[Fund Raiser Cancer Video.]

AWESOME!

Tom

[CT Scan is good]

MI Judy

Delighted to see you posting again and the great news regarding your treatment. Keep up the great attitude and conquer those other pesky problems one at a time.

Tom

[Anything that can help with coughing & sleeping?]

Tessalon pearls have been wonderful for my wife. They were prescribed by her lung surgeon. They can be taken 3 times a day but she only uses them as needed.

Tom

[Latest MDA Visit]

There's nothing Tee and I could say that could even come close to matching all the love, compassion, and HOPE present in the numerous replies to your post. Just in the short time we've known you, there's no doubt in my mind that you're up to the challenge.

Don't forget our lunch date next January.

Our prayers are with you and Stan and we ask that God will give both of you the strength and courage for the battle!

Love,

Tom and Tee

[Update (2)]

Good news from Tee's head and neck surgeon visit last Friday. He says the area looks great and feels normal around the site. He even says that instead of monthly visits that the time can be extended to two months. He is going to coordinate with her lung surgeon and maybe do a PET/CT scan and cover both areas on her next scan.

Sorry about not following up when I said I would but after Tee's visit last Friday I received word that my sister was losing her 8+ year battle with Parkinson's Disease so on Saturday I made the 350 mile round trip for a final visit. It was truly a blessing when, on Monday, she lost the battle and is now at peace. We had a memorable Celebration of Life with family and friends on Wednesday and church services yesterday and back home last night. It's time for a nice quiet weekend.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Tom & Tee

[Update]

Tee was ecstatic today, of course, as her lung surgeon told her that her latest CT Scan indicated "all is well" as regards her lobectomy on June 1, 2011. We discussed her persistent cough and received a new prescription which might or might not help. If it hasn't helped prior to her next visit in August, he suggests possibly pulmonary rehab of some sorts. One more to go this week with her monthly visit on Friday with head & neck surgeon to assess parotidectomy results given the indeterminate conclusion of pathology.

Tom & Tee

[Persistent Cough]

It just occurred to me that perhaps someone on here might have some ideas about a persistent cough which Tee has had since her lobectomy. Initially we thought that it might improve over time but it didn't. Then her PCP took her off of lotrel (amlodipine/benazepril) and substituted amlodipine alone since benazepril is notorious for causing a cough. That hasn't worked either so we're going to bring this up again with her lung surgeon tomorrow when she goes to obtain the results from her first CT scan after surgery.

Anyone have any ideas?

Tom

[Monday's Air]

Last week was a busy week for us. After having a delightful lunch with Judy and Stan on Saturday, Feb 4th, Tee and I left Key West early Sunday morning for the drive to Port St. Lucie. Always takes a bit longer thru the Keys since most of the first 125 miles is 45 mph limit. Here's a picture of Tee, Judy and Stan on our lunch date.

The last day thru Georgia and on to Little River (Myrtle Beach area) was the worst with 360 miles total and the last 100 on secondary roads with a lot of small towns. Takes about 3 days to unload after a long trip not to mention having to winterize the coach (25 degrees last night). Friday was Tee's first CT scan after surgery so there was a lot of scanxiety floating around. We meet with her surgeon on Wednesday to get the results. Then on Friday we meet with her head and neck surgeon for her monthly checkup from surgery to remove the tumor on her parotid gland. The weekend was recovery time so now it's catchup with email and regular mail.

A Tip To Remember--Just prior to departing Key West, I discovered a wiper blade with torn rubber--no replacement blades to be found anywhere since motorhome manufacturers always try to make it difficult. I remembered some Rain-X from several years ago so I treated the windshield just in case it might help if we encountered rain. As luck would have it, we had rain off and on for the first 2 days. MAGIC--not once did I have to turn the wipers on. Count me in as a believer!

Have a great day!

Tom & Tee

[Sunday's Air]

Judy KW--We are available either Tuesday or Saturday--after all we're retired and oh yes, we're in Key West. Our schedule has us departing Sunday for Little River and multiple doctors' appts. I'm delighted that we may get to share face time with one of the people I have come to admire over the past 6 months. I'm convinced this will be marvelous therapy for Tee. You name the time and place. Once again my email tkrimminger@gmail.com

To All The Other Contributors To This Forum--Thanks for being a part of our lives.

Tom & Tee

[Tuesday's Air]

Judy KW--I apologize for not responding to your restaurant recommendations but last week we were dealing with perhaps the worst WiFi I have ever experienced. We've kind of gotten into a routine where we have lunch out every other day. So far we've experienced Cafe Square One, El Siboney(the Cuban place on Catherine), Rusty Anchor, Hogfish, Mangoes, Two Friends Patio Restaurant, Hurricane Hole, and Kennedy's--our favorite and one of your recommendations--Mangoes--a great piece of Yellowtail Snapper with nice music and an excellent waiter. Today we had lunch on Sunset Key with our friends from Massachusetts and Nova Scotia--NOT one of our favorite places.

We're going to be in Key West for about 2 more weeks and then it's back to scans, etc. Tee and I would like to invite you and your husband (or a friend) to lunch at your favorite lunch restaurant. You can email me at tkrimminger@gmail.com.

[Update]

Eric

Thanks for the compliment on my avatar. Yes, I'm a retired Marine pilot of 20 years--a long time ago. Another tidbit--my bride of 48 years is a direct descendant of the Fraser clan.

Tom

[Wednesday's Air]

Judy in KW--Although I have never posted on this forum, I have been following everyone since joining last July. Hope I get the post correct. If you caught my update today, we escaped from the doctors for the month of January and are de-stressing here in one of our favorite places, Key West. Then it's back home to prepare for Tee's first round of tests after her surgery. Based on your post today, this may be a bad time to ask this but would you please share your favorite restaurants here?

Tom & Tee

[Wednesday's Air]

Judy in KW--Although I have never posted on this forum, I have been following everyone since joining last July. Hope I get the post correct. If you caught my update today, we escaped from the doctors for the month of January and are de-stressing here in one of our favorite places, Key West. Then it's back home to prepare for Tee's first round of tests after her surgery. Based on your post today, this may be a bad time to ask this but would you please share your favorite restaurants here?

Tom & Tee

[Update]

Haven't posted since Tee's initial surgery for the lung cancer but I follow everyone here on a daily basis. Recovery for her has been much slower than I anticipated but it has been steady. The three biggest problems have been a persistent cough, weakness on her side where the lobe was removed, and shortness of breath. Her general practitioner prescribed pulmonary therapy which consists of 36 sessions and is covered by Medicare and Tricare. There is a follow-on phase which is not covered but in which she will enroll upon completion of the current phase. She has fallen in love with one of the machines used in her therapy--NuStep T4--not cheap but definitely something to consider.

Recovery was interrupted on Sep 6 when she had surgery for a tumor on the parotid gland. Tumor was removed along with a portion of the parotid gland. Local pathology favored an atypical pleomorphic adenoma with final diagnosis to follow consultation with expert in head and neck pathology. Consultation also yielded uncertain results--favor benign but results are still "suspicious". Surgeon recommends monitoring on monthly basis and we concur.

She has also fallen in love with a digital moist heating pad, BodyMed ZZHP1414. Bought it on Amazon but when it malfunctioned, a call to the company yielded a new one Fedexed with no questions asked.

We managed to keep January free of doctor's appointments so we could escape to one of our favorite places--Key West--and try to put 2011 with all of its trials and tribulations out of our minds.

February brings Tee's first CT scan after surgery with a follow-up visit to her surgeon and another visit to her ENT surgeon.

[LC and MORE]

Just to clarify, Tee was joking about not going to see the doctors. She's a fighter, has a great attitude and is always positive. She already has an appointment with her general practitioner on Aug 2 for a referral to ENT.

I don't know whether there's such a thing as an oncology plastic surgeon. I'm relatively sure though that at one of the Mayo Clinics campuses, the plastic surgeons are the ones who perform parotidectomies. Also the general consensus is that the doc should perform these on a regular basis, not one who does 1 or 2 a year. No biopsy has been done--both PET scans, however, lit up in that area. The surgeon was not overly concerned given the length of time that this lump has been present.

Tom

[LC and MORE]

First on my list is to thank those who responded to my query about an exercise plan--Bud, KW Judy, MI Judy, Alan, and ts. Tee hasn't progressed very far on any kind of structured plan but continues increasing daily activities. Tuesday brings a checkup with her surgeon???

Second is to let everyone know what great admiration I have for everyone who posts here! Most of my time online is spent reading posts from the past which has enabled me to feel that I know many of you personally and that's after less than a month after I found the forum.

Third, if you will note in the signature, even though Tee's surgeon indicates all is well with the LC, there is still an issue with a parotid gland tumor. It has not been a high priority with her general practitioner, oncologist, or surgeon but after Tuesday's visit it apparently will be elevated to #1 position. My research thus far indicates that even if it is benign, that a parotidectomy is in the future and that it is not something to be taken lightly. Tee's position is that she's going to stop seeing doctors because every time she sees one they find something new. QUESTION. Does anyone have any experience with something of this nature? If so, I would certainly appreciate any thoughts you might share with us.

[Tom here--New--Co-survivor--Exercise Plan]

Tee is my wife and survivor. After dealing with this since mid-Feb, surgery finally occurred on Jun 1. NSCLC Stage 1 with Right Upper Lobe removed. Post surgery pathology all normal so no chemo or radiation indicated at this time. Pain appears to be a moving target with good days and bad days but overall headed in the right direction. I hear a lot of talk about exercise but nowhere have I seen any kind of exercise plan or any resource that might address an exercise plan. Thanks in advance for any assistance.