jamie

Fay, Dont worry if Connie's dosent come "in the mail" tommorow, let me know, Ill make you one. Hope all the nightmares go away. Try thinking good thoughts before bed. Hows all that remodeling going? Jamie

Just want to thank everyone personally who wrote with tips and advice. I think all these will help. Friday my dad meets with the surgeon, and he is now very scared, as i think the reality of SURGERY is kicking in. Hes afraid that there will be a long painfull recovery time with all of this. Hes also not real happy with surgery in general (IV's, cathedars and all). Maryann, Thanks for the end line of your post. My dad really needs to hear that. Hes afraid of being down for awhile, and in pain. I always print out my threads so he can see for himself what people say, and Im sure he will be happy to hear that. Connie, You allready know how wonderful your advice has been for me. Thanks again. Snowflake, Thanks for the info. Im not through weeding through all of it yet though. There is ALOT!!! Gail and Cheryl, Great advice also. I keep hearing about that pillow thing and about walking helping. It must work! Peggy, Thanks for finding all that stuff for me! I would have never found it with all the posts on surgery. I dont remember seeing it the first time... Just wanted to thank everyone personally. I dont do that enough. Keep the tips comin'! Jamie

So sorry to hear your mom is down... prayers comin your way. Hope all this turns up for you! Jamie

Im not sure if your dads cancer has spread or not, but i do think more opinions would be helpfull.... Treatment should always be an option, and noone should ever give up and let this monster take over. There are so many treatments out there...chemo, radiation, surgery, Iressa, alternative therapies, ect... theres just too many options out there to sit back and do nothing... Seek more opinions, Im sure someone is out there to help you. Jamie

Thanks for that... We need to hear this kindof stuff...helps it all sink in. There are alot of people out there whos cancer does not do them in. Im grateful for these stories! Jamie

Happy birthday to you!!! Many more... Jamie

Lillian, Sounds like you had a great time at that wedding. I was also married Catholic, and it is a beautiful thing. I know that our loved ones stick around...they may only give small signs, but it makes sense that they would be around most when we need them. Have fun for the next two weeks, we will all be here when you get back! Jamie

I hope things turn around for you guys. What a horrible thing. Try and keep her hopes up... you never know what God has in store for you. Praying and sending you lotsa luck! Jamie

Hi Don, My dad got through with his radiation 2 months ago. They did direct radiation to his tumor, which is in the lower right of his lung, and also to his lymphnodes, because the cancer had spread there also. All in all, the radiation to the chest wasn't bad for him. The throat was much worse... A burning sensation mostly. Almost like a sunburn. Thats all he complained about really. He did get nausea, but he thinks that was the chemo he was also recieving. His radiation was successful, shrinking the tumor, and also killing all cancerous cells in the lymphnodes, and he is going in for surgery at the end of the month. Just our story, I know that everyone is different, but I hope it goes as well for your Mom, as it did for my dad. Best of Luck, Jamie

I think it is weird. Not only for the dr. recomendations, but also for the patient declining surgery. Im going to look more into this. It just dosent make any sense. Jamie

Has anyone heard anything from Jane (Fall54)??? Her brother Alan wasnt doing great, and I wonder what is going on. Anyone hear anything at all??? Jamie

Addie, Id go for the lime green! ROCK ON!!! Jamie

My outlook on this is that even if it only helps a minimal amount... its better than nothing. If the chemo can help a little, I would just do it. Anything to keep this monster at bay. Im no doctor, just my opinion...best of luck! Jamie

Leona, Hi, and welcome. I will try and answer your question the best that I can-although I think it all depends on what type of chemo. you will be recieving. Anyway, my Dad had both chemo and radiaiton at the same time. We have nothing to compare it too, but all in all, it wasnt that bad for him. He did chemo 3 days a week, and radiation 1 day, and all I could tell you is that for him, the radiation was worse than the chemo. The radiation was aimed at his neck to get the lymphnodes, and he had trouble swallowing. The only problem with the chemo was a loss of appetite. He couldnt keep much down. The end result with his combo is that it worked. His tumor shrunk more than half, and the radiation killed all the cancer everywhere else. He is currently scheduled for surgery at the end of this month. Like I said, I think its different for everyone though. Give it a try, you never know. Jamie

Berisa, I can not imagine how hard it is for you-losing your Daddy. Im sure all will heal with time. As far as your dream goes.... try thinking of him before bed. I know if Im hungry before bed and all I think about it food, I end up dreaming about Cheeseburgers! . Try it...you never know. Jamie

Connie, Thanks for the advice... you crack me up girl! Although I dont know if I can get my dad into the party hat thing...UNLESS... maybe if its one of those stupid beer hats with the straws??? Maybe Ill promise to fill it up after the surgery if he is a good patient!!! Thanks, and if you think of anything else... you know where I am! Jamie

Hi Norme, Sorry to hear about your friend, but very glad to hear from you! Thanks for checking in. We all think about you. Jamie

Peggy, Ive been on the board for 5 months, and just noticed those about 2 weeks ago. Glad you posted this... although now that I have it, I spend 2 hours a day trying to read through all the posts I did miss!!! Jamie

Hi all- Just looking for any tips, advice or personal expierence stories on surgery. Dad going in for lobectomy on the 29th of June... Before, during, recovery, ect... Any advice?? Jamie

My dad has smoked since he was 14. He smoked when I ws a baby, a child and finally as a teen. About 10 years ago he quit. A New Years resolution. It worked. Quit for 5 years. When I was 15, my Mom starting asking me and my brother if we were smoking...(we were). We couldnt figure out how she knew! She then started asking us where we got the nerve to smoke in our bathroom. (we didnt). My dad stepped up after a few days (after we had been grounded, mind you) and admitted that 5 years to the day from when he quit, he had started back up. New Years Eve, 5 years later. He's been smoking since then for 11 years more. This past February, my Dad complained of a cough. Quit smoking for good cause he could tell it wasnt just "smokers cough". He refused to go see the Dr. of course... A few days later while at work (a railroad car man), he was walking a train and coughing so hard he threw up, and fell down. Almost passing out, he went home and called our Dr. In for a chest x-ray, and told him to come back in 2 days for the results. The very next day they called. Told him to come in now. My husband drove him to the hospital,and Dad said he knew something was wrong. We got the news that night. LC. Not knowing what stage, I began to surf the net. Told my Dad all of what I had found. In turn, got the nickname Dr. Doom. Once we found out it was stage 3B... i felt foolish for giving him all the info I had found. I was sure it was just stage 1 or 2. Then I found this site! Thank god. I finally had real expierences to share with my Dad. And it helped... alot. My dad had 8 weeks of chemo and radiation, in for tests, told he was a canidate for surgery, then not, then is, then probably not, and now is currently scheduled for surgery at the end of this month. Things are looking brighter for us, and if all goes well, I am hoping my dad will beat out all of these dumb statistics. We still wonder if things would have turned out differently if he wouldn't have started back up and cut 11 years off his smoking time...who can say? A look back on this journey, and I can say that I was at a VERY scary point when I first posted here. Now, only 5 short months later... I am proud to say that I am more edjucated, not so scared, and proud that my Dad has handled things so well this far. I will be posting in this section again. I vow to do it when my Dad has his 1 year survival anniversary. I dont know what kind of mental state I would be in if not for you guys... and for that I thank you. Jamie

Elaine, I love your idea. I think your kids will Love whatever you give them... I'm a big sentimental saver... I started Scrapbook baby books for my kids and put everything in them. My oldest is going to be 8, and Im still adding. I tried to stop at 5 yrs. old, but I decided to keep going and make them until they move out...or longer. My husband laughs at me and tells me that its silly to have a baby book that goes and goes...but i think that one day, I will too die, and my kids will have something I made for them, by hand. Hopefully they will appreciate it as much as I do. I think the songs are a great idea, how about a box of little notes in envelopes addresed not to be opened until your first baby is born, or not to be opened on your wedding day. Write everything you will want to say on that day...just in case. I think they would love that. Jamie

Wishing you a great weekend too babe! Glad to hear the news... Jamie

Sounds hilarious!!! Jamie

Don, Your moms story is soooo similiar to my Dads. My dad was originally told that he had stage 3b LC, and would not be a canidate for surgery. He went on with chemo and radiation for 8 weeks. They both worked, his tumor shrunk small enough to remove, the radiation got the cancer out of his lymph., and he's scheduled for surgery on the 29th of this month. It does happen. Dont ever lose hope in that. When we heard that my dad was not operable, my dad lost hope for himself... for about a day. After that, he just figured, ok, well lets figure out the next best thing to do for me. But i thought Id share, to let you know that it can happen. It happened to us. And I hope and pray it does for you too. Best of Luck Jamie

Hey! Im happy dancin with you!!! I love good-no scratch that... GREAT News!!! Keep it up! Jamie