LolasDaughter
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Posts posted by LolasDaughter
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Scan Results
in HOPE
Yahoo! So glad to read this great news from you, Bruce!
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Hi Marianne,
Welcome! I am a caregiver, not a patient, but your treatment plan is very similar to my mom's (her profile is below). I can provide some encouragement to say, my mom did not get a port (it was never offered) and with the last couple of rounds of chemo, I wished she'd had one. Even drawing blood for her prelim blood work was a production with lots of pricks and she blew a vein once, which was very painful and traumatic. Anyhow, bottom line, I'm sorry your going through the pain now but want to tell you - it's worth it!
And I love you your picture. You're beautiful!
Love,
Nicole
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SORRY - I MEANT THIS AS A REPLY, NOT AN ORIGINAL POST!
Hi Marianne,
Welcome! I am a caregiver, not a patient, but your treatment plan is very similar to my mom's (her profile is below). I can provide some encouragement to say, my mom did not get a port (it was never offered) and with the last couple of rounds of chemo, I wished she'd had one. Even drawing blood for her prelim blood work was a production with lots of pricks and she blew a vein once, which was very painful and traumatic. Anyhow, bottom line, I'm sorry your going through the pain now but want to tell you - it's worth it!
And I love you your picture. You're beautiful!
Love,
Nicole
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Welcome, Marianne! So glad you found the site - it is a wonderful resource. I've found that even when I think I have some oddball question (my mom has SCLC), there are usually a handful here that have experience with it and advice to offer!
Prayers & best wishes for a successful treatment,
Nicole
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Praying in Ohio!
Nicole
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Thanks, Bruce! Hope all is well with you too. And thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement and affirmation!!
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Thanks for all your kinds words and sharing in our joy and excitement! I've been away for a while and it's so good to hear from all of you again.
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Hi Teri,
Welcome! My mom (61) has SCLC too and after her initial treatment it spread to one met in the brain. So our order is different, but stories are similar. Please see my mom's info below - we just got the great news that the intensive treatments worked and the tumors show no life.
Praying for the same for your mom. Keep us posted.
Love,
Nicole
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Hello everyone!
Well, some time has passed since I last posted. We were on a bit of a 'coast' after Mom completed her treatment (see below). But on May 2 Mom had her CT and MRI to check on the effect the treatment had on her lung tumor and brain tumor.
Mom heard that sweet, sweet word - STABLE! The tumors both show NO LIFE and are turning to scar tissue. Mom now gets the summer off to rest, recoup and grow her hair back! No visits to the Clinic until August, in three months.
We are PRAISING GOD and I wanted to share the good news! And I hope this helps bring some light to those just starting down the SCLC journey.
Nicole
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Congratulations, Bruce! That is wonderful news. Looking back on your quandry of to do or not do the chemo - I think you can feel good that you made the right decision! Go celebrate!!
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Hi Patty,
To echo what Connie said, so sorry you had a need to find us, but glad you're here.
My mom, too, has LC (see her profile below - if you could complete one with your mom's history as well that is helpful for those replying to your posts. Just go under My Profile and scroll down). She has been suffering with a harsh cough so I have done some research just on coughing in general. Much of it I did on www.onctalk.com - where our 'resident oncologist' Dr. West hosts an excellent resource site. It's a great place to search and also post questions of a more medical nature.
When reading your post, I recalled reading information about something similar at onctalk.com - here's the link: http://onctalk.com/bbPress/topic.php?id ... 0#post-881. I agree with Connie that a call or chat with her doc is in order, but thought you might find that info interesting in the meantime.
Warm cyber hugs,
Nicole
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Bruce,
Congratulations on completing your treatments. Good job! And please let us know how the scans go in April (what a date for scans, huh?!?).
Take care,
Nicole
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Praying this new treatment plan is successful for you.
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Thank you for the prayers and encouraging words! Connie B - we ALL (Mom, Dad and I) enjoyed your SCLC 'success stories' - thank you! I appreciate your encouragement and upbeat attitude.
Mom remains positive and hopeful and her faith holds her in 'good stead'. Through it all, God is good and most importantly, in control!
Nicole
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Hi All,
Mom had her CT scan and MRI at The Clinic today. As it's been some time since I posted, I thought I would use an update my dad sent out to family and friends just a short time ago:
Well, it has been six weeks since my last update when Lola finished her radiation treatments. She's been through a tough ordeal of fatigue, lots of coughing and phlegm, and two bouts of pleurisy which is a very painful irritation of the outer layer of the lungs and the inside of the chest cavity. Monday she began feeling much better. The stamina is coming back, the pleurisy has passed, the coughing has subsided, and the phlegm is much more manageable. Today was tests and doctor visits at the Cleveland Clinic.
The cat scan showed that the chemo and radiation are doing their job on the tumor and preventing the spread of the cancer to other organs of her body. However, the MRI showed that the cancer was able to metastasize to the brain. She has a nickel sized tumor at its base. She has not had any symptoms from it. We'll return to the Clinic tomorrow and she'll be outfitted for two weeks of brain radiation which will begin on Monday. This will include treatment for this tumor and preventive radiation for the remainder of her brain. We knew that chemotherapy is not effective for the brain and this is why the preventative radiation had already been discussed. Unfortunately, the cancer got there before preventative measures could be started.
I would again ask for your prayers that this treatment regimen is effective. Your prayer support is crucial to us as we continue down this road. Lola's verse that she used today and we'll continue to recite is
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
And so though the news was not what we expected, we are hopeful as Mom starts this next phase in her treatment.
Nicole
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HERE!!
Mom has completed her (**intense**) treatment. CT and MRI on March 12. Enjoying no trips to the clinic and recoup time. She went to my 4 yo's Grandparent's Luncheon at preschool today (with my dad). Life is good!
Nicole
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Carrie,
That's great news about your mom! My mom and I were at the hospital today (just a 3 wk check up after completion of treatment) and someone my mom was talking with in the waiting room said he could tell she was a 'scrapper'!! Sounds like your mom is too. Keep fighting! Sending prayers for you both -
Nicole
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Hi Roberta - Welcome to the best resource (I believe!) for your lung cancer journey. Please let us know how we can help. As others have said, you may want to check out the SCLC board. The 'Search' function is also valuable in getting info on specific items you may have questions about.
My Mom is currently wrapping up treatment - you can see her treatment plan in my profile below. Best wishes to you and your brother.
Nicole
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Hi All,
I've not been actively posting as much, but still lurking some. I am so pleased to see Connie B's post! I wanted to give a quick update on Mom, since it's been a while (and more importantly, to give an SCLC update, since there aren't as many of those around, it seems).
Mom completed her fourth and final round of cisplatin/etoposide chemo yesterday! Yahoo! While there of course are mixed emotions, I commemorated the event by giving her a mug that says 'I have Chemo Brain - What's your excuse'?!
Yesterday she also started twice a day radiation, which she will continue until 1/30. She and Dad have decided to just get a hotel room in Cleveland (she's treated at The Clinic) and she's looking forward to having that final step of this round of treatment completed.
She will then be 'off' much of February, with scans planned for near the end of the month. (She had a cat scan this week that showed 43% shrinkage of the tumor and at this point that's primarily from the chemo - Yeah!) If they see (and we're praying they will!) a complete irradication of the tumor in those scans, then she will begin PCI (prophylactic brain radiation, or as Mom calls it 'putting a rubber on my brain'!) in March.
And so she continues on her treatment plan with fatigue really being her only side effect. While the concurrent chemo/radiation has exacerbated the fatigue, she is still doing extremely well considering her rigorous treatment plan. We are so extremely grateful.
And true to form, Mom even got her chemo onc to laugh OUT LOUD this week, when I took her on Wednesday (not something he does easily). She's had a bit of a cough, so he prescribed a cough med with Codiene (Mom said, 'oh, that sounds good!'
). He explained a side effect is constipation and that she should call if she goes two days w/o a BM. He said she wouldn't want to let it go any longer than that. She replied with, 'Oh, I know - I've done that before. It's like sh*tting a brick!! Literally!!' 
So the doc laughs and walks away and says 'Maybe we shouldn't radiate the brain.' 
We all had a good laugh over that one!!! Prayers for all of you wherever you are in your LC journey -
Nicole
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Connie B,
You ROCK! So glad to see your post and that the bumpy road is (hopefully) smoothing out for you. You are a fighter and such an inspiration. Thinking of you and praying for you often! (I've talked about you so much that Mom and Dad both ask how you're doing and what the latest update is!)
Nicole
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Yahoo! So glad to read this and share in your good news!
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Hi Bruce,
I don't have any additional information for you but just wanted to say hello. I hope you're able to get this 'fixed' and your treatments continue on smoothly.
Nicole
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Ken,
Congrats on the decision being made and best wishes for smooth sailing. My mom also experienced minimal side effects when she was just doing chemo (fatigue only). She is doing concurrent chemo/rad now and continues with no additional side affects - the fatigue is just more pronounced, but she is still keeping up many of her normal activities.
Best,
Nicole
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Great news! Happy New Year!!!!
Mom has completed her (**intense**) treatment. CT and MRI on March 12. Enjoying no trips to the clinic and recoup time. She went to my 4 yo's Grandparent's Luncheon at preschool today (with my dad). 
So the doc laughs and walks away and says 'Maybe we shouldn't radiate the brain.' 
We all had a good laugh over that one!!!
My Beautiful Brave Mother Passed Peacefully
in GRIEF
Posted
Dar,
I was so saddened to read this. You and your family are in my prayers. You and your mom are an inspiration to me as my mom battles SCLC. You and your mom's legacy of strength and courage carries on.
Love,
Nicole