like 5 marks on her and it made me scared that they were going after 5 areas when her last report only showed one tumor and enlarged node. thanks again. prayers and love are with you

Thanks again to all of you that have responded to all my questions, fears etc on the threads I have started - not sure WHERE I would be without this website (maybe in nervous-breakdown land?) I am getting the same feelings I had in the beginning of hopelessness and I know that we have made it almost a year with great results and all I can do now is support my family and pray to God that we get thru radiation treatments with not too mcuh pain.... Its so hard because right now she is NOT in pain except she has a little shortness of breath going down the stairs to do laundry - I just dont want to see her in pain - but...she said she will do whatever she need to do to try and beat this. One of the Nurses at Pluta Cancer Center gave her a CLEAR ribbon to wear and told ther that is what we are going for - TO CLEAR THIS UP please pray and thanks again and love to you all

Thanks everyone and will keep you up-to-date. Radiation to start tomorrow at 8:15 am and to follow daily until she hits 25 treatments There are three marks on her chest..... scared

Thanks everyone - I am soo scared right now and I cannot imagine the feelings going through both of my parents minds.... Mom is so strong and ready to fight. Yesterday she receieve THREE marks on her chest and will start radiation tomorrow and will go daily at 8:15 each morning. The two spots she wanted to show me were marks right down the center of her chest We go back this afternoon for a final set of x-rays and to make sure the simulation has her in the correct positions. Hs anyone had radiation to three spots? I know one spot is causing the problem with the lung, one is a tiny one and not sure what the third spot is at this point Just scared because one field can be bad enough, but THREE????? thank you all for you support

Thanks everyone for the replies. I have sent them all on to my parents and brothers. Will let everyone know the plan of action when we meet Mom's nurse from Pluta when she goes for her CT tomorrow at 10am. thanks again