Addie

Dee, we'll be holding you and Claire gently in our hearts and minds until you can return. You ARE gonna return, aren't ya? Hope so....but till then, I hope Claire does well and they figure it all out re: the possible lupus. Good thoughts........

Lately? Potstickers or Chinese dumplings, if you prefer....and gazpacho!! We have tomato plants in pots on our deck. Not terribly productive yet...so yesterday a friend...a single fellow with several "in ground" tomato plants brought me a bag full. They are SOOOOO sweet I could eat them for all three meals a day. I also like fried chicken and pizza and salads and baked potatoes with everything and cheese and crackers and clam dip with Ruffles (which have ridges~! ) and angel food cake and key lime pie and ice cream and Chili's lettuce wraps and Thai chicken satay and potato salad like mama used to make and....and....and......

....but today I got an email that inspired me. It was from a company where I once ordered a charm. Here is the email: Dear Valued Customer, As most of you know October is breast cancer awareness month. We would like to do our part to bring awareness to this deadly disease. So in honor of the survivors and in memory of lost loved ones, with the purchase of a sterling silver pink ribbon pendant,our gift to you is a sterling silver chain, item BOXCCS.After making your purchase and checking out, in the comment section let us at http://salesboost.sitetoolbox.com/sh/st ... ibbons.htm know what size box chain you want. The Five Steps of a Breast self Exam. Thank You T Brown And here is my reply to them: Dear T. Brown: You may not be aware that following October's Breast Cancer Awareness month, November is Lung Cancer Awareness month. I have lung cancer. While I am also a female who has been having annual mammograms for the past 16-18 years, and even as I am grateful for the increased attention to and funding for breast cancer and strides made in treating breast cancer...those with lung cancer are, by comparison, not near so fortunate. For one thing, it is supposed that we "brought this disease on ourselves" by smoking. That stigma alone has caused the amount of funding for lung cancer to be approximately 10-11% of that available for breast cancer research, and yet lung cancer - annually - kills more people than breast, prostate and colorectal cancer COMBINED! Lung cancer, more and more, is affecting those who DO NOT SMOKE (having quit many years prior) or HAVE NEVER SMOKED. Evidence: Peter Jennings and Dana Reeve. It's not just smoking that creates the risk. Genetics, environmental factors and perhaps even estrogen has an impact, since lung cancer is striking more and more women. There is some question too about thyroid issues and a connection to lung cancer. Second hand smoke and even the fumes from gas grills are suspect. Many questions...but not enough answers yet to save more lives. I am happy to support breast cancer awareness and funding. I wish everyone else was so happy to support lung cancer awareness and funding. I hope this letter catches the attention of someone in a position to DO something that might help the 160,000-some people who will be diagnosed this year alone, with lung cancer. I invite you to please visit the lung cancer support community at htpp://lchelp.org/ If you read a little there, you will find that those of us with lung cancer are no more deserving of cancer than anyone else...yet the stigma that attaches to l.c. puts us low on the list when it comes to research, attention and sympathy. I am a former smoker, not that that should make a difference....but it does, in the minds of many. As a company, you might be in a position to change that attitude AND make an even bigger difference for even more lives. The lung cancer ribbon is clear. If you were to make the same offer in November that you're making in October to support breast cancer awareness...at least two thousand of my "friends" at lchelp would be very grateful. Thank you for any consideration you might give this request, and also thank you for supporting Breast Cancer Awareness. Sincerely, Let's see if it produces any results....eh?

60 mgs of steroids?? I can't even imagine. The thing is, I tolerate prednisone pretty well. 30 years ago, I was on 20 mgs. daily for a series of eye surgeries...with NO problems. I was on it up till they put me on the Decadron...for polymyalgia. Started at 10 mgs and have slowly worked my way down to 3 mgs. daily. I have to just hope that this 4 mgs. of Decadron does NOT need to be increased (ever!!) and that weaning off of it won't be too horrific. I'm one of those people that reads the pharmacy inserts, looks up side effects on the web, pays attention to drug interactions (I even have a book on drug interactions I got from Reader's Digest ), etc. And I take nothing that I question before those questions are answered. Well...except for chemo. I was really cranky the beginning of last week. I do NOT like myself like that...and I told the rad onc on Thursday that if HE didn't do something about my dosage, I would TAKE MYSELF OFF THE CR*P AND GO BACK ON PREDNISONE...expecting him to tell me what dosage to take! My hubby was sitting right there and said, "Either that...or I'LL KILL HER MYSELF I appreciate the heads up on what I might expect when I CAN wean off this stuff. Maybe if they transition me back onto the prednisone....I'll get through it without having to spend any time in the Danbury Correctional Institute, eh?

Thanks to Rich and continued good thoughts and vibes to our FayA. Hope you're up and well enough real soon to chase that cute intern down the hall a few times before they send you home Hang in there and don't eat anything that still has a thermometer in it!

Sue.. The road to recovery and even the road to "hanging in there" isn't always easy to navigate, is it? So sorry Mike had SO much trouble with the steroids. Bad as I did on 8 mgs the beginning of last week...I found out yesterday that it was only a HALF DOSE! Standard dose is 16 mgs. I'd have been jumping off buildings with a hanky as a parachute hollering BONZAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!! I hope it turns out he can handle the Tarceva. I know we read a lot here about the rashes and such...but maybe a lower dose will work for him without all the side effects. THINK POSITIVELY! There is benedryl type anti-itch creams too...if that would help. I have some sort of itchy neuropathy on one hand and one foot/ankle. Drives me nuts at night, especially. Benedryl cream also helps sooth. Thanks for the update..keep us posted and you two hang in there.....

MA....call in. Ask the onc's nurse or receptionist to call radiology for a "wet read" to be called in to the onc. This is where the radiologist gives his first impressions....without all the details, often in written (albeit brief) form. This is done all the time here. I get results the same night as I had a scan done that afternoon! No reason to wait a week, even if you're going away if you don't WANT to wait that long. But....do have a lovely time away. I'm looking forward to a trip west next month or early Oct. Can't wait. Hope you two have a great trip!

My new DIL? Oh, do you mean the Rottweiler? She doesn't go to a hat person. We send her, on a somewhat regular basis, to Petco for a new collar and leash. I'm off now to select my fall collection of hats with matching handbags. Charlie is off to the toupee maker for some new rugs. Ta for now. Cheerio, pip-pip...and can someone (Geri??) explain why British men wear nothing under their kilts? Is it a matter of air conditioning?

Well, I've had my share of thyroid adventures...but never a nodule. I'd say...just let them keep an eye on it, go with the general consensus which seems to be that they tend to be benign....and otherwise, Charlie...just... .... ............ ................... .........................GIT R DONE!

Joel's got 'em...no question. And you too, so you won't be worryin'. Be sure to keep us informed so we don't wear ourselves out....ok?

Oh, go ahead....do it.....get in some trouble. I bet you'd be really, really good at it, Missy Fay So glad you're nearing getting sprung. To be home in your own bed at night, using your own (not so institutional looking, I'm sure) bathroom and eating food that is actually edible. Ahhhhhhh....the possibilities. Keep on doing well, dear...as we do miss your wisdom, humor and input. Thinking of you daily and sending out good thoughts.

In an odd way...they were all good. I got the news of brain mets the Friday before...so that wasn't a particularly good day. But Monday of last week...I found out my liver is still stable (that's a huge "Yippee Skippee") and then on Thursday, which so many of you mention...I met with the rad onc for the "game plan" and sim. That was good too, as having a plan is ALWAYS good. The other days, I got some housework done and other than a rather profound lack of sleep due to The Evil Decadron...I had a blast posting here in the middle of the night. It was especially nice to check back later at what I'd posted and see that I hadn't been TOO raunchy. (In the privacy of my own home, Decadron had turned me into a potty mouth. ) Anyway...in a sentence....every day last week was good, because I woke up once again and had the opportunity to live that day, part of them spent here - with you guys!

And thank YOU, Jean, for reminding me of the cat's name....Lucky. My memories of the show are spotty...obviously...but I'm finding that lots of people got as big a boot out of it as I did. Sorry you lost your Lucky kitty but glad you've got such nice, warm memories of her and her association to Alf.

For crying out loud.....don't I have ENOUGH on my mind these days without worrying about you and whether or not Dudley is taking good enough care of you? I think you're probably just fine...but in search of all the cutest ER docs you can find in New England. What....are you doing a coffee table photo book or something? Seriously, my friend...please lay low now...take care of yourself? Get well and be strong. Get those lungs cleared out ASAP. You know my thoughts are up there with you...right?

Jeezum, Jim....by the title of this post I was afraid you had lousy news....and I even said, "Uh oh" out loud!! Then I open the post...and it's a FEEL GOOD post. I love it!! I'm so glad you're doing better, went fishing and even found something to wear that helped cool you in this heat. So...what's a little taillight assembly problem with all that other good stuff? I am now sort of heaving a sigh of relief at YOUR good news, hoping that in a few weeks, I'll have some of the same. You rock, Jim. You clearly know the meaning of "Life is to be LIVED"....however an individual defines that. And YOU, my good man, define it by the number of fish and having a special grandson in your life....I know. Keep on rocking. You inspire.

Anyone remember the t.v. show Alf? Gawd, how I use to hoot over that silly sit com. Alf was from Melmac, remember? And it was acceptable on Melmac to eat cats. (No offense to cat lovers here....please...this is fiction!) So one day, Alf is in the kitchen and he hollers thru the passthrough to the mother of the family he lives with... "Hey, where's the casserole dish?" Mother replies, "Why do you ask, Alf?" Alf says, "Cuz the cat won't fit in the toaster. HAH!!" Today...I'm Alf's cat! Heading back into the toaster. I don't know if it's the reduced dosage of Decadron or the fact that it finally hit my system like you all say it's "supposed to" and I went on a cleaning binge yesterday ...but I slept pretty well last night...and I'm really optimistic going into this next round of radiation. I think it was Hebbie that posted an article down in LC in the News about a woman who survived Stage 4 lung cancer. In it, the woman said she laid on the rad. table and would whisper, "Get it, get it, get it, GONE!" She would also holler, "NO!" at the cancer. I'm gonna try that this time. Been doing it already, actually. I walk up the stairs here at home, chanting, "NO. NO. GET OUT. GO AWAY. NO!" My dogs aren't sure what to think...but I sure hope the cancer is getting the message!! P.S. For those who loved the Alf show as much as I did....here's another one for you. Alf calls up an Oriental Deli to order a sandwich, and says.... "Gimme a Siamese on Rye and tuck in the tail!"

Kasey... I already had spondylosis (arthritis, in effect) in my neck/upper spine. And I have some degenerative disc disease in my lumbar spine. Radiation for my lung was nearly dead onto my spine, front AND back for 23 days to get the cancerous lymph nodes...and then they changed the "field" of radiation. I don't have back problems in the middle of my back, per se....but there is some damage that shows up on CT scans FROM the radiation! And sometimes...I get this mild discomfort in the middle of my chest and it's hard to tell if it's coming from the front OR back...but it's very close to that area that was radiated. So....I guess my answer is......it's possible that the radation could cause some late effect back pain. But I guess it's equally possible that it could be coincidental to rad...and just a matter of (sorry, honey) our bones getting old.

Leave it to you, Frank, to come up with a beer guzzling ditty! You're too much! Ya notice how none of the 'girls' have shown up yet...but you and Don came to share a ditty? Our women here are dittyless, it appears.

This program was brought to you by Decadron....the Steroid of Queens. And......probably the other burroughs too!

Thanks for the info, Bill. All you gotta do is read my long, ranting missive of Wed. night (I think it was) and there's proof for your pudding that higher than necessary doses get prescribed. Mine was cut in half. I'm 100% better but still not sure I need even 4 mgs. daily. I see my onc tomorrow after radiation (he prescribed but it was the rad. onc who cut my dose last Thursday) and I intend to revisit this whole Decadron/Prednisone issue and see what we might reasonably try. I'm still not particularly symptomatic of brain mets, which is not to say there isn't SOME swelling. I think the first couple of rad doses may be on the lower end..and then they might increase dosage of cGrays a bit...IF I understood the rad. onc properly. So...my layman's brain tells me that as the dosage of cGrays increases, so too might the swelling...EVEN AS the tumors begin to shrink. We'll play it as it comes, I suppose. I don't relish the notion of headaches...but neither do I relish the notion of swinging from the entry hall chandelier singing old Neil Sedaka tunes while trying to lob Hershey's Kisses thru the mail slot at 2:30 in the morning. And trust me...the above scenario is NOT out of the Decadron Realm of Possibility!

Don't muck with the queen, ladies...it could come back to bite ya! Make nice and you can just call me Liz.

Here I am at Royal Ascot. Philip always loved me in pink.

Of course you all understand that my TRUE identity is the Queen of England....right?

Amie means "friend" in French, doesn't it? I think it's an entirely appropriate name for you, Amie!

How come you always get the young, cute doctors, Geri? I'm glad to know you acted fast and got some help for your breathing...and boy, I think anyone here can understand that no matter HOW far out you are from dx....that the Ugly Thoughts are still gonna be there...eh? I'm glad you refused to dwell on them and rather, passed them on to the "recycle bin". And how fun to see the doc's reaction, I'll bet. I keep hoping to emulate that someday....to be able to shock the peewaddens out of some medico by saying I'm a four year (or plus! ) survivor of small cell lung cancer...and Yes, this is my real hair and No, I didn't kill even ONE person during The Steroid Weeks! You and Cin both have had such great doctor experiences lately...that I hope it sets a trend for everyone. Old doc, new doc....I don't care....I just want EVERYBODY HERE to walk out of a dr's office or an ER with a smile on their face, like the two of you did! Stay well, my friend....and remember, you don't get SOB typing emails! Love you....