stand4hope

Katie and Shelly, Prayers, love and ((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))) for you both. Peggy

Doggone it, David. I'm sorry to hear this news. I'll be praying right along with you. Love, Peggy

Don's right - it's a win-win. That is so wonderful you gave your hair to help someone else, and I can't wait to see your new picture. Peggy

Ray, Big prayers being said that you feel like your old self as soon as possible. Peggy

God bless you, too, Peg. You were the critical springboard in my joining this board, and for that I am very grateful. I wish you and Sarah nothing but blessings for the rest of your lives. Much love, Peggy

Nell, My husband had a very bad headache. He went to an ENT doc who ordered a sinus CT. He told him he had a crooked nose (deviated septum) and wanted to do surgery. I won't repeat what my husband told the ENT doc. He then went to our family doctor who sent him for an MRI of his NECK! The reason was because he had a minor nerve problem in his neck a couple of years ago, so the doc thought that might be causing his headache. I told my husband - Look, the pain is in your head - your head, not your neck. Call the doctor and have him change the order to HEAD and neck. He called the next day and our doc was out, but he finally got one of the other doctors to order it. Guess what - 8 brain mets and here we go down this path. If he hadn't called and requested that head MRI, the swelling (edema) was so bad in my husband's brain, he could have died in a few days. He had so much edema, that huge areas in his MRI were totally white. Tell your friend this story and see if you can talk him into asking for an MRI, bone scan, PET (or all three) in his pelvic/hip area. Peggy

Gosh, Amy. I had no idea you had all that. I got to chat real late. My goodness, please do take care of yourself. Hey, and cut that out about telling too much. You talk as much as you want and tell it all whenever you want to. Good night to you, too. Peggy

Cheryl, You are so sweet and such a wonderful optimist. I so look forward to reading ALL of your posts. I am praying for GREAT SUCCESS with this new chemo. About the bigger bust. For me, bigger bust means bigger butt, so, for me, it's good-bye big bust and butt. (Psssst. I'm on a diet.) Much love and many hugs, Peggy

Darn it, Minnie, I wish we knew why these things happen, but unfortunately we don't. They just do. You've heard the expression, "Why me?" The reverse of that is "Why NOT me?" Just like the others said, though, just because the brain mets are there, it doesn't mean things still can't remain pretty much the same. My husband started out with 8 brain mets and is down to 4. He had WBR almost a year ago, and the Novalis to each individual tumor, and he is doing fine even with the 4 mets still there. It will be ok. Really. If she was doing well yesterday, she's still doing well today, even though you know this test result. Take a great big deep breath, relax your shoulders and smile. It will be ok. Love, Peggy

Oh, Joni. I'm so glad you're getting away for a while. I'll be thinking about you and Alex, and of course, praying also. You are such a brave lady and so sweet to compliment all of us. We'll miss you while you're gone, so please post as soon as you can and let us know how your trip was and how both you and Alex are doing. Much love and have a good time! Peggy

Amy, Watch out for that bronchitis. It can go really bad on you. I had it last Dec. and had to have steroids and a double Z-Pack, as well as Advair. We had to cancel Christmas, and we have family shindigs Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at our house. It was not a fun time and it took a VERY long time for it to go away. Don't wait too long to go to the doctor. Love, Peggy

Oh, Tess, I'm so sorry. You're right, 49 is way too young. Actually, any age is too young. This disease is just so horrible. I think our friend from this board, Mo Sugar, who passed away recently was only 49, maybe even younger. Tess, I don't recall whether you said you have children. I was just wondering if you are in this alone. I don't recall you mentioning any other people being around to help you, hug you or hold your hand. Of course, I know that with God, we are never completely alone, but having a shoulder to cry on or someone to just be with there when you needed them would be nice. I know I was so grateful when my siblings all came to town when our dad was dying. It helped me so much. Is there anything I, or we, or anyone reading this can do for you? Praying for you, Peggy

Amy, it's a good thing because we all like to hear from you and everyone else, but for me sometimes it's a bad thing because I neglect other things I should be doing - like sleeping. LOL Love, Peggy

Have fun with all the kiddos, Bruce. It's a wonderful thing to teach young children God's Word! Enjoy! God bless you, Peggy

I sure hope they have these in Indy. I'm going to ask on our next onc visit. Since we're one of the few in the nation to have Novalis for brain mets, I'm hoping we've got the PET/CT here also. Thanks for telling us about this, Terri. Peggy

Tami, This doesn't sound like a boo-boo that can be kissed and go away in a few days. Do you think you're afraid because of what they might find? Do you think you are going to have to go through all that painful surgery again? Did you just hate the treatments? None of us can possibly know what that little critter is that's holding you back, but find out what it is and squash it just like you would squash a bug on your kitchen floor. Please get yourself checked out. Praying for you, Peggy

Amy, I posted to you on the other thread, but I just wanted to double ditto Ginny's advice. Walk slowly, carefully and cautiously. Give your dad as much time as he needs to let this sink in. Start with the easy questions first, like when do you see the doctor again? I want to help, so how can I help you get through this? Stuff like that. Eeeeeasy stuff. You'll do ok and so will he. Positive prayers, vibes, thoughts, hugs and whatever else you need coming your way. Love, Peggy

Kel, That was incredibly refreshing. What a great outlook. Thank you so much. Please write to us more often. God bless you, Peggy

Andrea, What kind of medications did you say you're taking? Peggy

David, Now that you have had a nap and a ride in your Stang, all you need is a big hug! (((((((((((((((((((DAVID)))))))))))))))))))) Peggy

Thurs. or Fri. last week Connie told me in a PM that they were going out of town for a few days. I bet she'll be back real soon. Peggy

Debi, Get it checked out. Will your insurance pay for a PET scan also? I think the only way you are going to have complete peace of mind is to get the tests done. I doubt that the pain is paranoia. I'm sure it's very real pain, and probably just what Heather described. But, in any case, get it checked out because you'll feel better. Love, Peggy

Hi Kate. It gets better - it really does. The cancer is unpredicatable and it depends on the type, the person, the diagnosis, how advanced it is, etc., etc., and I'm not referring to that. What I am talking about is the coping. The first couple of weeks are the toughest. Your whole psyche will adjust to your new life now dealing with this disease, and you will settle in and begin to accept the new "c" word in your life. The work you have to do may or may not let up, and how your hubby deals with this whole thing is going to be up to him. I know it's hard, but try to be patient with him. Give him time for this whole thing to soak in. I'm not the one with cancer and can't describe the different phases or emotions he will go through, but others who will talk to you can do just that. Like you, I am the caregiver, the observer, the do-er - getting the appointments, reminding, making sure we have the films and on and on. It's good that you are there for your hubby to help do these things because I think they are so overwhelmed, especially at first, that they sometimes just freeze. Hang on tight. You'll be ok and we'll help. God bless you, Peggy

Hi Amy and WELCOME! I'm sorry to hear about your dad, but so glad you were one of the lucky ones that found this site. There are so many people here that really, really care and will give you all the advice you need or want. I know you're scared - that's normal. We all were very scared the first couple of weeks after diagnosis, but it gets a lot better. We're all STILL scared, but it's amazing how much having this site to come to helps numb that fear. In addition, you will hear much more hope here than you will ever hear on the outside or on the internet. I roamed the internet night and day for months after my husband's diagnosis and all I found was bad news. Then one day, I was searching for some lc topic (I don't remember what it was) and ran across this site. What a God-send it has been. Stick around and keep us posted. We will do anything we can to help you get through this. God bless you, Peggy

Yes, Tee Taa, I know it was hard, too. We all so much appreciate hearing from you about Terry, and we thank you so much for the update. I'm sure that everyone else has been just like me, wondering how everyone was doing. I'm still praying for all of you. I liked what someone else said on another thread today, so I'm going to be a copy cat: May God hold you close. Love, Peggy