Addie

Happy Birthday, Robert!! Enjoy the day with family and friends....and here's to many more!

Sandy....such great news always gives us hope and encouragement! I'm so happy for you that the word was "NEGATIVE"! I sincerely hope that your great news starts a similar trend for everyone else.....the snowball effect of positive news and results! Doing a little happy dance for you here...cuz I don't want Betty to have to dance alone!

Aw, crud and a bunch of other words. David...Karen....you guys will beat this again, just as you said David! I'm sorry you have to go back on the chemo/rad routine...but if that's what it takes...then so be it. I wish this had been just simple bonkitis or an infection....but I know you'll take things as they come and prevail. I'll be sending up a special prayer for you guys....that all goes well and you knock this thing right out of your skull! Sounds like it hasn't been there long...but it's time now for it to be GONE again!

Ladies....may I be your nightlight till Fay steps in? I've got 7 days of radiation under my belt.....I should be sending off a nice warm glow....perfect for lighting up holes! I caught this thread...had to go back to read Aki's in Newcomers....and here I am again with my thoughts. One of the first things I said to my husband, my kids and my best friend when I told them about my lung cancer was..."I'm sorry". I further told my two sons, "You may well experience some anger over all this....even some anger directed at ME and if you do, that's okay....cuz truth be told I'm a little pi**ed off at myself!!" They all denied any anger at me, specifically....but you know, I WAS a smoker and I knew the risk I was taking....so it seemed a good idea for me to address that possible anger right from the get go! In a way, I think it sort of diffused any anger that anyone might have had....including my own. I guess I feel that Aki may have a combination of fear and anger that has caused her to withdraw. But it will NOT help her to avoid regretting this action....that is for dang sure! And too....sometimes the person who is sick presumes anger when it's NOT that...so it's hard to know what Aki's mother is thinking right now. I'm remembering taking care of my mom in her final months battling colon cancer. One day, in her hospital bed in the dining room and following radiation....she accidentally soiled the bedsheet three times before noon. So that meant I changed the sheets three times that day before I even made her lunch! She started to cry the third time and said, "I'm sorry, honey"....and it made me realize that I'd been sort of grumpy that last time in getting her into a chair so I could change the sheets. It was like a slap in my face. I stopped and went to hug her and said, "Oh Mom, don't you apologize. I'm not mad at YOU....I'm just mad that this is HAPPENING to you!" And I was. It was hard to see her not be the mom I remembered from before she was sick. I hated to see her hurt, suffer or struggle with her illness and I loved her to bits...which she knew. Heck, I broke up my family and took my youngest from the east coast to the west coast to take care of mom for three months at the end of her life. It meant some sacrifices here...but I am so grateful I was able to be there for her. I hope Aki finds the courage to SAY to her mother what she is feeling. And Fay, I'm so sorry you can relate to this situation. I guess it's true enough that much as we'd like to think the best, or find excuses sometimes for why people react as they do....the simple fact is that some people ARE rather self-focused and only see things thru lenses that amount to "how is this affecting ME"....rather than how it affects someone else. There is a person whom I've NOT told about my cancer for just this reason. Obviously, it's someone I don't see or live near.....but I knew that my cancer would become HER great burden....and I wanted no part of that. So...I never told her. Don't know if I've muddied the waters here, even as I've glowed...but there's my 2 cents worth!

I'm so glad you went in, Nancy...this was serious stuff!! And I'm even more glad they switched you to Zofran. It seems pretty effective to me. You said you'll go in now on the fourth day for fluids and Zofran IV...but will they give you Zofran on the chemo days too? They do with me....and other than taking a bedtime pill, as I said, by day 4 I don't need any anti-nausea meds. You might ask about having the Zofran on chemo days too! I'm so glad you're feeling better and were able to keep some food down. The beach sounds like a great idea to me too....can I join you there post-chemo? Haven't dug my toes into sand for a long time! Keep feeling good...and let us know how the next round goes.

Oh, sweetie.....what can I say? There just aren't words beyond saying how sorry I am to hear this latest....and that I'll continue to hold you and the Duke in my prayers. You may be small and not physically strong, Ginny...but you are lion-hearted in your love and devotion to Earl. I just wish that were all it took to turn things right again and restore him to full health. I will be thinking of you, wishing you the strength you need.

Two wishes for a double header.....Happy Anniversary and Happy Miss Adorable Kennedy is Ours Quite Finally!! Hey...bet you won't ever have any trouble remembering this date and it's dual significance! Congrats!! Congrats again!

No, John....I understood it just fine and I AGREE with you, that YES....these drugs should be used. I may have gotten off on a tangent that made my meaning unclear....but I agree with you totally that if these drugs are available and work, they should be used! I was just saying that my own Onc DOES use them and I'm glad. I wish everyone's Onc did!! I can understand reducing a chemo dose a little while a patient is undergoihg radiation too....but again, I still say the individual's tolerance for treatment has to be part of the equation. My Onc has told me he feels I have a pretty "strong constitution"....so it's my feeling that unless or until I have a clear reaction, that he's going to treat me aggressively...which is what I want. The amount that he reduced my chemo when radiation started wasn't too significant...and for all I know, he may up it again since I'm tolerating it all just fine. Sorry I wasn't more clear John...but I agree with your take on this completely.

Hearty congratulations and all my best wishes for many, many more July 5th celebrations! Your attitude is inspiring and (I think) right on the money! Keep on living every day and enjoy this milestone even as you look forward to the next one!

Oh, Nancy...poor sweetie. I am on the same two chemo drugs...and I also get Zofran by IV prior....plus have pills at home that I take the three days of chemo at night before bed...and I had no nausea, but for one time. If you're not getting premed by IV of steroids and something for nausea...or if they aren't working...I'd sure ask about the Zofran. That works like a charm for me. In fact, now that I'm getting radiation too....I get a daily Amifostine shot prior to rad. and it can cause nausea, so I take one daily Zofran pill a half hour or so before the shot. It's good stuff, I think. Ask about it. And I agree with Don about the many smaller meals and also yogurt smoothies. Dannon makes one that is called Frusion. Only l0 ozs. but the ONE time I got sick I lived on those Frusions once I could keep something down. And I got sick because I'd had a full week of chemo, two shots and two radiation treatments...and after the second one, like a dummy, I ate half a granola bar a half hour later. It didn't sit right and came right back up. Now I wait about 2 hrs. after radiation to eat anything. Hope you feel better soon. Feeling sick is THE WORST for me....so you have ALL my sympathies. But ask about Zofran or something else if what you're getting is making you THAT sick...because as I said, during chemo I've had not one ounce of queasiness....and neither should you if there is a drug that will stop it! Feel better soon...and report back in. I'll be worrying about you.

Good to hear from you Cindy. We knew you had 'puter problems...but I was starting to worry that you weren't back yet! Hope you get all set up soon with a new computer so we hear from you more often....and I will send a prayer out for all your tests to come back with positive news.....to reflect how good you feel!! Keeping you in my thoughts for all good results AND a computer that will never again cause you to be absent!

Oh, Ginny. It makes me so sad to think how difficult this is for you....how much it hurts for you to say, Please know that you and Earl are in my frequent thoughts and prayers for strength. I wish that things would turn around...that you'd see increasing signs of that old twinkle of Earl's coming back. And of course, I will pray for his comfort and safety....just as I pray for your strength and the power of your love for Earl to sustain you, as I know it does. I'm so sorry about Earl's fall, but glad he wasn't too badly hurt. Still...it's a worry. Thinking of you, dear....wishing and hoping for more good days than worried ones....more smiles with your beloved than fears.

Hoping they'll soon have news and that the news is good. The waiting just allows our imaginations to go wild....but I'm hoping Jack was able to help Cheryl consider more positive results. Thanks, Connie, for keeping us all in the current loop.

Sounds like Cheryl is on the mend! Sorry to be late with my wishes...but hoping she recovers quickly and is home soon. Thoughts and prayers for both Cheryl and Jack!

Ah....perspective, huh Debi? Good for you, girl...for finding a way to apply perspective to the pity party. All things are relative, aren't they? I used to feel so awful for feeling sorry for myself once in a while. But as I got older, I started to realize that the emotion of self pity was there for a reason just as all my other emotions are....so I let myself FEEL it for a short while, so I could move thru it and get to where perspective kicked in! I'm so glad you and your son got to climb up the hill and see the fireworks this year and may you do so for many, many years to come! We spent last evening making sure the dogs didn't get too overwrought with the sound of the fireworks! They aren't completely phobic about it....but fireworks (like thunderstorms) tend to make them kinda nervous...which then colors MY enjoyment of them too. I watch *my* fireworks now on t.v.! I can see them that way, while muting the sound!

John...you said it.... I just got my first Neulasta shot last week and was told I will get one following the third day of chemo at every cycle now. My Onc apparently gives it routinely...especially for someone like me with an already compromised immune system. Expensive? Maybe....but treatment is expensive in general! I'm also getting a DAILY amifostine shot before radiation. I wonder what that baby is costing? I was told that while I'm undergoing radiation, my chemo doses will be slightly reduced...from (as I recall the nurse saying) 170 mgs. to about 130-140 mgs? Of course I was concerned and asked her if what I was getting was STILL gonna give the cancer a decent "whack" and she raised her eyebrows and said, "Oh, yeah!!" This next cycle, I am going to reconfirm that with my Onc too. I presume with the effects of radiation added, the key is to make sure that I'm tolerating the treatments well enough NOT to interrupt them and of course, that is MY goal too! But I don't want the dose cut IF I can tolerate it at the higher level...you know? The whole notion of underdosing is disturbing. Given a choice, NONE of us want to feel sick, nauseated, in pain or otherwise affected by treatment....but heck, given a choice none of us would choose cancer either, would we? The point though, is to obtain treatment that gives us the BEST shot at beating this disease...and if I had a doctor that seemed sort of wishy-washy about aggressive treatment OR using what is available to offset side effects (like Neulasta or anti-nausea meds, steroids, whatever) I think I'd be looking for a new doctor! Sometimes we don't know what a person can tolerate until we test it out a bit....right? I wouldn't want a doctor to presume I was a wuss and couldn't take the full treatment if the dosage I was given was going to reduce my odds of survival or cure. I think that choice ought to be mine!

Sounds like you're making the most of the weekend, David! Glad you're all having fun AND thanks, too...for the mini-history lesson on VA rivers! You've got my mouth watering for those grilled burgers. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and I hope you're getting some pictures of those fireworks over the Mattaponi!

Had my first one last week, Jen....following day three of chemo, I went in the next day for the shot. The nurse said it can make your bones ache....the long bones....like pelvis, thighs, etc. I guess...within 24-48 hrs. of getting the shot...but that the effects don't last more than a day or two. I have a sort of heaviness much of the time in my forearms...and that sort of intensified a little but otherwise I did just fine, with no noticeable aches. Don't know yet if this builds up over time...and whether or not later shots might cause more symptoms. Will see....I guess. The nurse said if your bones do sort of ache....a Tylenol should take care of it. I guess the Neulasta shot you only get once per cycle...where the Neupogen has to be given more often??? But apparently when the wbc's do start to rise again, Neulasta boosts them even faster, so it's beneficial. A shot is a shot is a shot....but sometimes it can be MORE than just a shot, can't it?

Nancy....I remembered that article...and just spent the past 20 minutes doing a search for it. Thought it was in LC in the news and a post by dadstimeon....but I couldn't come up with it@ Then I checked in New treatments and found it!! Yay...I love a good mystery...but not when I can't solve it. I think this is what you are looking for...and Cary posted it: http://www.lchelp.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=8751 Good luck going back to work....and something I find that helps me focus is to start doing the daily crossword puzzle in the newspaper! You have to concentrate to do them...and even with those who fear Alzheimer's or have family history of it...they say really using the brain for reading, or crossword puzzles...is great mental exercise. Holding a good thought for your tests later this month, too! Let me know if this is the right article.

Well, I'm probably going to pout while you're gone, Peggy...but I GUESS I understand. Since I spend about 3 hours every morning sitting in this chair surfing here and a couple other places I frequent on the net...watching as dust bunnies join up with each other and create clouds the size of Long Island, frosted with dog hair...I can sorta identify with the need for some computer discipline. Hey...speaking of dust, did you realize that dust is mostly shed skin cells?? It's true. You know, I betcha if I got down on the floor and looked under my bed, my sofa, my refrigerator.....it's quite possible I'd find a few more men around this house!! In any case, hope you get caught up soon, Peggy and can head right back to us. Meantime...thoughts and prayers will be with you...and we'll save "your space" for you!

Fay....have a great weekend!! We'll keep your chair warm for you...ok? Sandy S. posted to my thread looking for her....http://www.lchelp.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=9000 Hope I linked that correctly.

Prayers heading Marie's way....and thanks for updating us. I'm so sorry to hear this...but I'm very glad her spirits remain good, as that's so important. Hoping for relief for her and that next time, you'll have a very good report for us!

Oh, I came looking for word from you guys...and am SO glad to know that surgery is over and that aside from being bonked, bruised, bandaged and on meds...that David is perfectly normal! Well....for him, anyway...huh? And Karen...what a GREAT report on Mom...and no, I don't think you did absolutely report that her lymph nodes were clear...just that you were awaiting word on whether the cancer "jumped" to her liver. Great, great news and I'm glad she's home and doing well. Now...if you can just get thru the next week with a minimum of strange antics from your Guy on Steroids ....we are all praying for those antibiotics to do their job and for that to be all that is NEEDED to be done. In other words...we await the great report from path. Sounds like things are looking up in your corner of the world...and since I'm smiling...I figure you must be too! Hope the week goes fast and the healing goes faster and you get the good word on Wednesday! Sending hugs...and please...hide all the blonde wigs in the house!!! This could be the week he decides to wear one again!

Peggy... I do not generally visit this forum as it's too difficult. But a comment you made in another post, in another forum caught my attention so I came here looking.....and am so sorry to find this thread. Please accept my sympathies on the loss of your father. I'm so sorry. He sounds like he was a man with a wonderful, positive outlook and spirit and clearly, he was well loved. I know he'll live on in you and in your heart.

Woo Hoo, Geri....you give me tons of hope!! So happy you are doing so well, got an "all clean" report and that you stand as inspiration to all of us. Enjoy and keep on gettin' those great reports!