MJ

hi kitkathi, i'm glad to see that your father is doing better. prayers for a quick recovery. God bless, mj

hello tina, prayers for dave, michele, and their loving family. may they find comfort in God's arms. God bless, mj

joanie, happy anniversary and to many more! God bless, mj

hi joe & gina, very glad to hear the news! i pray that the good news keeps on coming. God bless, mj

hi don, prayers for you and lucie as always. i'm glad to see her in such high spirits. God bless you both, mj

Ginseng a No-No for Patients on Coumadin Popular Herb Cuts Effect of Lifesaving Drug By Daniel DeNoon WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD on Tuesday, July 06, 2004 July 6, 2004 - Don't take ginseng if you're using Coumadin. The warning comes from a new study led by University of Chicago researcher Chun-Su Yuan, MD, PhD, and colleagues. Their findings appear in the July 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Coumadin -- its generic name is warfarin -- keeps the blood from clotting. It's often called a blood thinner, although it really doesn't make the blood thin. It helps keep blood clots from blocking blood vessels. It's a serious treatment for people at risk of life-threatening disease. "With too small a dose, the risk of clots increases -- but too much can cause serious bleeding," Yuan warns in a news release. "So a substance, such as ginseng, that alters [Coumadin's] effects -- even slightly -- can have significant consequences." Ginseng is a popular herbal remedy. It's a natural product. Many people mistakenly think natural products are always safe. In reality, these products often have powerful effects. Some of these effects can interfere with the effects of medicines a person is taking. Yuan's team enrolled 20 healthy volunteers who agreed to take Coumadin and ginseng at the same time. Some of the volunteers got pills that looked like the ginseng pills but actually contained a placebo. Coumadin worked normally in the people who got the placebo. But in those taking Coumadin and ginseng, the drug's blood-thinning effects were significantly reduced. The bottom line: If you're on Coumadin or generic warfarin, don't take ginseng supplements or ginseng-containing herbal tea. If you think the ginseng is important for your health, discuss it with your doctor.

hi dave, prayers for continued health and success. thanks for being such an active advocate for all of us. God bless, mj

dear sean, thank you for indulging us with that wonderful story. what a wonderful memory to have. praying that you have many more to come in the future. God bless, mj

sure, it's from alcase: http://www.alcase.org/index.html

Medicare Replacement Drug Demonstration Project Under a new law, non-small cell lung cancer patients currently taking Iressa (gefitinib) may be eligible to participate in a special Medicare program that could significantly cut the cost of the drug. The Medicare Replacement Drug Demonstration Project allows up to 50,000 people with Medicare, who have life-threatening diseases (such as lung cancer) to participate and get the benefit of significant savings. Depending on income levels, patients could save between 58 percent and 98 percent from the cost of Iressa. Who to Call 800-532-5274 -- The Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) PAF is helping people enroll in the program. Call to find out if you are eligible. Patients will speak with one of PAF's specialized case managers who will assist them by completing the application for expedited submission. 866-563-5386 --The company that is working directly with the federal government to enroll people.

Tarceva Access (ACT) Trial Opens Genentech, Inc. and OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. have begun a Phase IIIB clinical study, called the ACT (Access to Care, Tarceva) trial, with the oral drug (pill) Tarceva (erlotinib HCl) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer for whom previous chemotherapy has failed. Designed to allow access to this investigational drug as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers its approval, the study will eventually enroll eligible patients at about 50 hospitals nationally. There will be no charge for Tarceva used in the study, which is intended to measure survival and response rate. Enrollment will continue until the FDA's aproval decision. For details on enrollment, other costs, and site locations, call Genentech's Trial Information Support Line at 888-662-6728. To search for other trials, see Finding Clinical Trials on this website. Frequently Asked Questions: Who will be eligible for the ACT Trial? The ACT Trial will make Tarceva available to certain patients who have a diagnosis of advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has progressed or relapsed after previous chemotherapy. Eligible patients cannot have had prior exposure to small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), including Tarceva or Iressa

thanks so much everyone for your support. it's been quite a difficult few weeks, but your prayers mean so much. i've been logging on more often lately, hoping to read really good news from you all. paddy, i'm so glad that your family is so supportive. please let me know what you think of my pm when you get more info too. addie, i'm so glad that you found the love of your life - ned. denise, thank you so much for all of your support. geoff/melinda, i'm praying for you everyday, and i'll give you a call soon. oncodoc/dr. joe, you are so amazingly helpful and kind. i'm so sadden by cat's departure from the board...i hope that she returns feeling uplifted really soon. and to everyone else (i haven't forgotten you all ), i hope that you all have really good news to post soon. my mom is resting comfortably at home. she ate a little more today than she has in the past week, so i am very happy. i can't believe how i used to overlook all the small blessings in life. she is still on her antibiotics for the next few days. i'm hoping that she starts getting her appetite back after she is done (she's had nausea probs before when she took antibiotics). i'm worried about her p/t levels since she has started using warfarin. she's using 3 mg a day (increased from 2 mg today since her p/t didn't show therapeutic levels). she's supposed to get blood tests every friday. the veins in her arms have been poked so much that the docs have trouble finding one to tap. can anyone give me advice on coumadin/warfarin use? also, she's started to complain about pains in her lower back when she lies or sits down for long periods of time, specifically the bone supporting her spinal column. i'm paranoid about bone mets, but she has also lost a lot of weight and doesn't have as much "padding" there as she used too. when i massage her, the pain goes away temporarily. i know that she has to regain her strength/weight to start on any type of meds/treatments, so that has been my primary concern. ho hum. sorry to keep requesting prayers, but i have realized that that is the best weapon that we have against this illness. thank you once again for everything...gotta get some zzzzs. God bless, mj

dearest don & lucie, i'm so so happy for you both! you are in my thoughts and prayers. may we all continue to hear great news from you both. God bless you, mj

hi don, what a lovely pic! i'm sure you are cuddled up next to your favorite "pillow." thank you for your inspiring message. we can all use your positive attitude and prayers. God bless, mj

hi rachel, i'm very glad to see that your father is doing well. take care of yourself too! God bless you and your family, mj

dean & gay, missing your presence here on board. i pray that you are both enjoying each others' company and that we'll hear from you both soon. God bless, mj

dr. joe, all i have to offer is my most heartfelt thanks for all of your support. please have a safe and educational trip in the windy city. God bless, mj

hi everyone (sorry about the long post in advance!), i think my family is feeling completely wiped out. my mom is back home from the hospital, but i had to take her in again today (to the er) 'cause she had a slight headache, and i'm paranoid 'cause she's on comadin (i'm sure paddy can empathize...my poor mom's arms have also seen too many needles). the ct scan showed "no change" so she is allowed to use the meds to treat the blood clots in her lungs. the pneumonia and urinary tract infection seem to be under control (she has 6 more days of antibiotics), but she has lost so much weight during the past 1 1/2 months and still feels nauseated (i'm hoping it's just due to the antibiotics; she's had that experience before). she also has an eye infection in her left eye. today is my brother's birthday and the day before was my father's, but we are too stressed out and tired to celebrate. however, in between it all, i'm still feeling very blessed in so many ways. so many of the nurses/friends/family members have been so kind and helpful. my mom hasn't had a fever in a few days, and she's off o2 (back up to 93-95%; her levels were down to 86%, even with o2 at times). even though she feels weaker, she still gets up out of her bed to go to the restroom with assistance. she hasn't experienced any pain (except for the slight headache this morning), and she sleeps really well. my mom received a blood transfusion the other day with no complications (i knew that i donated blood before for a reason, even with my fear of needles ). we have a home care nurse who will be administering my mom's antibiotics daily (and checking b/p and blood levels). i feel so fortunate to have all of these blessings, and i thank God everyday, but it's so hard to balance all the fear, anxiety, sadness, etc. that i also feel simultaneously. my family could really use your prayers. i'm especially worried about the blood clots/comadin use (on top of everything else). my father and brother don't really realize how serious that is (they basically leave all the medical stuff to me...the "baby" of the family). i thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. they mean so much to me and my family. God bless, mj

oh wow vanessa, i've been going through all of that for the past few weeks. i don't mean to scare you, but i'm going to tell you my mom's experiences (just PLEASE keep in mind that this doesn't necessarily mean your mom is going through the same thing). my mom felt pretty nauseated throughout the 2nd and 3rd weeks of wbr and she couldn't really eat. she lost a lot of weight. she took iressa at the same time. after about 5 weeks of taking iressa (and after wbr was over for two weeks), her temp went up to 100 all of a sudden and she started having really bad chills and shortness of breath. we called the paramedics and took her to the hospital. turns out that she had a urinary track infection, pneumonia and blood clots in her lungs. she was released yesterday, but i had to take her in to the er again this morning 'cause she complained of a slight headache (the ct scan showed no change, thank God, so the docs told her to continue with her medications). since she is on antibiotics, her appetite is still pretty supressed (she has had this experience several times with antibiotics before), but her fever is gone, and she's breathing a lot better. i'm praying that your mom feels better really soon, vanessa. please pm if you have any particular questions. i hope that i can help. God bless, mj

hi everyone, i hope that everyone had a really good weekend. i haven't had a chance to read all the new posts yet...i'll get to them in a minute. thanks for all of your prayers. mom and i are back home from the hospital. starting tomorrow, a home-care nurse will be coming for the next week to administer my mom's i.v. meds and do blood tests. it was such a hard thing to organize my mom's departure from the hospital 'cause it's the weekend, and i couldn't get a hold of doctors, social workers, etc. grrr. but things seem to have worked out, and my mom seems to be feeling more comfortable at home. due to the steroids she received, her blood sugar level has been fluctuating (making her a drug-induced diabetic), so i have to call her primary doc to see if he'll prescribe something for that. i have been deftly afraid of needles all of my life, but due to being around my mom so much, i've gotten quite used to it (shocking, i tell you!). i learned how to administer insulin if i have to (but the nurses said that she'll probably just receive some sort of daily pill). my mom's infections seems to be under control (no fever), but we are still concerned with the blood clots in her lungs. she had a colonoscopy done yesterday and a ct scan of her brain the day before that, and the docs agree that it seems to be okay for my mom to take the anti-coagulants. but now she has stopped chemo treatments, and i really don't know where we are going to go from here. we have to meet with her onco on thursday, i believe. i know that she is too weak to endure chemo right now (she lost so much weight), so i'm kind of lost. i'm so tired too. yawn. but after being away from home for a week, the house is a wreak, and i need to get things organized again. me and my obsessive compulsiveness! thanks once again for all of your prayers. it's such a blessing to have so many friends who can understand what i'm going through. God bless, mj

hello everyone, i'm taking a quick break again from the hospital. my mom had to be transfered to an in-network hospital which was inconvenient because it is far from my home. but the transfer went really smoothly, so we are grateful for that. my mom was also diagnosed with pneumonia too. it's just one thing on top of another. her spirits are high though, and we've had tremendous support from family, friends and church members. she just started to eat a bit more (besides just have boosts and prosures), so that's been a real blessing too. thank you all so much for all of your prayers, once again. i'm so grateful for them. my mom will be having a ct scan of her brain to make sure that the anti-blood clotting meds haven't affected her there (since she just finished wbr two weeks ago). and she's supposed to meet with a physical therapist tomorrow too. we are trying to stabalize her oxygen levels right now too. if you could spare a free moment to pray for those things in particular, i would be so appreciative. i have to head back to the hospital soon (i'm at a friend's house which is near the hospital for an hour break). thank you all so much. God bless, mj

thank you all for your prayers. my family and i appreciates them so much. i'm taking an hour break from the hospital. my mom is still there, and i'm continuing to spend the night with her. turns out that she has an infection from e. coli (i have no clue where she got it from since i'm particularly meticulous about cooking everything thoroughly ). also, she has blood clots in her lungs (the docs think it's from all the bed rest she's been getting when going through wbr), so she's had difficulty breathing. the doctors and nurses have been amazingly kind and helpful though, so that has been a huge blessing. she's doing slightly better today than yesterday (her temp. has been normal all day, whereas it was fluctuating between 98-102 the past few days), so i hoping that the antibiotics are kicking in. another blessing is that she hasn't been in pain, and she's sleeping really well. she's still nauseated though, so she can't eat much which troubles me. hopefully she'll be eating regularly real soon. thank you once again for all of your warm thoughts and prayers. they really are comforting through this whole ordeal. God bless, mj

carleen, my prayers are with you and your husband. all of this so hard on the both of you. my mom, too, was told to do wbr first and to save the gamma knife procedure if needed for later on. my thoughts are with you, and i'm glad to see that you both have found solace in God's mercy. God bless, mj

hi everyone, my mom was admitted yesterday due to a sudden fever and chills. it turns out that she has a urinary tract infection. she has lost a lot of weight during the past few weeks while going through wbr and chemo (iressa), and the nausea isn't going away, even though the nurses have given her several diff't kinds of anti-nausea meds. if you could spare a free moment, i would really appreciate your prayers. i'm staying at the hospital with her (i just stepped out to get a few things from home). thank you so much in advance. God bless, mj

sharon, i'm so sorry to hear about everything you have been going through. don't worry about not posting regularly. you have so much going on that it's more than understandable. i'm glad to see that the decatron is increasing your father's appetite. since he wants to eat, give him plenty of really good food! the gamma knife procedure seems to be excellent when dealing with one or a few brain mets (very few, if any, side effects) -- there are lots of posts about that on this site alone. the stroke may have been facilitated by the brain met, i believe (i think paddy's husband went through that), so i'm praying that the gamma knife procedure will take care of that. it's very sweet of you to have your parents over so that you can help take care of your mom too. hang in there. my thoughts are with you and your family. God bless, mj