dianew

Cindy - good for you - hope you are enjoying your day off. Loved the snowman!! It is cold here and raining (which we need), but I got a call yesterday from my son who lives in Portland. He was sitting on the freeway in a blizzard, going nowhere. Problem with big snow storms here is that we don't really get that many, and when we do things just come to a standstill. He said he was passing snowplows that had broken down. He finally parked his car and walked a couple miles home. He could have made it with chains, but he has a new car and figured they wouldn't get any storms like that this winter since it had been so dry and he didn't want to spend the money on chains -- Why don't they ever listen to their mothers!! I am still working on trying to get my prednisone prescription down to a much smaller dose. Have been having trouble getting it down since I got pneumonia. It just makes me so jumpy. I have all this nervous energy so I start all these projects, but then jump to another one, then another one - and don't finish anything. It is driving me nuts --- then i get tired from all the jumping around and take a nap! Normally we don't do too much for Valentine's Day, but my husband has been complaining about the coffee. I stopped drinking it during chemo, and never started up again - but he really likes his coffee (only drinks regular coffee though, not the lattes etc). I thought I would get him some really good coffee from one of the specialty stores - but wonder if we need a new coffeemaker. Our's is pretty old - but still works. Does anyone have an opinion as to whether or not the coffeemaker makes a difference in the quality of the coffee? or is it just the coffee beans alone? I hope everyone has a warm, dry, safe weekend.

Can't say it's warm here today, but definitely warmer than it was. I think it was supposed to make it up into the 50s, but I don't think it did. Still - well above freezing. Raining too, which is a good thing. I actually got some work accomplished today, which feels good. Am watching one of my grandsons this evening, but he is currently occupied with watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates, so it gives me a minute. He just turned 4 and is getting pretty good at playing games, etc. We've been having a really good time. I have tickets to see Abbey Road tomorrow night - hope it's good. Have a great evening - those of you who have any evening left that is

You should like you are doing well on the Tarceva - you sure look great, and what a wonderful picture! Really am enjoying your pictures. Thanks for the update!

Good morning Lily - you must have fanned some of your warm air up this way - thanks . Yesterday was a low of 29 BUT a high of 67 - and today is supposed to be similar. Really bizarre weather we're having. A little windy, but no sign of rain. I have a friend who had to have part of their lung removed due to fungus - and while obviously better than cancer it is still not a minor thing. I will be keeping him in my prayers. I am really glad today is Friday - it's been a long week. As usual, I procrastinated and now all of my year-end payroll stuff is late and I'm scrambling. I shouldn't complain - I work from home and can make my own hours (up to a point), but I really just want to retire and find a nice beach somewhere to sit on and sip a nice cool drink with a little umbrella. I don't have any plans for the weekend, but do plan to enjoy the sun as long as it sticks around. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Sunlight and laughter

Amy - I have never heard of anyone having shin pain either, but Mike is right and worry about any new aches and pains definitely goes along with this disease. It is just human nature for our minds to immediately go to the worst possible scenario when we notice something new. I would definitely bring it to your doctor's attention though so you can put your mind at rest.

I have heard, as Randy said, that it is good to have the rash. Love the picture - thanks for posting! Please keep us posted on how you are doing with the Tarceva. Hopefully it will keep you feeling well enough that there will be lots of days riding on the beach.

So sorry you are waiting for news yet again - but I am confident that the news will be good!

Stage 2a - dx 4/1998 - will be 16 years in April Stage 3b - dx 11/4/08 - 5 years

Mike - Congratulations on NED - great news!!! It's still socked in here with the fog, and cold. You can find the sun if you go to a higher elevation, but not down here in the valley. I feel really bad for our local ski resort - they never have a very long season as it is, and this year it looks iffy as to whether they will even be able to open. Definitely weird weather.

Well I have tons of things to be grateful for – but ‘happy’ seems to be in short supply. We are so socked in with this dirty brown fog – day after day. The air quality is bad, and we are getting almost no rain, and the ski slopes can’t open. None of this is improving anyone’s mood. Everywhere you go people are crabby and short-tempered. All we need is a little sun – that would make me SO HAPPY!!! You hear so much about bullying in schools today, but it seems especially sad to think it can start as young as 7. I know your daughter will handle it well, but she shouldn’t have to. I guess that is life though, and it seems kids have to grow up so much faster than my generation did. Mike, if you are reading I hope you get your test results soon and they are great. Personally I think we should all have our results in 24 hours or less – and it can be done – but seems like that seldom happens. I wonder how patient the doctors would be if they were waiting for their own results? I hope the sun is shining today for everyone ---

I use Amazon all the time. This is a great idea - thanks!

Mike – thanks for opening the air – it was nice to see it open again. Like Lily, I try to post, but sometimes get discouraged. I think Facebook is great of course, but I don’t think it takes the place of Lungevity when it comes to posting about treatments, side effects, fear of the disease, the day-to-day issues, etc. I know how much this place would have meant to me the first time I was dx, and how important it was when I was dx the second time. I hate to think it would not be here for those who will be facing this disease in the future. Katie I sure hope you can get something jump started. I know I haven’t been doing my share lately. Getting sick at Thanksgiving just took the wind out of my sails, and then my husband was dx with prostate cancer just before Xmas and that has been occupying my mind lately with him trying to figure out what treatment to do, if any. I will definitely try harder. Bruce – Mike had a good question. How do you breathe with that really really cold air? When our temperatures were down I noticed I had a really hard time. Our temps are pretty much back to normal now, but we still need rain badly. The local ski resort had a “pray for snow party” this weekend, but it doesn’t seem to have produced much! We have been having a lot of fun with this little 12-yr-old Chihuahua we rescued from my son and his wife (basically rescued him from all the toddlers). Our 90 lb german shepherd wants to play with him so badly, but he is just not interested. We got him a tiny little bed – and I guess she must have been a little jealous because she has been sleeping in his tiny bed (actually more like sleeping ON the little bed, and he has been sleeping in her huge bed) – really funny. We are “big dog people”, and none of our dogs ever needed any dental work, but this one did. Took him yesterday to have his teeth cleaned and some pulled --- cost more than I’ve spent on my teeth all year!!! Hopefully he will start brushing regularly .

Three. What was your first car?

We're almost neighbors. I live in Medford. I used to have two Tennessee Walkers - although that was a long time ago. Great picture!

Welcome Kellie. I'm so sorry you had reason to find us, and it sounds as though you have really had a rough time with the chemo - but congratulations on having the EGFR mutation! I have not taken Tarceva, but many have and with good success and very tolerable side effects. Please keep us posted on your progress.

No Do you have a New Year's resolution?

Deb - welcome! It sounds like you really had a trip through the diagnosis process, but your attitude is definitely a big plus! Obviously you are one tough lady - I couldn't even imagine trying to do those chores feeling the way you must have. I am sure happy to hear those symptoms are under control and you are feeling better. I have not been on Tarceva, but there are many out there for whom it has been a wonder drug and it is wonderful that you have a mutation. We many animal-loving members here, including horse lovers -- so who knows? Please come back often and let us know how you are doing.

Welcome and congratulations on your anniversary! Like Michelle, I would love to hear more of your story if you are willing to share. It also helps the newly diagnosed who are just starting this journey. Diane

I am wishing a peaceful and joyful Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year for everyone. Congratulations Eric - a new girl and great food . . . can't beat that. We had our "family Xmas" this past weekend, and are planning a quiet day tomorrow (I hope). I am doing better all the time, but have a ways to go and find I do better when I get enough rest. Our weather is a bit warmer, and although they are calling for some freezing fog it doesn't sound like the weather should cause many travel problems here locally. I hope everyone traveling a smooth and safe journey.

Hi Amy - I'm so sorry you had reason to find this site. I was diagnosed stage 2a when I was 50 - my youngest was in high school and I cannot even imagine how afraid I would have been if my children had been younger. No one should get cancer, but especially not young people. Stage 2a is a very curable stage. I had my left lung removed entirely, and did not have any chemo or radiation which I most likely would have today. Although I was diagnosed again almost 11 years later with 3b - please remember that according to my doctors it was an entirely new cancer - NOT a recurrence. That being said, I know very well - as does anyone here who has been diagnosed - that fear goes along with the territory. As Katie said, read all the positive stories you can - and there are a lot of them - and avoid all of the negative stuff. I'm not sure where you are reading all of this negative information, but it simply isn't true. Staging is much more accurate than it used to be, and there are so many new treatments and targeted therapies. More and more people are surviving lung cancer, and even late stage patients are being treatment oftentimes as though they had a chronic illness. I do know how hard it is to be positive - but a positive attitude is very important and you cannot let the fear take hold. If you are afraid, your children and your family will be afraid. I know it's hard to imagine being lucky with this disease, but a stage 2a diagnosis is lucky. You have every reason to believe you are cured. It is normal to worry about aches and pains you wouldn't have given a thought to before, but that does get easier with time. Please come back anytime you need to. We have all been where you are, and we do understand.

Kauai Question: What is your favorite Xmas treat (food)?

I'm so sorry you have reason to find this site. No one should have lung cancer, but I think it is especially hard when people are young. I believe the point you and your husband are at in this journey right now is the hardest time. I remember being so frustrated waiting for the insurance company to approve the PET scan. It seemed I was just waiting around for weeks and doing nothing. Until you have a more complete idea of what is going on and what the treatment options are, it is difficult. I think it gets easier once you have all the information and a definite treatment plan in place. As for having a positive attitude - you are so right. And today especially there are so many new options, along with the genetic testing they are doing for targeted therapies, that there is even more reason to have a positive outlook. Please keep us posted on your husband's diagnosis. And if for any reason you are not completely satisfied with the treatment plan his doctors' recommend, don't forget that you have the option to get a second opinion - many people here were very glad they did.

I haven’t had a chance to go back to see what I’ve missed yet on the boards, but am starting to feel like I’m back among the living. My breathing is still really bad, but I’m told it will just take awhile to get over this. I am thrilled to be out of the hospital and home where maybe I can get some sleep. Hospital life is so bizarre – it seems like you are living in some sort of odd time warp. The longest period of time I counted where they left me alone was approx. 2 hours. I do breathing treatments at home, which they felt important to continue in the hospital – but at home I don’t do them at 3 A.M. for pete’s sake! In the meantime our weather has been one for the books as well. It went down as low as 7 degrees, and school was closed for three days --- all unheard of here. Today it is warming up some, so hopefully it will finally melt some of the snow and ice and we can get back to our normal gray rainy days. We are getting a new (old) dog. Really it’s a “family rescue” of our son’s Chihuahua. They have three toddlers (1,2 & 3) and naturally they just won’t leave the poor dog alone. The dog is 12 – a case of being an only pampered dog for all those years until they had kids . . . After we lost one of our dogs to cancer recently we offered to take him. The smallest dog I’ve ever owned was about 60 pounds – and our remaining German Shepherd is 80 – so this will sure be a first for us. I am kind of excited actually. I do hope it works out. It will be good for all of us I think. Our Shepherd is pretty submissive and so is the Chihuahua – one is female and the other male – so I’m cautiously optimistic. I hope everyone has stayed healthy and warm. Am still so tired so off to take a nap.

Bruce - thanks again for opening the air. By the time I check in lately the day is almost over back there. It's still cold here, but the sun is out and so by mid-afternoon it has warmed up a little. I haven't been out late at night, but I'm guessing the fog must be pretty bad. I think the skiers must be a bit frustrated since it's been so dry but I'm sure the rain will show up any day. Cindy your Thanksgiving does sound crazy busy but I think you have the right idea for Xmas. I'm not sure what we are doing for Xmas yet - I'd like to stay home, but we may have to travel. We never seem to know what we're doing until the last minute. I made soup yesterday with beans, sausage and kale -- very healthy and good for you. That was my one effort to get a healthy start on the holiday food - but doubt that it will do much good. A friend is taking us out to dinner tonight - tomorrow we are taking one of our sons out to dinner - Wednesday we are going to to dinner with another son and his family for an "early Thanksgiving" - and then comes Turkey day itself - by the time the weekend comes and it is all over I hope I won't need a whole new wardrobe .