Bud Baker

Welcome, Tami. Yes, some stretches of what you have to go though with treatment are pretty tough. I'm a long distance cyclist used to being able to do whatever I want, but came home from lung surgery unable to put on my own socks for days. But the fact that you had surgery gives you a better chance than many. So hang in there and keep slogging along. There are plenty here to help you along the way, or just listen to your rants when you feel like ranting. Sorry you need to be here, but glad you found us. Again, welcome!

I know what you mean, Debi. Between my family, job, and riding, I had plenty to do, and my first inclination was to throw myself into everything and just try to forget that it ever happened. But after the trauma of open lung surgery, sitting in chemo rooms with other cancer patients, and interacting online with others who are later lost or lose loved ones, it's easier said than done. I think getting involved, trying to help and give support is therapeutic for the soul.

I'm coming up on that two year anniversary myself. Big congrats, Bruce!

December will make 2 years of survival for me. I'm way too busy, working 45 hours a week and riding my bicycle 130 miles a week, although I'm hoping to do something about that work time before long.

Wow, 9 years! Congrats, Barb!

Like she did for many others, Sandra was among the first to greet me when I showed up here. It's so hard to believe she's gone. Condolences to her family and friends.

It's raining here in North Texas, on the day that was supposed to be my first day to ride the bike to work rather than driving. I dropped that idea when I saw the lightning in the west. Maybe next week... Speaking of riding, after I got home from work yesterday, Rose and I rode 20 miles on the tandem. It was her first bike ride since her second round of chemo in July. I think she was a bit tired when we got home.

Congrats on 3 years, Patti! Keep on keeping on!

Interesting stuff. If 85 percent of lung cancer is related to smoking, and eating red meat every day gives you an 85 percent greater chance of getting colon cancer, why haven't we stigmatized eating red meat like we have smoking? The other thing that caught my eye is the staying out of the sun thing. We can stay out of the sun and get less cancer, but it will also cause us to have less vitamin D in our system, which causes a whole host of health problems, including increasing our chances of lung cancer. It gets tough to decide what's healthy and what's not sometimes...

I finally got around to joining Facebook when Jerrold Dash, a local survivor and double lung transplant recipient, invited me. I really don't post much there, but now have so much family and so many lung cancer and cycling friends there that I check on everyone pretty much every day.

So sorry to read this, Kristi. Condolences to you and your family.

Way to go Carol, CONGRATS!

Hi Cindy. Welcome. We'd love to hear more of your story. You don't say where in Texas you are. I live in Crowley. If you're in the DFW area, please consider joining us at our in person lung cancer support group which meets in Trophy Club the last Monday of every month (that's this coming Monday). You can find more info here.

Very interesting video, Ned. Thanks. The head of the Mayo Clinic says the best health care delivery system doesn't make a very good business model. Somehow, we already knew that.

Five years. Those are some pretty magical words around here. Big congrats, Kasey!

Welcome Mary. Sorry you need to be here, but glad you found us.

Rose is a cyclist, too, although she hasn't tackled the kind of distances that I ride. She had done her longest ride ever, an 80 mile ride, just three weeks before being diagnosed with cancer. She did three short rides after her first round of chemo, but has had too much exhaustion to ride since.

Welcome, Millie's girl. I am a stage IIa survivor who has been cancer free for 21 months now since surgery. There are no guarantees here, but I really hope you can get your mother to change her mind about treatment. Keep us up to date on what happens, and good luck!

It was a good day in the RoseBud household today. After finishing her 4th round of AC last week, Rose had an ultrasound and mammogram today and there is no sign of her tumors left; she has had a complete response to chemo. She still has to endure 12 weeks of weekly Taxol followed by surgeries, but this kind of response to chemo means she has a better chance of remaining cancer free after it's all over.

So sorry to read this. Condolences to her family and friends.

The magic five years, congrats, nonni!

Sounds great, Dana!

Welcome, Kelli. Sorry you need to be here, but glad you found us. Best wishes for your dad.

That sounds like great news for both of you, Barb. Congrats!

This is one of those things that those of us on chemotherapy or with loved ones on chemotherapy (my wife starts Taxol [paclitaxel] in three weeks) hate to see, but probably need to be reminded of, every so often. It drives home the importance of supporting research to find better treatments. It wasn't Taxol, but its cousin Taxotere, that had me well on my way to cardiac arrest as they raced me from the chemo treatment room off to the emergency room.