mhutch1366
-
Posts
2,646 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
1
Content Type
Downloads
Store
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Blogs
Events
Posts posted by mhutch1366
-
-
Hey Dean?
By the time I was diagnosed,I had hit the "lose a bunch of weight real fast" stage, plus I was anemic. I had also perforated my colon and wound up with a bag. I was transfused twice, and fed IV with that nasty stuff for about ten days post surgery in the hospital. Then they turned me loose with the promise that I had to EAT and REST, since I was 'young' enough they were going to do chemo (I was 43) in 2 weeks and how well I lasted through it depended a lot on nutritional status.
Your attitude is great. If your weight stabilizes and your nutrtional status is good, and you have energy and strength enough, I would bet you could find a second opinion doctor that would say you should go try the chemo.
I don't really understand the first doctor. How could the chemo be worse than the alternative? At least give it a shot.
You, dear, are a champion. Chemo or no. I'm going to put you on my wall of heroes, and say I'm glad to "know" you. It's an honor to have met you, and I'm sorry about this da^^ disease.
God bless and keep you.
MaryAnn
-
Donna,
HAVE FUN!!!
Blessings and prayers go with you, travel safe.
MaryAnn
-
Hi Fay,
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Fay)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
now that's out of the way, take a deep breath. Let it out slooooowly.
Now put one foot in front of the other, and set your sights on the end of the 6th chemo. Becky is right, galvanized steel!! you are. Won't rust in the bubble bath.
Think of something special to do for yourself BESIDES painting yourself as an olive with pimento. Something super nice. Like a new soft sweater. A new robe. Something Warm and ~~~fuzzy.!!
Hang in there, pretty lady. You're among friends, and we'll help you get through this one way or another.
MaryAnn
-
Dear Cheryl,
You are not alone here. The advice you've heard here is sound. Write down questions, write down the answers. Forget the statistics, and focus on your own fight. Put one foot in front of the other, one day at a time, and have faith in your self, your doctor, your plans for chemo and radiation. You are part of a team that is fighting your cancer, an active part of that team.
You will find people here to hug you, pray for you, wish you well, answer some questions, ask some questions, but mostly understand, as we are in the same fight. You will find friends, too.
Keep us informed as to what you've learned from your doctor and what the treatment plan is, and how you are feeling. We care, and we'd like to know.
Love and prayers sent your way,
MaryAnn
-
David,
Of course we'll pray for you.
God bless and keep you, hon.
((((((((((((David))))))))))))
MaryAnn
-
Hi Cheryl,
I needed an interpreter to read my xrays after surgery. Literally, the one doctor would be on the phone with the other doctor about what he was seeing and what it meant post surgically.
Don has some good advice. Don't borrow trouble.
Try the chloraseptic spray for the meetings. It'll hold the tickle down.
And the reflux esophagitis does eventually go away. Mine finally did somewhere between the first and second year I think.
You're doing a wonderful job of recovering, so give yourself credit, woman. Hooray for Cheryl!!!
Warm regards,
XOXOX
MaryAnn
-
Perry,
I feel for you, I do. I had a federal job with tenure, and they still tried to put me out, but thankfully I was able to find something else at this huge place and transfer before the "illegal" action went through. Yes, the administration sat on it, didn't take action, but didn't do doodly to help me out either. I had to find my own job out of there, on my own merits.
If you can survive the cancer, you can survive this. Sure, it stinks, it isn't fair at all. BUT. you have your life. You have a good shot at winning the suit. And maybe they won't do this to someone else down the road.
I do know that now I sure look at work a whole lot differently than I did.
Maybe in a quiet place inside yourself where you aren't so angry at being treated so unfairly you can reflect on how you really feel about work now, after you've survived cancer. About how you feel about life after cancer. And about how you want to spend your energy now.
God bless and take care, Perry. You're in our prayers.
MaryAnn
-
Dear Andrea,
Prayers for you and your mom through what I can hear are terribly difficult times for you.
XOXOX
MaryAnn
-
Shauna --
Welcome. These are good people with big hearts.
Ask questions.
Or ask for prayers.
Maybe you just need a hug.
((((((((((((Shauna))))))))))))))))
Warm regards,
MaryAnn
-
Dean,
Yep. Personal experience. Rad/chemo at the same time, pre surgery, followed by a few more rounds chemo alone post surgery. Tumor was dead when they took it out. I'd swear by it. I'm still here.
Go for it.
MaryAnn
-
Norme,
I'm glad you're back. You were missed terribly, and we were worried if you were okay. My remedy has always been to cry in a hot tub of bubbles, and then to get on with it.
Sorry to hear about your cat. Just what you don't need, more grief.
I hope and pray Buddy's surgery is straightforward, simple and successful.
And Norme, when you're worried, leave it all in God's lap. He's going to be up all night anyway. You need your sleep.
Love,
MaryAnn
-
Welcome, Betty,
I am glad you found us. The people here are very warm and supportive, a kind of extended family.
I hope your chemo goes well, I am glad you are feeling so good right now.
Prayers and blessings to you,
MaryAnn
-
Hi Kim,
Ask your mother's oncologist what he would recommend. There have been several threads in the last few weeks concerning what tests would pick up what kinds of tumors. I don't blame you for feeling jumpy about cancer, it's a natural response. Getting screenings regularly is a good idea for peace of mind.
Good luck and prayers to you and your mom.
MaryAnn
-
Hi Pat,
I wish you good luck with your radiation and chemo.
I always had a little bag of stuff I took to chemo.
A good novel.
Some hard candies to suck on.
two half liter bottles of water (drink lots of water).
a small treat, like half a roast beef sandwich.
An extra blanket.
Stationary if you so desire.
grab a good magazine if you see one.
a cassette deck/cd player with earphones.
a small airline sized pillow.
some herbal tea bags ... the nurses can always scare up some hot water.
I had my chemo a week at a time, and it went on for half a day or more most days.
Do not be afraid to ask for premedication for nausea, they can give you atavan and zofran iv. Also, if you're taking a platinum containing chemo -- Ask the doctor about the advisability of pretreatment with Ethyol, or amyphosdine, which can protect hearing and kidney, among other parts, from the worst of the side effects of that kind of chemo -- like hearing loss. Ask lots of questions, and write down the answers. You'll be glad later you did.
Where I had my chemo had nice lazy boy recliners, and I would eventually wind up taking a nice nap.
You might want to consider a port if you're going to have chemo for a while. It saves so much the arm veins!!
Don't worry if things taste funny for a while. It comes with the territory.
There's a mouthwash too if your mouth and throat start to get sore.
Wishing you nothing but the best,
MaryAnn
-
Hello Veronica,
You won't know if you don't get scanned, now, will you?
I had a friend who was terrified that her cancer had come back, and wouldn't go to the dr until she was in dire straits indeed. Turned out to be adult onset diabetes.
If you don't ask you won't know. If you don't know you can't pull together a proactive plan.
Empower yourself. Know what you're dealing with.
And have faith, in life, in love, in the beautiful children you have.
I pray you find strength.
MaryAnn
-
Hey, Becky!!!
Way to go!
Can I bribe you to send me some of those cookies????
XOXOXOX
MaryAnn
-
Glad to hear Earl is feeling better, and outlook is optimistic .
Bless you both, and enjoy life.
MaryAnn
-
minigeorge
What Cindy said is good advice.
Your chest pains should diminish after all the tubes are out, and if you are in pain, please ask the doctor for pain meds. I lost half the nerves to my larynx, and can talk okay, but often lose most of my voice. Can't sing anymore. Small price to pay.
Wishing you all the best in your recovery. You sound as if you are doing well, and I pray it continues.
MaryAnn
-
Cindi,
My tumor also involved a large mass in the neck, and ribs. I had radiation concurrent with vp-16 and cisplatin, which killed the tumor (they found on removal) and considerably shrunk it all partially into treatment.
If your mom is lethargic, try a more passive distraction, like renting movies. I lived on rented movies and library books. Humorous movies are great, and humor actually seems to stimulate the immune system.
An antidepressant and/or counseling with someone who specializes in medical traumas might also help. Families are so loving and try to spare the other the burden of being strong, they keep so much to themselves, it helps to have someone to vent to. Ask your doctor or the social intervention specialist at the hospital if they can recommend anyone.
I also had a special friend who "adopted" me from church. The visits helped, making new friends was an 'upper'.
Blessings and prayers for your and your mom.
Tell her to put her worries in God's pockets.. they are deep enough.
She has enough to deal with without worry.
MaryAnn
-
I was seriously anemic, and had two transfusions prior to starting chemo, when they started to give me weekly procrit shots instead.
I had a craving for red meat, and high iron green vegetables. I was told to stay away from the "good " vitamins, like antioxidants, because they interfered with the chemo, but good nutritional support is fundamental to getting through this.
All the red meat he wants!! and all the calories he can handle, assuming he has no prior medical condition that would preclude this.
The other thing is just to not push yourself, as one feels terribly breathless on exertion when anemic. Rest, and rest comfortably. This too shall pass.
MaryAnn
-
I posted the ingredients and pharmacology directions under mouthwash in the last month. Just click on my profile, what I've posted, and look for mouthwash. It helps a lot.
Also, there may be a problem with acidity, and something like prilosec might help.
Sadly, some chemo makes everything taste wierd. It took me a long time to recover my taste buds, and I never did recover my taste for rich chocolate stuff. sigh.....
The blender idea is a good one, or else serve it up with ice cream, softened.
Good luck to your dad. He sounds like a fighter, thinking of chocolate cake.
MaryAnn
-
Hey GuitarGod,
Yes, it's pretty normal. I took prilosec for 2 years. I also had reflux problems, not sure how much to blame on the surgery. It eventually gets much better, but in the beginning go for the medications, and don't be shy about asking the doctors for medications to reduce side effect/after effect symptoms. If you feel better, you'll recover your strength a little faster.
Just my nickel's worth.
MaryAnn
-
It sounds like they know what cell type it is, and likely what chemos to try if they could diagnose nsclc I would suspect it had been biopsied (?). So, if they know what works on the cells they know about, if they're not primary the chemo should be just as effective on the cells they can't find, ie the suspected primary.
Surgery isn't an answer if there's cancer cells in the pleural fluid, but chemo could help.
Your brother is young, and otherwise healthy, so he has every chance of experiencing a miracle if the chemo is effective.
Believe in miracles, and be of strong faith.
Miracles happen every day. I am one.
God bless and keep you all close.
MaryAnn
-
If the dexa methasone is a steroid like prednisone, I can well understand the sleep disruption. Perhaps the Dr.s would consider a lower dosage?
I remember with a new baby in the house if I could get one 3 hr stretch I could catnap the rest.
Wishing your dad the best,
MaryAnn
buddy
in NSCLC GROUP
Posted
Buddy and Norme --
God bless and keep you through this ordeal.
MaryAnn