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Mom just dx NSCLC IV, I need positive stories


Guest vanessa

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Guest vanessa

My mother who lives in Indiana (I live in NYC) was just diagnosed with Stage IV NSCLC and has some brain spots. She thankfully got her second opinion from a very reputable oncologist who she is now crazy about :) He's started her immediately on Iressa and starts her 10 day treatment of radiation to her brain today. I am going to see her this weekend and need to get a handle on what she is going to be going through, what I need to do for her, etc. So far she is feeling great and the Iressa already seems to be reducing her symptoms.

I need to hear some positive stories of people who have had the same diagnosis.

I am also interested to hear from people about how they kept strong through nutrition and specifically what they've done.

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Vanessa,

When I could,I ate lots of red meat and green vegetables, as if I were driven. I would hit the grocery store and the fresh veggies would call to me -- likewise the steaks. That was prior to surgery, to get my strength up.

Otherwise I ate the best I could , canned fruit, yogurt, meat (stew, potroast), baked chicken, pork chops....

balanced meals... very little snack food or rich food -- just didn't appeal tome. Drank a lot of Boost/ensure. May taste too 'canned' but it does the job.''

My two cents,

XOXOXOXOXOX

Prayers alwyas,

MaryAnn

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Hi Vanessa,

Welcome and sorry to hear about you’re mother’s diagnoses. I’m also at Stage IV (see my signature) NSCLC. Take it one step and one day at a time. Stay positive and focused. Keep moving. Learn as much as you can. Knowledge is the key. Also down the line I think it helps if your mother joins a support group for lung cancer. Get input/support from others facing the same situation. Glad to hear the Iressa is working. This is the best site with the best people. Stay with and keep us posted. Hope this helps. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your mother. Peace, take care and God bless.

Rich

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http://www3.cancer.gov/cancercenters/centerslist.html (NCI-designated Cancer Centers / Cancer Centers Listed by State)

http://www.healthology.com/focus_articl ... cancernews (How To Eat Well During Cancer Treatment)

http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/nutrition/nutrition.asp (Nutrition Facts and Information Center)

http://www.about-nsclc.com/content/patient/nsclc (Iressa)

http://www.about-nsclc.com/content/prof/about (Iressa)

http://www.findcancerexperts.com (Find Cancer Experts)

http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... 008,00.asp (Making Decisions About Cancer Treatment)

http://www.chemocare.com (ChemoCare)

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http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... 008,00.asp (Receive the PLWC Bulletin)

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/hos ... p_home.htm (Directory Of American Hospitals)

http://www.lungcanceronline.org/tests/index.html (Lung Cancer Online / Test And Procedures)

http://www.vh.org/adult/patient/cancerc ... index.html (Understanding Blood Tests / A Guide for Patients with Cancer)

http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/tr ... ng/patient (SCLC)

http://www.meds.com/pdq/smallcell_pat.html (Medicine OnLine / SCLG)

http://health.allrefer.com/health/prima ... -info.html (Diseases And Conditions / SCLC)

http://www.hospicefoundation.org (Hospice Foundation Of America)

http://www.hospiceweb.com (Hospice Web)

http://www.hospice-america.org/consumer.html (Hospice Association Of America)

http://www.hospicenet.org (Hospice Net)

http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... 151,00.asp (PLWC Feature: Talking to Someone With Cancer)

http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/ ... 87526.html (3-year-old keeps her smile in battle with rare cancer)

http://www.rfalung.com (Radio Frequency Ablation Of Lung Cancer)

http://www.lungcancercoalition.org (Global Lung Cancer Coalition)

http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... 008,00.asp (PLWC Feature: Financial Support Resources)

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/nycu/healt ... hqcanc.htm (Best Hospitals)

https://www.alcase.org/advocacy/sign_the_petition.html (Advocacy /Sign the Petition)

http://www.cancersymptoms.org (Oncology Nursing Society)

http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... 008,00.asp (Questions to Ask the Doctor)

http://www.alcase.org/education/publica ... reath.html (With Every Breath A Lung Cancer Guidebook / From ALCASE / A Wealth Of Information / Free)

http://www.cancersurvivaltoolbox.org (The Cancer Survival Toolbox / Free / From NCCS)

http://www.centerwatch.com (Clinical Trails Listing Service / Center Watch)

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&editi ... ung+cancer (Lung Cancer In The News)

http://www.thewellnesscommunity.org/pro ... /guide.asp (The Wellness Community / National Cancer Support, Education And Support / Free)

http://www.drugs.com (Drug Information Online)

http://www.alcase.org (ALCASE / Alliance For Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support, Education)

http://www.nlm.nih.gov (Unites States / National Library Of Medicine)

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html (Health Information / Medical Encyclopedia)

http://www.google.com (Great Search Engine)

http://blochcancer.org (R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation, Inc. / Please read: A Letter to all newly diagnosed cancer patients)

http://www.cancer.org (American Cancer Society)

http://www.cancer.gov (Cancer Information Service / NCI)

http://www.cancerresearchcenter.org (Cancer Research Center)

http://www.aicr.org (American Institute for Cancer Research; Nutrition Hotline / AICR)

http://www.cancerhopenetwork.org (Cancer Hope Network)

http://www.acor.org (Association of Cancer Online Resources / Free Online Lifeline For Everyone Affected By Cancer & Related Disorders)

http://www.meds.com/lung/lunginfo.html (Lung Cancer Information Library)

http://www.lungusa.org (American Lung Association)

http://www.ama-assn.org (American Medical Association)

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.ns ... g%20Cancer (Doctor’s Guide / Lung Cancer)

http://www.healthfinder.gov/Scripts/Sea ... ?topic=506 (Healthfinder)

http://www.medicinenet.com/Lung_Cancer/article.htm (Medicine Net)

http://www.cancerindex.org/clinks2l.htm (Cancer Index / Lung Cancer Resources Directory)

http://www.nfcr.org/site/PageServer?pag ... ncers_lung (National Foundation For Cancer Research)

http://www.patientadvocate.org (Patient Advocate Foundation)

http://www.lungcanceronline.org/effects ... fects.html (Lung Cancer Online / Hematologic (Blood) Effects)

http://www.cancerlinks.org/lung.html (Lung Cancer Links)

http://www.cancer-free.com (Cancer Free Connections)

http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/C ... ung_cancer (Health Insite)

http://www.lungcancerclaims.com (Lung Cancer / Lung Cancer Information Page)

http://www.cancerlifecenter.com/engine. ... =dictionar (Cancer Life Center/ Cancer Dictionary)

http://www.canceryellowpages.com/Resour ... G%20CANCER (Cancer yellow Pages)

http://icare.org (ICARE / The International Cancer Alliance)

http://www.vh.org/index.html (Virtual Hospital)

http://www.lungcanceronline.org/support/financial.html (Lung Cancer Online / Financial, Legal & Insurance Issues)

http://www.lungcanceronline.org/index.htm (Lung Cancer Online / HomePage)

http://cancernews.healthology.com/focus ... cancernews (Cancer News)

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Hi, Vanessa, and welcome. My wife was diagnosed with NSCLC, Stage IV in October 2002, and was given 9 months. Besides the cancer, she has survived systemic staph infection and bilateral pneumonia. She will be a 2-year survivor in less than two months, and is doing fine. Don

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Goody goody! ANOTHER HOOSIER! Welcome Vanessa! Is your mom planning to join our support family here, too? I see you are from NY, but your mom lives in Indiana. If you or she (or should that be you or her???-who knows?) are comfortable with it, send me a PM and let me at least know her approximate location and where she's getting treatment.

My husband also has Stage IV NSCLC. You can read his profile below, so I won't go over any of that again, but it has been just over a year since he was diagnosed. His only symptom was a constant headache. It turned out he had eight brain mets. Two of those mets disappeared with WBR (whole brain radiation) and two more disappeared with Novalis (radio-type surgery), the largest one has shrunk about 30%, and the other three are very small. He is doing GREAT! His disease has spread to other parts of his body, but he is on Iressa, strong as an ox, working every day and getting along just fine! He told our son to quit worrying about him dying because he was going to be around to kick his (you know what) for a LONG TIME. LOLOL!!!

God bless you and your mother, Vanessa, and please see if she will communicate with us or at least in a PM so we can talk Hoosier Talk.

Love,

Peggy

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Guest vanessa

Thank you all for responding. Each of your replies are very reassuring and I've already been visiting many of the links you supplied, Rich.

My mother is in pretty good physical health, so I want to find ways to try and keep that up. I'm not sure if she plans on visiting a dietitian but I'm thinking that might be a good idea. All the nutrition information I am finding on the internet is a bit overwhelming and there seem to be so many variables. My mom's oncologist is Larry Einhorn at the University of Indiana Cancer Center.

Vanessa

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