TAnn
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Posts posted by TAnn
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Karen,
It could be that your husband was a little dehydrated. When you are vomitting you lose your electrolytes. A lack of potassium can cause leg cramps at night. See if the simple solution would be to eat a banana. It always helps for my cramps.
Good luck with the upcoming tests and surgery.
TAnn
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Carls,
Hoping all goes well with your dad. I was on Iressa when I had whole brain radiation and they had me stop taking it while going through the radiation. Once radiation was done, (I had 10 treatments) I started back on the Iressa and then was switched to Tarceva in January.
I was told they just didn't know the effects of the combination and wanted to avoid any complications.
TAnn
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Pat,
Like so many others have said, you don't have to look or feel sickly to have lung cancer. That is why it is usually diagnosed at a late stage. I had a nagging cough and a pain in my chest, especially when I coughed or sneezed. I've never smoked, don't live w/a smoker and at the time of diagnosis I had just turned 41. My days started at 5:00am and ended at 11:00 pm between work, soccer practice, grocery store, dinner, well you know.
My husband finally INSISTED that I go to the doctor when he saw me fall to my knees in pain with a big sneeze one day. He said, "That's not normal!" So off I went, to the GP who kept telling me that she could refer me to a psychologist if I wanted, I was probably just stressed. After all I was "young" and in good health. After many more trips to the dr and finally insisting that she refer me to someone else, I was sent by a pulmonologist for a chest ct. That's where the tumor showed up, not in the 4 or 5 x-rays I had during the time I was seeing the GP. He thought for sure that I had TB, he tested me 3 times because I was "young and in good health" and a non-smoker. Thank goodness for my husband. I would probably just have given up and said, well the doctors think I'm ok, so I must be.
As far as staging, it is my understanding that any time the lung cancer mets outside of the lungs, ie: liver, brain, bones it is stage IV.
I agree with the others about getting a second opinion in the pathology. SCLC and NSCLC is treated differently.
It is an evil disease, but many of us are still winning!
TAnn
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Melanie,
Sending prayers your way. Glad you are feeling better.
TAnn
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Speaking of hair (or the lack thereof) I actually have a "little" (and I mean little!) bit of fuzz coming in! I am really happy to see those little guys, every one of them! I haven't had hair for almost 6 months, was getting ready to give up on it, but now that it has made it's re-appearance I couldn't be happier! (Although I'm still funny looking
)Hair is the least of our worries.......
TAnn
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Bruce,
That was the most lovely post. I know you meant every word, I felt your heart pouring out. That is why I continue to come here. You are all so wonderful. Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary. I will also be celebrating my 2 year anniv. since diagnosis in April, only a few weeks away, but I will wait to celebrate until it's official.
Thank you for your heartfelt words and thank you for all the encouragement you have given me, and all of us.
TAnn
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Today is my 43rd birthday. So glad I am here to celebrate it. I didn't think I'd make it to this one, but I'm happy to say I did
I know you all know the significance of these milestones. It's a big deal. Thank you all for being here for me through another year. I am praying for all of you.
TAnn
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Bill,
It's interesting that you said if the Tarceva is working, the malignant pleural effusion will not recur. I'll have to ask my doc about that. I know mine continued while I was on chemo. The only way I was able to get it under control was to have a Denver Catheter installed and drained it until there was no fluid left. Then the lung expanded to fill the "gap", causing scarring which will not allow the effusion to re-build. That is our hope anyway.
I'm going to ask my dr. about the effects of Tarceva on the pleural effusion. Glad to hear of the wonderful improvements your wife is making. Snowflake is calling her "Mrs. Bill", would you consider letting us know her name? Tell her we are all pulling for her. You are a wonderful support to her.
TAnn
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Gina,
Praying for "nothing". I've had many of the "drain things". Not fun, but if you have a high tolerance for procedures, you will do ok. Feel free to pm me if you want the gory details....
TAnn
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Bill,
When I was hospitalized, I was receiving IV fluids. They weighed me at night, and then the next morning. I had gained 6 pounds overnight. It was from all the fluids they were giving me. I complained so much that they decided I could have the IV taken out, I had enough fluids. Hope this is what is going on w/your wife.
TAnn
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What a cutie!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
TAnn
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Bill,
The dry skin and rash on your wife's face sounds just like what I had when I first started Tarceva. It was like my cheeks and nose were "sunburned". It felt exactly like a sunburn, in fact. After about 3 weeks it got much better and has not been an issue for me since.
Elaine is right, doctors DO NOT like to admit when they are wrong. And the truth is that you may never know if it was the Tarceva or just your wife's strong will to go on that was responsibile for her improvement. (I think a little of both) Regardless, she is getting better and that is the main goal. Less pain, more mobility, not too bad on the side effects, this all sounds like great news to me!!!
Let this be a lesson to those doctors. I promise you, they have taken note of it, even if they aren't admitting anything "out loud".
TAnn
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If your mom has already had all the tests and scans, I would imagine that the doctor appointment you have tomorrow will go over all the findings and give you some options on how to proceed. Remember, if you are not happy with the treatment options, don't hesitate to get a second opinion.
Good Luck,
TAnn
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Frank,
It's good to see you back! Sounds like you are ready for the new battle. Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way.
TAnn
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Happy Birthday Lucie!!! Here's to another year!!!! Congratulations.
Guess what, today is also my mother's birthday....and mine is on the 20th, this Sunday.
Celebrate!
TAnn
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Cindi,
Hooray! Nothing like getting you all stressed out for a procedure and then going to find out you don't need it! That is great that your effusion resolved on it's own. I agree with Elaine, wouldn't pneumonia show up on the ct??
Glad you didn't have to go through the procedure. Hoping they find the cause of the SOB soon so we can see you "doin a jig" on the pub table!
TAnn
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Sharon,
You have to stop beating yourself up over this. Realistically, noone knows if your dad would have had one more breath or not including the doctor. God made the decision, not you. You should be glad that he was comfortable and his passing was peaceful, which is what he would have wanted for you as much as himself. I know this is easy for me to say, not having been in your shoes, but I want you to know that I really think you did the right thing. He may have had a few more days, but I think he was ready. You trusted in God and he took care of your wonderful dad. He is looking down on you with pride and admiration right now.
You were a wonderful daughter to him. I wish you peace.
TAnn
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Dave and Karen,
Yeah!
Isn't it amazing how a little good news can go a loooong way! So glad to hear that Dave is in the empty head club. One less thing to worry about. Now, on with the fight!Hoping that buyer walks through your door on Saturday and the house is sold on Sunday!
TAnn
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Thank you Ginny, for all your support.
TAnn
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Cindi,
You are soooooo in my prayers. You are one smart cookie to request those drugs. My pulmonologist thought I was a big baby. I know, they didn't SAY it, but I could tell. They kept saying, this is such an easy procedure. We do it on patients twice your age with no problems! I've had 4, the first one I fainted, the second one took forever because I THOUGHT I was going to either throw up or pass out, the 3rd one same thing, and the 4th one I did throw up.
My best advice to you is DO NOT let this go. I really went way to long getting these "procedures" (I can't spell the thorencentesis word or say it
) and my lung was completely encased with fluid from top to bottom before I knew it. That's when they put in the Denver Catheter. Had that in 5 grueling weeks, but the fluid has not come back and it's been almost a year since having it out! 
When is your procedure? I'll send all my positive thoughts that you have a good experience and that the drugs help keep you calm.
TAnn
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Bill,
I have a malignant pleural effusion also. When I was first diagnosed almost 2 years ago, I had it drained so they could perform tests to determine if it was malignant. That was in April of 03. I then had to have 3 more drainings between April of 03 and April of 04. By April of 04 my lung was completely encased. I never made a big issue of the SOB and pain due to all that fluid because I had such a terrible time with the thorencenthesis. Big mistake! I had a Denver Catheter put in in April 04 for 5 1/2 weeks. My wonderful husband drained a bottle (I think 600 ml) daily until there was no more fluid to drain. Since then, the fluid has not come back at all. I still have some "trapped" fluid in pockets and a partially collapsed lung where that fluid is trapped.
I was told that each person is different. Some can have a small effusion that really does not increase at all and others like me have the fluid return quickly. I went a couple of months before I noticed the "signs" between draining procedures.
TAnn
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Pammie,
My dr. said the same thing. They don't even look at tumor markers for lung cancer at MD Anderson, where I am being treated. They are not a reliable source for what the cancer is doing.
TAnn
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Thank you Ry for keeping us up to date on Frank. Sending prayers to you Frank. Get better soon!
TAnn
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) and my lung was completely encased with fluid from top to bottom before I knew it. That's when they put in the Denver Catheter. Had that in 5 grueling weeks, but the fluid has not come back and it's been almost a year since having it out! 
Malignant Pleural Effusion Revisited
in GENERAL
Posted
Bill,
It seems that this is another one of those issues that is different for each patient. After getting a thorecenthesis, my fluid came back within about a month. I did not want to go through that procedure again, so I usually let it go until I could hardly breath. I did this 4 times. I was told that some people go forever with just the "small" amount that your wife has and some, like me will rapidly reproduce the fluid. This can occur whether it is malignant or not.
In my case, I could actually "feel" when the fluid was coming back. It literally felt like a "glug" and a 'thud" on that lung. It was really creapy.
If you'd like specific information on the procedure I had, the Denver Catheter, please feel free to pm me. So far it has worked for me.
TAnn