SDianneB

When all this started I bought 2 wigs, having been told that "you WILL lose your hair" from the chemo. But, it didn't happen. Until the PCI. And that left me with a mohawk - not a good look for me, so I had it all shaved off. I finished the PCI last December, and it took several months to get it started back. Finally, about a month ago, I had enough hair to cover my head, and stopped wearing the caps/bandanas. It was entirely too hot outside for those, even the light ones, and they got so itchy I could barely tolerate them. So, one day I just decided to heck with it, and have gone with the super short look ever since! So far, knock on wood, through the 3 cycles of Topotecan (started cycle 4 yesterday) it's still there. I never wore either wig, and doubt I ever will. They will make a nice donation to the cancer center where I go though, and that's where they will be going. In the meantime, I LOVED being bald. I really did. I loved washing my bare scalp without all the hair there to interfere! It was just such a freeing thing for me -- showed me I didn't have to spend an hour doing hair every day. I'll probably keep it really short from now on. Di

Good for you! Doesn't it feel great to see an entire year behind you? Here's to many more. Di

Gay, the two of you are two of the most courageous people I've come across trying to deal with this disease the best way they can. I talk to people here in the forum, but in person at the doc's office, waiting rooms, and whoever starts up a conversation when they see my "Cancer Sucks" button that I wear ALL the time. I will say that reading Dean Carl's words when I was new to this forum gave me much joy -- his descriptions of the goings on in his own back yard space,just about the life going on all around him -- gave me something to look forward to. And now, you continue to share feelings and status with us, and face things toe to toe. Bravo to the both of you! (Or, as my great-nephew said once when he was about 6, give them a "standing ovulation." Ha. Where he came up with that word, we'll never know, but he got it all confused! Ever since then, my family says this whenever we get the chance! He's at the ripe old age of 21 now, so turns beet red when we remind him of it!) Di

Cindy - that's wonderful news! Glad you're "empty headed!" Di

If you were disabled while covered under the COBRA plan, it should exend far enough so that you can qualify for SS disability, and then Medicare after a period of time. I'm not so sure any more on how long, but your COBRA plan documents should tell you about that, and I think you can find out on the internet about the requirements for Medicare due to disability. Good luck to you. Di

Jim: "What I see here are two people with opposing views...nothing wrong with that. Both parties detailed their positions and provided background information. Neither party said the other was wrong or belittled the other for their views/opinions. No Harm...No foul, lets not look for a problem...lets smile and get on." Exactly. I don't know Haylee personally, other than from this forum, and she's been a real trooper here. I have really good personal friends who feel like she does, and it doesn't make me like them any more or less, and doesn't affect our friendship at all. We just disagree, and not just about that! What a dull world it would be if we all agreed about everything. The important thing here is that we are all going through our own stuff every day, and all the others know is what we choose to share. I miss most of the people who aren't here in the forum by their own choice, but sometimes that's just what they feel they need to do for their own well being. No way in the world would I presume to get behind all that and speculate about it. Thanks, Jim, for seeing beyond it all and actually reading the wordds instead of projecting it into something sinister. Di

Like I said to you before, Cindi, be as mad as you want, just don't put it off on me. Haylee, take care. Di

Haylee, you don't have to explain a thing to me. I was just asking. Like I said, it's my opinion, and yes, I believe that it is the responsible thing to have pets spayed/neutered. The chances of having such a bad outcome are far less than the reality faced by so many animals every day on the street. IMO, having pets means about the same as having kids and being responsible for them -- as in doing what is best for them, even if it hurts us to have to do it. I think that since we are the adults and are responsible for these little creatures, it's up to us to put our own feelings in check when it comes to their safety and well being. It's a very difficult thing to do at times, for sure. There is also the reality that these cute little babies grow up and the "good homes" sometimes lose their interest, so the pet is relegated to the back yard or worse. I lost one right after I was diagnosed with cancer last year and was heartbroken. And, believe it or not, I lost one just about 3 hours ago to a problem with her aorta (Button). Her back legs just stopped working, and she was in a lot of pain, so I had her put down. Again, heartbroken, and although I'd given anything to have her treated and try to keep her around a while, it was the best thing for HER to have her put down, as the treatment is quite intensive and rarely ever works even on young animals, and she was about 16. So, do I just stop caring for them since they inevitably die anyway? My dad died driving a car, so do I never drive a car again because of that? Do I quit taking them to the vet because that's where they go to be put down? No, I just continue to do what I think is the right thing and the responsible thing for them, since they can't make those choices on their own. Di

Haylee, the grief we feel when we lose a pet often feels the same as when we lose a person. I truly understand that. But of the millions of unwanted animals, it's just part of the statistics that such a tragedy will happen. Your kitty had people who loved her, and died with that rather than dying a horrible, lingering, miserable death out on her own on the streets. It's just for the millions of animals who don't have the luxury of humans who will care for them (meaning more than just feeding them) that I have an avid interest in spaying and neutering. While I do sympathize - and empathize - with the loss of your kitty, I still advocate spaying/neutering. Each and every time. It's just my opinion, nothing more, nothing less. Di

What a sweetie! She looks a little like my Tootsie, except with longer hair. Not to put a damper on things, but why aren't these kittens/cats being spayed/neutered? Seems like more and more being born, with nowhere to go. I hope they all get good homes. I'd take a dozen of them if I could! Di

What got me through the esophagitis during chest radiation was popsicles. Mac & cheese. Mashed potatoes. But mostly the popsicles which were good for hydration. I liked cold things mostly -- vanilla shakes were a real treat. This just takes some time to get through, but I fail to see why they can't help your BIL through this somewhat. Take Care. Di

Ok, you guys. Let's clean things up in here, ok? Tsk tsk. You know though we'll hold anything for you that you want -- hang in there. I think you'll sail through this scan as you always have. Di

Ditto what Fay A. said. It isn't at all unheard of or unusual to change doctors. I've done it myself, plus have dumped a few that weren't serving any purpose. This stuff is confusing, to say the least, and it is important, I think, to have a doctor that works WITH you and wants to help rather than just let you suffer so many side effects. You all have my best wishes. Di

Well, rats. My old granny would have said "if it ain't cockroaches, it's pi$$ants." Ain't it the truth. (sigh) That's at the top of my list of things I despise about this disease most -- getting to a point where you feel decent and think things might be falling into line, and then some strange something shows up. I don't know if I'd advise you either way on a PET scan. I've had SO many of them, and when my gallbladder flared up, my entire body lit up in the PET scan - yikes! The Onc. knew this would happen, but she likes PET scans (I think mostly because the practice she's in owns an imaging center nearby that does them.) When the dust settled, it was just pancreatitis and the spots on my liver that were "real." And we found that out through ultrasound and biopsy. Oh well. Hang in there -- let us know what goes on, ok? Di

Fay says: "I will surrender only moments of my life to Lung Cancer. And when I do die, Lung Cancer will not have won the war it and I have waged against one another over the past 6 years. I will have killed my Lung Cancer by denying it a host. I will win against this disease." I love this attitude. Another "Addie tude" I sense going on here! You go, girl. Di

Yes, yes, and yes! With all the blood work being done through my gallbladder ordeal, they knew there was no infection, but I'd have these odd fevers come up. Sometimes, not always, they would start with chills before my temp actually started to rise. When I was at the cancer treatment on one of the 12 hour days I spent when I first started the oral Topotecan I felt the chills come on, but because my temp wasn't elevated, they didn't pay much attention. By the time I got home that evening, the temp started rising, so I hit the Ibuprofen and fluids. I found I could control these fevers if I got on top of them fast. At the clinic, they always tell me to "call us any time," but after doing that a few times with not so great results (waiting 9 hours to get an Rx for a bladder infection? No thanks!) I decided to tackle this on my own. I figure if it ever gets to where I can't control it, I'll call them. Since I've been feeling better, I haven't had one of the fevers (knock on wood). The Onc. told me it was probably due to the cancer. She had told me the same thing about the food aversion I had. But the reality is that both seemed to center around the gallbladder problems I was having, with the high bilirubin and all that. Maybe it is the cancer -- it does release some strange things that cause changes in your body, and the Onc. says your immune system may be reacting with the fever, even in the absence of an infection. At least I know now that there isn't an infection, so won't be filling myself full of unnecessary antibiotics. Di

Just FYI -- WBR and PCI are totally difference procedures. PCI is lower dosage and generally half or less the number of treatments than with WBR. It's a limited dose of radiation for prophylactic/preventive purposes, given primarily to small cell patients, although I have read that there are studies now with non-small cell patients. That, I know nothing about. Just wanted to make sure that everyone is aware that WBR is NOT the same thing as PCI, or vice versa. Di

Just another thing, Jen -- I met the nicest lady where I go for chemo and weekly blood work. Her name is Bettye. She has cancer that they believe started in her bile duct, of all places. NOT something we hear about every day. They did quite a drastic surgery on her -- taking part of her pancreas, liver, gallbladder, etc., etc., etc., and then told her they didn't think there was anything else they could do for her after an initial perfunctory round of chemo. Then, they hooked her up to a trial, and she's done well ever since -- over 2 years. Not bad, she says, for someone they said was dying! She isn't NED, but is stable -- and has been for quite a long time now. It gets her through the day, isn't as toxic as the first chemo so she feels better and is stronger this time. She's in her 70s. Quite an inspiration. I always sit by her, telling her I want some of her courage to rub off on me! Anyway, the point is that "stable" may not mean NED, but if you're still on your feet and feeling decent, it sure beats the alternatives! Hang in there, you! Di

Jen, this is good news. We'd all, of course, like this scourge to just go away and never come back, but these pieces of good news, even when they come far apart, are welcome. I'm thankful every day when I wake up that I DID wake up, and I'm still around to drink Drano if they tell me to in order to keep myself stable. (ick) Here's an extra glass of chocolate milk I'll drink just for you, in hopes that you'll just get better and better! Di

My mother, soon to be 93, complained of leg pain for a LONG time. She'd had the other knee replaced about 15 years ago, and now her "good" knee was giving her fits. So bad at times that she couldn't sleep in the bed, and had to sleep upright in a chair because she couldn't straighten her leg all the way out. Finally, she went to a doctor who did x-rays and a MRI (yes, I'm my mother's daughter - she had to be sedated to do the MRI!) and it was a lumbar problem - not her leg. They started injecting it every few months and it's made all the difference in the world. Every time it begins to hurt, she gets the injection. At her age, when she was having so much pain, it really brought her down -- as it does many of us as well. Years ago when I worked in a Radiology department, I remember the Radiologists and techs showing me films of things like this and what they look for on x-rays that isn't necessarily the obvious thing. I hope you're on the right track to get that fixed and am SO glad it isn't related to the cancer. That is sometimes the best news ever! Take care, Jen. I think of you a lot. Di

Andrewsmom says: "I know that when I was first diagnosed, finding a survivor was the #1 thing on my mind." Truer words have never been written. Me too. I knew that there was surely at least ONE person somewhere "out there" who was still around to let all the rest of us know what we could expect. The one thing I took from all the statistics being thrown at me was this -- that even if it is 99% against you statistically, someone has to be in that 1%. I want that to be me. We all know that there isn't anything on earth that is 100%, so if we take ourselves out of the statistics game, we have survival, one day at a time. I'm about 14 months out from diagnosis now, and the first Oncologist I saw told me 8-10 months. Neener, neener. Of course, he told me other things that turned out to be wrong, so I replaced him. Take that, you cad. Yes, there are survivors out there -- more than I ever would have thought. Including me. And I'm happy to be included in their numbers for as long as possible. Di

Tom & Kathy - Welcome, although I'm sorry you need to be here. But, you landed in a great place! I had the PCI done in Dec. 2004, and posted about it every day in the SCLC section. You may be able to drag out those posts. Also, others have posted about their own experiences -- all of them very helpful to me while I was deliberating my own treatment with the docs. You both have my best wishes. Di

Lorrie, I don't know about state law here regarding copies of DLs, but it is my personal policy that I will NOT do it. If the hospital where I go doesn't like it, I know and worked with their CEO, so have no problem marching up to his office to explain why. If that doesn't work, there are plenty of places in this city where I can go for treatment, and I'm sure any of them would be glad to get the big bucks paid out by my insurance company every year. This must stop, IMO. And I'm stopping it myself. My SS number is for social security, and I don't give it out much any more either -- only if necessary. Same with the DL number and making copies. Until they get a handle on identity theft and it doesn't ruin people's lives, I just won't be so loose with personal information. But then, I'm a stubborn ol' coot anyway. Go figure! Di

This IS good news! Stable is a good thing. Cancer is a scourge and whatever you can do to slow it down or stop it completely goes in the "win" column, IMO. My best to the two of you -- you are both very brave in this battle you've fought side by side. You have my admiration in triplicate! Best wishes, Di

She is really missed around here. Thanks for letting us know. What a kind and sharing spirit she had. God bless you all during this trying time. Di