lynne

I am so sorry that you have had such bad luck since your surgery. It is amazing how companies can 'make excuses" to get rid of someone... Look at it as their loss. Surely something better is out there for you! God closes a door, he opens a window, it just may take you a while to find it! Congratulations on a wonderful outlook! I am sure that God is not through with you yet..and is working on something wonderful for you! Lynne

I am so very proud of you! I am sure that it is a very difficult thing to do...quitting this horrible addiction! I will pray that your physical shows a clean bill of health..not only for you but for your daughters as well. Lynne

Dave, Sorry this is happening...Try to remain positive, and think good thoughts! We are here if you want to scream, rant and rave about how much cancer sucks. Nothing about cancer, especially lung cancer is fair! Praying for good results from the tests! Lynne

>>glad Dean is home, seems you two been through the wringer the last few weeks<<<< It feels that way from here...but I do try to keep in mind that there are a lot more people worse than we are. (I fail misserably at doing that at times...but I do try). He has been hospitalized twice since he was diagnoised in September! Seems he just starts to feel better and back we go! I am trying to be thankful for the good days..and even the bad days we have together! He continues to have 'lumps' and swelling..and of course I have a hard time not imagining the worse. Thanks to everyone for letting me sound off and vent my worries....it helps to write it even if no one responds...Guess that I should start that journaling that everyone is suggesting! Sunday morning and time to get ready for church..and enjoy the day! Lynne

>>glad Dean is home, seems you two been through the wringer the last few weeks<<<< It feels that way from here...but I do try to keep in mind that there are a lot more people worse than we are. (I fail misserably at doing that at times...but I do try). He has been hospitalized twice since he was diagnoised in September! Seems he just starts to feel better and back we go! I am trying to be thankful for the good days..and even the bad days we have together! He continues to have 'lumps' and swelling..and of course I have a hard time not imagining the worse. Thanks to everyone for letting me sound off and vent my worries....it helps to write it even if no one responds...Guess that I should start that journaling that everyone is suggesting! Sunday morning and time to get ready for church..and enjoy the day! Lynne

Marisa, No one can make any decisions for you...that is something that only the patient can do...of course, you can listen to advise, do research..and talk to professionals to help you decide what to do or not to do, but the ultimate decision is yours and yours alone. You have to be able to be satisfied with whatever decison that you make, and not second guess yourself. there is no "what if's" .. I hope that you are doing research...talking to professionals..and praying about the decisions that are forthcoming...not those that are past. Sorry that you are having to go through all this...but do know that we are here for you...(I am very new here...but have already learned that this is a great source of support..and great people that will just listen when you need to get it out). Prayers for peace, comfort and strength go with you. Lynne

I am so glad that you were able to get some pain relief for your mother! Pain control is a BIG DEAL in the comfort and treatment of lung cancer...or any cancer for that matter! If a patient is in so much pain, they eventually want to give up and not fight it any longer....depression..etc sets in! Hope your mom is feeling better soon! Lynne

Dean is home from the hospital. He got a third unit of blood today, a shot of Procrit....another bag of antibiotics...a prescription to bring hom for antibiotics...and here he is! I could not believe that he had to have a 3rd unit of blood! ... He is feeling good...very tired..but good. It is good to have him home. He had a hard night. He kept moaning and groaning in his sleep. He had nightmares, and would cry out and mumble in his sleep. He was up and down all night. It was a LONG night...but it was so good to have him here! Well, off to get ready for work...SO glad it is Friday! Have a WONDERFUL weekend everyone! Lynne

Cecilia, Sorry that you are here under the circumstances. My husband is not yet receiving radiation, and he too has alot of back pain. I would think that it would be the disease more than the radiation causing the pain. I have read that they use radiation to actually alleviate pain...so I really doubt that is the case. You have been given some excellent suggestions on pain meds...hope that one of them will help your mother. Lynne

We got GOOD NEWS!! What a relief, my imagination is a wild and wonderful thing, EXCEPT when it comes to Dean and his being sick...then it gets me in a horrible state of affairs! The onocologist said that the ct showed a 30% shrinkage in the tumors. That there was still alot of them and that they were still all over. ..but...they were responding to the chemo! He said that it did not appear to be putting pressure on the superior vena cava....WHAT A RELIEF! He said that the swelling is from the iv fluids,....(which he was getting since Sunday night). the fact that the lymph nodes all in the chest and neck are infected and not draining that good to begin with since there is so much cancer in the chest wall....and then add steroids to the mix..and you have swelling....flushing of face and shaking! I was so relieved!! Dean is so HOT...(no fever)...that he has a fan going full time in his hospital room! I go in and I freeze to death. Autumn (winter) has hit! FINALLY. It has been in the 80's and 90's here...and today when I went to lunch it was 43!! It dropped almost 50 degrees since yesterday at this time! ..No wonder so many people are sick! We have even gotten a little rain! Which we need so much! It is a great day....we celebrate and praise God for the small blessings! Lynne

Well, after having had who knows how much antibiotics, steroids, dilauid, oxygen, two units of blood...he is feeling much better. I went to see him at lunch today. He looked pretty good. He had some swelling around his neck,....under his arm..etc. but it was not that bad. I left him at 2...I came back at 5:30. He was swollen like a toad. His cheeks were 'red' and FAT...his collar bone has a soft huge knot on it...running up into his neck. His entire right side of his face is swollen...Under his right arm, it is so swollen that it 'bounces' like a water bed. He was "SHAKING" very bad!.... Our son had got there about 5 minutes before I had. He had already called the nurses who were just going in the room when I walked in. They called the onocologist...who said it was probably increaded lymph node involvement....that the CT that he has tomorrow will show us exactly what we are dealing with. I had asked him about the knot/lump on Deans back...he said..."well, it is not soft like a fatty tumor..."..."It could be a tumor'....but the only way we will know is to do a biopsy...and I do not think that he needs that right now. It will not change the treatment..."..."let's worry about what we already know we need to worry about and nothing more"....I almost got the feeling that he really thinks it is a tumor...but ...nothing more we can do about it... that if the chemo is going to work, it will take care of it. He is suppose to have radiation after the chemo. So...now I am sitting here letting my wifely imagination run wild... I am so afraid that it is in the spine.....and affecting the nervous system.... I am trying hard to remain positive...and not let this get me down... Praying for that miracle... THanks again for all your support... Lynne