Geri

Okay girl........what is normal???? Seems to me that it's a bit of a stretch for most of us to guess your "normal" would be. I have two speeds - stop and go (average speed) I think yours are probably stop and overdrive!! So happy that you've come back to earth but I have to admit it.... your first post gave me such a chuckle! Enjoy your weekend love Geri

Done. Geri

Ry's right......breathing is overrated, sooooo, my answer to this wonderful news is.....breathe shallow! So happy for you Geri

October sounds like a good time, not too cold yet and certainly no need to watch for heat stroke! What kind of multiple organizations are you thinking of? It's the middle of August now, how long does it take to get one of these things off the ground.....anybody know? This sounds like it could be fun Geri

My daughter lives in Watertown so I spend a lot of time the area.......sign me up! Geri

What a great idea. I look forward to reading more. Good luck for Monday Geri

Well crap, that's all I can say. So glad that the N T U Club is too exclusive to accept you, nobody wants to join them anyway - heard they're a real snooty bunch! Just keep taking those deep as you can do it breaths, we're all behind you to prop you up until your mojo is back in place. take care Geri

You can do it! You've taken everything that this crappy disease has handed you and stomped on it. No reason to think you can't do it again........just take some deep breaths and keep on truckin'. I'm sorry that you've got another thing to beat but have every faith in you, you're one tough broad (notice I left off the old!!) Take care Jen, I'm thinking of you Geri

Way to go, what wonderful news. By the way, a couple of weeks ago I followed a convertible with the top down, a dog was standing on the front seat with it's head over the windshield and it's ears were just flapping in the wind...........it was your avatar in real life, same color dog and all. I stayed behind it instead of passing just to watch that dog's ears and thought of you the whole time. So glad for your good news Geri

I added my two cents worth, which by their standards are probably worth less than a penny. Geri

The next person who asks me if I smoked will hear..........if you don't know me well enough to already know, you don't know me well enough to ask! I'm sick of being asked that question, it's immaterial for me at this stage of the game - yes I did but quit 2.5 months before dx (no symptoms). I will now get off my soap box. Geri

I have just watched Good Morning America and was quite impressed with their coverage of the Dana Reeve story. They seemed to be getting a handle on the non-smokers bit and Diane Saywer was talking to a dr that they have apparently used for the Peter Jennings coverage. However, to my dismay when asked if anyone knows why non-smokers get lung cancer the dr stated that they didn't know but these people had probably been exposed to second hand smoke! My bubble was burst at that moment, an educated man, who is a cancer specialist, still seemed to want to blame smoking as the catalyst for all lung cancer. As an aside he mentioned radon gas and other polutants could be a cause too. Next time a prominent person is diagnosed with AIDS it will be interesting to see if anyone asks about their sex/drug habits!! The old saying of bad publicity is better than no publicity holds true here I guess, at least people are thinking about lc. Geri

Waaay to go!! You tell 'em. Geri

I say, lick your wounds for a while, have a pity party. Let the tears flow and then be happy that you've brought up an independant young woman who was there for you when you needed her most and will be again IF the need arises. Nobody rolled up the road behind her, she will be back to visit and probably before you think. Mine visits far more often than I ever thought she would........she was real eager to be out on her own......so take heart, you raised her right. Geri

1: I woke up again today. 2: My daughter is now married and happily on her honeymoon. 3: My husband, who has taken good care of me for 35 years. 4: Air conditioning - it's hot here in VT for a change! 5: My sister, who worries about me from 3,000 miles away. Geri

When I awoke this morning I heard the news about Peter Jennings and was truly saddened. This was not unexpected news but I was profoundly affected by it, which in itself was unusual. I am usually able to keep my emotions under control (my British upbringing I presume) but not today. I had commitments early this morning so I taped the Good Morning America tribute and have just finished watching it. At one point during the broadcast the dreaded statistics were quoted yet again... only this time I took notice. Yes, me who has said since day one that they're a bunch of you know what. Anyway, I have just been moping around the house trying to get all this crap out of my head and at the same time feeling very sorry for myself. Can you believe this, I mean what on earth do I have to feel sorry for myself about - I'm almost 4 years from dx, I've been NED for over 3 years and I have no sign of any recurrence.......BUT, the numbers finally got to me. I did what I've stressed to other people not to do, I found myself putting a personal slant on the long term survival. Then...... I logged on and started to read Karen's (Davidsclc) post. Karen I have to say a huge thank you to you for your optimism and courage. You have really put me in my place and made the earth rotate in the right direction again. Next time I feel the wallowing coming I'll remember all the members that have lost the battle and think of the caregivers who battle the loneliness every day. Thank you again Karen for bringing me to my senses. Geri

Just a postscript to Cindi.......the ring please, pearls are not my thing and I sure don't want the tickets!!!!!!!!!! Geri

Hi Maryanne, I have a tape of the broadcast. It's in the middle of a tape I was using and I have no way of copying it but I'd be glad to pass it on. If you pm me with your address I'll send it on and maybe you can start the chain. I don't need the tape back (buy them by the dozen at Costco) but maybe someone on the chain will be able to copy it to make life easier. Looking forward to getting Lisa's fame chain started. Geri

Watched it, taped it and will watch it again! Lisa you did a marvelous job of humanizing a dreadful disease. You, your husband and daughter showed us what it's all about. Thanks for putting a face forward for women with lung cancer. Geri

You said it all. Thanks Geri

Wouldn't that be a bummer......you've beaten the cancer and worried yourself to death instead! We all understand those hebie jebies, aren't they the pits. Keep on with the deep breathing......August 11th is gonna be here before you know it. Geri

YEAH!! Geri

If I knew even more about computers I'd delete the first post which obviously got there by mistake! Geri

Well Addie, I guess the next installment should be my accessories! The afore mentioned event was to be THE occasion in our family, our daughter is the only child so what the hell........spare no expense when it comes to my outfit!! My daughter suggested that I visit the designer who was going to make her dress.....one has to realize that this wedding came together in 2 months, yes I did say 2 months.......I did and was really impressed (it was not as outrageously expensive as you might think)but this meant that I now had to find the perfect shoes and purse to go with this DESIGNER dress, my first and probably only, designed for me outfit. I live in a very small VT town and have to drive at least an hour to find a store of any size.....off I go to Albany NY ( a 2 hour drive) with a friend to check out the "better" shoe stores. My only criteria being that the heels had to be fairly low - high heels and grass are not my favorite combination - so........we checked out all the 'good' shoe stores to no avail. We then breezed through JC Penney's and stopped by the shoe dept, nothing of any value there except I did find a pair of sandals that would fit the bill if I could not find anything else. At the cash I was delighted to find out that these sandals had been marked down to $17 from $20!! What a steal, I was going to keep them anyway. I then came home with the worst case of the flu I've had in years and didn't surface for 3 days. By this time I had run out of time, but the sandals went beautifully with my dress and that problem was solved. During the next foray I had to the local mall I checked out the Claire's store (only the women will appreciate this bit) for things to go in my daughter's hair. While I was wandering around checking things out I found just the purse I needed.....these sandals are a very odd shade of gold - almost white washed - and here was the apex of my outfit! A little satiny thing that really belongs in some little girls dress up box but would be just the job for a few hours. I was so excited, took it to the cash.......it was $16 down to $8 what a steal..... and when the girl gave me the total it was $3.80 - it had been marked down again!!! Off I went to my daughters wedding in my designer dress, custom made to my not so perfect body, feeling very swanky with my $20.80 accessories! In Barbara Bush's biography she tells the story of her inaugural ball gown being in the Smithonian with her Payless shoes - well Barb, my shoes cost far less and I get to wear them again and again and again......the purse however will be donated to some little girls dress up box. So, that's the story of my very exclusive accessories. The sandals were very comfy and the purse did it's job....held my kleenex, some mints and my sunglasses! If I only knew more about computers I'd cap off this nonsensical post with a picture, hope you enjoyed this bit of lightheartedness in our sometimes heavyhearted world. Take care everyone, Geri

Well Addie, I guess the next installment should be my accessories! The afore mentioned event was to be THE occasion in our family, our daughter is the only child so what the hell........spare no expense when it comes to my outfit!! My daughter suggested that I visit the designer who was going to make her dress.....one has to realize that this wedding came together in 2 months, yes I did say 2 months.......I did and was really impressed (it was not as outrageously expensive as you might think)but this meant that I now had to find the perfect shoes and purse to go with this DESIGNER dress, my first and probably only, designed for me outfit. I live in a very small VT town and have to drive at least an hour to find a store of any size.....off I go to Albany NY ( a 2 hour drive) with a friend to check out the "better" shoe stores. My only criteria being that the heels had to be fairly low - high heels and grass are not my favorite combination - so........we checked out all the 'good' shoe stores to no avail. We then breezed through JC Penney's and stopped by the shoe dept, nothing of any value there except I did find a pair of sandals that would fit the bill if I could not anything else. At the cash I was delighted to find out that these sandals had been marked down to $17 from $20!! What a steal, I was going to keep them anyway. I then came home with the worst case of the flu I've had in years, didn't surface for 3 days. By this time I had run out of time, but the sandals went beautifully with my dress and that problem was solved. During the next foray I had to the local mall I checked out the Claire's store (only the women will appreciate this bit) for things to go in my daughter's hair. While I was wandering around checking things out I found just the purse I needed.....these sandals are a very odd shade of gold - almost white washed - and here was the apex of my outfit! A little satiny thing that really belongs in some little girls dress up box but would be just the job for a few hours. I was so excited, took it to the cash.......it was $16 down to $8 what a steal..... and when the girl gave me the total it was $3.80 - it had been marked down again!!! Off I went to my daughters wedding in my designer dress, custom made to my not so perfect body, feeling very swanky with my $20.80 accessories! In Barbara Bush's biography she tells the story of her inugural ball gown being in the Smithonian with her Payless shoes - well Barb, my shoes cost far less and I get to wear them again and again and again......the purse however will be donated to some little girls dress up box. So, that's the story of my very exclusive accessories. The sandals were very comfy and the purse did it's job....held my kleenex, some mints and my sunglasses!