cathy

Annie and Tim, I will be thinking of you in the morning..Hopefully it wont be too long and nerve racking. Good Luck Tim....Prayers coming right now..

Dear Don, I cant say I know exactly how you feel, but I know that we all have good days and not so good.. I think being the caregiver and spouse has to be tremendously hurtful..I see it in my mom everyday. Some days I just cant take the heart ache any more, then I think about how I have a healthy husband and someone to come home to and talk about it with, so I can only imagine when the love of your life is so ill..I'm glad that you have somewhere to vent, just remember to take people up on their offers to help, and take some time for yourself, you know Lucie would not mind at all....I am also happy to see your day was better today.....

Don and Lucie, I wish you had better news also...The road sure has been bumpy for you two...Take care you two....

Wow Sandy..I am really happy for you..It must feel fantastic..

Isnt it nice when our loved ones have good days...Praying for good scan results for Bill...cathy

Ray....Keep us posted on what you find out, my dad is in the same situation and nothing at all has been said about draining...cathy

You know yesterday I cried almost all day because I felt my sister was being very selfish. I cant understand how everything in her life comes before my dad..You have to understand my dad truly is wonderful..I think he is the last of a dying breed called "gentleman." Iknow our board is all about hope, however I have to be realistic. I dont think my dad is going to be here on earth with us for very much longer and anything thing he wants he will get from me,and trust me he never asks for anything...I know you guys know how I feel by the way you all responded. I keep reading your post over and over and again its so nice to know I'm not alone. I did finally stop crying because I realize now I have to do whats right for me. Katie, I feel how you do very passionate about helping my dad and everyone else should also. Shelley I am going to try and not judge anymore even though that will not be easy, and Gail very good advice about asking but not expecting, only I wont ask her for anything this way there will be no disappointments...Thanks everyone I think I am going to copy your post..Noone understands or helps me through this the way everyone here does....Thanks all.........cathy

Ginny and Earl...It really does sound like good news...Congratulations...I am sure tomorrow will complete the good news...cathy

Great news Donna,

Good for you Dave. You must feel great emotionally!!!! cathy

I have a question for whomever wishes to answer. Without going into too much detail about how my sister (1of 2) upset me yesterday I would like to take a poll... Since your loved one was diagnosed has your family: A)Grown closer together. Drifting apart Thanks in advance....cathy

Good for you Bob... I know this subject is so controversial but I think smoking should be banned in all public places!!!! and 10 feet from all entrances..Nothing aggravates me more when I have to inhale some strangers 2nd hand smoke..I am an ex smoker for almost 5 years, they say we're the worst for complaining but I dont care..Its not easy to quit..Maybe I should try to be a little more aggressive and say what I feel like you Bob..I am going to work on it....cathy

Thanks Natalie,Katie,Dave,John,Ry, Deb...I appreciate all the information, thanks Dave for explaining the lymph node thing to me, I think my dad is probably at stage IV now because I remember the doctor saying it was all around his diaghram..I would love to bring him to Wisconsin, I am going to wait a couple days and talk to him about it again...Deb, his doctor did mention Iressa the last time we were there, but I think he is just to weak...He cant seem to gain any weight... I think if anything Iressa might be the way to go..Thanks everyone for your help and concern...........cathy

Don and Lucie...Really good news...You sure deserve a break...cathy

I am not really sure how to start, what to do, where to go........Friday during our U of Mich visit, this is basically what the lung specialist said, they really dont want to try anything different for dads breathing because that could lead to his death....He is just to weak..He thinks the breathing problem is caused from the cancer, they really are just not sure, just when I thought I was starting to understand lc a little better, or even the pneumonitis... I dont know it just makes no sense...After the doctor gave us the news, he asked if we wanted a referral to the oncology center, well, dad looked at us and said "no more doctors." I talked to my mom today and asked her if dad really doesnt want to see any other doctors, she said he doesnt... I cant believe we have to sit around and wait for the cancer to take over...It hasnt gone anywhere yet..It is in the lymph nodes and I know thats not good... Can someone explain it to me, or lead me in the right direction. I would have asked the doctor but I had to get out of his office I felt really sick and just wanted to get home....... I thought it wasnt a death sentence if the cancer was in the lymph nodes....You know I cant believe how awful it is...I cant believe how many people I know who have suffered from cancer, and until my dad got sick I cant believe how I never had a clue how devasting it is...Here's another question How do I stand by and watch such a wonderful, kind gentle man suffer?

Good for you David!

Hi Marlon..I'm so glad you're feeling better....cathy

Hi Peg...Its strange that you ask that...My dads leg hasnt been shaking but it kind of flops when he walks, he doesnt walk much these days but when he does that happens, although nothing happens when he's sitting..He has no mets as of a month ago...

Hi Karmas DAd...I am so glad you are..I cant offer you any input because my wonderful dad hasnt been able to get chemo yet....I justed wanted to say hi and offer support.. Good luck with the docs.......cathy

You Keep Fighting Linda!!!!!

Good for you two!!!!wonderful......cathy

Hi friends...Heres a little update.....seen dads onc last week.. He said that he didnt want to put dad on any chemo because he is so weak that it could kill him (because of the fibrosis). He has some activity on the bottom from where they did the lobectomy. I had asked him about any vaccine trials that are not as toxic as convential chemos, and of course he knew of none...I gave him a few that John had found for me and he didnt seem interested.. He said in order to be in a clinical trial you had to have a high performance level, which means be able to walk around or whatever...Well dad cant walk 3 steps without loosing his breath.... He seen that I wasnt going to stop so I think to pacify me he said, maybe we can try Iressa if dad gets stronger. I mentioned going somewhere else at least to get him breathing better, like a teaching facility. well he had no idea..Then I suggested what about U of Mich... He had no idea if they had anything there for him..With very little research I found it was rated in the top ten for respiratory disease I believe by the New York times...How come he doesnt know any of this its only about an hour from us... Anyway we went to see dads Pulm..today and here is the good knews..We are going to U of M.. I told his pulm I tried to get an appt.and it would take 2 months without a dr. referal...He is getting right on it and hopefully will have an appt. within 2 weeks...I will let you know what happens there...sorry so long.....cathy

Peggy...If you look in the general archived forum under shark cartilage there are all different links to vaccine trials that John had found for me....check them out your sister may qualify for them..... good luck....cathy

Hi Dawn..You must be so confused right now... I wish I had done a little more research on lung cancer before they did my dads surgery....We never had to deal with cancer in our family,so naturally we trusted everything the onc. was telling us at the time of my dads diagnosis, and never even thought of a second opinion... The one big problem my dad has is not getting well enough for chemo after the surgery....He kept having complication after complication, never regaining enough strength to proceed with chemo..Now it looks as if he will never get chemo... I am still not sure to this day if the right decisions were made, we were never told of any other options, unlike you,you have heard from two different doctors with two different opinions... If my dad had the chance to do it all over I am not so sure he would have had the surgery first, but then again if everything had gone according to how it should have I know we would be saying the opposite....I'm not sure if I helped or not..I think its good that you know you have options..I really just saying I wish we would have known all our options......cathy

Dear Connie... I am so sorry for your loss..I dont know what to say to comfort you...Just know we are here for you if you need us..... cathy