gerbil runner

I've never smoked, and my mom's sclc is pretty well linked to her heavy smoking for over 40 years. But at the same time, I remember her trying to quit. It was literal torture for her. Smoking is more addictive than drinking or heroin, yet there is no inpatient treatment for smoking. Heck, you can go to a fat farm to lose weight, but smokers have little help. I believe most need a lot of medical support, like antidepressants and the like, but few will get what they really need to quit. And even if cigarettes magically vanished, there would still be a lot of new lung cancer cases for the next 40 years. You MUST forgive your mother so you can move on, so you can love and support her. You don't have to feel she is doing the right thing. Just love her. Her smoking says more about the nature of addiction than the quality of her character.

I'm so sorry to hear David has passed. Praying for strength and peace for the Chapmans. David is at peace, but my heart breaks for his family...he will be sorely missed but never forgotten.

I'm so sorry.

That's great! Best wishes for continued "no news".

I'm so sorry things are not going well right now. Hopefully hospice will get Mike comfortable soon, and you can have some good time together.

Hope you have some better days ahead. My mom had WBR in March and is finally getting rid of most of the side effects. Maybe a little more time will perk you up.

Hi, Troy. I know how frustrating it is to not have a 100% diagnosis. My mom had brushings and washings from her lung and pancreas which were inconclusive, and her first bronchoscopy biopsy was inconclusive also, though it put her on a ventilator for a couple of days due to bleeding. Her second bronchoscopy finally yielded results. Yet she achieved remission from extensive sclc, and despite brain mets, she's still fighting for her quality of life. Fishing, reading, and thinking of painting again. Hang in there, try to get your mom to get a second opinion if she doesn't get a good diagnosis. If it is small cell, it can respond really well to chemo.

Aww, Beth, this stinks! I'm so sorry to read this. Avoid dairy (vanilla soy milk is pretty good) and fats if you can to keep your gallbladder quiet. Hang in there.

Prayers for Dave to feel better and the moving stuff to go easily. Prayers for the rest of your family for strength and hope.

I'm so sorry to read this. May you find some moments of peace and love in the dark days.

This is very recent - when Mom had the mets before radiation, her reaction times still seemed normal. She hasn't had chemo in over a year.

Mom's doing pretty well, all things considered. We really enjoyed the Smothers Brothers on Sunday. I rented a motorized scooter for Mom, and it was a real eye-opener for us both. Mom had a very hard time reacting in time to stop for doors, avoid people, etc. Mom has also had a couple of falls lately, and I think they are related to her poor reflexes/reaction time. When she gets off balance or her foot catches on something, she goes down before she can do anything to stop it. She tripped and fell flat on her face a couple of weeks ago. Luckily she was on a cushy carpeted floor. Mom feels like she's getting stronger, but the falls are scary for her because she's down before she realizes what happened. Has anyone else experienced similar problems after WBR? She also has short-term memory problems, but not too bad. A little nausea, but that's getting better. Her oncologist is happy with her progress, and the scans after WBR indicated it has been successful. Thanks.

Wishing you great scan results. And on Tuesday, be sure to tell the nurses you need reassurance - I was a wreck on the way to surgery, and the nurses all rallied around to offer support and tell me how great my surgeon and anesthesiologist (sp?) were. It really helped on that last scary trip to the OR. Then next thing you know, it will be done and everyone will be telling you it was all OK.

I am so sorry to read this news. As hard as it is to face reality, sometime we have to, and you are being so strong, Karen, I have to admire you. At the same time, there are always the "oddball" survivor stories - like the one KatieB posted a link to about the woman with SCLC with recurring mets to the brain who was alive and kickin' 15 YEARS later. I keep praying that Dave will become one of those wildcard survivor stories written up in medical journals. At any rate, many prayers for your whole family.

Not fair not fair not fair! There ARE miracles that happen. May God find it in His plans to make a spectacular miracle of you.

Darn it, Fay, haven't those stupid cancer cells learned you never give up? Wishing you strength, hope, and effective treatment.

A hairy navel for me and a Mike's Hard Lemonade for bellringer - she went fishing this past Sunday for the first time this year. Had help getting down to the dock and help climbing the 2 flights of stairs back up to the house. We're going to see the Smothers Brothers on Sunday. Here's to you all - and a toast to Betty.

Moms always seem to want to be last on the list of concerns. You need to see your husband. Just make absolutely sure your mom is not suffering from anemia. Exhaustion, shortness of breath...my mom almost died from anemia. Naturally, it's easily treated.

Sorry I missed this! Hope you had a great day, KatieB!

I'm so sorry to read this. I hope you will find comfort.

Just wanted to let you know we're looking for hope too. Jen. My mom had 3 large brain mets which were causing personality changes. Radiation has reversed these changes and the tumors are shrinking. Long-term remains to be seen.

Kelsey, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. She sure did her best, as did you.

It's great that you have a dr. with more options for you, and even better that you don't need them now!

I'm so sorry to read of your loss. Your dad was obviously a very special man.

So glad to hear your mom is doing well! Enjoy your shopping.