Addie

If not exactly the news that was hoped for.....this certainly isn't as bad as it might have been.....eh? With Lucie's spirit and your careful tending, Don....it's just a matter of time till this bone met is sent packing! With the power of so much positive thought behind the two of you...hopefully Lucie will breeze thru this next phase of things. Give her a big hug from all of us too, will you Don?

Deb... Not sure if this is much help...but ASK your mom's onc if perhaps Neulasta would work for her...rather than Neupogen. My understanding is that Neulasta need only be given as little as once per chemo cycle....where Neupogen is given daily or much more frequently anyway. I think both can still cause long bone pain....and apparently those people who are good bone marrow producers in general might be more apt to notice the pain, as these drugs boost natural production. I was given Neulasta each chemo cycle from #2 thru #6. I never noticed any bone pain...altho I was told I might. I cannot offer you any advice re: the pain meds...but if I were you I'd sure be asking if there was something else that might work better. I'm sorry your mom is having such a hard time of it and will keep her in my thoughts. But at the very least, I'd find a sympathetic nurse in her clinic and pick her brain a bit, too. Maybe she'll offer a suggestion or two that will be helpful!

You and Lucie continue to inspire, Don. Wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving with many more blessings to come in terms of how Lucie is feeling AND how she is doing! Enjoy!

Hope you're feeling better simply because you ARE better....and not just because of those pain meds! Time to get back home, relax a little and look forward to a happy Thanksgiving feast with your family, eh? Great to hear from you....and so happy to know you're getting back to your old self and feeling better! Hugs to Karen too....I know you know how lucky you are to have her!

Hehehehe....that kind of humor is SUCH a good sign, eh? Bet I know what one of your primary blessings will be this Thanksgiving, don't I? I'm so happy for your good news. *Stable* has such a sweet ring to it. Enjoy your well deserved happiness over this news!

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Becky...I'm delighted that things are going well for David. It does sound like they have the pain well under control if he's already being "his old self"....huh? And your folks are nothing short of wonderful to be there; so available and willing to help out! Of course taking care of that little pixie Faith, isn't exactly "rough duty"....is it? My continued best to Dave and Karen and all the family, and here's hoping Dave is home very soon!

Shar...this is fabulous news. I'm so happy to read it!! It's wonderful to "hear" the optimism in your comments....and the humor (metal turkey taste? ) Happy Thanksgiving to you, too and I'm so delighted that you'll have the added blessing of NED to count this year. Enjoy!

Becky...thanks so much for keeping us updated. I'm so glad it's over and hope they keep David's pain well under control for him. Will continue to send all positive vibes and thoughts his way that he's up and out of there soon...and back home where he belongs. Tell me...are your folks still there with Dave and Karen? I hope so...it would seem they could sure use the support and help with Faith right now. Your folks are wonderful to come and stay for a long visit to help out. Please let Karen know how much we all are thinking of them....will you?

Possibly, the chemo suppressing your immune system contributed to developing the sluggish thyroid??? Not sure on this....and would love oncodoc's take. I do know it's fairly common to go hypo as you age...AND that it affects women a bit more. But as hypothyroidism IS thought to be an autoimmune disorder....I just wonder if the suppression of the immune system by chemo could contribute to developing it? What is also of interest to me...is that I have three autoimmune disorders....have had them all for several, if not many, years. And yet throughout chemo and radiation....my WBCs never fell below normal range and my RBCs were only slightly below normal. I'd have expected otherwise ...but was pleasantly surprised by this.

Tami....I think every effort is made to shield the thyroid gland from absorbing the radiation....but the release we sign includes EVERY possibility as that's how any doc will cover their butts. Can't blame 'em. I mean if it COULD happen...they put it in there, much as drug companies put every possible side effect in the drug inserts. And yes, radiation WILL destroy thyroid tissue because that's how they often treat HYPERthyroidism....with radioactive iodine! I remember the one thing in the release that I had to sign, was that "8-10 years" down the road, my chest radiation COULD result in serious damage to the heart!! A bit much to absorb, on top of a relatively new (at that point) cancer dx.....but then my next thought was....."Hey, if I make it 8-10 years out....I'll deal with any heart problems then. First order of business is to actually LIVE another 8-10 years~!!

I forgot to mention that I too, had "something" going on with an adrenal gland, one kidney AND an ovary. All were thought to be cystic lesions...or so I was told originally (back in May) but the only one they were worried about was the ovarian lesion. We've tracked it since May with periodic ultrasounds and it's doing nothing. No blood supply. Thought to be scar tissue, perhaps or a cyst...but not malignant. The CT I had done at the end of treatment referred to whatever it was on my adrenal as an enlargement of the gland, as I recall...but not a lesion. In any event, nobody ever said I was anything but limited stage and nobody ever seemed particularly concerned with whatever is in my kidney or on my adrenal. The ovarian lesion sent them into panic mode that it was another primary cancer....but it is not. Anyway...my point with all of this, was if it hadn't been for finding my cancer, I'd NEVER HAVE KNOWN about any of those other three lesions!! I think lots of people walk around with cysts, nodules, whatever...on various organs and don't even know it. They aren't malignancies.....but once a malignancy IS found....well, they start looking at everything...which all in all, is a good thing! My motto these days? Don't panic until you have to!! But like Di said, ask the docs again about that adrenal and what it actually is. Tell him you understand treatment varies for limited as opposed to extensive stage...and ask him exactly WHAT stage your mom is!

MJ~~ Every mother in the world would shed tears to hear a child speak of them as you speak of your mother. I am so sorry for your loss....but your love and admiration and regard for your mom makes my heart soar. What a treasure for the both of you, that you had such a wonderful and loving and mutual relationship. I hope that this time spent now with your dad turns out to be positive for the both of you, as well. You are right, that your mother will always be with you...because in fact, she is a large part of who you are. I smiled about your feelings as a teenager, on being like your mom. I guess we all feel that way then...but it's surprising how often we grow up and realize that yes, in ways, we have become our mothers and it feels pretty good! Sending thoughts your way for peace and comfort in this time of loss...knowing that you already have such huge appreciation for the gain in having had the mom you did.

Your comments above, about say it all. But hope is something you need to hang onto because if you don't have hope, you won't be able to appreciate however much time you DO have left with Dad. Everyone is different...so what happened with a friend's grandmother may or may not apply to your situation. Don't let such thoughts muddy your own perspective on your dad and the time you have with him. Yes...this all is very much a roller coaster ride sometimes. But it sounds like your dad has had some real improvement with getting that bile duct unplugged. Sounds too, like he's got a positive attitude and that will serve him well. I hope he can return to work for that one day, if that is something he looks forward to doing. Try to enjoy this improvement and as for wondering about the doc's comments about hospice while still doing chemo.....well, you'll have to ask the doc...but perhaps he was just preparing you for the fact that at some point, Hospice may well be a good idea. Doctors are only human too...and sometimes I think their patients surprise them by responding or doing better than they expected! Maybe your dad's reactions after this last chemo were better than the doctor anticipated, eh? I'm glad your sis and her kids will have some time to spend with your dad too. How can that be anything but good....no matter what ultimately happens, huh? Don't worry about rambling on....we all do it from time to time. Cancer doesn't give us any guarantees....but then again, neither does Life, does it? Just try to appreciate the good days, the time you have with your dad and ask as many questions as you need to try to relieve the confusion. That would be my best advice. I try to live as normally as I can when I'm feeling good...and on the days I don't feel so good, well....I don't push myself. But however much time I end up getting...I'm not going to waste one more day of it in confusion, worry, angst or depression than I have to!! Maybe your dad feels that way too....and maybe it's an attitude you can adopt! Hope some of this helped. I'll be thinking of you.....

Hi deruo. I'm not oncodoc and I hope he sees this so you get some real professional answers...but I'll try answer what I can. For sclc to be extensive...any mets outside the lungs or chest would qualify...so if your mom has an adrenal met, she would be extensive stage. If they really aren't sure whether she has a met to the adrenal...I would think her docs should MAKE sure. Treatment can be different, depending on whether a person is limited stage or extensive. Limited stage is cancer in one lung only, or in the lymph nodes in the chest area too...but not beyond that. Perhaps the reason the docs are now considering radiation, is that she's had a good response to chemo and the tumors have shrunk....thereby reducing the field that would need to be radiated! You might ask the docs if this is the case...but it makes logical sense to me. Of course, she has more rounds of chemo to go...and it's likely she'll have further good response....so in making the decision between option #1 or #2 above, if she can tolerate the chest radiation concurrent with the chemo...this tends to produce the best results. As for the PCI...I just completed mine. Generally, PCI is done only when one is limited stage...but there are exceptions, I suppose. Again, this is something you need to clarify with the doctors. But chemo doesn't really cross the blood/brain barrier....so PCI is done to eliminate any micro cells that might be lurking in the brain. As far as whether or not there is standard treatment...the easy answer is yes, there is. There are chemo drugs that are pretty standard for treating sclc and usually in combination with radiation. BUT...just like every patient will respond differently...there will be some differences too, in the treatment plan. Some people only go thru 4 or 5 cycles of chemo...but most do 6. The number of days of radiation recommended will vary. I had 31 days of lung/chest radiation...but some people do 35 or more....some only 28. Some do chemo and radiation together or concurrently....others do radiation AFTER chemo. So...there are differences within the sort of basic approach to treating sclc. I hope I've answered some of your questions. I know it's all pretty overwhelming and if you can't be right there for all mom's appointments, it's probably even more confusing. Write your questions down, when you have them....so you don't forget to ask them when you have a chance...or have your brother ask them for you (and tell HIM to write the answers down, too!) Hope some of this helps a bit. Now, don't forget to breathe, too...ok?

Hope all went well this morning and that David is on his way to full recovery. Thinking of him, Karen and all the family....

Amanda... Hi and welcome. I have small cell too, and it was caught early. I have finished chemo and radiation to the chest/lung and my scan in October showed no sign of any cancer left! You and your mom need to stay positive about her diagnosis as there are people here who are several years out from their diagnosis and doing just fine. Scary as the sound of "lung cancer" can be....early detection is always a good thing. Small cell is very responsive to chemo and radiation, so it is usually treated that way rather than by doing surgery. Surgery is more often part of the treatment with non small cell lung cancers. It is a good idea to educate yourself by doing some research...but PLEASE don't get discouraged by some of the statistics you're apt to find on the internet or elsewhere. They are pretty dismal and depressing and sort of outdated. But you should arm yourself with a good list of questions to ask your mom's doctors...because knowledge is power! And...I'd say your mom has one very special incentive for regaining her health....in that little granddaughter who's on the way! Best wishes to you for an easy labor and delivery!! The procedure your mom had today was a biopsy OR it might have been called a mediastinoscopy which means they biopsied the lymph nodes in the center of the chest...the mediastinum. Please come back whenever you wish or have questions...and try not to get too stressed, okay? It's not good for the bambino, you know! There is tons of good info here and lots of support....but just know that if you have to get a diagnosis of lung cancer, catching it when it's very small is always a good thing!

Might take a couple of weeks or so till you notice a difference, Joanie...but you will likely feel better. When I first went hypo, though, I think they did bloodwork to check thyroid levels every three months for a while...just to make sure my dosage was right. Then I went every 6 mos. for a while and then annually. Actually, my original dosage never changed for something like 18 years! Then it started to fluctuate. So..."listen" to your body and if you are feeling more sluggish again, or have put on weight or if your skin and hair seem dry and dull....then go get checked! Yeah, having Doc Joe around is terrific, huh? And I'm feeling well but a bit tired. Just finished PCI today, have a very red forehead and missing patches of hair again. But overall, I'm doing fine, feeling fine and looking forward to the holidays!

Dean... It's good to hear from you. You continue to amaze. You know...you were dx'd on my birthday....and every year from here on out, I'm going to think of you and I will hope you're still feeling up to a post now and then! You have been and continue to be an amazing spiritual inspiration!

Hi Joanie... I'm no doctor (and no computer whiz either! ) but if the thyroid got any radiation, I would think that yes, it could cause a person to become hypo. But I would also think that area of the neck would be blocked out if at all possible...just as I know they try very hard NOT to hit the heart or other organs when radiating the chest or lungs. It's also a fact that many people end up with a sluggish thyroid or hypothyroidism as they get a little older. My hubby went a bit hypo in his 50's for example. But I was hyperthyroid when I was 27, was treated with radioactive iodine (RAI) and ended up hypo four years later. The RAI I was given was in liquid form and as I recall, amounted to about 50 rads. They can only calculate a dosage...and it's not exact, so more often than not it kills off too much of the thyroid and you end up hypo. But daily meds take care of that quite easily. Thyroid levels fluctuate continually...so levels should be monitored according to your doctor's instructions. Just blood tests. Again, I don't know exactly what your radiation field covered...but I would sure think that they blocked out any areas they didn't want absorbing the radiation.....ie: anything other than tumor! Don't know if this helped answer any of your questions, really...so I hope the expert...Oncodoc comes along to really answer them for you! But FWIW, I can tell you that meds should help ease all your symptoms...although my skin remains a bit dry and in the winter, I often have to sleep with socks on cuz my feet get so cold

I just hope that Karen hid his blonde wig and eye shadow, before they headed to the hospital! Of course, David has all my best wishes and vibes...and Karen too! Patch Adams probably has nothing on David....except maybe for a medical degree, eh? Hoping he laughs his way right out of there, with a good report and quick fix on what's ailing him! Keep us posted.

Hi schmaydee... I'm going for my 13th and last PCI tx today. I had a wee bit of the chills the first couple of days....and a dull headache. But since then, only a mild headache some days and some days I also have been REALLY tired, where other days, not so much. I have sort of noticed that some nights, sitting watching t.v. that I am sorta cold...and need a blanket over me. Now...our weather has turned chilly, so maybe that's all it is...OR maybe I don't quite have the chills but I AM a bit more reactive to the cold due to PCI....I don't really know. I have had NO nausea whatsoever...but I'd ask the rad onc about whether an increase in your steroids might help that. My rad onc said I might need to double my dose IF my headaches got any worse....but they haven't. I am on 6 mgs of prednisone daily for another condition...and so I've just stayed on that amount thru PCI and didn't have to up the dosage. How much longer do you have before you finish? If you have two weeks behind you, you should be about done. But I'd still ask the rad onc or at least have the rad tech or nurse find out for you if an increase in the steroids would take care of this. It hasn't been all that bad for me. A little more difficulty finding words in my head some days and being more tired have been the most noticed symptoms. I hope you get some relief for your symptoms....but again, it should be over soon and hopefully, other than looking like billiard balls again, we should be fine...eh? Let us know if you get some relief...ok? Thinking of you.....

And yet you wanna go back, Bets? Oy....you better rethink that!! Lots of times the vagaries of growing older just DO NOT seem to make advancing age all it was cracked up to be....but then I keep reminding myself that it all still beats the alternative. Ben Franklin said that because He loves us, God gave us beer to make us happy! Well...he also gave us vodka and a variety of little happy pills, too! So on those days when we REALLY are feeling our age - or simply "rotten", to use your word....we can...uh.....live better (happier) through chemistry!! Who knew a Bloody Mary could be so therapeutic, eh?

Like they say, Mary....after a certain age it's just, "patch, patch, patch!" There are times that I consider myself the "healthiest unhealthy person around"....and on the good days, the days I'm feeling fine....it's almost a wonder to me that that's the case! I know it's not much fun when there's no "one-stop, fix it all" appointment you can make to take care of the works.....but rather you have to see the PCP, the kidney doc, the eye doc, the Gyn, the endocrinologist AND the oncologist. Sheesh! But if misery really does love company....then it ought to cheer you up a bit to know that MANY of us share your plight! Now...put your feet up, relax a little and think about whether you'd give up all the wisdom and knowledge you have at THIS age....to go back to your bubble-headed youth where your body was in great shape...but the rest of you was WAY less mature, wise, competent and perceptive! Hang in there, toots....you really ARE in good company!

Glad to know that Skinny B sorta redeemed herself, E. And glad things went in a little better *direction* today, including two blondes finding their way home! (Frank made me say that ) Still keeping a few things crossed that the job sitchy-ashun gets worked out to everyone's satisfaction. As for drawing blood...for the first time on Monday, they took mine from my finger! One good thing is that the tip of your finger doesn't bruise like the crook of the elbow often does! Just a thought.....unless of course they need vials and vials. Then you kinda need a vein. Keep us posted on things..alright?