To Wives and Caregivers Just Starting Out

[Remembering Dave]

Hi, this is Karen C., Dave's wife. For those of you who are relatively new and don't know us (we've had limited activity on this board lately) he has SCLC Limited. Or hopefully I should say HAD it. He was diagnosed March 2003, had 6 rounds of chemo, 35 days of chest radiation, first CT scan after that was clear, so he had 15 days of PCI in September. We had adopted our first child in October 2002 - God sent us to China to pick her up! So it was a pretty big blow to get the cancer diagnoses so soon after becoming parents. But with lots of prayer and positive attitude Dave, one year later, is doing awesome.

I just want to tell everyone that there is hope, and also if I can do anything to help each of you individually to please let me know - send us a PM or email. Things are going so well for us now, I need to take the extra energy I put into Dave's treatment and use it for supporting others going through it. Not that I have alot of extra time or energy, but am willing to do what I can and as much as I can because we've been there, done that.

Take care, and God Bless each one of you,

Karen C.

[jamie]

Karen,

What you are doing is so great. I feel so self-absorbed right about now. Seeing that Dave is doing so well, I can tell that you are so thankful, and to still be here...willing to keep this up...what can I say. Wish I had 1/10th of your stanima. Ive only been dealing with this whole cancer thing for about 4 months, and all i keep hoping for is some miracle so that we could be "done" with it. I admire you... a truly selfless person is so hard to come by these days. I hope that if my Dad is ever doing as good as Dave, I will still have the strength and mind frame to come back and help. Ill tell you this...after reading this moving post...im sure as hell gonna try.

Keep it up

Jamie

[ginnyde]

Karen,

How can anyone who looks as gorgeous as a blond as David, not be healthy for decades. May this continue for your family.

Love,

Ginny

[JoniRobertWilson]

Karen,

Hi, it's Joni-I've been spreading the news about your husband's remission through our family, like you are our family. We all are overjoyed for you! Dave is our "see, it will happen just like him" guy! It's wonderful for us to have him as an example - he and Robert were just diagnosed 1 year a part so it's great we can look for "benchmarks" and see where we are headed. I didn't want to bother you with PM, I thought maybe you'd like to just roll around and enjoy this world again and maybe wanted a break from all the cancer talk - but thanks for the encouraging words for the rest of us who are still in the middle of the fight.

[Remembering Dave]

Joni - so glad Dave can give some inspiration to your family. A positive attitude and a strong will to live are very very important, as well as a deep faith.

Jamie - ha, 1/10th of my stamina? If my inlaws hadn't come to live with us for six months last year I would have never made it. I was just totally exhausted the whole time. It was awful. Then I found out a few months ago when I had a physical that I have hypo thyroid, which makes you very very tired. I almost think it's like a chemo tired, maybe not that bad, but just an overwhelming fatigue.

So, another thing I like to encourage caregivers to do - is to go get a good checkup in the middle of all of this. Last year my family doc took a good look at me after Dave got diagnosed and discovered a melanoma on my neck, which turned out to be a Stage II melanoma. Everyone always told me last year "to take care of myself" and I'm thinking, what in the world are they talking about - I don't have time for me!! but you should at least make sure you're healthy. Heck, if I'd known about that darn hypo thyroid that year would have been alot easier!

everyone take care, and have a great weekend, and PM me if you need me, OK?

God Bless,

Karen C.