Mikee

My sincerest condolences to you for your loss.

and it seems like time has passed so fast and at the same time stood so still. My grief has subsided and still floats back to the top from time to time. I still am single and don't have a desire to date or go out with the opposite sex although that could change with meeting the right person I suppose. I know Char wouldn't want me dwelling on the past and not giving myself a chance at being happy for the rest of my life. I have a problem getting out of "The House" when I am not working. I don't have a large support group around me right now and family live 150 miles away. So I go it on my own A lot. I meet with my grief support gals once a month. It is 6 of them and 1 of me. We all lost our spouses close to the same time. I have found that their is not very many Men willing to meet and discuss their feelings in the open and with others. I find comfort in disscussing my plight with others. After this year that has passed I have come to the realization that god isn't sending my Charlotte back to me. I seem to havehad this idea that if I get back home that something myraculus will happen.I have started the process of going through her clothes and belongings. This has proven very a difficult and arduous task for me. I can't help but get melancholy while doing this. I do know that the breakdowns have become longer in between breakdowns. I have become active in more events to occupy my time while not working. Hope and pray for a cure to this dreadful disease that tears lives apart. I refuse to believe that this is in God's master plan for us to accept this disease and not Fight it!! I will do my part to fight this till my very last breath!! To you all I say to you to never give up and fight the battle that you have been delt. Till my very last breath!! Mike

My condolences and god bless.

My condolences and god bless!!

Charlotte ascended to heaven quietly in no pain to be with her lord and savior Jesus Christ and the loved ones that have passed before her at 1:56 am on morning of the 13th of March. Charlotte loved Life and loved her children, grandchildren, friends and family. Char had an infectious laugh that could be heard over everyone she was around. I have set up a donation in her memory on the Lungevity website. She fought a hard and courageous battle and never gave up!! Her presence here on earth will be missed. Her presence in Heaven will be welcomed!! With love I dedicate this to the people here that are still fighting the good fight!! Mike Purcell/ aka Mikee

I have heard good things about H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute you might want to google it!!! Hang in there

We just took Char in to the Cancer Center and saw the nurse practitioner?sp and we took X-rays because Char is haveing Very extinsive pain in her lower left chest area below the left breast area. While we were there we took the liberty to view her records and low and behold we got this!!! PET-TUMOR IMAGING WITH CONCURRENT CT, SKULL BASE TO MID THIGH:08/14/2007 COMPARISON:CT of the ado\domen and pelvis 7/31/07; CT of the chest 7/27/07. INDICATION: This is a 53-year-old who presents for initial staging of non-small cell carcinoma. TECHNIQUE: The patient's blood glucose was 104 mg/dl. After the intravenous injection of 17.mCi of F-18 FDC delayed 3D whole body PET images were acquired from the level of the brain to the mid thigh region. A non contrast CT was used for attenuation correction purposes. PET/CT DISCUSSION: There is extensive right-sided pleural metastitic involvement demonstrating a maximum SUV of approximately 17.8. Ther issubcarinal disease, right paratracheal desease, aortopulmonary disease. Osseous metastases are indentified in the T1 verebral body demostrating a maximum SUV of approximately 4.9. Multiple metastases are indentified throughout the thoracic and lumbar spine as well as the sacrum. IMPRESSION: 1. Diffuse metastatic disease involving the right pleaura, osseous structures and mediastinum. 2. No involvement is noted of the solid visceral organs.

Thank U all for the kind worrds and support. We are also keeping each of you in our prayers and thoughts.

I am not sure if this is the right forum to post this but we visted with the Onc. today and Char's blood level was a little low so they gave her two shots one for white blood cells and one for red. She will also go in tomorrow morning for follow up shots. This is to boost her count so that she will be ok to take her second chemo treatment next friday a week from now. For her white blood cells the is taking NEUPOGEN, (Filgrastim is the generic name) other names are G-CSF, Granlocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor and for the red blood cells she is taking ARANESP. Thanks for all the kind words of support and our hearts and prayers go out to each and every one of you all here on LCSC and everywhere else in this world that is in this fight. Together we will stay strong and beat the odds. Good luck and God Bless! Mike and Char

Well it has been 1 month since we ran into this bump in the road. Char and I are going in today to see the onc. and check her blood. We are staying strong and positive!!!

Thanks Ned and all here. I guess we are just now catching our breath. I can see there will be highs and lows as we go through this process. We are working on a list for Char's diet and have acquired several ingredients to help fight the effects of Chemo. This site has been a tremendous help emotionally and informatively. We will document our experience here as well and just hope it will benefit others. Thanks and stay Positive!!

Again thank you all for the welcome and our hearts also go out to all of you that are in the same boat as we are. Char is home and doing OK. We however are awaiting a call from our oncologist team to schedule our PET scan and Chemo treatment. It has been 1 week since the diagnosis and we are becoming a little impatient.

Char was sent home Monday after chest tube was removed. Today is Tuesday and we have still no PET scan or plan for attack. Is this foot dragging by our Oncology team? Just wondering. I will try and keep my profile current and only hope they will return our calls. I know that they have to notify the insurance company about the pet scan but it seems like we already know it is andeocarcinoma and should already have a plan of attack in place. Am I being to impatient?

Char and I are happy to have all of you in our corner. I have compiled a rough profile to display and will continue to update as time goes by. Recce, I was stationed in Hawaii back in 74-77 Schofield Barracks. Thank you all for the words of encouragement and I will try my best to update our profile as we progress.

that WE can win. Char was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma and also had a Malignant Plural Effusion drained twice now. The surgeon went in on Thursday and did a talc treatment and it has worked to this point. She will have an ex-ray this evening and her chest tube removed tomorrow Monday the 6th. The oncologist has set up a PET scan for tomorrow. We will know more after that. I am glad to have a place like this to come to. I have so many questions and very few answers. Thanks!