AdaW

Dear Carleen, I am praying for good news for you and Keith. Thinking of you with admiration and affection. Love, Ada

Dear Sophia, No need to apologize. You do have a lot going on right now. You need to vent and then get on with things. That sounds like what you are doing. Take care. I am thinking of you, Ada

Dear Fay, I was shocked to read your latest development. Our cases are so similar. Will they radiate your leg? I've had 8 radiation treatments to my pelvis and they just started to kick in, I believe--either they have started to work or the pain killers are working better. I too have oxygen, but I don't mind it anymore. I have my in-house converter which allows me to roam anywhere in my house. Then I have a little portable tank that lasts about 6 hours @ 2 liters per hour. It's smaller than my purse. I really admire you for doing yard work. Sounds like you really have the spirit Fay, but of course I've always known that about you. FF=Feisty Fay. Thinking of you with lots of admiration and concern, Ada

Dear Rhonda, I am shocked to hear about Connie. The news has really caught me off guard. Connie has been a loving friend to me and I am here for her, just as I know everyone on the board is. Sending my prayers, Ada

Dear Cheryl, This is great news. Now you really do have to rest up so that you will be in fighting shape for the surgery. You're making excellent progress here. Take care and eat well, rest, relax, & exercise sensibly dear friend. There's much work ahead. Ada

Dear Michelle, My deepest sympathy on the loss of your dear husband. I always loved the picture you posted of him. Yes, he looked like he probably didn't feel very well in the picture, but he looked like a man who was happy and content-a man who had a very full life. I am thinking of you and your family and remembering all of you in my prayers. Ada

Dear Veronica, I have been all doom and gloom lately too because I just learned I have bone mets. I'm going to let myself wallow in just a little more self-pity and fear and then I am going to do what I've always done since being diagnosed. I'm going to get my a_ _ in gear for the big fight. I may be down and out after receiving some bad news, but like I told my sister--I am not dead. And you are not either, Veronica. They have the gamma knife for brain mets and granted I would be extremely upset if I heard your news, but there are other people who have weathered your storm and my storm on this board and they are still alive. I want you to think like that--that's how I am thinking. This can be fixed. Let's just get started. There are a lot of promising drugs and treatment options out there for all of us. Thinking of you. Love, Ada

Dear Tim, I feel like I already know you through Kathy. She has a very nice picture of you posted on the website. I think of you often and pray for all of us to get well again. About depression. I cried for the first 6 months after diagnosis. I had such deep sadness and was just desolate. I finally found a medication that worked for me and slowly started figuring out how to live with lung cancer. I was diagnosed 25 months ago! The one nice thing that I have learned is that even in adversity, there is joy. I'll be thinking of you and hope you decide to read and or post to the board. Sincerely, Ada

Dear Don, Please let Lucie know that I am thinking of her and praying for both of you. Love, Ada

Dear Friends, I wanted to let you know that I am back home after completing 5 of a total of 10 radiation treatments to my pelvis. They changed my pain medication, but this is still very painful. We are managing. The plan is go travel to Nashville next week, return home for 2 weeks and then return to Nashville once a week for 8 weeks for a clinical trial of Taxotere and Topotecan. They may change their minds about which clinical trial I will be on because they are taking another look at the pathology slide from my original tumor. The oncologist thinks my tumor isn't "behaving" like typical NSCLC but may have features of BAC. Interesting. We shall see. I'll keep you posted. Thinking of all of you with great concern and affection. Ada

Dear Cathy, I know this is a very difficult time in your life. I felt the same helplessness when my Father had colon cancer. I just could not accept the fact that there was nothing that could fix his problem. I was stunned that there was nothing the medical community could offer him. I even offered to take him to Lourdes, France in search of a miracle. My Dad looked at me like I was crazy! Your Father is telling you that he is not going to do anything else to fight his disease. He's lived with enough disappointments and he will finally be in charge of things. What seems like a good option , Iressa, is not an option for him. I think you should be asking yourself not how you can convince your Father to take the IRESSA, but how to accept his decision with love, respect and peace if it actually is his final decision. A very tall order for a loving daughter. I am thinking of you, your Dad and your family, Ada [/b]

Dear Sam, You are right, there are worse things than being on oxygen for the rest of your life. I think of you often and certainly pray for a cure for you and all. Ada

Dear Glo, I believe you really need a second opinion here, preferrably with a Lung Cancer specialist. Please contact ALCASE, www.alcase.org. I think they will have names of doctors in your area that will be able to help you. Also, it's important for you to keep your own records of all reports, doctor's notes, scans, x-rays and biopsy slides. You never know when you'll need them in the future. Take care. Thinking of you. Ad

Dear Rayroy, I am very sorry to learn about your Father. I have always admired your love and devotion to your Father and your family. In our family, I call our son, our SUN--I think that title describes you too. Thinking of you and praying for all, Ada

Dear Carol, I am sorry to hear about Gene. I am remembering you both in my prayers. Sincerely, Ada

Dear Friends, Today I learned that there is good reason that I have had so much pain in my leg. My cancer has spread to the femur and pelvis and according to the reports, elsewhere also. I'll let the doctor explain the reports to us when we go back to Nashville on Monday. We have an appt. at 1:00 p.m. on Monday to start treatments. I think I will need 5-6 radiation treatments, but need to meet with the radiation oncologist first to get more details. After radiation is over, I will wait 2 weeks before starting chemo again. I'm anxious to get started because I always feel more comfortable knowing that I am taking action against the cancer. I have been very lucky throughout this 2-year cancer ordeal to not have gotten very sick from the chemo or radiation The surgery set me back, but I was on the mend. It's just been since the 2 hospitalizations for subcutaneous mets that I have started to feel "sick." It's the first time I have allowed myself to admit that I am sick. I am still praying for remission. Hoping for the best for all of us. Ada

Dear Shelly, I was happy to see your post, but sad about what your Mom and you are going through. Sometimes this all really is too much to bear and you are right-it would be easier to give up, but then I'm not a quitter and I promised myself I would do every thing in my power to get my health back. You are not a quitter either and although you've chosen the more painful route (emotionally) of helping your Mother through thick and thin, I know you can do this for her now and will continue to help her through this. You are a wonderful daughter, Shelly. I don't think you will ever need to ask yourself the question--"What is my purpose in life?" You are a wonderful, loving daughter. Thinking of you, Ada

Dear Friend, I am so very sorry about Margaret. Your love for her is really very beautiful and touching. I am thinking of you and remembering Margaret. Ada

Dear Friends, Thanks for all the postive thoughts. They mean a lot to me. Today was one of my worst days in the 2 years that I have been living with lc. The last pain pills I could take were given to me at 6:30 this morning. My scans were at 1:30. Laying in a stiff position for several hours was almost unbearable and getting off the scanning table just made me cry buckets. I told the techs--forgive me, you are meeting me at the lowest point in my life. Well, my dear husband met me after the scan with a big cup of water and 2 pain pills. He is a saint. I was able to calm down considerably and we drove the 4 hours home. We have a heated seat on my side of the car, so it was like being on a heating pad--and the pills kicked in. I am feeling so much better tonight. We will know something by Friday. I feel very hopeful about my treatment plan. I know I'm probably never going to be "cured," but who knows. Right now, I would like my quality of life back. Thinking of all of you and grateful for your friendship, Ada

Dear Determined, I have been bothered by my response to you since I wrote it. I would like to apologize for brushing you and your question aside because I know it's hard to get up the courage to ask certain questions and I have now probably put you off so much that you will never visit again. One of the big fears that I have is pain and when you asked your question about pain, I had just been in the middle of the most pain I have experienced since being diagnosed 2 years ago. My pain is very difficult to manage right now and it is causing some tears. I read your question at my most vulnerable. I apologize for lashing out at you when I should have offered some really good advice, like some others have. The note about crossingthecreek.com (?) was really worthwhile and other posts in this thread are helpful. Sorry for lashing out. That's not really like me. Hopefully, you'll post again. Sincerely, Ada

Dear Friends, We met with a new oncologist today. He is Dr. Burris who works with LC specialist Dr. Greco at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The meeting went so well. It looks like I will be starting a clinical trial of Taxotere and Topetecan (sp.) as early as Monday. First I have to have a CT/PET scan tomorrow to determine if the pain in my hip is from cancer. I'll have more details at the end of this week. About IRESSA: I was on IRESSA exactly one month when it was determined that it wasn't working for me. One of my doctors told me that it can be determined after only 15 days whether IRESSA is working or not. That's not exactly true and I wanted to clarify this so that I'm not giving out incorrect information. My IRESSA was discontinued prematurely, I think. It seems that for some people who are going to have tumor shrinkage with IRESSA, it can be determined very early on whether or not the drug is working. For others, their tumors will grow at first and then stabalize. People need to be on IRESSA more than one month in order to determine if they are among those whose tumors will shrink or stablize. Either outcome would have been acceptable to me. Dr. Burris is having a pathologist check my original tumor slide to actually see if I am a good candidate for IRESSA, something no one did for me before. Just thought I'd let you know this new information. Ada

Dear Sam, Thank you for responding to my question about oxygen. You helped me a lot. I am sorry that you are having a difficult time with your chemo regimen. But I know you know it's worth it when you have positive results. Soon, I hope to see you posting in the good news section. Don't worry about sounding like you are whining. You are not! Just think of what you've been through this past year--full treatments for 2 cancers. My goodness! I've always said I am more afraid of the cancer than of anything they can throw at me. Keep that in mind when you are feeling down. Eventhough you are low, you are working very hard to stay on top of things. Thinking of you and praying for you, Ada

Dear Shelly, I am so sorry that your Mother is going through this very rough time and that you have to witness all of this. I think it all sounds very frightening. I am praying for you and your Mother Shelly. I hope she is able to weather this storm quickly and get to go home again soon. Love, Ada

Dear Sam, In one of your posts to Becky, you said the following: I'm confused. I thought that the goal was an O2 level of at least 90 with or without the oxygen. Could you help explain this. Currently, on room air for 10 minutes, my O2 level is 80. It pretty quickly rises to 90+. It is about 92 when I have my oxygen on. Should I be worried? Ada

Dear Friends, Two years ago I was diagnosed with Stage IIIA NSCLC. It's been a roller-coaster with many ups and many downs. I've learned a lot, some of which I did not want to know. Mostly I've learned that I am very lucky to have the love of a devoted husband, children, family and friends. The biggest surprise is that I learned that I can still find joy and happiness in my life eventhough I have a life-threatening disease. Two years ago, I never thought I would be here. Right now, eventhough I've been through the mill lately, I am functioning and happy and still believe that I could go into remission if they could find something that works for me. I have not lost my faith that I still have a wonderful life to live. Tomorrow (Monday) we will travel to Nashville to meet with Dr. Anthony Greco and his colleagues to see if I qualify for any of their clinical trials. I hope so. I at least need to get started on something because I am having trouble with my hip and am finding it difficult to walk--even with a cane. I am still on clinical trial lists in Pittsburgh, but my name isn't coming to the top of the lists very quickly. I hope to be eligible for some cutting edge medications. Several oncologists have told me there are very promising clinical trials out there right now. I'll keep you posted. I'll be thinking of all of you. Take care. Ada