Cookieman

Good night sweet angel. Your slumber is our loss. We'll see you when we wake.

Gentlemen, Many years ago my father told me "that you have to pick your fights". He said "there are fights that you need to fight even though you know you won't win, there are fights that you don't want to fight even though you know that you will win, and there are those fights that you should just run away from, win or lose". I think you know where you stand with my "sweet little" snowflake. Don't think I don't take my shots at her, but I also take my lumps. Good luck. Keep trying.

The radiation you would recieve during any treatment should have no effect on the metal clips or plates in your head. The radiaton will pass through the metal. It's only held there if it's exposed for a long time (weeks/months). The 1899 experiment and the treatment you recieve are apples and oranges, very different animals. ( I've been doing scientific and medical research for over thirty years )

Melinda, The first thing to do is to take a deep breath and let it out as slowly as you possibly can.................... How, what your going through is the coruse that a lot of us have gone through. It doesn't make it any easier. Take time for youself. You need to keep your strength up so you can be there when your needed. Talk to your fiancee, let him know what you're feeling. Let him know your fears. He needs to understand your side of all this. Help each other through this. Let the people around you know what's going on. Make a list of the things that you need to get done. PRIORITIZE. Then start at the top and do what you can and to hell with the rest. Make sure that you put yourself on that list (and it should be somewhere close to the top). Reach out when you need help. Please, please, please come back to the board. We need you to help us help you. Cookieman (husband of Snowflake)

As Becky and I approach our next x-ray/check-up (Mar.22/Mar.29), my nerves start to jangle, the jitters set in, every little thing becomes a big thing. This seems to happen before every visit to the Dr. It's a combination of hope and fear, a strange paradox indeed. I personally don't like roller coasters, both the park rides or the emotional ones. I'm sure we'll have a lot more of these (I hope). It seems just when we start to get into a semi-routine, we have to plan for the week of wondering. I know that many of you have bee through this for quite some time, any pointers on how best to handle it. Cookieman

Dean, First, I'd like to comment about your "experience". Too many people look at others in the vain of "I wish I could do that", because some one elses lot looks better that ours. As I was growing up my dad (who was a great one for having a saying about any and everything) told me to be careful about what I asked for and "I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes until I saw a man with no feet". I think you help the two "gentlemen" by pointing out that it's not as easy as it looks, even if it's going through a "normal" daily life. I think that a lot of people go through the "where do I go from here" stage in they're life (some early, some later). Several years ago I went through a particularly bad year. My son went to prison for the third time, my mother pasted away, my divorce got filed by my ex. (twice, I could even do that one right), my youngest daughter cut her wrists. I took a little break (checked myself into the mental ward for a week). On my return to the "real " world, I went through the "where do I go from here". I sat down with a catalogue of classes from the local community center. I look for things I had never done before, and that I thought I might enjoy. I took a basket weaving class, a dance class, and a couple of others. The only thing I stuck with was the dancinig (Becky and I like to get out a dance whenever we can). The point is, try anything once. You might be surprised what to find that you like. Cookieman

Good Evening, This is my first post, although I've been familiar with the site for some time. My wife (Snowflake) has been posting here for some time. I've decided to throw my hat into the ring (as it were). We've been dealing with her cancer for sometime now (she had surgery in Feb. 03). She's found this board a lot of help for her. So here I go..... I just wanted to say hi this first time. Cookieman