AdaW

Someone deleted the offensive question from the original post, so now the post reads like a new post and not the one I was commenting on. Ada

I am very sorry that your Mother has NSCLC and very sorry that you have run into an oncologist that has given her no hope. I would suggest finding another doctor to help your Mother. You labeled your post "tough questions." I need to ask you something that I have wanted to ask others who have been very blunt on the board. Do you really think it's appropriate to post a question about how painful it is to die from something that many people on this board have? It isn't. When I was first diagnosed 2 years ago, I turned to books. There are wonderful resources out there that can give you a blow by blow description of end of life issues. That's where I would turn to answer your type of question. You aren't the first person to ask insensitive questions on this board and I don't want to embarrass you or anyone else. I have empathy for you. I know it's hard for both patients and caregivers to go through this, but I have to put your question on my list of "what not to say to someone who has lung cancer." along with: Did you smoke? What is your prognosis? Do you have a cemetary plot? Ada

Dear Carolyn, I am assuming the dry heaves are from anxiety since the Lorazapam is working. Anxiety can cause me to have nausea. Some other causes might be other medications or the way he takes medications. I read where you're not supposed to take meds with orange juice--it's too acidic (sp). Maybe some of the medical people on the board could give us all some insight into how to take pills properly. I also think it's possible for constipation to cause nausea. Ada

Dear Cathy, There really is no need to apologize and you are not selfish. Eventhough I am the one with lung cancer in my family, I am very aware that my situation affects every member of my family very profoundly. I think it would be very hearbreaking to be the caretaker. My husband was just diagnosed with eye cancer, but he hasn't needed any special care yet. Life is crazy for all of us. Let's not apologize to eachother. Thinking of you and Tim, Ada

Dear Jonathan, Carboplatin/Taxol, Taxotere and Gemzar were used for me before I took IRESSA. IRESSA is not a first-line chemo for NSCLC. And by the way, eventhough the 12%-20% sounds low, if it works for a person, it's a tremendous drug. Just one pill a day to keep the lung cancer at bay or shrinking. If something would do that for me, I would call it my miracle. I would encourage people to try IRESSA because they can tell pretty quickly whether it's working or not. Thinking of you, Ada

Dear Becky, I don't have radiation pneumonitis, but I am back on O2 again after my latest surgery. Just remember that the oxygen is very healing for you--it's helping you to get better sooner. So try to think of it as a temporary thing, especially since you haven't talked to the radiation oncologist yet. I know it is disheartening to drag the O2 around, but soon you won't notice that it is on. I have a portable tank that only delivers oxygen when I breath in. See if you can get a different tank. One that is less obtrusive, lighter and easier to carry. My Mom (83 years old) went out and bought me a cane this week. I am still having tremendous leg pains since my surgery. Using the cane makes me feel like I've lost ground. It's sad for me, but it helps, I think. I don't really know how to walk with a cane. I try to remind myself that this is a temporary setback and needing the cane right now doesn't mean that I am going downhill or that I will always need it. I hope you'll be feeling better soon and that the oxygen works well to heal you. Ada Take care Becky

Dear Michelle, There are several types of lung cancer. Maybe the docs are doing the biopsy to see which type of lung cancer your Mom has. Once they have this information, they will "stage" her disease and then they will develop a treatment plan for her. Good luck to you and your Mom, Ada

Dear Kathy, The kind of fatigue I felt (even after chemo rounds were completed) was like nothing I had ever felt before. It was a kind of profound fatigue. I'd wake up each morning and started scheming about when I could get back in bed. Chemo, all the medications, fear and emotional upset all are exhausting. I think it's pretty normal to feel exhausted right now--and unfortunately it's normal to feel scared too. This is difficult. I always read your posts with great interest. I am thinking of you and Tim and hoping for the best for both of you. Ada

Dear Gail, Here is a good website that will answer many of the questions that you might have: http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/tr ... ection_164. Ada

I just found an interesting clinical trial site: http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat34.html Ada

Dear Angie, Yes, both chemo and radiation can cause shortness of breath, I believe. Have your Dad ask for his oxygen levels to be tested. Ada

Dear Becky, My shortness of breath (walking up stairs) started when I was on Taxotere. Your radiation is probably still working and contributing to the situation--and of course your infection doesn't help. One thing that was never offered to me during this time was a simple test of my oxygen levels. Ask the doctor about that. You may need to be on oxygen for awhile. My oncologist never tested my O2 levels, it was the pulmonologist that helped me with this problem after my surgery. I hope you are feeling better soon. Ada

Dear Cathy, My 2 cents about IRESSA. I was on it for a month and unfortunately it didn't work for me. My tumors grew. For those that it works for though, I would say it's a real miracle. Imagine swallowing a simple pill and having your tumors shrink!!!! That's about the size of it. I did have some minor side effects-fatigue, nausea but nothing compared to regular chemo and nothing that I couldn't manage. I did have the "runs" and had to watch what I ate, but I didn't have any embarassing moments. A simple pill is really the way to go. I definitely think it's worth the try. I'm anxious to hear your Dad's decision. Ada

Dear Shelly, I am sorry that your Mom is having such trouble. I know this is a very hard time for her and for you. I am sorry that you are mad at God. Does that make you feel better? After my Father died, my sisters didn't speak to eachother for a few years. The older sister was mad at the younger one. I know it made my older sister feel like she was more in control of an uncontrollable life event. Her anger upset me very much, but I realized that my older sister's anger had to go somewhere and I guess it landed on my younger sister. Maybe your anger is landing on God. It took my getting cancer to get my sisters together again. Sad. I guess what I want to share with you is that eventhough I have cancer I have never been mad at God. I have not lost my faith. My faith has deepened. My belief system works fine for me but I know it's not for everyone, so I have no advice except to say that if there's no payoff to your anger, if it doesn't do anything to benefit you or your Mom, why waste your time being angry? I think of you all the time. Hold your Mom's hand and give her a kiss for me. Love, Ada

Dear Cheryl, Yes, I think surgery could still be in the treatment plan of someone whose tumors have shrunk through chemo and radiation but it really depends on the individual. The tumor may be in a very dangerous position, near a blood vessel or the heart and may not be able to be operated on or there may be too much scar tissue from the radiation. I guess there are many reasons why someone would not be a candidate for this surgery. Only a highly skilled thoracic surgeon would be able to make the assessment for you. Take care. I hope this helps to answer your questions. Ada

Dear David, Some excellent facts about lung cancer are listed on our site's new main page in the Know the Facts section. Good luck, Ada

Dear Norme, You asked about subcutaneous mets. Lung cancer tends to spread to certain organs more often than it does others: liver, brain, lymph nodes etc. Sometimes it spreads underneath the skin and this is what I have --lumps beneath the skin or as my reports say "subcutaneous mets." I thought getting rid of them through surgery would be a breeze (compared to lung surgery) and it hasn't been a breeze. Hopefully I'm on the mend. Take care, Ada

Dear Friends, I wanted to keep you updated because you may be wondering where I've been this past week. You may remember that I had 3 cancerous tumors (subcutaneous mets) removed in Pittsburgh at the end of June. We travelled back home to GA this past weekend and it was a very difficult trip. I had terrible pains in my legs and one of the surgical sites seemed infected. I was also running a fever. The pains in my legs were so intense, I cried--not usual for me. All of this began after I was released by the surgeon last Friday--so this was no one's fault. I saw the oncologist this past Monday and he immediately admitted me to the hospital here in Marietta with what he thought was an absess. I had another surgery, but they could not find any infection. I also had an MRI and they didn't find a tumor on the spine. What a week. I spent 5 days in the hospital on IV fluids and antibiotics. My leg pain is diminished but not gone entirely. I am so glad to be home. I am very tired so I am on my way to a nap, but I wanted to update you just in case you were wondering about me. I've been thinking of all of you and praying for you. It's good to be back. Ada

Dear Christina, I am so sorry to hear about Chris. I think you can really hold your head up Christina and think how wonderful your loving support was for Chris at the end of his life. You are a remarkable young woman--a role model of devotion. I will pray that your sorrow and sadness will ease with time. Ada

Christina, I wanted to clarify what I said about IRESSA. I said "you can tell whether or not it is working" and I meant, the oncologist may be able to tell whether or not it is working by giving standard tests--like X-rays, CT scans. My point was that if it is going to work for a person, it is going to work quickly. Ada

Dear Christina, My advice would be to call Sloan Kettering ASAP and ask to talk to a clinical trial nurse for Lung Cancer trials. I am awaiting word on one of 4 clinical trials that I am on a wait list for. My name was entered on the lists 2 weeks ago and today we were told it might be another 4 weeks! I don't know how Sloan Kettering works, but I did want to make you aware of this possible waiting period. As far as IRESSA goes, I was told that you can tell whether or not it is working after about 15 days. You are in a very difficult situation here. I think it's best to get as much info as you can from medical personnel before making final decisions about where Chris is going to be treated. For example, a question I might ask is--if Chris is too weak for regular chemo, why isn't he too weak for a clinical trial? Well, I am sure you can think of a million questions. Good luck Christina. Ada

Dear Roseanne, You, Gianni and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Ada

Dear Mary, I never tried the patch because I thought I was smoking to "ease anxieties." I asked my PCP for a prescription for Zyban and she gave me generic Wellbutrin. It really helped to take away some cravings. Then she gave me literature that told me that a craving for a cigarette goes away after 5-10 minutes whether you smoke a cigarette or not. I found that to be true. I also used lemon drops. And then I used this line of self-talk whenever I craved a cigarette--"I don't do that anymore." I also took it a day at a time. I was like an alcoholic with cigarettes and I found that concept helped me to understand and accept this addiction. Mary, you are too valuable a person to throw your life away for this. You are probably depressed and may need some medication. It took the fear of possibly having lung cancer to get me to quit--don't go that far Mary. Ada

Dear Don, I hated to hear that you and Lucie are each having a difficult time right now. I don't know what to say. Sometimes this all gets very overwhelming, I know. When my husband was diagnosed with cancer of the eye, he was trying very hard to stay upbeat. I heard him telling people that if we "didn't have bad luck, we wouldn't have any luck at all." I smiled (weakly) when I heard him saying this because lately, it's true. We've had a lot of bad news and a lot of bad luck recently. But.....as you an Lucie do, we have a very strong marriage and lots of love. We are actually very fortunate and lucky as it turns out. Don, you and Lucie are in my prayers. Ada

Dear Christina, Please don't worry about what you said in your other post. I think you deserve a medal for what you are doing and I know you are doing all of this for your husband out of love. He is really struggling with his cancer and my heart goes out to both of you. I am thinking of you and praying for you. Ada