stand4hope

Hi Dianne and WELCOME. I just loved reading your post. You sound like a real fun, upbeat person. I think that goes a long way in helping to fight off this incredibly horrible disease. I think you'll really like it here. I don't think there's anything like it anywhere. I pray that you will grow to love and appreciate the people on here as much as I do. Please keep us posted on your progress. God bless you, Peggy

Hi AvaJoyce, I am so sorry you lost your beloved to this horrible disease. Please accept my most sincere sympathy. God bless you, Peggy

I just LOVE the pictures! It is so cool to see what everyone looks like, and I'm glad everyone had such a good time - just wish I could have been there. Peggy

Oooh, Cat. That was good. That was very good! Peggy

Had to log back on to add a p.s. All of this God talk and Bible talk is meaningless except to the person who is searching for God and for the truth, and according to the Bible, no one comes to Christ unless he is drawn to Him by the Father himself: "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Jesus, Luke 11:9-10 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." Jesus, John 6:44 My point is, that all of this is poppycock to anyone who is not seeking to know the truth and to truly find God. There comes a time in many peoples' lives when they want to find God. They are being "drawn". The answers truly are not found in any books, advanced study, in-depth learning, or even in the Bible. You can read the Bible until you are blue in the face, but unless you are seeking to know and find God, it's just empty words. Our human logic will never settle the debate. Spock would never walk this path. The drawing and the knowing comes through the heart, not from a book. It's a feeling that cannot be explained unless experienced. It's a feeling that supercedes thought and logic. It makes you cry. It's like a burning fire inside your belly and you just KNOW. Been wanting to throw this in on all these threads, and finally just decided to do it. Love to all, Peggy

Ok, I guess I'm never going to get to bed tonight, but I just gotta reply to this one. I'm just a KISS person (Keep It Simple Stupid) and not a deep thinker like some of the others. I JUST BELIEVE! I believe that God is good and I don't understand where evil came from and don't think any of us can figure it out if we talked about it all night. I believe that there is a heaven and a hell because both are so eloquently described in the Bible, especially hell. I know, I know, here goes the old, but who wrote the Bible argument. I won't get into that one, but I can assure everyone that there are hundreds of scholars, and even atheists, who have devoted their lives to trying to disprove the Bible, and most have not only failed miserably, but many have been converted - one in particular that comes to mind is C.S. Lewis. I was listening to Christian radio one evening and a little girl (probably about 9 or 10) called in and asked the man why God didn't take all the bad people out of the world. The man very sweetly told her that if God took everything out of the world that was bad or had been bad that "He would have to take you and me, too, and everybody, and then there wouldn't be anybody left." He went on to explain this to her in more detail, but it really stuck with me. I agree with Don, too. Also, amen to this, Elaine: Love to all, Peggy

Ok, girlfriends, I've had my bath and ready to crawl into bed, but made one last check before going that direction. My final decision is this - I'm not going to leave the poem for him to read. Elaine, my husband is NOT a talker, especially not about anything deep, and yes, I hadn't thought about it, but he doesn't appreciate anybody ever trying to tell him how he feels or asking him how he feels. He loves my niece dearly - I mean she is one of his favorites and he about bit her head off quite a while back when she asked him how he was feeling about all this. I usually never "correct" my husband (it's way too painful), but I did speak to him about that afterward. She was just trying to be sweet and show interest. He told me he just feels like everybody's looking at him and trying to get inside his head. I told him that I knew it hurt her feelings and he felt bad, but he should have on that occasion. Anyway, when I really think about him reading it, and knowing the way he is, I think there's a possibility that instead of helping, it would just tick him off -neither he nor I need that right now. Elaine, I would LOVE to read those poems. I'm not one of those that really understands some poetry, so if it's deep stuff, it will probably be over my head, but I would still like to give it a try. Thanks for offering, and I will try to find that book at the library. Good night all. Love and hugs and kisses and all that gooshy stuff. Peggy P.S. Becky, I might be afraid to correct him or cross him because he has a much sharper tongue than I do, but I'm not afraid to kick him because I know he won't kick back. LOL

BECKY - ROFL!!!! Ok, one kick for you and two for me. LOL!

Hi, Amy and thanks! Yes, I looked you up after I signed off. I thought you were the patient; I didn't realize it was your mom. It sounds like your mom has a wonderful survivor story. I printed the poem and am going to leave it on the table for hubby to read in the morning. I have read it about 12 times and I think he could identify with it and don't think it will upset him. I have to kind of tiptoe around him. He gets upset easily if there's much reference to his stamina or how he's feeling. I think this poem, though, is really, really good, so I'm going to show it to him. Thanks again, and it was nice talking to you in chat. Well be in touch again. Now, I really DO have to get to bed. LOL Love, Peggy

Sandy, I am so very, very sorry for your loss. Am sending you my most sincere sympathy. Love, Peggy

Larry, I work for a law firm and I have two candidates for that room. LOL

Bruce, I've been thinking about you and so glad you posted so quickly. I'm thrilled to hear that your surgery went well. Please keep us posted on how you're doing. God bless you, Peggy

Dan, We all miss you and care about you. Like others have said, you are not alone. We are all loving you and caring about you. Whoever is on the card "sender" list, why not print this thread and send it to him. Praying for Dan, Peggy

DOUBLE OUCH!! Did they give you anything to numb your nose/throat, etc.? It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Ooooh! Owie! When will you know the results? I hope everything is ok. Take care of yourself, Becky. Love, Peggy

That poem is just wonderful. I would like to send it to my husband, but don't know if I should. Any opinions on how somebody who "doesn't like to talk about his cancer" would take this poem? Thanks ahead. Peggy

Becky, I can really relate. Even though I'm the caregiver, I feel like my world has been turned upside down. In July last year, we had just finished having our kitchen remodeled - all new cabinets, wall paper, floor, lights - everything. We were really enjoying the new kitchen and anxious to show it off to family at Thanksgiving/Christmas. Just a few short weeks after completion came the jackhammer. Nothing has been the same since. We don't give a rip anymore about the kitchen and focus has been on freakin' cancer. My mind was consumed 24/7 at first. I was on the internet day and night reading all the bad news about systemic stage iv lung cancer, brain mets, etc., and desperately looking for anything hopeful. I didn't find anything until I found this website. Everything previous to this website gave my husband less than a year (4-10 mos) to survive. Next week we will hit that one-year mark, but that still hasn't changed the fact that this disease has become all-consuming. It's changed me. I go to bed at night with it on my mind and wake up with it first thing every morning. I don't have the drive or the concern about my job that I used to. When I'm working, I want to be here talking to all of you because, even when there is horrible, tragic news, there are still messages of hope. I know that my husband's diagnosis is one of the worst, and I'm not stupid enough to believe that he is going to survive forever (short of a miracle), and because of that, I also find myself constantly thinking about - well, thinking about "if that happens." I HATE IT! This horrible disease has taken my mega-macho man and turned him into a tired, whipped puppy, and I HATE IT! It's all I can think about. It's taken a huge portion of my optimistic, happy mind and turned it into a sad, depressed, dreading-the-future mind. Oh, don't get me wrong - probably at least 70% of the time I am still upbeat and optimistic, but the other 30% is what has changed. That's 30% of me that has been lost to lc. I can relate. God bless everyone, Peggy

Oh my gosh. I thought Katie was one of the kids. Katie, you look so young. Thank you, Ry for identifying everybody. I hope all the kids had a really good time. It's a GREAT picture! Peggy

Karen, Can you tell us (left to right) who they are? I can only figure out 4 or 5 of them. Is the guy in front (second from left) David A. with his mom to his right (our left)? Which one is Mr. Ry? Is he the one on the blue shirt on the front row? There are some others, too, that I can't figure out. Thanks. Peggy

Come on, Andrea. YOU CAN DO IT!!! I'm sitting here eating my lunch now - chicken breast, baked apples, beets & spinach YUMMMMM!! I need a buddy in this - GO ANDREA GO!! Loveya, Peggy

This is just not fair. I'm overwhelmed with sadness and love for all of you. Hang on tight to each other - I know from experience that helps a lot. All my love and prayers, Peggy

I posted on the other thread, but will repeat here that I am deeply saddened by this devastating news. My prayers will be ongoing at this time for Terry and his family. Love, Peggy

Caldeon, My mom always had a very serious potassium problem. When she had to have part of her lung removed, they gave her massive i.v. potassium in the hospital for a day before the surgery to get it up, and then she successfully had surgery. I'm sorry you are upset with your doctors. Maybe the potassium didn't drop so low until recently. Does she get blood work before each chemo? Everything will be ok, so please try to relax and don't be angry. Right now, your mother needs your hugs, and being angry will just upset her. She needs to go into a surgery knowing everything is going to be ok. Love and hugs, Peggy

Fran and all TBone's family. I wish I could express to you how much my heart is breaking with this news. As you know, I'm never at a loss for words, but right now I am grasping for the right words. I don't think there are any. I'm just so sad for TBone and for all of you. Please know that I love you, that God loves you and I will be praying for you almost nonstop. Love, Peggy

Kim, I finally found that link. It was a thread started by Ben NYC in the Family Members/Caregivers Forum. Here it is: http://www.lchelp.com/community/viewtop ... 6399#86399 Peggy

Terri, I am so sorry for your loss. I am also sorry that I didn't see this earlier. I'm sending you my deep sympathy and pray that God will give you His comfort and peace during this difficult time. Love, Peggy