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Budd

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Everything posted by Budd

  1. Terry I have to agree with everyone else about Dana Faber. We live 30 minutes from Boston. Our dr's here were all on staff at Dana Faber, had meetings there everyweek, and when Chris was in the hospital, all the 'weekend' dr's were from Dana Faber. I have never heard anyone say anything bad about them. They are certainly more than up to date on the latest treatments and clinical trials. And more, they are a great group of caring, compassionate, and humorous Dr's. I don't think you could gone wrong there at all. Debbie
  2. Budd

    MO_Sugar

    Mo I'm lighting that candle for you! Please know we're all thinking of you Debbie
  3. We did in the beginning. Luckily the case manager from our insurance company got it straightened out in one day. After that everything was fine. Are you having a specific problem that you'd like to share?? Good luck, Debbie
  4. I too was extremely disappointed in her message to us. Jack did an excellant job at descibing how he felt sitting there and listening. CURE should also be aware of the tremendous fight lung cancer paitents have to face. Different because of the stigma attached to it, which also shouldn't be. I often feel the drug companies really don't want to find a cure for it. If they did, they would lose trillions of dollars, and their CEO's wouldn't be able to take those bonus'. Why doesn't the largest group that gets cancer, lung cancer, the biggest killer of them all, get the largest funding. To me that only makes sense. Now please no one get upset with me for this, but, Kathy had breast cancer. From what I remember from the American Cancer Society, they are lucky enough to receive the most funding. What does that tell you!! With all the credentials she listed for Dr Belani, I would bet dollars to doughnuts, he does NOT see paitents. And therefore lacks any and all compassion. We were so lucky to have an onc. that was down to earth, compassionate, funny, and someone who became a friend. Debbie
  5. Ginny My thoughts are with you all. I'll light a candle for all of you. Hang in there! Debbie
  6. Ginny My thoughts are with you all. I'll light a candle for all of you. Hang in there! Debbie
  7. Yes we were able to donate Chris' eyes and some tissue. I never brought it up to the dr's because I thought with the cancer, chemo, etc. he couldn't have done it. Chris passed away at 3 in the afternoon. I received a call from the New England Organ Donor Bank, that the hospital had called them. The hospital had checked and his eyes were transplantable. When that transplant team came, they noticed that there was tissue that was usable. So they called in that transplant team. I had given permission for them to take whatever they could use. We were asked if we wanted to know who Chris' eyes went to and we said no, it was enough to know that those baby blues would be helping someone. Debbie
  8. Angela After they drain Chris' lung he felt so much better and the pneumonia went away in time after the anitbiotics kicked in. So hang in there, I'm thinking of you Debbie
  9. Budd

    Websites for grief

    I just wanted to let everyone know that I found 3 great websites for grief. Although I won't be leaving here, it's still nice and comforting to read other message boards. So if you're interested here they are: www.widownet.org (both widows and widowers, the best info, messages, and resources) www.griefnet.org www.youngwidows.org (again both widows and widowers) Debbie
  10. Budd

    An Update.

    Dean I also have missed you here! But maybe they can change the vicidon. From what they told me that's a short term pain medication. So that's why you'd feel that way in the morning and after it had worn off at night. They gave Chris oxycontin 40mg twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. It's a longer lasting med, almost like timed release they said. He took hydromorphone for break thru pain if he needed during the day. That combination really worked wonders on his pain. I hope you're still enjoying your scooter now that the weather is getting nicer. You and Gay hang in there, and I'll light a candle for you both Deb
  11. Paddy Chris was the exact same way. I do believe it's a guy thing His onc was great guy and a friend of our family dr's, so I never once had him looke weird at me. I went in with Chris on every visit to every doctor. When we met with the onc. he would shoot the breeze with Chris, ask him how he was doing, then turn to me and say, "OK Deb, how's he really doing?" And I would tell him everything while Chris just smiled. I had a list of questions "every" time we went, sometimes I had even printed info out from here and bring. One day I changed pocketbooks and left the list at home. He was horrified, just kidding, but told me to call him with the questions and I did when we got home, and he anwered everyone. We were blessed to have a wonderful onc. with great compassion and great sense of humor just like Chris. He came to Chris' wake and has called me twice now. But I do think it's a guy thing !! Debbie
  12. Oh Ginny, I'm thinking of the both of you and will light a candle for you Hang in there, it's tough but you can do it! Deb
  13. Budd

    Organ Donations

    Chris and I both had an organ donor sticker on our driver's license's. I never brought this up to the dr's because of the spreading of his cancer. I just wanted to let you know that after he passed the hospital called the Organ Donor bank and they called me. Apparently his cornea's and alot of tissue would be available if we wanted to donate them. Scott our 21 yr old was home and we both agreed to it. Scott was the reciepent of donated tissue when he had his ACL repaired. Also I think it's great that Chris' baby blue eyes will be helping someone to see. They asked us if we wanted to know who would be receiving his cornea's and we decide no, that wasn't important to us. So I just wanted to let any of you know, who had been thinking about this, that it is possible even with cancer. Debbie
  14. Jane I am so sorry for all of you. Please know you are in my thoughts and I will light a candle for both of you Debbie
  15. Budd

    My Beloved

    Peg Sorry I'm late posting this. But my heart truly does go out to you and your family as I lost Chris on 4/17. I am so thankful our 21 yr old son is still at home, and he is always trying to get me to laugh even though he has his own sadness over losing his dad. It does help though. It seems Bill and Chris lived the same with this darn disease. If you ever want to just "talk" you can email me at budd404@aol.com or PM me. I know that you must still be overwhelmed and I will light a candle for you. Debbie
  16. Lauralou Chris never had radiation to the lung either. He did have it to the pelvic area and brain\first before chemo becuase of leg pain and the brain mets. He then started Carbo/Taxorere and we were told he couldn't have radiation with that combination. We were also told that radiation to stage 4 could hurt more than it could help. If you would like to email me with questions or anything, my email is budd404@aol.com During the day I check that just about hourly until I get on this site at night usually. Debbie
  17. Sharon, glad he's feeling better and having a burger to boot Seems everytime Chris had to go to the hospital it was always a Friday (for some strange reason) and I never did like dealing with the "on call" onc. I lit a candle for your Dad and you both will be in my thoughts Debbie
  18. Charolette Look on the main forum list for the New Research/Treatment Options/Financial. It was merged into that one. The info I got from Norme was around last October. Debbie
  19. Budd

    I Think He Hears Me

    Here's my odd thing that happened. Two things really and I'm hoping that they are really from Chris. First, I have my clock radio's set in the morning to wake to the alarms, not music and I need 2 of them to get out of bed. They're set 10 mins. apart. So I'm asleep and they both go off at the same time playing "It's a Wonderful World" by Louie Armstrong. Lasted for less than a minute. But I think it was Chris. He loved that song. Then on Tuesday this week, I get up, and there's Chris's Delta SkyMiles card in the middle of the bedroom floor. It was inside a bureau drawer. Scott, our 21 yr old, said it must be Chris way of letting us know that he made it to the "sky" and not down under It was spooky but also comforting. Deb
  20. Budd

    All your kind words

    I just want to thank you all so much for the kind words and thoughts. Even though Chris passed away on April 17th, I really feel I lost him on 2/7 when he was admitted for the chemo toxcity and dementia. He never really recovered from that. So I guess I'm doing better than some because I started grieving then. And his passing was more of a relief to not have to watch him suffering anymore. But I can not tell you how much your posts meant to me. I stayed away from the board for a while because I just couldn't take anymore cancer talk. But now that I'm starting to heal, I'll be back. Thanks so very much again. Debbie
  21. I had just had Chris' Iressia refilled when we found out it wasn't working. I asked the chemo nurse's how I could donate it. They said it was against the law - but- they would let Chris' onc. know. So he came out of his office and very quietly said, taking them was not kosher, but he wasn't Jewish. (Please no offense to anyone) I am so glad that he took them to give to someone. They are very expensive and Chris had only taken 2, so there was 28 left. This should be a mandated law by congress for the whole country. If it's done thru an onc. there should be no problem. Just my 2 cents Debbie
  22. Hi Ven When Chris was first dx, he had radiation to the brain and hip for mets. They put him on the decadron and also oxycontin twice a day, with hydromorpine for break thru pain. This helped him very much. The oxy is a longer lasting pain med and they told us you can't get addicted to it if you're in pain. It goes to where the pain is. They also put our son on it last year when he had his ACL operated to repair it. The combination of the pills did wonders for Chris' pain. Hope this helps. Debbie
  23. Thanks to Norme's advice months ago on the financial forum, Chris was able to collect SSDI and his long term disability check from work. We did all the info over the phone with Social Security, filled out the paper work and mailed it in. He signed up for it 5 months after he was out of work, so we really had no waiting period. Stage 4 is an automatic approval. Only thing I didn't know was that after he passed away, I couldn't collect his social security until I'm 60. Jeepers, that's 8 years away:) So glad the gov't is holding it for me, not! Debbie
  24. Budd

    Our battle is over

    My husband Chris lost his battle on Apr. 17th. It was a year to the week that he was dx. We were able to put him in a hospice hospital room for the last day. That way I could be his wife and not his caregiver. That was a wonderful thing for me. He fought brave and hard and I will always remember his courage. More than I had at times. That's why I have been off the board. I just couldn't deal with cancer anymore. Debbie
  25. Peg I hope your first full day at home wasn't to filled with stress and that you are taking care of "yourself". I know truly know that's easier said than done. Hope your family has a great Easter and you get a small time out! Debbie
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