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We need your prayers desperately...


niececola

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My mom has been in the hospital since Saturday, so many things to share, but the general gist of things is that the cancer has spread in her lungs. I just called her at the hospital and she sounds so out of it and I am so scared.

Please include my mom in your prayers today.

Denise :(

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Thank you all for the well wishes and prayers! We met with my mom's onc last Thursday. Well, he had a different take on my mom's scans. He noted only a SLIGHT uptake in the tumor. (The one they use to evaluate change.) He kind of disregarded the notes that said "increased significant nodules". He explained it by saying my mom's docs in the hospital were looking for an explanation as to why she was having trouble breathing and their analysis of her scans could have been influenced by the desire to want to find a reason why. I really do not believe him, but my Mom does trust him and wants to follow his advice and stick with this chemo for one month more. Then we will do some more scans. I am praying hard things will stay stable or decrease!

I asked him to put her on the Celebrex and while he is not overly optimistic, he wrote her a prescription.

I have just a few questions for you all.

1) What do I say to the insurance company if they do not approve the Celebrex at the prescribed amount? I remember reading something on here about having to petition the insurance company to approve a prescription, how do I do that?

2) My mom had a bad reaction to Gemzar a little over a month ago. The onc said we could still try it again, but would make some changes to the dosage. I am assuming this would lessen the chances of her having a bad reaction again. Does anyone have experience with this - trying a chemo at lower dosage after having a bad reaction to a higher dosage?

3) I think I have read here on the board when people have gone back to chemos previously taken. Is that only possible when someone has had a positive outcome the first time?

Thanks for your input. Praying for us all.

Denise

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Denise,

I think your doctor's office will interact with the insurance company re Celebrex approval. It can be and often is prescribed for pain (joint) attributed to lung cancer/chemo etc. That is what my prescription is written for and, truthfully, it greatly helps in that area. Myoncologist (and I) hope that is also helps in the area of keeping the tumor(s) from increasing.

I have often had chemo tweaked or reduced due to bad reactions, side effects or low blood count. I don't think there is a magic strength or administration...it's all individualized (or should be).

About going back to a particular chemo, that I have not done...I just keep marching through new and different types! But I trust the doctor knows.

Good luck with all of this and, as always, my prayers,

Margaret

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Denise,

Our insurance co. turned down the Celebrex 4, yep 4, times. Both our primary and our onc. kept giving them reasons why Earl needed it. In the meantime our primary was giving us samples.

They only turned him down once when they increased the dosage.

And, oh by the way, the Iressa and the Temodar were approved right away and these are like 10 times more expensive. Go figure.

To net it out - fight like heck.

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