jaminkw

Welcome. This site is opened to anyone who has been touched by LC and having a friend with advanced stage certainly qualifies you. Just want to point out one thing. That is key. I have advanced stage LC and have been told many times (even by oncologists and other doctors) to go with how I feel. The results of all the scans in the world rest on how the survivor feels and mostly I feel pretty darn good. Dry your tears and read the positive stuff here to your friend and encourage her to do things that are fun. It's all we can do, spend time with loved ones and do things that give us joy. Your continued support of your friend is admirable. Keep posting and we will keep supporting you.Judy in KW

Morning All! Worked in the orchid room for probably 2 hrs yesterday! Was whooped but feeling satisfied. Working on the floor--weeds grow between the inlaid tiles and vines grow all over the place. Had to quit half way through. Not that I had the energy to do more lol. As I got to the end of one side, I realized some vines and weeds were covered with white fly. When you cut them out the flies go in the air and fearfully on my orchids. I left the second side for them to feed on. Oddly, I read a remedy in the paper this morning that I will try. Yellow non-sticky construction tape available at hardware stores. Spray, paint or dip it in olive oil. Easy and certainly worth a try. Don't believe I have to get ready to leave again on Saturday. I am definitely not ready. It's our usual stop in PSL, then on to Orlando. Have plans with David and family on Sunday. Dave may have to go out of town for his job but, if so, we'll take Kym and the boys out for brunch. Mon & Tue scans and onc appointment. Am anxious to hear from Wendy and Dominick. They went on a cruise but I don't remember her saying when they were due back lol. My brain is mush. By the way, anyone following the Amanda Knox trial. Hard not to. My heart goes out to her and her family. Have to get in the office again so have a great day. Judy in KW

Wow, Heather, great pics. Looks like a stellar event. Judy in KW

Morning All! Planned to get outside in my orchid room earlier but Stan and I both got busy in the kitchen doing stuff the cleaning lady NEVER does. Now I'm resting before I go out. Should be o.k. We're expecting lower temps and more importantly lower humidity this week. My orchid room is a disgrace. I just had it looking pretty good until I had to neglect it again. A couple of months and the weeds move in. Stan is all excited about his upcoming pheasant hunting trip to So Dakota. He hasn't been for years and is going with his partner in crime (business). They are very compatible and sure to have a great time. My plan is not so lofty. I'm planning on making the 45 min drive to Marathon lol. I'll visit Crane Point, a bird santuary I keep saying I'll visit. Twenty-five years here, it's about time. May be able to coordinate it with a visit to my friend's house up on Summerland. Been planning on doing that for ages too. What do you think if I make another trip up later when they put in a planned zipline? Spent the day out with Stan yesterday. We got his carryon suitcase in Ross's in KW then on too Marathon. Don't laugh, I wanted to go to KFC--when I cheat, I cheat. They closed ours in KW and Marathon is the closest. Not impressed. Won't be making the trip for that reason again. My friend Sally recommended a landscaper and I'm anxious to call him next week. It's not a whole property job, just a couple of enclosed large planter areas. Looking forward to hearing what he suggests and getting started. Have a great day everyone. Judy in KW

Morning All! Beautful sunshiney day. Haven't been out but the weather from my windows is awesome lol. Stan and I are going to town and it should be pleasant as we are expecting a significant drop in humidity. Think I overdid things a bit yesterday. Was expecting to get up and use the br and head back to bed when I woke this morning. Unfortunately, the clock said 7 am which is my usual time to get up. I like some sitting time anyway so I stayed up. Stephanie, I'm with you about working through this battle. Can't imagine even though counseling certainly didn't have the same kind of stress that your job did. But it must have been good to go back and see a project you were involved in from the beginning come to fruition. Nice. Nothing shaking here so hope you all have a good day. Judy in KW

Morning All! Best day of the week for all our working friends. Happy to help start it for you. Stan's gone deep-drop fishing. It is as it's title described, done in 250+ water. It is also ideal for a 70 yr-old who wants to catch some prime large fish. He has to find them but when the line is dropped and a fish is on, all he does is push a button and the deep-drop device does the rest. Don't knock it if you aren't really old yet lol. Rules protect overfishing here and he can only bring 3 fish home. Plenty for us and to share with friends. The neighbors gave us some yellowtail yesterday afternoon. I was a little hunger in late afternoon and just got up and sauted me up some. Nothing better than fish just out of the sea! Have no excuse now. Stan pumped up the tires on my bike. I'm determined to "get back on the horse" so will be trying to ride again today without falling. Wish me luck. Read a couple of newspapers on the screen porch while Stan readied for his trip. Have to stay at MEI computer work. Did none the past two days. Will make the bike ride my break (no pun intended) so wish me luck. Have a good day everyone. Judy in KW

Popping in after doing some work in the office--opening mail and tidying up mostly. It's a necessary prereq to really getting down to business tomorrow while Stan fishes. He's at his follow-up visit at the dentist just now. Bud, I am so glad there is a silver lining under all that heat you are enduring. Hopefully the check will be high$s and the temps pleasantly low the remaining fall and winter. Eric, you certainly are enjoying your retirement. Me thinks maybe this innocent relationship with a 20-yrs-younger lady may be some of the motivation behind all the exercise? LOL I'm on a small island here with lots going on in the winter, but I'd be hard pressed to find nearly as many stimulating things to do here in the off-season as you have there. Have a great afternoon everyone. Judy in KW

Morning All! I just heard them refer to today on GMA as Friday's Eve. How great is that. It's a new day. Bright and sunny. Just wanted to pop in and say hi in case I get caught up in work later. Stan will be back from his walk soon. I want to be out on the porch before he gets back so have a good day all. Judy in KW

Meg, so glad your Mom is in this promising trial. I agree with ts that having Barbara appear must be good luck. I was told once that all prayers are equally attended to but I think Barbara's might carry a little extra weight. You may be shy but you are beautifully articulate so don't be a stranger. Your words are coming through loud and clear here. Judy in KW

Randy, sounds like your Dad is giving you the business. All in all though, it sounds like things are looking up for him healthwise. Hang in there. We're here for you when you run out of eggs lol. Ginny, congratulations and good luck in the tournament no matter how you got there. I think what you are trying to do with individual outings with your grandchildren is awesome. And we all have a favorite don't we? Of course we can only admit it to special friends like us here at LCSC lol. Am here again because I decided to take this whole day off. Did nothing this morning but order Stan bags for his vacuum pack machine. He doesn't do computers. I met Maggie for lunch which was great as usual. That ended with a whole walking for blocks and blocks adventure for me. I came back home without shopping but I'd had some fun interactions with downtown working people so I was happy. I'm dead tired but sitting here feeling good and sipping on the Starbuck's cafe latte I got on the way home. I love that the Marriot decided to tuck them in their lobby right there in New Town with easy access and parking. Love it! Have a great evening everyone. Judy in KW

Have a great time Lily! Judy in KW

Morning All! When Stan got the mail yesterday evening, there was a beautiful pink card from my sister. On the front was a beautiful bird with the words "You are a rare bird." I loved it! Would have been in earlier but Stan brought a neighbor by who needed to use our copy machine. He sat awhile and we talked about his wife who recently died of breast cancer. I didn't know her but was able to encourage him to talk about her. It was wonderful. He recalled some of the rough times but many good times they had even while she was sick. One of those was the wedding they finally planned in Michigan, giving up on getting everyone to Key West for an "on the beach" wedding at the Casa Marina. It felt good to be there for him for even a little while. Randy, how embarrasing to have your Dad ranting worse than a dirty-mouthed sailor! But I agree, cussing sounds like fight mode and in his situation, that is good. "As if LC and the treatment isn't bad enough without dealing with these other issues!" Diane, thanks for the empathy. You hit the nail right on the head. We just don't need the drama. Annette, been there done that with the umbrella in the car pocket. Boy, are you between a rock and a hard place with that bike. If you report it, he's got stolen property. If not, you're on the line for not reporting stolen property. Don't know what I'd do with that. I do agree with Judy though, work is a great distractor. But fun would be better. Judy, don't envy your week with two funerals. I give you credit for hanging in there. I quit my ftf group here after losing three members. Wasn't really clicking with the rest of the group anyway. A shout out to the rest of you out there. Have a great day and check in soon. Judy in KW

Randy, I did forget to remind readers that these are possible side-effects and everyone reacts differently to chemo. I do recall, however, how comforting it was when other survivors shared a response while the medical community was saying it's wasn't in the documentation. Judy, thanks. This DermMatch is so good, I probably won't need it til they are all gone. But without make-up, I am starting to see that shadow of myself in the mirror that I remember before as my eyelashes and eyebrows continue to fade. Judy in KW

eeny meeny....Don't know if taxotere is given specifically to NSCLC or not so am putting this here. If you are a moderator and think another thread would be more appropriate, feel free to move it. I am not good at documenting and miss Ned terribly. If he had done your treatment, you could come here and find any facts relevant to it. I'd have to check my calendar to see exactly when I started on Taxotere but I know this last Thursday was my eighth infusion. So here goes how it's gone since then. 1. Hair loss: Was told by a dr on cancergrace.org that loss definitely occurred by the second infusion. I'd had four before it started to fall out gradually. Some infusions more, some less. Seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. So far I have probably half my thick head of hair so am showing balding primarily where my hair parts and along the front hairline. Found a product called DermMatch. It's great. A powder with a large cosmetic style applicator. Stan does the obvious spots and so far I'm good to go. Have probably also lost half my eyelashes but retain enough to do some mascara. Eyebrows also fading but the DermMatch does a better job of fixing them than any pencil or quality eyebrow powder. When they are all gone, I'll check back with Judy in MI who mentioned something that is more a clay, I think I recall, and is feathered on and looks very natural. 2. Nausea: More after the early infusions but before long a compazine in the evening for 5-7 days beginning with day of infusion followed by a Zofran when needed mid morning took care of it. Haven't needed the Zofran for the last several post-infusion times. 3. Tongue blisters: Mild to severe depending on how good I am at avoiding spicy foods and wine (sigh!). I had it so bad one time that I am good on this score now. I am also pretty good at frequent swishing of a mixture of 1 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt with a cup of water. I mix it in a jar and keep it by the sink and rinse as needed--2 to 3 times a shot for a minute each, 3 to 4 times a day. 4. Constipation/Diarrhea: Taxotere has actually been the easiest in this regard. Certainly better than Alimta (constipation) and Tarceva (diarrhea). I've only had a couple of instances of constipation and they've been easily remedied. 5. Intestinal distress: Pain and/or bloating have not been a major issue with this chemo until this last infusion. Severe low intestinal distress NOT accompanied by constipation or diarrhea. Inexplicable unless it was linked to being given six zofran tabs with infusion and substitution of Neulasta shot with a shot of something called Leukine. Am interested if anyone has had experience with these accompaniments to any chemo treatments. 6. Swelling of feet and ankles: Again, not severe and not so noticeable with every infusion. It appears worse when I'm traveling and spending a lot of time sitting, particularly when sitting with my legs hanging down. 7. Almost forgot, a bright red cheek rash usually concentrated on one side. Is usually covered pretty well with make-up and only lasts a couple of days. Think I've covered it all. Honestly, was led to expect Taxotere to be really rough. Except for hair loss, it really hasn't been bad at all. I've listed 7 side-effects I've experienced but keep in mind that some are mild and most don't even occur every infusion. Hopefully this will provide useful info for someone. Judy in KW

Morning All! Started my day reading the posts I was alerted to in my email. Glad to see so many new members posting and exisiting members keeping us posted. Missed yesterday altogether. Started out a little rough physically but smoothed out mid-morning but went right into working mode. Need to get caught up in the office and with the laundry after our return. First week was pretty much swallowed up with medical stuff. I did do lunch last week with a friend but want a day off to do lunch again with another friend. Called MDA yesterday and talked with the nurse. The awful day out of the blue Saturday was worrisome because they made a couple of changes around my chemo. Gave me six, yes I said six, Zofran pills. Unfortunately, I didn't get the mg. Nurse swore I had them before but I swear I didn't. I know I could have refused but she is such a bit#$, I caved. They also substituted something called Leukine for my Neulasta. Hard to tell if awful side-effects were a result of cumulative Taxotere or one of the changes. They are taking liberties here I'm not comfortable with. The Onc here said he thought I should have a scope of my abdomen later this year. He said "we'd send you to the mainland...." Questioned if I'd want to go to Orlando. Where else!!!??!! My primary oncologist is in Orlando! When I said yes, he said he write a note to Dr Tseng. This is beginning to feel politicaly uncomfortable. Sorry to go on with my cancer stuff here. Should (and will) put some of this in another thread. I miss Ned but hey, Stephanie, would you chime in if I do a post somewhere else. Times run out so have a great day everyone. Judy in KW

Glad the waiting is over. Not familiar with that chemo but Katie's comment about side-effects sounds encourage. I've known of a number of people who have had gamma or cybe knife with great success. Sound like your Dad is on the right path. No reason not to have great hope. Judy in KW

Tonya, welcome and my regrets that your Dad and your family have to go through this. I just want to offer my experience as a "self-pay" cancer patient. No one really wanted me without insurance and one facility in Tampa refused to even see me. Fortunately, one of the most desirable hospitals in my area, MDAnderson of Orlando which is a satellite of MDA in Houston, agreed to let me come and get a dx. They had identified the cancer at a local hospital by cell analysis when I had pneumonia so this may have been considered a second opinion. I think not, though, since I had not been staged nor had I seen an oncologist. Long story short, after my dx the oncologist at MDA went to Finance and I was in for treatment. We paid as we were able as treatment progressed and then they kicked in with "forgiveness" to the degree our financial statement with their Finance Office indicated we could not pay. I don't know how common my experience is and I am now on Medicare with a supplement policy, but I thought my experience was worth sharing. Good luck to you and your family. Judy in KW

Welcome Sarah. I just said something similiar to what Dana said in a post to another newcomer whose Mom has SCLC. I'm not in touch with the statistics but know I'm seeing more and more survivors here and at cancer treatment centers. Wishing your Mom the best. Her energy will put her in a good position for this battle. Judy in KW

Coming in a little late also. Am not a SCLC survivor but have become aware over the four years I've been on this journey that the survivorship of SCLC seems to have improved dramatically. Hope the treatment is doable for your Mom and that you see results quickly. Judy in KW

Morning All! Beautiful day in Key West. We're having hot temps but this morning on our screen porch was great. We go out early and have fans and there's usually a little breeze off the canal. A couple of tiny unidentified migrating birds visited even though we forgot to bring food home from the mainland. We stick to nonmelting suet that we can't usually get here. It helps avoid rodents attracked by falling seeds. Randy, I'm feeling for you. Nothing worse than seeing someone you care for not being cared for properly. Being in a position where you have no control over the situation makes it that much worse. Wish I could send you an extra dozen eggs. Yesterday was the worst day of my chemo life in so long I can't remember. I spent it going back and forth with intense pain in my lower abdomen (thank goodness or I'd think it was the cancer). Went just enough to confirm it wasn't constipation. In fact I lost 3 lbs in one day! Not the norm for me under any circumstances. Fortunately around 3 pm I was so exhausted I took a nap. Ate a little dinner and continued the misery of the day until I finally gave up and went to bed at 9. I still have slight pain this morning but slept through the night. Will eat easy soft foods today and hope it's run it's course. So much for taking the weekend off. Didn't get anything done or have fun. Hope you all have a great day and hope mine is tolerable lol. Judy in KW

Morning All! Wish I could offer a more cheerful start to the day. I've been suffering all morning with intestinal pain that has me running back and forth to you know where with only minimal relief. I hate laxatives so try everything before resorting to them. Tried soft gels and anti-gas pills. Will now try fruit including prunes and a nice heating pad. Am trying to get something done feeling so bad because of a busy but not very productive week. Put a load of sheets in the wash and printed all the necessary emails for bills etc. Now the fruit and heating pad. Saw Sarah online yesterday and Eric. Hi guys, glad to see you. Judy happy to hear your flu may be shorter lived than expected. I love a street fair especially when it is art. Have fun. Hope you all have a good day. Judy in KW

Hi again all. Had a lovely lunch with my friend then off to the hospital for my shot. Of course it wasn't in the fridge where it should have been so had to wait for the someone to make a special delivery from the pharmacy. Good news is I got a friendly nurse today instead of my regular prickly chemo nurse. They have substitued my neulasta with something called leukine. Am not feeling to go about it. The possible side-effects sound more/worse but I haven't done a comparison yet. Bud, I thought about a tablet but that would rule out working with it on the road. We use QuickBooks for our business everything. I wouldn't worry about a low mileage month. You will surely make up for in no time. Happy fishing. We ate a snowy grouper Stan caught deep dropping--awesome eating fish! Judy, sounds like you have a flu bug. It might lay you low for more than a day or two so rest up as long as you need to. Annette, glad to hear you are eating again. Weight loss can be good but not too much anxiety weight loss. I rarely watch a TV show anymore. DVR most of it. Stan hates commercials and I get tired of hearing him witch lol. Truth is everything starts around 9 pm and that's when these old folk are off to bed. Stephanie, so glad you were in touch with Sara. That is really all we need, to hear our friends are well. And I agree about being away because of being busy and having fun. Plums in the freezer? You lucky duck. And I wish I was a swimmer but not much. I think it's one of the best exercises. Wish you more sunny days. Judy in KW

Morning All! Happy last day of the week for our worker bees. That will probably now include me. It's been mostly a cancer filled week. I had great plans today around my lunch with Jemmie until Stan reminded me I had to go back into town this afternoon for my shot. Been up since 7:15 but have been in the computer renewing and updating my McAfee Antivirus. Guess they figured I wasn't going to buy it at the inflated price. This morning's offer was back to the original "early" offer even tho it was expired. I did some research and wasn't impressed with any change right now. Don't like McAfee for past marketing reasons but it's kept me safe this past year. Hope you all have a great day. Will try to check in later today so cheer me with lots of fresh Air. Judy in KW

Wow Patty, what a rough time you've had. It is a beautiful letter. I'm so glad you still have your Mom looking over you and yours. Judy in KW

So sorry about that memory you have to live with Lily. My experience is the opposite. I remember my onc saying once, "Judy, it's not like I'm asking you to stay on chemo the rest of your life." Four years later and I've been off chemo only 6 mos. Still on it now. Feels like it will be forever but my hope is intact. Wish Johnny had someone like that. Judy in KW