Lisa O

Thanks for the very informative post!

I am sending prayers to you and your family Bill.

TAnn, I sure hope they fix the meds so you have more ok and good days. You are in my prayers. Lisa

Is she doing this instead of regular treatments?

I am not sure if this is what you are asking but there is a sect that believes that certain crystals have healing powers. For example, amethyst, if handled correctly would provide healing powers.

It sounds like you are doing a great job keeping your promise, one minute, one day, one week at a time. I am so sorry you have to miss him at all, but I am sure he is very proud of your strength and resolve.

You really got me!!

Rich, You have truly made this journey easier. Thank you. I wish you many many many more happy years. Lisa

Hi.... either chocolate with vanilla frosting or vanilla with chocolate frosting.... thanks for asking!

Shellie, I worry myself sick about every pain my children have. Of course, I truly believe it is NUTS not to check it out. My advice???? GET A NEW DOCTOR. (By the way, I am a med mal attorney and have seen too many docs call too many people loopy when there have been physical complaints)

Don, I am so glad Lucie is not having pain from the bone mets. Congratulations on your Grandson's graduation! Your family will be in my prayers. I know the next appointment happened so I will look for the next step but I really wanted to comment on your Grandson's graduation!

TAnn, You are such a strong woman!!! I hope the catheter allows you much more comfort. I am keeping you in my prayers. Lisa

I really believe in the power of prayer. There was some recent study where they were trying to undermine the affect of prayer (the study was done using complications following cardiac surgery), but I do not believe one can use a narrow based study to disbelieve such a powerful phenomenon.

I have heard of the Tumeric and before using the Iressa did use it in pill supplement form. I do know some people who greatly believe in it's anti-inflammatory powers.

I am sending so many prayers and so much love your way... I wish I could make it better.

((TAnn)) I am wishing you all the best success and the lowest side affects.

I have not but have had many other esopogeal procedures done and they have usually kept me comfortable. I am wishing you the very best of luck with the procedure and the results. I will be watching for news. Lisa

I cannot begin to tell you how much the support of this board means to me right now. I have been in such a bad state over this -- I really needed to know if I was over-reacting due to Leah's insecurities. I AM going to do something about this matter. I am going to use these replies to gather the strength and support that only those who have been there can offer. This darn disease can be so isolating - I don't know what we would do without a place to post to eachother in times like this. From the bottom of my heart, please accept my love and thanks. Lisa

I have found accupressure to be very helpful for pain and other symptoms. I used to do accupunture but it didn't work so well with the Iressa. A healthy diet is always recommended but oncologists are split on whether antioxidants taken in high doses by way of oral supplement during chemo is a good idea so it is a good idea. Mine doesn't mind ingestion by eating whole foods but the only oral supplement allowed is a multivitamin during treatment.

This whole post is informative!!! Thanks.

perfect timing for me!

By way of refresher, I an a stage IV BAC, diagnosed first by thorascopic biopsy 6/02 then determined to be stage IV during thoracotomy 7/02. I have been "relatively" stable on Iressa and Celebrex for three and a half years. I have two children, the 10 year old is the subject of this post. My daughter's class has an anti- drug program called D.A.R.E. It is a great program which basically scares the children away from alcohol tobacco and drugs. The problem is that they presented the information regarding tobacco in a very terrifying manner to my daughter's class and when she heard the statistics, she suffered a major setback regarding dealing with any ability to handle my lung cancer. Leah had been told of my lung cancer honestly from the onset. She has also been told that the medication is working. We do not discuss DEATH one way or another although she has not been made any promises and does understand that "some people" "can" die from cancer, including lung cancer. This presentation was basically a slap in the face and a promise that I WOULD die from this. Unfortunately, the presenting officer's father had died at 42 from lung cancer. To complicate matters, during the presentation, the officer made it clear that lung cancer was the result of the person's own actions,.... ie.... smoking. At that time, my daughter raised her hand and corrected him and told him that I had lung cancer unrelated to tobacco and that it is not unusual to get lung cancer from other causes. The officer was taken aback and felt terrible. Her teacher, however, assumed that Leah was fine and never called me to alert me to the conversation or to tell me what type of statistics would be presented in D.A.R.E. When Leah got home she was quite unnerved and repeatedly said, "I know that is not going to happen to you though right Mommy.... your medicine is working so you won't die right"? All I could do was tell her that my medicine was working right now but that no one knows what the future holds. She was not reassured and she has been calling out for me in the middle of the night. When I mentioned this to the teacher she told me that the officer has to answer all questions and that he would continue to talk about death if that is what came up in class. She said if a student asked how long someone would live if diagnosed with lung cancer he would answer that. I told her no one could answer that. I then called the officer who was VERY reasonable and said he would not discuss statistics or death at all in DARE and that he regretted bringing it up at all. Yesterday, my daughter's principal told me that it was unreasonable to expect the curriculum to change for my daughter. She also said that since my daughter spoke in class, "she was fine" and apparently only became upset when she saw me. She also said that since I was on TV (this was regarding women and lung cancer NOT DEATH STATISTICS and LEAH DIDN'T SEE IT) that I shouldn't be concerned with the death statistics they presented in school. I am writing this because she was extremely cruel and hurtful during our discussion yesterday. Both my mother and I have lung cancer and the discussion on death was very damaging to my daughter. We are swimming backwards right now but I am not sure how angry I have a right to feel about the comments made. Thanks for any input. Lisa

Whew! So glad you are back and things are under control! You were in a lot of prayers!

This is evastating news. That poor family has been through so much.

She was one of the strongest woman I have ever known. She helped me so much in this journey. I will miss her terribly. Lisa