Dana Reeve and my curiosity...

[janehill]

Oh Connie, I really really think I'm in some crazy state of denial because I just believe people last for years on average, not months.

What is wrong with me? Even when I read of a couple of people who've gone sooner I think, Well, they were much older or had a ton of spread, etc. I can't seem to get my arms around the idea that a LC diagnosis means months. Even on this site, it's not the norm of what I read.

Okay, I'll stop blabbering now. I concede that it may be rose-colored glasses I'm wearing (which is so NOT like me normally).

[Kathleen1]

The news of Dana Reeve and Peter Jennings hit me as well, just at the time my Mother was diagnosed. I couldn't understand how this could happen to Dana with all she and Chris had endured. I feel so sad for their family.

I think I recall reading that both Peter Jennings and Dana Reeve had SCLC, which was very advanced.

I hate this disease!

[trishnmiller]

I think the answer is in treatment and in the cold fact that not every Stage IV NSCLC is the same. My husband who is still holding his own and has been NED for over a year only had one tumor in his lung which was in the upper right quadrant away from vital organs making it treatable by cyberknife. He had one tumor in his liver and it was treated the same way. He had 18 tumors in his brain which were Gamma Knifed..so, yeah at the end of the day it is still Stage 4 but he was able to have unconventional treatments which have saved his life up to now. My dear friend's husband was diagnosed in April of '05 and died in August..same disease but very, very different outcome.

Trish