Jump to content

gerbil runner

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,022

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by gerbil runner

    Cancer has returned

    in NSCLC GROUP

    Posted

    Grumpy, only the person who has to endure the treatment can decide if it's "worth" it.

    That being said, you could try Iressa and toss it if it makes matters worse.

    Hope you find a dr with more "human" qualities.

    update

    in SCLC GROUP

    Posted

    My mom had some delusional behavior after being intubated for 4 days. It went away quickly - we laugh about it now.

    The hospital makes some people have anxiety attacks just by itself. It's no wonder your dad has a harder time in the hospital.

    Prayers going out for you all.

    Celebrites who died of Lung Cancer

    in ADVOCACY

    Posted

    Let's see if this works...

    FIRST NAME LAST NAME AGE DATES CLAIM TO FAME NOTES

    Stephen Ambrose Ambrose 66 1936-2002 author/historian “Band of Brothers”

    Chris Andromidas Andromidas 50 singer/songwriter

    Desi Arnaz Arnaz 69 1917-1986 Actor

    Mark Belanger Belanger 54 1944-1998 Baseball player, Baltimore Orioles

    Jack Benny Benny 80 Comedian Some sources claim pancreatic cancer

    Leonard Bernstein Bernstein 72 1918-1990 Composer, conductor, pianist

    Bobby Bonds Bonds 57 Baseball player, San Francisco Giants

    Yul Brynner Brynner 65 Stage actor

    Eric Carr Carr 41 Drummer for Kiss

    Lon Cheney Cheney 47 Silent film actor (Phantom of the Opera)

    Nat “King” Cole Cole 45 singer/songwriter

    Chuck Connors Connors 71 1921-1992 Actor (The Rifleman)

    Gary Cooper Cooper 60 Actor

    Joe DiMaggio DiMaggio 84 Baseball legend, husband of Marylin Monroe

    Walt Disney Disney 65 Founder of Disney Company

    Duke Ellington Ellington 75 Musician (It Don't Mean a Thing)

    Larry Gilbert Gilbert 54 PGA Senior Tour Golfer

    Arthur Godfrey Godfrey 81 1903-1983 Actor, “Chesterfield” pitch-man Had surgery for LC in 1959 – some sources claim emphysema as cause of death

    Betty Grable Grable 57 Pin-up girl, actress

    George Harrison Harrison 57 Musician (The Beatles)

    Susan Hayward Hayward 55 Actress

    Mo Howard Howard 77 “Mo” of the Three Stooges

    Nancy Gore Hunter Hunter 46 Sister to Al Gore

    Chet Huntley Huntley 62 1911-1974 Journalist, worked with David Brinkley

    Andy Kaufman Kaufman 35 1949-1984 actor/comedian Non-smoker

    Eddie Kendrick Kendrick 52 Singer (Temptations)

    Alan Lerner Lerner 67 1918-1986 Broadway Composer

    Larry Linville Linville 60 1939-2000 Actor, M*A*S*H* (Frank Burns)

    Roger Maris Maris 51 Baseball player, New York Yankees

    Bob Marley Marley 36 Musician, reggae Some say he had melanoma on his toe

    Wayne McLaren McLaren 51 The Marlboro Man (no kidding!)

    Doug McLure McLure 56 TV actor (The Virginian)

    Steve McQueen McQueen 50 Actor

    Audrey Meadows Meadows 69 1926-1996 “Alice Kramden” (Honeymooners)

    Robert Mitchum Mitchum 79 1917-1997 Actor (Cape Fear)

    Agnes Moorehead Moorehead 74 Actress (Bewitched)

    Henry Morgan Morgan 79 1915-1994 Actor (I've got a secret) Not to be confused with Harry Morgan (M*A*S*H*)

    Edward R. Murrow Murrow 57 1908-1965 Reporter, radio and tv

    Patrick O'Neal O'Neal 66 -1994 Actor

    Jesse Owens Owens 66 1913-1980 Olympian track star, humiliated Hitler Smoked a pack a day

    George Peppard Peppard 65 1928-1994 Actor, “A-Team”

    Kim Perrot Perrot 32 1967-1999 WNBA star Non-smoker, declined chemo after surgery, had mets to brain

    Dick Powell Powell 59 1904-1963 Actor

    Vincent Price Price 82 Actor

    Eddie Rabbit Rabbit 56 singer/songwriter

    Harry Reasoner Reasoner 1923-1991 Reporter

    Lee Remick Remick 55 1935-1991 Actress Kidney and lung cancer

    Cal Ripkin Sr. Ripkin 63 Baseball player

    Ed Sullivan Sullivan 72 Host of “The Ed Sullivan Show”

    Will Thornbury Thornbury 56 Camel Model

    Franchot Tone Tone 63 1905-1968 Actor

    Spencer Tracy Tracy 66 Actor

    Jim Varney Varney 50 Actor (“Vern”)

    Sarah Vaughn Vaughn 66 1924-1991 Jazz and bebop singer

    Nancy Walker Walker 69 1922-1992 Broadway and tv actress

    John Wayne Wayne 72 Actor Exposed to radiation on movie set

    Stephen Weiss Weiss -2001 Artist, husband of Donna Karan

    Carl Wilson Wilson 51 Musician (The Beach Boys)

    Warren Zevon Zevon 56 singer/songwriter Mesothelioma

    Early Detection and making smokers aware

    in ADVOCACY

    Posted

    Fear and denial are huge problems. And xrays don't catch everything - my mother had bronchitis and chest xrays last February. Nine months later, sclc extensive stage.

    Many people underestimate how difficult it is to quit smoking. I've never smoked, but I've watched my mother battle to quit several times. She's finally quit, probably for good this time. I think many smokers buy into the idea that they are responsible for possible LC, and guilt, shame and fear keep them from getting screened.

    The really scary part is, even if someone quits smoking, the damage may be done already. One of our newer members has a family member with sclc who quit smoking over 20 years ago!

    nslc or not?

    in INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

    Posted

    Hi and welcome (though sorry you need to be here).

    My mom has sclc, not nsclc, but diagnosis was not easy for her, either. The met to her pancreas closed down her bile duct, which is what sent her to the dr. Her dr. and the first onc. who saw her believed she had pancreatic cancer (which her sister had died of 10 years ago). If you think lc is grim, look at the stats for pancreatic cancer - moves fairly fast, hard to diagnose early and not very responsive to chemo.

    A pulmonary dr. who was consulted voiced his opinion that it might be lc spread to the pancreas, rather than pancreatic cancer spread to the lung. The first bronchoscopy resulted in my mother needing a ventilator due to bleeding - but no diagnosis other than "atypical cells".

    Four days later, after transferring to a bigger hospital, another bronchoscopy also failed to give a dx. Oh, and then there were the tests on sputum which were inconclusive as well (which were done before the first bronchoscopy).

    Finally, a CT-guided needle biopsy of the pancreas confirmed SCLC. It took 19 days in the hospital to get the dx.

    Sometimes the samples just don't give enough info. And a correct dx is crucial. If the first onc. had stopped at the pancreatic cancer dx, my mother would not have been given proper treatment, and probably would not be here today.

    As hard as it is, try to be patient while the dr. figures out the true diagnosis. Hopefully there will be good treatment options to go with it!

    Oh, and BTW, ignore the stats. Only God knows your uncle's future.

    Brain mets

    in SCLC GROUP

    Posted

    Janet, I can't begin to imagine your shock...I'm so sorry.

    My mother had bronchitis and clean x-rays in Feb 2003, and then diagnosed in November with extensive sclc. It moves with deadly speed.

    I think we narrowly avoided tragedy ourselves...the first onc. my mom saw thought she had pancreatic cancer, stage IV (which her eldest sister died of 10 years ago). Had the pulmonary dr. not pressed for a bronchoscopy which eventually led to the correct dx., she would not be here now.

    I hope you will begin to find some peace.

    SCLC Extensive

    in SCLC GROUP

    Posted

    My mom has extensive sclc. From what I have learned on this board, I would say make sure your dad's onc. is as aggressive as your dad wants. And encourage him to be a bit of a hypochodriac. The bad stuff that can happen, from chemo reactions to recurrences, happen really fast. Any new symptom or significant change should be checked out.

    Radiation, according to my mother's dr, will increase chances of survival. However, with ES SCLC, there is a balance between possible benefit and quality of life. Radiation was not brought up for my mother until it was discovered she had an excellent tumor response to chemo. Then they recommended radiation to the lung and her pancreas met. It's tough for the patient, though - mom is very tired.

    If your dad's onc. is anything like my mom's, then the first set of scans after starting chemo will be very important.

    Hang in there - your dad could be one who does very well. And the fact that he has quit smoking will help him stay strong for treatment. Encourage him to enjoy each day he feels well and keep him golfing! Keeping a positive attitude is important.

    CHICKEN ENGINEERING

    in JUST FOR FUN

    Posted

    Chicken Engineering at Its Finest

    In a recent issue of Meat & Poultry magazine, editors quoted from ''Feathers,'' the publication of the California Poultry Industry Federation, telling the following story:

    It seems the US Federal Aviation Administration has a unique device for testing the strength of windshields on airplanes. The device is a gun that launches a dead chicken at a plane's windshield at approximately the speed the airplane flies. The theory is that if the windshield can withstand the carcass test impact, it'll survive a real collision with a bird during flight.

    Apparently, the British were very interested in this and wanted to test a windshield on a brand new, high-speed train they were developing.. They borrowed the FAA's chicken launcher, loaded a chicken and fired. The ballistic chicken not only shattered the windshield, but went through the engineer's seat, broke an instrument panel, and was imbedded in the back wall of the engine cab. The British were stunned and asked the FAA to review the test to see if everything was done correctly.

    The FAA reviewed the data thoroughly and had one recommendation: ''Use a thawed chicken.''

    Pls pray I find the right words to tell my children

    in HOPE

    Posted

    Elaine, think long and hard about a second opinion. Or just fire the d*mn oncologist who gives you 6 months. If you want to fight, find an onc. who is willing to help.

    Your children NEED to know what's going on (and I speak as the daughter of an LC patient). Give them the address of this site so they can get a helpful education.

    Not all doctors are created equal. Extensive SCLC is pretty grim, but the doctors working with my mother have made it clear that there are many treatments available, and they will help her fight as long and as hard as she wants. All patients deserve that option.

    I know NSCLC is less receptive to chemo, but it tends to move more slowly. Some patients surprise everybody - you could be one of them.

    Thorencentesis did not go well...

    in NSCLC GROUP

    Posted

    TAnn, I've never had a chest tap, but I can tell you not everyone takes well to novocain. It takes a LOT of the stuff to work on me, and I get nauseous with it, too. Anxiety does make pain worse, too.

    My mom is tough to draw blood from, so when she was in the hospital, anyone who came near her with a needle got asked "Are you REALLY good at this? It's not going to be easy, so if you aren't the best, we need whomever is." We found when techs were properly forewarned, they seem to do beter.

    update

    in SCLC GROUP

    Posted

    Berisa,

    I hope your dad will improve over his stay at home. Sometimes it takes a while for the "fog" to lift.

    It's hard to face the posibility of losing a much-loved parent. My family is still at a very hopeful point, but I sure do remember the scary way it all started out for us.

    You and your dad are in my prayers.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.

  I accept