Don M

Welcome Claire. I hope your dad's tratment goes well. Don M

welcome Linda. I hope you can keep your dad comfortable and at home. I am 62. I suppose if I were 82 and frail, knowing what I know about chemo now, I would take the path your dad is taking. Between his doctors and you, it sounds like he is in good hands. don m

I found out how to have my pc software setup to receive faxes. The next report will be faxed directly to me the same time that the doctors get the report. Don M

I certainly understand the anxiety feeling. It is excruciating. I once had it just for a moment when I over exerted myself and could not get enough air no matter how much I tried to breathe it in. Most of the time I just stop exerting myself and wait, knowing that I will be able to get enough air in 20 seconds or so. But once, I allowed myself to imagine what it would be like if this was the way I had to be for a long time. Then, I had the sense of the anxiety. Phew. I am glad it only lasts less than a minute. I am a one lunged person. Don M

Frank:I hope you are finding a comfortable rhythm in your hospice situation.

I think it is too slow too. if you went to a comprehensive cancer center it would move much faster.

Grace, your family have my prayers. Don M

Hi: you are experiencing the downside of using spiral ct scans for early detection, namely, finding nodules that may very well be nothing to worry about , but worrying anyway. Now that you and your docs know that something is there, I think your insurance would cover any future ct scans. I have had several nodules in my right and only lung that have been doing nothing for 3 years now. The radiologists don't remark on them any more. Just get the scans and watch. Unfortunately, the only way early detection can pay off is if they actually find lung cancer. Then the cure rate is over 90%. I hope you find a way to deal with the anxitey. don M

Frank: my heart will walk with you. don M

Hi. I see you have gotten a lot of good info here already. I just would like to welcome you. I think your dad should go to a major comprehensive cancer cener for a second opinion at least, to verify the treatment, especially if his current doctor volunteered the opinion that he has 6 months to live. However, chemo with concurrent radiation is a good course of treatment for late stage cancer. don M

HOLLAR!!

Hi Ken, welcome to LCHELP. I hope your wife's treatment is hugely successful. I also go to Swedish. Don M

Welcome Inna; I took some supplements with my chemo and radiation, but I checked out with my oncologists first. i hope your dad's treatment goes well. Don M

Vicki, welcome to lchelp. If I were you, I would get the sprial ct scan. I never had any symptoms at all when I found out about my cancer. The fact that you smoked and have a family history of cancer is reason enough to get the scan. Whether someone had the symptoms or not that you describe is largely irrelevant and probably not much of an indicator for cancer one way or the other. Don M

Thanks for your post Bill. I always read your posts as does everyone else, I am sure. I am glad you have found a way to deal with carrying the lc around with you. For myself, I don't mind dying...someday, I just don't want to have cancer. I guess having cancer kind of rubs my face in the subject of death and dying. Mostly, I keep it in the background though. I am alive and feel good now and that is enough. Don M

Sonia, you all have my prayers. don M

Well, as I mentioned once in an earlier post, I used to have one straight, thick, continuous eyebrow that went over both eyes and my nose in between. now I have 2 normal looking eyebrows, but they are a little sparse. I still have nose hairs and ear hairs. Don M

Barb, the bronchoscopy was inconclusive. I will do another one in 2 months if the scan still glows. I asked the pulmonolgist to put me on steroids to see if the glow goes away. He said he would and I am supposed to do it 3 weeks before my next scan. If the glow is still there, I will consider it an active cancer. Then I will do another bronchscopy, mainly to insert fiducials. They will have the super dimension bronchus up and running by then and will be able to navigate the entire lung. So, anyway, I just say to myself, "just this much". It is a little mantra I guess that makes me feel better. Don M

well. at lest you know it is not brain mets or something else in the brain. I hope you get it figured out. Don M

If there are options, there is hope. Your dad asked a straight forward question and the doc gave the answer as best as he knew how, but the Tarceva may work well. there is also avastin to try. I hope the tarceva works well for your dad, Amanda.

I am glad you are feeling better Tracy. I hope you work out a way to deal with the unknowns. I think we all do it one way or the other. Anyway, you feel good now! Don M

Moonstar, please accept my condolences for your loss. don M

Hi Sonia I can't say what your dad's stage is and I doubt a doctor would say without tests and such like the bone scan. It does sound like it is late stage. Here is a link that talks about staging: http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/defau ... 6706#about I may be late stage, but I don't really care and don't want to know, as long as they know how to treat it. My cancer is not easily staged because it is local and has not been biopsied. I did have cancer in my left lung. now my left lung is gone, but I have cancer in my right lung now. If it is the same cancer as what was in my left lung, I would be stage 4. If it is a new primary, I would be stage 1. whatever...I just want it to go away. I hope your dad can put on some wight. Maintaining a healthy weight is half the battle. Is he still eating well? Try keeping snacks on hand and encourage him to eat at frequent intervals during the day. Now would be a good time for him to eat yummy stuff like ice cream and bananas and chocolate syrup. Don m

I don't know much about that kind of cancer and its treatment other than what you have told us. You could ask Dr West about it. He and a very good surgeon at his hospital have treated at least one person that I know of for meso. http://www.onctalk.com/forum/ Don M

Wow Michele, that is quite a war story. I hope your recovery goes well and you do well with chemo. I don't know about the sweating on one side. Don M