gerbil runner

Terrific news! Very happy for you and your family.

Berisa - Keeping you and your father in my prayers.

When my mother was first hospitalized, the initial dx was pancreatic cancer, stage IV. Our initial thoughts were about hospice. I read, and recommend, "The Needs of the Dying". Perhaps just reading that book (or a similar one) and passing it around to close family will help you talk about what you want to do. This is a very difficult time, because you have not yet decided how to approach your disease. The uncertainty only makes everything seem worse. One you decide upon a plan, you will at least have that to focus on. As for end-of-life issues, you may want to see what hospice facilities are available to you. In my area, there is an in-patient facility which is only for hospice. It is family-oriented (real furniture, no visiting hours, pets can stay) and may be an option for you if you are concerned about the pressures on your caretakers. Many people do remain at home. If that is what you really want, then do it. There's all kinds of help available for the caretakers. And in the meantime, LIVE! You aren't dead yet, and may not be for a long time. Think about how you want to live in the immediate future, and let those thoughts guide your choices. As for whether or not to accept treatment, there is no right or wrong answer - only YOUR answer.

Ummm....happy anniversary? Hope you remember Feb 10th for many years to come.

I sent Norme an email - she replied that things are "difficult". Probably an understatement .

C'mon, scooter! C'mon, scooter! May the fleas of a thousand camels infest anyone holding up Dean's scooter!

My mom will soon be starting 5 weeks of daily radiation. We're all wondering: about how long will each session will take? Mom will be getting mapped this week, and we expect that to take some time, but those daily radiation appointments don't seem like they should last very long. What has been the norm for those of you who did this? Also, how does one get through radiation and chemo together? Mom is exhausted much of the time, and is not looking forward to spending weeks feeling like a vegetable. She's gearing up for 5 weeks by telling herself she can get through just about ANYTHING that only lasts 5 weeks. How long after does it take to feel human again? And the esophageal burns - mom is very likely to get that due to the location of her original lung tumor - any magic hints to help with that? Mom said she spent a little time lurking on this site over the weekend - so if you're reading this, Mom, pay attention .

Welcome back! Glad you didn't join any off-road excursions I live in a rural area, too. Cities always remind me of the experiments where the scientiest overcrowd rats in a small area, and they end up eating each other (the rats, not the scientists).

Welcome, Kim! I read your web story, and am so impressed with your gumption. Not everyone would post their pictures like that, but I think they should be mandatory viewing. Putting a face and details on this disease may be what we need for people to say "That could be me". Nobody should have to go through this. Hope to hear from you for a long time to come!

DeannaM., I was also glad to see your post! I think about you and your mom from time to time, as my mom has a met to the pancreas as well. I wish your mom was responding to treatment as well as my mom has. My mom is going to get radiation to her 2 original sites. It's unusual, but maybe you could ask the dr. if it's possible for your mom. Hope you have plenty of good days ahead.

Yea clean! Hope you stop aching soon.

Don and Lucie - so glad you have such good news to celebrate!

Dean, I sure hope you don't feel like your decision is looked down upon in any way. There is no "right" or "wrong" answer in how/whether to fight a disease like this, there is only YOUR answer - the answer of the one battling the disease. I hope your life gets less complicated. Nobody needs all the BS you've been dealing with lately.

Sounds like you have a good plan. Prayers for no growth for a long time.

You're so right, Fay. Cancer's like a lottery ticket someone gives you. Even if the odds are one out of 50 million, would you throw the ticket away? No! Because SOMEONE has to win, why not you? Life with cancer is the same. You don't throw it away, even if the odds are only one in fifty million. That lucky one just might be you.

If your dad is willing, I'd sure try for a second opinion! I wonder why radiation isn't an option for those mets to the spine... There is always an exception to the rule, and you never know until you try. Your dad can always stop treatment if he feels it isn't worth it.

Shelly, I don't have any real advice, but I'll be praying for you and your dad.

The radiation improves the odds that it won't come back, but there's no guarrantee.

The sclc vaccine is still in trial. Don't know about other therapies. It sounds very promising, though.

I'm so sorry you're at this point right now. Prayers that your dad's doctors can come up with a plan you can all feel comfortable with.

Oh, Shelly... There aren't words enough for this. Prayers that your dad will do well enough to continue.

My dad, brave soul that he is, does his own taxes. He's wondering if Mom's wigs count as medical expenses, since he's deducting medical expenses this year. Anybody know?

I have only vague memories of the original Hollywood Squares, but these are some of the best! If you're going to make a parachute jump, you should be at least how high? Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it. True or false. A pea can last as long as 5,000 years. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes. At the end of the movie "The Planet of the Apes," what does Charlton Heston see that makes him realize that he is actually in New York City? Paul Lynde: A Puerto Rican. You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman? Don Knotts: That's what's been keeping me awake. According to "Cosmo," if you meet a stranger at a party and you think he's really attractive, is it okay to come out directly and ask him if he's married? Rose Marie: No, wait until morning. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older? Charley Weaver: My sense of decency. What are the two things women should never do in bed with their husbands? Paul Lynde: Point and laugh. Paul, can you get an elephant drunk? Paul Lynde: Yes, but she still won't go up to your apartment. In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say, "I love you"? Vincent Price: No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty. You are married in India. How did you probably meet your spouse? Paul Lynde: We were fighting over a lima bean. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while you are talking? Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing older question, Peter, and I'll give you a gesture you'll never forget! Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather? Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily. According to "Parade" magazine, on what night of the week is a woman most likely to be molested? Rose Marie: With my luck it's tonight and I'm working. In the Arctic, the most fearsome animal is the polar bear. What is the only thing a polar bear is afraid of? Paul Lynde: A lonely Eskimo! You've just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during your first year? Charley Weaver: Of course not, Peter. I'm too busy growing strawberries. Prometheus was tied to the top of a mountain by the gods because he had given something to man. What did he give us? Paul Lynde: I don't know what you got, but I got a sports shirt. True or false. Experts say there are only seven or eight things in the world dumber than an ant. George Gobel: Yes, and I think I voted for six of them In a survey of teenage mothers, most of them said they were listening to this when they got pregnant. What is it? Paul Lynde: A pack of lies. In bowling, what's a perfect score? Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy. It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics. What is the other? Paul Lynde: Tape measures. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls? Marty Allen: Only after lights out. When you pat a dog on its head he will usually wag his tail. What will a goose do? Paul Lynde: Make him bark. According to Amy Vanderbilt, what is the maximum length of time you and your fiance should be engaged? Rose Marie: Engaged in what? If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to? Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people? Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army! It is the most abused and neglected part of your body-what is it? Paul Lynde: Mine may be abused but it certainly isn't neglected! What do you call a pig that weighs more than 150 pounds? Charley Weaver: A divorcee. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do? George Gobel: Get it in his mouth. Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant? Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant? According to police, if you are being molested, other than yelling, "Help!," what is the best thing to scream? Rose Marie: "More!" When a couple has a baby, who is responsible for its sex? Charley Weaver: I'll lend him the car. The rest is up to him. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they? Charley Weaver: His feet. What should you think when you walk into an apartment and all the walls and carpets are brown? Paul Lynde: The maid exploded. Do female frogs croak? Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough. You're a 71-year-old man who has lost interest in sex. Does your doctor have any! thing to help you? Charley Weaver: No, but his nurse does.

Brutus' Last Stand A little old man stumbles into a biker bar and asks, "Does anyone knows who's Doberman Pincher is outside chained up? The burliest, ugliest and hairiest guy in the joint stands up and mutters, "It's mine old timer! What's it to you?" "I hate to be the bearer of such dreadful news, but I believe the poor beast has passed on," explained the old man. "What? Are you sure? How did he die?" asked the shocked biker guy. "It seems that my dog killed him, I'm sorry to say," replied the old man. "I don't buy it," remarked the biker in disbelief, "No dog could beat my Brutus. "It's true, my Gunther killed him." "Oh yeah? Well, what kind of dog is your Gunther, anyway?" "A Chihuahua," answered the old man. "There is no way that a measely little Chihuahua could have killed Brutus. No way." "If you don't believe me, take a look for yourself," instructed the man, "It looks he tried to swallow him whole and choked to death."

I'm a stay-at-home mom, so bear with me... 1. Dust. It just never ends! 2. The law of bath-induced diaper changes - a freshly-washed baby will immediately have at least one, and usually more, diaper that looks like something out of "Aliens". 3. White shirts. They always attract grease or worse...whether the wearer is 2, 12, or 54. I've sworn off buying white shirts for my husband. 4. Credit card offers. No wonder the average American has over $8,000 in credit-card debt! I must get at least 3 a week. 5. Ironing. Because of the danger of hot irons combined with 2 active little boys, it has to be done when they're sleeping. Just what I want to do after they've gone to bed and peace finally descends on the house. 6. Gratuitous bad language. I'm one of those people who will react to remarks about "f#cking such-and such" will say "I don't believe that's physically possible". Not that I won't use my choice of 4-letter words, but they're best used sparingly! 7. The knee-jerk fear most people have of "pit bulls". I have an American Staffordshire Terrier - same dog, different breed registry. Total sweetheart with a heart of gold and never-ending sense of humor. My mother's 10-pound shih tzu is the one who bites! Pit bulls and their relatives are currently in favor with idiot lowlifes, just as rotties, dobermans, and German Shepards were in the past. Outlawing a breed doesn't solve the problem.