Andrea

Thanks It is nice to know I am not alone. All weekend I was sleepy. Today in Court I suddenly felt overwhelmed about cancer. During lunch it was hot and I got really really nauseous and headachy. I drove home and threw up a few times (too bad you can't get rid of stored fat that way) and felt really bad. My mom was excited, she asked if I was pregnant I said NO. I wish, but Brian is not ready for that yet I laid down on the couch and suddenly almost felt like my breathing was odd. I managed to get up and take a xanax. Brian then came home, made me frozen pizza and suddenly I am 90% better. Wierd:)

Rick, It would not let me reply to your post under announcements I have a question-- is there a template letter that you use to ask for donations or sponsors? If so, can I have it? I would love to write to companies and ask. If you don't have a standard one, I can make one up, I just want to be consistent. I have found companies willing to help for Relay, and I am sure we could get some sponsors to advertise.

Melinda, I agree, this IS an opportunity. I have had a lot of people tell me that either they are paying more attention or thtey are hearing more about lung cancer now. I think this is a great opportunty for us all to work together and get the word out!

Jamie, My mom is a few months ahead of your dad in that she was diagnosed in Nov, had chemo, then surgery in March, and now radiation. My understanding is that recurrance rates are high b/c of floating cancer cells. However, it was pointed out by the medical oncologist, surgeon, and radiation oncologist that right now, the patients are the NEW statistics b/c as little as 5 years ago, they did not do a multi-approach for lung cancer. It was just surgery, or just c hemo, so the statistics are outdated. I am kind of bipolar about it--I realize it is logical that statistics are outdated and not accurate however, I get bummed at teh same time Be thankful that your dad can get surgery, that itself is major progress!

Hi. I was wondering---does anyone else make themselves physically ill, like headaches, fatigue and nausea, from stress and thinking about cancer? I hate it, I wish there was some way to control it. I had to skip the Relay meeting tonight b/c I was feeling soooooo sick I had to come home. It like comes and goes in phases.

Angie, Do you need a ribbon per se? I have a crystal lung cancer pin I can send you. Yes, I spent $15 for 3 crystal pins from ALCASE at diagnosis. Interesting how fast those came when I paid $45 I got pins for me, my mom and my mother in law. However two broke because I tried pinning it through the hole on my purse (west coast term)/ pocketbook (east coast term). So I have a pin I acn send without a backing, but it is metal, not ribbon. PS---my case just went to the jury, so my break from posting is over I no longer have to be focused and it is ok for me to get upset and cry and thinjk l ung cancer all the time

I just spoke to her husband, she is in the hospital. He said she was having oxygen deprivation and was in the hospital since Monday. THey are not sure why it happened, they put her on strong antibiotics and it looks like she will be coming home tomorrow. I told her husband to let her know that everyone here is thinking of her. He asked me to post this to update everyone. Karen--HURRY HOME!!!!!

This is all an illusion. Andrea is on a week break. This is a secret agent sent by the anti-lung cancer fairy who wants to announce that we are now in Katie's b-day month, Katie's b-day is May 25. This message is set to self destruct b/c we don't want Katie mad or embarassed at the secret agent for speading the word.

http://www.choosehope.com/category/4/

I can give you a few tips since I started to organize a walk, but then had to stop b/c the work was too much. I am now learning from Relay for Life how they do it before I organize one myself. Renee and Hebbie are the experts on the walk, they are actually doing it But here are a few things I learned: 1. Do you have a venue? You most likely will need a permit. Make sure to find out if you are allowed to exchange money on site. The County owned parks where I live forbid it. Also make sure restrooms are provided. 2. Do you know who you are giving the proceeds to? Did you see if they have insurance for your event? If not, price policies on your own. You need insurance for a walk at most locations and also for your own protection. For i nstance, the American Cancer Society and some other organizations will insure you for an event if they get the proceeds. If you buy it yourself, you can get back the costs you out pocketed from the proceeds. 3. The how to raise mon ey is up to you. Some people have collected a registration fee in advance and then donations at the time. Others have just registered people and collect the money the walkers raised at the event. You can do like $25 minimum donation for anyone to walk, that is their registration fee and they can pay it themselves or raise it. Hopefully poeple will raise more than that 4. Food--start calling now. Call donut shops, many will provide 10 dozen or so. You can give them away for free at the event or sell for money. Also most bagel stores donate their "day olds" 5. Raffles---many restuarants, salons, etc, will donate prizes for a raffle, great way to raise money 6. There is a possiblity since you have time in advance you can have a lunch donated from various restaurants, many are willing to each donate different things (does not have to be from same place) and then you can c harge like $5 for lunch. 7. You can also do a prize like a money jackpot. Let's say each person who wants to participate donates $10. And you have 50 people who will do that. That is $500 total. Y ou can then give 40% of that to a winner and the rest for the charity.

I have her number and just left her a message on her answering machine to either post or call me so I can post for her. My husband thought that was wierd, but he does not seem to understand that chronic daily posters who are missing for a week without asking permission are red flagged and we must know. I'm still on my week off as I said, but this was a lurker issue and I wanted to address that I called. I promise to post as soon as she calls back if she calls

Hi. A little while ago I was going to take a week break and I never did. I am too addicted to this board But I have decided today that I need to take a week off. I will be lurking though I realize that some of my posts in the past had insulted/offended/annoyed, etc others and I know my ideas can be quirky at times. I admit I can be a nut This past week has been really tough with work and personal stuff and I am finding myself being more cranky and crabby lately. Almost like it is constantly the week before a scan and it isn't My mom thinks I am just hanging out with my boss too much lately I started to post three times tonight about my experience today, what I felt and what I thought when I was asked to accompany a witness on a smoking break today, and how I acted (different from how i felt and what I thought) and I kept deleting and re-writing b/c i didn't want to upset or offend. And then I was like what am I doing, I never read what I write, I just write what I feel. So a week off will be good to refresh myself I love everyone here and look forward to posting again when I bounce back from funkville. In the meantime, I will leave you with my newest idea and a recommendation not to do what I did when I had a chance. I am so mad at myself. I am commuting 1 1/2-2 hours each way each day for this trial and I kept hearing radio contests, so I was like hey, I need to call in and try to win a prize and if I get through, ask them if I can auction it on ebay for cancer. So I started calling last week and then this week I was like wait, just call the radio station and ask them to do something like mention the website, donate a prize to auction, etc...............................................so for the past week I was hitting a button on my cell repeatedly trying to get through and I was going to try to talk to someone about doing something for cancer. Finally it rings. I listen to KIIS FM, Ryan Seacrest is the new host in the morning. I honestly NEVER expected him to answer because I figured it was always busy and they pre-screen. Well I FINALLY got through and he answered "Seacrest" and I was like hello and he was like hello and then I just asked if they would like to donate a prize for Relay for Life and he sounded surprised and was like uh, you gotta call the business #, he gave it to me. I said thanks. He said "and remember, they are open regular business hours.". I TOTALLY missed my chance to talk to him and ask him to mention cancer awareness I AM NOT starstruck, I admit I USED to be before I spent a summer doing entertainment law. But now I am not phased. I was just not prepared and turned into a bumbling fool I think what happend was totally random "luck" and I think I was calling during a time to win Wango Tango tickets b/c at the end of the song he was on air with a winner. No wonder he sounded surprised about why I called

I am so sorry for your loss

Tbone, While everyone is different, my mom "liked" chemo better than radiation. At first she thought it would have been opposite and like you envisioned being sick all the time. She did great though. There were a couple of days after a chemo treatment that she was really tired and weak. But otherwise, overall, things were ok. The nausea got bad during the second week, and the dr gave her what I call a "magic pill" to take a couple of days after each treatment and it was a miracle. The only do wnside to the magic pill is that it makes your blood sugar go up. My mom is diabetic, so at diagnosis we had to get that under control before she could get the magic pill. All they did was switch her form pills to insulin, gave her the pill each time and no more nausea. I say go for the chemo. The more aggressive the better. What does the dr say?

Thanks That all makes sense. What still boggles my mind and I could not explain is that even if NED arrives, let's say you are stage III and it is co nfined to chest area, there is an 80% chance of recurrance the first two years and overall survival is still low. Yet with other cancers, when NED comes, there are higher statistics. I do know our statistics are outdated, as the doctors told me, those getting treatment now are the NEW statistics b/c treatment has changed. It just does not seem logical to me. There probably isn't an easy answer, but when I have too much time to think of questions people ask me, it makes my mind go. After lunch yest was so boring a juror fell asleep wtih her mouth wide open (my mom does that too) and the court clerk passed her a cup of water to wake her up. So I had plenty of time to ponder how lung cancer works and the only co nclusion I ame up wi th is that I don't like it.

I was talking about lung cancer today during lunch (so what else is new ). I was acatually excusing myself from the table in the cafeteria to call my mom. Anyway, I was with two witnesses and my boss. A witness asked me about lung cancer and I was asked a question based on what I told him about lung cancer................ Why is the survival rate of lung cancer lower than other cancers? Why do more women die of that than gynecological cancers? I did not know how to respond besides lack of funding and smoking stigma. He said "well if more people are dying each year of that cancer than other cancers, it makes no sense why there would not be the same amount or more people researching the disease. Unless it is b/c it is a breathing organ?" And it made me wonder, WHY. Why does lung cancer and pancreas cancer for example have such lower rates than other cancers. It makes no sense to me. I wish I could understand. Is there an answer to articulate?

Ok, so I took all of the suggestions. I made a comment today to Brian that my dad has to go for another ct-scan, I may not get my PPO until June to go to the breast dr, and g-d knows what will happen with my mom and that I am afraid to plan a honeymoon, but that is ok, but it is the boy's job anyway :) I just left it at that and we;ll see what he does As for the dresses, wow, a size 2. You know Jerrye there is a saying, you can never be too rich or too thin Heeehee. Just kididng. That is the JEALOUSY in me just wanting to be a normal size in clothing. I do have to say, my bridal party all looked great in their dresses, I wanted them to overshadow me as the big blob in white The way I did it was each girl got to pick their own dress, but they were the same color. I went with apple red.

Tbone, I hope to read an identical post tomorrow that says this is the second day, and then third day, and then fourth and then you'll get bored and stop because you will be used to no pain. That is my wish for today!

Connie, You are my inspiration. Thank you! And congratulatons!

I am sending prayers y our way. The waiting is the absolute worst and that anticipation the week before a scan, I can get cranky and b--chy just thinking about it. It is like my personality changes during that time. Post with the results!

Snowflake, My brother in law is getting married so I get to be in a bridal party, standing next to 6 other tall slim girls And all of the girls have that really pretty exotic darker skin, they are Persian and sooooooooo thin. Then there will be me, a red headed adorable blob We came up with a trick, the strapless dress came with a shawl, we ordered a second shawl and we are going to have a tailor make off the shoulder sleeves b/c my arms are NOT for public viewing

Snowflake is going to be sorry she asked where I was and I got PMs from her post, now I am unstoppable and am clogging up the boards For Relay they want each team to adopt a mission to provide a message about a cancer or something related to cancer. My team is lung cancer and the message is that you don't have to smoke to get it. So anyway, someone whined at the meeting "why are there so many lung cancer booths?" and I thought back to all those articles that have been posted here about LC being in the news lately and I said "because more women die from LC each year than from breast and gynecological cancers combined". What I said was logical, but how I said it When I made the remark, and this was the SECOND time I had done this, I pointed to breast and gynecoloogical area as I said it. Oh well, I guess I got the point across

I promised someone I would find out for them if we have anyone with Mesothelioma. Her friend died of it, he was only in his 30s, and she is doing a Mesothelioma booth at relay.

I have learned a little bit being the Foodchair for my local Relay for Life. I just thought I'd share a couple of tips in case people ever want food donations for an event, or even if you are doing a booth somewhere and want food donated: most bagel shops will donate their "day olds"and most donut shops will donate 10 dozen donuts just by asking. As for chain restaurants such as Mimi's Cafe, if you want them to give a gift certificate as a prize, simply call corporate and it is easy to get! Also supermarkets donate food to events--I honestly never knew that Food attracts people And finally, many places such as Subway allocate a certain budget for donations, so if you know of an event in advance, call them early in the year, and a donation you may get

Did we hear back if it was blood clots taht caused her to be in the hospital?