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Andrea-- I am hoping all turns out well...crossing all things crossable and sending good thoughts. Rochelle

Ned- Is that WD 40 on the shelf behind you? I'd say you are definitely prepared to be in the club.

Tammy- This is a scary time for both of you. I remember it well. It would help us if you would let us know the chemo and more details-- then we could give you some suggestions. Others here have posted that the sour lemon candies help with the metallic taste. Make sure he drinks lots of water and fluids so he doesn't get dehydrated. Water helps with the aches and pains of some chemos. Don and the others have given you some great advice-- keep us posted. Rochelle

I am so sorry for your loss. I love his picture-- he looks like a very sweet man. Rochelle

Congratulations on your one year. I am glad you wandered on to our site and joined up-- you've been a great help to many members.

Congratulations Katie- What an honor.

April- I am sorry about your mom. Chemo is hard and it takes the good cells along with the bad. Just try to keep her hydrated and nourished while she is feeling so ill. When my husband was sick we also spent a lot of time just watching movies and TV together. It is ok to just "be" and let her know you are there for her. Keep us posted on how it all goes-- we've all been there and we can help. Rochelle

Andrea- All of us moms get it. I hope all is well soon...sending you and the Jakester positive thoughts and good wishes for matching balls. Take deep breaths and if that fails go for the medicine cabinet. Rochelle

Welcome to our board. I am sorry to hear about your father. I hope he is home soon-- Rochelle

Sarah- Go and apply for unemployment right away-- you will qualify and it will help you until something else comes along. I am so sorry you were fired. I hate to see people get away with that crap. Rochelle

Ree It's wonderful that your mom had her mother with her until the end. How very peaceful and somehow right. I am so sorry for your loss. Rochelle

I am so very sorry for your loss. My sympathy to you and your family. Rochelle

Sarah- I am also at at will employer in Michigan. It doesn't mean I can let people go due to race, sex, age disability etc.-- that is against the law and I can be sued for wrongful termination or have an EEOC claim. Keep documenting.

Sarah- It's time to dust off that company policy manual and check on the grievance procedure. You should file a grievance regarding all the inappropriate discipline. Keep documenting everything, you may need it if you are terminated. If that happens you may have a discrimination case for your disability. You don't need this stress at all. I hope you find something better and move on. Rochelle

Thanks for checking in! Congratulations on the weight loss-- that is amazing. Can't wait to see a pic.

I am so sorry for your loss. My sympathy to you and your family. Rochelle

Linda- I hope you get the encouragement you need from the many survivors here. Just a note about the wedding-- when John was in the middle of chemo we had a wedding that we really wanted to attend. We told the doctor that we needed that day to be a "good day" so we could go. They arranged the treatment so that he would feel up to going. For John, about the 3rd day following chemo he was down for several days. I think they gave him a shot to boost his blood cell count and changed his chemo day so he would feel well enough. Let us know how things go. Rochelle

Carole- There is also a thing you can get that will keep your mouth closed at night. I think there is a chin strap deal that people with sleep apnea wear to keep their mouth closed so the c-pap can work. Anyway, somewhere in the recesses of my mind I seem to recall someone saying you could get this strap to wear without the whole c-pap thing. IT might be more comfortable than the O2 mask. Rochelle

The beginning is very hard. It's hard to watch someone go through treatment and become so ill. You just have to remember that the chemo will take the good cells with the bad. Try to watch out for infection and fever, keep her hydrated with lots of fluid until her body is able to recover from treatment. Dehydration is very dangerous so it is important she drinks or eats Popsicles. Let us know how we can help. Welcome to the board- Rochelle

I am so very sorry for your loss. Let others help you through it and be with you. Rochelle

The tech that did John's test told him to chew gum. The swallowing helps keep the cough down.

Small lap robes are great. Everyone always seems so cold in the chemo room.

I am so sorry it is time for hospice to come in. They should be able to get your dad comfortable and they will be a big help to the family also. Let us know how it goes in getting him released and back home. Rochelle

Patti- John loved the Iressa and Tarceva. Both drugs held him stable for a long long time. His worst side effect in the beginning was coughing up blood. Tarceva is a blood thinner and since he was already on a blood thinner it compounded the problem and he had bleeding. Once he topped the blood thinner all was well. The rash was doable. I hope it works for you.

Welcome to our board. Have you tried getting your scan date moved up? If you have a good GP I would call and tell him or her that the waiting is stressful-- plus if it is cancer it needs to be diagnosed quickly. Sometimes schedulers don't realize the urgency of tests and there could very well be an earlier date. I hope it all turns out well for you. Rochelle