Dollfinn

((((((( Donna)))))) HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to you!!! Wahoo, way to get us motivated girl! Wishing you many many years to come with your old friend NED. Mary

Linda~ As a 'caregiver" I salute you! As do I to all the caregivers out there. Your DIL is also a blessing. Many ears make accurate listening. I will repeat lab values ect. and my husband will (very politely) correct me. My profile is all I swear to when it comes to numbers, he does it:) My thoughts?Move toward an accurate diagnosis, next step treatment plan, next step...The Wedding. Were here all hours of the day and night due to different time zones. Yes it's a crummy place to have to find, but in it's ugliness is the support and knowledge we want to share with you. Keep us posted. Mary

Shrimp~ It seems you have taken a big chunk of scary information and your addressing each piece. Remember,pain is now the 5th vital sign and should be treated as any other vital sign. Good Job! I'll look for you in family and updates. Mary

Kasey~ Glad you got away and had some family time. I love good news! Glad your back. Mary

Barbara~ Glad you found this site. My thoughts are joined with everyone that has posted above. I hope you are able to get a treatment (TX) plan in place and start the fight, you can win! Mary

James~ Finding this site tells me your a fighter! Fire away at questions and concerns, any and everyone here will fight with you. Mary

Welcome back! Yes! Yes! Yes! we need you. I too, like many go through heart aching grief when the board does not post good news. My family can tell, and I promise them I will give the site a break.Then boom! Here I am sharing ,giving, loving ,laughing and yes crying. This site is a safe haven for me. Where else can you tell a group of people you had underwear on your head and they understand? Mary

Yes, CEA is a "marker" much like PSA or CA125. MSKCC in NYC does not use them either. Perhaps because my PET was so crummy? All I know is CEA is a test for tumor markers and mines coming down with great alaricity. Another funny thing is, Im having a chest x-ray on the 29. That was added on after I saw the onc. It came up on my next "schedule". I didnt report any change in symptoms. Just the Post nasal drip. I will not stew these next 3 weeks, and camp is 200 miles away, so for time being, I'm going with it. Beats the heck out of hospice. But now...........I must post the question, has ANYONE had success following CEA values? Dont make me use a Hall Pass Mary

Linda, Judy~ This is a crap shoot! My onc. yesterday is leaning to laryngitis's is due to post nasal drip! Go figure . Zyrtec does help, the next 3 days I am on claritin to reduce bone pain from neulasta and that does help. The taste thing OMG, I'm in for 3 days of nothing tastes the same which I attribute to taxol? Will be posting my new , CEA 3#s. 152 down from 395 6 weeks ago! 3 TX's to go. Way to go CTCA! Mary

Hi All~ I had neuropathy, in my hands and feet last Oct. scary, like walking on hot rocks all the time "Ned" shared he wore big fluffy slippers, and that helped. My DR. (PMD) put me on Lyrica, worse then neuropathy!! PS by Jan. , 4 mo. after chemo& radiation the neuropathy went away . This "round" my onc @ MSKCC,NYC said he "could" put me on avastin. I researched it a bit and found infact it is not a chemo drug at all. It's action is , it is very effective in cutting off blood supplies to tumors, which makes them less likely to grow. I am on it now, I have only had 2 doses, and my major complaint is laryngitis, but some say that may be the taxol? Hoping it's not my "new normal"!!! Mary

Sue~ I'm glad you found us. Perhaps your Mom does not say much after an appt. because onc tells her less then they tell you? She needs to know she's not alone, there's a gazillion of us out there and fighting and winning! The did you, do you smoke question is worse then the spanish inquasition! Ugghhhh I used to hate that question. Were not the sexy pink cancer. Then again 15 yrs ago, breast cancer was a maiming humiliation for all women and "not talked about". Were here all the time and were talking about it and were winning! Keep us updated. Your doing a good job. Mary

Mary~ I can tell you have that fight spirit! Hea, you found this site. In my experience someone here has always experienced a senerio that was new to me, and helped me over the bumps. Please keep us posted . You and your family are in my prayers. Mary

Sarah~ I have had to plan my funeral not once but twice! One plan included a big picture screen outside the funeral home ( like the ones they have at concerts) So people could ogle, say they were there, and not bother my family! I am a nurse of 33yrs. so I have the true inside scoop. Most final efforts are made for the caregivers peace of mind. So as a patient I feel I can at least meet them 1/2 way, so they dont feel like crap after I croak. I am the morphine queen when a person gets to the start of "their Journey" that is in keeping with the dignity issue. If you werent a moaner or groaner you whole life long, why pick up a bad habit at this point of your life? And the noisy compressor, that forces air into lungs that are sick and can not accept the oxygen. I have made it clear, turn the darn thing off! It's noisy, it gives off heat, and I will be able to hear you better with out the noise. Celebration of life, is a memorial that has been around for some time. I thought about a DJ but that might be pushing it. Big tent party to celebrate the times when life was one big party. Celebrate being a part of a great circle of people! Yikes ....does that make me nuts? Better then being a fruit cake.I'll leave when I'm good and ready, if exhaustion doesn't get me first! Mary

Thanks everyone! We got approved for Cancer Center of America ,Philipephlia,PA today! They will make my appt. tomorrow. MSKCC did offer me 3 Avastin infusions, but no preventive care i/e bone scan or brain MRI. I said do I have to hit a small child driving before you check for brain mets? Judy, I will only travel 2 or so hrs. and pack lots of "uniforms"!! and hats! I'll keep you posted. Looking for Philly friends, Mary

Ginny~ Thanks, I looked him up in physician directory and did not find him, if the spelling is correct. thanks for caring. Mary