dianew

I think this is pretty common actually. I could never have put it into words as well. Nice to know we're not alone in some of these reactions.

Eric – it was so nice to see the “air” open today, so thought I’d join you although I can’t begin to keep up with your busy life. It sounds as though things are going pretty well over there, notwithstanding the furniture snafu. Sure wish I could be at the 5-year party your daughter is hosting to celebrate your amazing survival – I know it will be a very special event (and what are parents for if not to pay the caterers?). It is still really hot here, and that’s very unusual, but it should be cooler next week. Everyone keeps telling me that we are going to have an early Fall but since I spent the last of July and all of August holed up to avoid the smoke I am not ready to bring out the sweaters just yet! I’m hoping we will be able to go to our son’s in Portland next week for salmon fishing. As many years as we’ve lived in Oregon and as many times as my husband has gone salmon fishing, he’s never caught a salmon! All of his friends are convinced if he goes out fishing with them, he’ll get one for sure - but no such luck. It’s sort of become this quest every year for Chuck to catch a salmon and I guess the run this year is the best in a long time. Could this be the year? We can only hope. Happily some friends do have the knack so we get to eat fresh salmon quite a bit. I don’t actually go fishing when we go up. I do like to fish, although I don’t really care if I catch anything just like being on the water and enjoying the beautiful scenery – but this is too many guys on too small a boat so I just tour the wineries or hit the shops! Seems to be lots of new cancer patients lately needing rides so I’ve been busy driving. I’ve met the nicest people. It’s really nice when you start driving a patient before treatment starts and then all the way through treatment so you really get to know them and many stay in touch post-treatment. It also helps me keep things in perspective and reminds me how lucky I am to have gone this long without active treatment. We have been watching our three youngest grandchildren every Wednesday to give their parents a break. They are two boys (3 and 2), and a girl (11 months). It is great fun and we love it – of course the next morning I can barely get out of bed I hope everyone has a glorious weekend.

Don - it sounds like you have a really clear idea of what you want to do. For what it's worth, I think I would be making the same decision when the time comes. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.

Michelle - I haven't heard any news, perhaps Katie has, but there have been a couple of recent pictures on her Facebook page, one of her and her family in Boston recently I believe. She has not lost her wonderful smile.

2doglover - welcome, but I am sorry you have reason to be here. I am the patient, and have thankfully never found myself in the position of having to be a caregiver or had to watch someone I love fight this disease, so I can only try to imagine how difficult that must be. As a patient, I can say that I would not have been able to get through it without the help and support of my family and friends. Your dad is very lucky to have you, but remember to take care of yourself as well. I hope the treatment kicks the cancer's butt! You're also in good company as I think there are lots and lots of dog lovers here. I love the term fur-kids. I will be thinking positive thoughts for your dad's recovery, and hope you will keep us posted.

Welcome to the club Earl – but I am truly sorry you had reason to find us. It appears that once you sought medical help things moved pretty quickly. It also sounds as though the chemo is working, and that is a very good thing. I have non-small cell, but we have many members who, like you, have small cell and if you haven’t, you may want to check out the posts under “small cell”, as well as posts under the “good news” tab. Please ask any questions you might have about treatments, side effects, etc. There are members here who most likely have been just where you are. I found the best thing I could do while going through treatment was to pace myself, getting plenty of rest, and drinking lots of fluid. Please come back often and let us know how you are doing.

Don - I wasn't a member when you went through your initial cancer treatment and I am so sorry you are having to deal with this monster again. I do know what it's like to think you've beat it only to find out you have to do it one more time. As I'm sure you remember from the first time, this period before treatment can be in some ways the most difficult because things are still so uncertain. It will be great if they can do surgery, and I will be praying that is the case. Please keep us posted.

Wonderful news! Thanks for letting us know.

10 years -- Congratulations!!! Thanks for posting, it gives all of us hope.

Sally's new flat sounds just great Eric and I'm sure you'll find something equally nice for yourself. I always thought looking was half the fun. I imagine 80s would sound pretty good to most of our friends on the east coast about now. It's supposed to go up to 105 here this weekend - but we don't have the humidity they do on the east coast. I grew up there, before everyone had air conditioning, and can still remember when it was 98 degrees and the humidity about the same. We were really young, with small children, and had scraped together all the pennies we could find just to spend one night in a motel with air conditioning. I will never forget how good that cool air felt. Lily, if it's going to be 105 here, you must be headed to 110-115 Glad you had your picnic already. Congratulations on the new baby!! Michelle - must be pretty hot where you are too, and with all the work on the farm how do you keep cool? Janet, with that kind of heat I don't imagine the coastal breeze is doing any good - I hope you are not too uncomfortable. I have been thinking about you and keeping you in my prayers. I hope you can let us know how you are when you're able. The heat sure can't be helping with the fatigue. Have a safe weekend everyone.

I have something similar at the site of my tumor. At one point the scans showed that it was larger and they thought it was progression, but then it seemed to shrink some and they have just taken a watch and see approach. Even now, 4 years after treatment, they will only say that I am 'stable' because they don't know for sure what is going on there. The hope is that it's scar tissue of course. At the time this became a concern I was enrolled in a clinical trial. If they had determined it was progression, I would have been out of the trial and my oncologist didn't want that to happen - so the choice was made not to pursue a biopsy etc. I know this can be pretty unnerving - most of us deal better with facts not "it could be this or it could be that", but sometimes when it comes to cancer it seems that is all we have. I hope your doctors can give you some definitive information and you can put this to rest quickly and get on with enjoying your life. Please keep us posted. Diane

Donna, I am so very sorry to read this latest news. You have been an such an inspiration to me. I will be keeping you and your husband in my prayers.

I do the same with my parents, and I think you are right - when it was happening, I was just in some kind of fog and couldn't really deal with it at all even though I thought I was. I think the replay is, as you say, an attempt to process it all - but for me it's been 15 years and honestly it hasn't gotten any easier really.

Thank you for the update. I am sorry your Mom is having a hard time with the chemo, although it is certainly not unusual and I hope the oncologist is able to give her some answers. Sometimes you feel better just knowing what is happening and why. I will for sure keep your Mom and your family in my prayers. Keep us posted. Diane

Thank you for the update. I am sorry your Mom is having a hard time with the chemo, although it is certainly not unusual and I hope the oncologist is able to give her some answers. Sometimes you feel better just knowing what is happening and why. I will for sure keep your Mom and your family in my prayers. Keep us posted. Diane

Janet – what a treat to see your Air this morning!! I am so glad you have been able to spend time on the water. Since I grew up near DC, I remember the heat but mostly the humidity. Is it as humid where you are? It’s been unseasonably hot here, and although we do have AC, I have been running fans in hopes of keeping the power bill down to something less than the national debt. We seldom have humidity though, and that does make it more comfortable. I hope everyone had a nice 4th. We didn’t do a thing – partly we were worn out and just wanted to rest but mostly we can’t go anywhere because one of the dogs in particular is just terrified of the noise. We seemed to have had an unusually high number of idiots blowing off hands or fingers this year, and the fire trucks kept me up most of the night. The people behind us were setting off something that sounded like canon fire and the poor dogs were just basket cases. Janet a Margherita sounds good to me! I think I’ve mentioned that I’ve become friends with a woman I drove to treatment. She is in her late 80s and treatment did not work. She is still feeling good and her version of a “bucket list” is to try all sorts of foods and restaurants. So every two weeks we go to lunch to some new place and order things we’ve never eaten. We are having lunch today and I had a list of half a dozen places we haven’t tried yet – but turns out they are ALL closed on Mondays.  Does anyone have any really exciting plans for the summer? We are pretty much staying home. I have a friend who comes every summer. We rent a place up on the river for a few days and just eat, drink, talk and shop (not necessarily in that order). Neither of us has a sister, so we decided years ago we would be “adopted sisters” and I really look forward to it every year. I think my husband is finally serious about this being his last summer working full time and hopefully that will mean by next spring we will be able to take a trip – maybe even DC for the summit? Scotland might not be doable, but I can dream - the summer temperatures sound perfect! I have my fingers crossed! Have a wonderful week everyone and stay cool!

Welcome Truke. It sounds as though you have caught this very early, and the earlier the better. And a good sense of humor and positive energy is a definite plus when fighting this awful disease so it sounds as though you are way head already. I was diagnosed 2a the first time and 3b almost eleven yrs later - and am still here and doing well. I smoked also, but quit 15 years ago when I was first diagnosed. I agree with you, and nothing could induce me to ever smoke again. As you learn more about this disease, you will be surprised to find how many people with this disease never smoked at all or perhaps smoked for a short time in college years earlier. As someone said - if you have lungs you can get lung cancer. Please come back and let us know what your treatment plan will be and how you are doing. Diane

Alan - love the picture of Roger. Thanks for posting it!

It was 100 yesterday and it’s supposed to go up to 107 by Tuesday --- NOT normal for us at all. Last year we didn’t hit 100 even once, let alone in June! Lily – I know it’s even hotter where you are so I hope you are staying cool as you can. I wouldn’t mind so much except for how it affects my breathing. I wind up being stuck in the house all day and I really hate that – I love being outdoors. Janet, I hope your fatigue is letting up a bit and you are getting to spend many hours enjoying the beach. I’m still trying to figure out where June went – July 4th is next week already and then summer will be half over and it’s going way too fast. I was too busy last week to drop by much. Evidently the other 2 ACS drivers have taken the summer off and at the moment that just leaves me. Even though I can’t take care of all of the requests, I have been driving more than usual (since I’m still on the Prednisone it is at least keeping me away from the refrigerator – a good thing). Many of the patients lately live in the rural areas and it seems many are 40 minutes or so out of town - so with two round-trips to and from treatment it can make for a long day. I remember we considered moving further out at one time, and now I am really glad we didn’t. I know how miserable it was having to get dressed and get to treatment and radiation when you are already sick – and I was only a mile from the hospital!! I can’t imagine having to do that with such a long trip in and back, especially on a winding two-lane road when you’re already nauseated. Michelle I can’t imagine such a small town as 600 people – especially after coming from California like you did. I consider where I live to be small because I grew up in the Wash. DC suburbs – but we are around 60,000 --- a huge metropolis in comparison to 600. We don’t have all the amenities you’d have in a city --- we’ve been told we will never get a Nordstrom – but we have most of the things a city has, just less of it. We have a mall – albeit a small one. We have a Costco, THREE Super Walmarts (I still can’t figure that out), and just one multi-plex movie theater, etc., and not least lots of good restaurants). I think it feels smaller because the closest large cities are Sacramento (6 hours south) and Portland (5 hours north) so if you do want major shopping or medical centers they are not just 30 miles away. On a good note our son and his wife have reconciled and he has moved back home. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that all goes well. What does everyone have planned for the 4th? Hope you are all staying cool wherever you are.

Alan and Katie – thanks for opening the air this morning! I don't know how to merge them, but maybe someone who does can? I haven't been around the last week as much as I'd like because with my son and the grandkids here it has been very hectic – I’d forgotten how busy 2 and 3 yr old boys can be! Katie, I am glad you’ll be having your surgery and I can only imagine how relieved you will be to get rid of that pain. Alan, your travels sound fun. I lived in Florida for a very short time, and I think the humidity would be a big problem for breathing - high heat is too. I think Hawaii might be ideal - perhaps I'll move there when I win the lottery . I loved going to Seattle when I was in the trial there, and miss visiting - and when the weather is nice - it is just BEAUTIFUL! Our weather has been cool and cloudy – a little rain and seems strange to see people wearing sweaters and jackets again. I guess it’s causing the pear growers some problems. Supposed to be hotter than ever by the weekend – naturally. Hard to believe the 4th is so close. How do you all spend your 4th? I don’t know what we’re going to be doing. Normally we try to go camping, but this year has been so disrupted that we just haven’t made any plans yet. To be honest, staying home and just relaxing on the patio doesn’t sound too bad to me. I’m back on a high dose of Prednisone again – yuck! So not much sleep but lots of temptations to eat. The thing I hate the most is that it seems like I should be getting so much done, but as ‘wired’ as I am I can’t seem to focus on any one thing so I have half a dozen little jobs started – which as we all know just makes a mess! Janet – I hope your weekend trip went well and you’ve been able to get in lots of naps on the beach. Lily – let us know how your party went. Must have been great fun. Michelle – what have you been up to lately? How is Sampson doing?

Janet – so glad to see you here. I am glad to hear the weather is at least cooperating and hopefully you will start gaining energy and be able to enjoy the beach as much as possible. I think it would be wonderful to be so close to a beach. We lived close to the beach in So. Calif. once and it was great. I remember we would go down at lunch time and sit on the beach – boy was it hard to go back to work!! I hope you have a wonderful time at the wedding this weekend. Lily – today is your party so I know you are busy, but having a great time. Can’t wait to hear all about it. It is nice here today – in the 70s and sunny. Allergies seem to be better finally. I am trying to catch up on work because I have been really procrastinating the last couple weeks with so much going on. I am hoping to finish early enough to at least sit out on the patio for awhile. Won’t be long before it will get hot and then it isn’t so pleasant. I am also counting my blessings. I drove a woman to treatment yesterday and I felt so bad for her and her husband, who seemed like really nice people. She is having a rough time because they keep canceling her treatments and putting her in the hospital. She can’t walk, so her husband has to come along. They are living on the second floor of an inexpensive motel, and he has to basically slide her down the stairs using a long webbed belt. We get a lot of people into town for medical treatment from No. California and all over So. Oregon. It isn’t uncommon for them to stay at some of the local motels while here. I assumed that was the case and asked why they couldn’t give them a ground floor room. He explained that they had never been able to get rent and deposits together to move out and had been living in that room for 9 years!! The owners of the motel only allow monthly rental on the upstairs rooms, so they can’t move downstairs. As though life with stage 4 cancer isn’t bad enough? Wish I could say this is the first time I’ve run into this sort of thing while driving patients – but it isn’t. I will never get used to it. Sorry for the downer – but I’ve just been thinking how lucky I was to be able to come home from treatment to my own comfortable house. I hope the weekend is sunny and safe for everyone.

Cloudy and in the 70s here. Should help with the allergies I would think, but mine are worse than ever. I am grateful we (Lily and I) don't have to suffer with the humidity here Katie - but growing up on the east coast - not to mention living in Florida where even I mildewed - I don't think anyone can ever forget how miserable that can be. Sorry I haven't been around much. My youngest son and his wife have decided to split up (at least temporarily) so he has moved in with us for the moment, and had all of his kids here for the weekend (8 months to 3 yrs). He thinks she is having a mid-life crisis because she is turning 30 next week. Really - 30??? That has just sort of taken up all the spare time I had. A lot of chaos and drama - not to mention my house is not child proof, so I'm working on that. Hopefully things will be back to some kind of normal soon and in the meantime I will do my best to be here. I hope the sun is shining for everyone. Diane

Sounds like you had an excellent outcome and a great medical team. Congratulations! I hope you and Rhonda have many many more years! We love good news here - thank you for joining the club none of us wanted to belong to and sharing it. I hope you will come back and let us know how things are going.

Tairen - I'm sorry you had need to find us, but I am glad you did. As Michelle said, the doctor's do not know for sure how long any of us have. There are many people here who have survived well beyond what the doctors predicted, and continue to do so. It is clear that your mom is a very strong and positive person, and that counts for a lot. So does having the love and support of a daughter like you. Please come back and let us know how things are going, to ask questions, or just to read some of the "stories" you'll find under My Story. I will be keeping you and your family in my thoughts.

Our weather has just been phenomenal. Still in the 70s and sunny, but everyone I meet is suffering horribly with allergies – even people who have never had them before. Not sure what is going on there, but hopefully it won’t stick around too long. Eric – nice to see you pop in. I enjoy reading about your busy schedule. I suppose Dr. West’s plastic shopping bag would have worked out ok as a rain hat I am sorry that you and Sally are going through this, but I know that whatever you do will be for the best. Sometimes when people we care about can’t or won’t help themselves, all you can do is take a step back and try to get on with life. Having your daughter is a blessing. Things went well at the eye doctors. I’m blind, but otherwise my eyes are perfect! Soon I will have new distance glasses so I will be able to drive with both eyes open, much to the benefit of the unsuspecting public on the road with me. I am having lunch today with my mother’s best friend, who is almost 90. She cannot get into my car because it sits too high, so we have to take hers and she lets no one drive her car but her. Scares me to death!! She has two children, but both seem oblivious to their mother’s driving – or too afraid of her to say anything more likely. I am seriously considering reporting her to the DMV. I've checked, and you simply fill out a form and send it in and they will make her come in for a driving test. I’m dreading it because they won’t guarantee anonymity. They said they don’t volunteer the information, but if she asks who reported her they will tell her. She will never forgive me – but on the other hand, if she runs over some poor kid on the way to school I would never forgive myself. I am just really angry that her kids refuse to step up and be responsible, leaving it in my lap. Michelle – what is happening in your neck of the woods? Janet, I hope the sun comes out today so you can enjoy the beach. Katie – how is summer break going? Happy hump day everybody!