cat127

I think you will find that most docs would do the full screening at staging - CT, MRI, PET, bone and brain scans. Then follow-up would routinely be a combo of CT one time PET the next time (here in the US anyway). And no more routine bone or brain scans. However, they would be done symptomatically. So while your mother may be right on, that the back pain could be surgery related, it is something she should tell her dr who then may want to get a bone scan for a more accurate reading.

I feel your pain Denise. I gave Kelly a wicked respiratory cold about 2+ weeks after her failed surgical attempt to remove the lobe. Talk about feeling like the WORST SISTER EVER! To this day she still says - oh it wasn't your fault. My friends say, could have been anyone that gave it to her. But I know it wasn't. I about cried everytime she coughed, knowing how painful it was for her. She did end up in the ER one night, where they were able to look at a very recent lung xray and see that there really wasn't much going on and she'd just have to wait it out. Which she did and she is none the worse for the wear now. Though I still wallow in the guilt from time to time. So, even though I do feel that way, I also know that you and I, didn't do anything wrong and we shouldn't beat ourselves up. I agree with the others, at least get him to the dr now. Maybe if I had insisted on that with Kelly, hers wouldn't have gotten that bad. I did call the surgeon and they said, sounds like she'll just have to let it run its course. But still, I appreciate how scary it is for you to be listening to it and worrying, and the added guilt doesn't help. But again - NOT YOUR FAULT.

This seems so appropriate in this thread, given what we know now. This poem has meant a lot to my family, my late father was a pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force during WW2. Some may remember the poem as Ronald Reagan quoted it after the Challenger disaster. High Flight Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long delirious, burning blue, I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew - And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod The high untresspassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand and touched the face of God. Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee No 412 squadron, RCAF Killed 11 December 1941 God speed on your next journey Ernie.

Well I'm very glad to help Barbara Ellen. As my family and I tease, we can't let all this edumacation go to waste.

The problem with treating brain mets with drugs is whether or not the drug you are giving crosses the blood brain barrier in substantial levels to actually exact any sort of effect on the lesions. I know that in animal studies, Tarceva had minimal crossing of the b-b-b. I am less informed about any clniical information regarding that topic. You may want to ask Dr. West(http://cancergrace.org/) his take on this. It could be other factors are weighing in on the dr's decision to not do WBR. I can't add anything about long-term survival but these are the folks that will know. Good luck to you and your mother!

I'm so sorry about your kitty. No doubt that the 'pet people' understand. It is so hard to lose them, they really are like family. A few days after I came back home after Kelly's failed attempt to surgically remove her tumor, I took my cat to the vet as he wasn't eating and was losing weight. Honestly, with all that was going on, I just hadn't noticed. I assumed it was dental related, he needed some real dental work done. The poor vet, knowing what all has been going on in my life, she starts to palpate Bailey's abdomen then looks quidkly towards the tech, then reaches for the Kleenex box. I just yelled - you have GOT to be kidding me!!!!! Cancer. She immediately came over and hugged me and then said to my cat "she really doesn't need this right now". OY! I opted to not treat him, he is still here 4 months later, but he is not going to be around much longer. It really does hurt and I know how much you are hurting! I intend to have a respectful mourning period for my beloved Bailey (who was my Mum's cat until she died), then I will get another (or two, since I lost my own cat 1.5 yrs ago). I'm sure when you feel ready for a new pet in your life, it will bring you great joy!

Yes, it is the same procedure, RFA or radiofrequency ablation. In the abstract from the U of MS (my alma mater, thank you very much ) the "wire" you speak of is more correctly identified as an electrode. Here is another link to the article that is in the original post. And this is not something folks in the US know nothing about. I would say this is the first artcile I've seen showing any promise of RFA in lung cancer, though admittedly I've not been researching this heavily. But tis is just one report and not one that has been 'peer reviewed'. Still, promising reading for sure. http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=616580 Edit to say the abstract is actually U of Michigan, not my alma mater.

I'm so very sorry to read this. I do understand what you mean about that moment being the saddest and also beautiful to be with your mother right at the end. I'm sure it was a tremendous comfort to her. My prayers and sympathy for you and your family.

My mum taught us all to laugh. It was her answer to everything. Life was just funny to her, even the sad parts, you just laugh while you cry. I joke with Kelly sometimes that I wonder if her doctors think they need a psych consult for us, as so often they come into the exam room while she and I are laughing hysterically over something, often cancer-related. Not that we haven't had our share of tears since her diagnosis, but we always still find a reason to laugh.

Please note that this is an urban legend, refuted here http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/cancerupdate.asp This what JH had to say about it: found on their website here http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.or ... owthisitem EMAIL HOAX REGARDING CANCER An email falsely attributed to Johns Hopkins describing properties of cancer cells and suggesting prevention strategies has begun circulating the Internet. Johns Hopkins did not publish the email, entitled "Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins," nor do we endorse its contents. For more information about cancer, please read the information on our web site or visit the National Cancer Institute's web site at www.cancer.gov. Another hoax email that has been circulating since 2004 regarding plastic containers, bottles, wrap claiming that heat releases dioxins which cause cancer also was not published by Johns Hopkins.

Actually it is a one-hour telecast according to the three anchors when they were on TV promoting this. What I liked the most was this: The projects will be directed by the American Association for Cancer Research under the direction of an advisory committee headed by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., of MIT. I may be biased but the folks who know best where the money should be going are the folks who've devoted their careers to this sort of research.

I imagine it is different for everyone, but I always think of my mother, who lost my father a few months shy of yr 38. I called her every year on their anniversary and maybe 10 or so years after Dad died she commented that I was the only one that ever did. She was sad by that and my mother was not one to tell you if she was sad, she really was all about looking on the bright side of things. She said that she figured no one wanted to upset her, but that it wasn't like she wasn't thinking of him all day on that day, so it wasn't like all was fine until I reminded her of what day it was. I say, call him. It's a milestone year and should still be acknowledged! My 33 yr old niece lost her husband a month shy of their second anniversary. I sort of moved in with her for a few months to get her through the rough spots. I asked her as it approached what she wanted to do. I was behind her no matter what and would support her if she wanted to stay in bed all day and cry. She thought about it a while and then said she wanted to go "lift a pint" in his name. So about 10 of us went to a pub and toasted him and their all too short marriage. And I think she wasn't any sadder in fact I would venture that it helped her through a rough day. You are a very wonderful sister-in-law.

Oh Nova I'm so very sorry to hear about Harry. You and your family are in my prayers.

Has this been proven in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study? Sorry, don't shoot the scientist for making science humor.

Concerta, like Adderall, is approved for ADHD and not for fatigue or chemo-related fatigue. And that "not FDA-approved for this indication" is one method insurance companies can use and often do, to not pay for a drug. Sometimes you can argue it with the insurance company, which usually involves having the doctor write a justification for the use of the drug in this unapproved indication. I've found the first big step is knowing who at the insurance company to talk to. With Kelly, we have found that one of the chemo nurses is our angel, she knows exactly who to call to get things moving for us. Talk to your dr's office and see if someone there can help and if the dr can write a justification for you for the drug and get the insurance company to pay for it. Of course sometimes there is no rhyme or reason and the insurance company may actually pay for Concerta when they won't pay for Adderall, always worth a try, you just never know.

Contact the patient advocate at the hospital. That is unacceptable, like he doesn't have enough on his plate to deal with! Hope he is feeling better today.

There are lots of folks on here who have had surgery and they will be able to answer. I will say that when Kelly had her attempt at a lobectomy (unsuccessful) the dr was very emphatic with her that when she went home she should be sure to walk up and down the steps. Research shows that the people who get up and moving after surgery are the ones that recover faster. So I have a feeling that your drs will encourage you to not sleep downstairs but to go home and go about business as usual. They told Kelly that of course at first it may just be up and down once a day, but that she should continue to move around! As to sitting at a computer, again, I'll leave that to others who have had the surgery. You may actually want to start a new thread with a title alerting folks to the surgery topic. Yes, it is a special relationship with a judge as a sibling, isn't it? I love mine dearly, but I bet we could swap some stories.

I'm sure it is different for everyone, but I can say that Kelly did chemo alone for maybe 4 weeks, then we added in daily radiation and I really don't think she noticed any increase in fatigue or any other toxicity. She really sailed through the radiation like a champ. So here is hoping that Tom does too! Good luck tomorrow.

Oh my Kelly - we have an ex judge in the family too!! I can relate to some of the, shall we say personality differences, with someone usually so in charge. Luckily mine has gladly passed over to me any and all issues medical. You sound like you have a good gameplan in place. Your sister taking the notes is helpful, as you will want to be engaged in the conversation while she can do the writing. And I think you will have questions for them after this meeting. I don't hesitate to call or FAX with more questions that arise after appointments.

I second what Ry is saying. The liver is one of those organs that has a lot of "bumps" - cysts, hemangiomas, things like that. The CT of the stomach likely saw something on the liver, but at this point I don't think you really know for certain that the liver is "involved". The day my sister's CT showed a lung mass, I was told "she has lung cancer and the adrenal gland is involved". Well to this day, they have yet to prove that the adrenal is in fact a met. All tests point to it NOT being one and to her being stage 3b rather than 4. She is 1 yr post diagnosis and feeling very well and responding well. But that day I was told "and the adrenal is involved" I was distraught. But that was wrong. So hang in there until you get something definitive. Then even if there is liver involvement, keep on hanging in there. (Easy for me to say, as I remember all too well how difficult those early days were). Good luck to you and your dad, you've been added to my prayer list.

We are all so very sorry Gracie. This all happened so fast for you that you probably hadn't even come to terms with the diagnosis let alone the final result of it. I pray for you to find some peace and comfort. I can only imagine how you must be feeling. I simply adore my two sisters and can barely even imagine my life without one of them. Take care of yourself and know you are in many people's prayers!

Hi Kelly, my sister who has LC is named Kelly also, and is one of 2 of my siblings who were born in Hamilton! I still have lots of family there and visit often. I believe the Canada health care system is not as big on PET scans as the US system is. I would say you are misinformed that it is the "best way to diagnose lung cancer". The best way to diagnose any cancer is by looking at the cells from the tumor under a microscope. In general, a PET scan will light up anything in the body that has a high metabolic rate. This can be due to cancer, but also due to inflammaiton or infection, so it is not a perfect test by any means. Talk with your health care team and find out what they are planning and what they think. They would have to have a gameplan for obtaining cells to determine what is going on. As Ned said, it could be that due to the locatoin of the mass they are concerned about going at it by needle biopsy or bronchoscopy (two very common ways that drs obtain cells from a lung mass to analyze them to determine the type of cancer). One other way of doing that is if there is a distant site that is more easily accessible. They will know that from the other tests they ordered. Now many prayers for you that there are no other sites and then your team will have to decide how to go about getting cells from the lung mass. June 9th feels very far away, does it not? I remember that agony all too well. I'm a scientist and I work in the field, but the fact that there was so much "hurry up and wait" was something I hadn't any real idea about until the early stages of my sister's disease. Oh that part was just horrible!!! Also, you may want to pop over to http://cancergrace.com where Dr. West and Dr. Laskin answer any and all lung cancer questions. Dr. Laskin is a practicing oncologist in Canada and I bet she can help you decide if it is truly worth it to pay out of pocket for a PET. Good luck and I have plenty of room for another Kelly in my prayers.

I'm so very sorry for Gracie and her family. The nephew about to be married must be especially sad. Sisters are quite the gift from God, of that I am sure. Prayers go out to her whole family!

Gracie - my heart just breaks for you and your family. I don't know what more to say other than that I'm praying for you all.

YAY!!!!!!!!!! Congrats Muriel, great news to read. I hope you are celebrating!