Hi, everybody.

My 12-year old grandson and his friend have been here since Monday and will be staying on until tomorrow evening or Thursday morning. On Thursday afternoon, my cousin's daughter is flying in from Arizona for five days. On Friday morning, her mother is flying in from SoCal for eight days, following which another cousin's daughter will be spending a couple days before flying home to Albuquerque, following which, on August 2nd, my mother, daughter and I are flying into San Diego for a week of relaxation on Mission Bay followed by a second week of relaxation on a Mexican cruise with our return scheduled for Aug 16.

As a result, I'm asking for an extended Hall Pass even though I plan/hope to check in intermittently throughout this period.

I'd tell you all that I'll try not to have too much fun, but that would be such an egregious lie that even though I'm an agnostic, I just know that lightning would strike! :lol::lol:

With great love and affection,
Carole
I'd rather die while I'm living then live while I'm dead.--Jimmy Buffett

_________________
01/07 Dx NSCLC IIIB Squamous Cell (5 cm. Grade 3 tumor RLL & right hilar & mediastinal lymph nodes). Underwent concurrent radiation & chemo, which decr. tumor to 2 cm., but by 12/07 tumor growing & lymph nodes growing & spreading. 2nd & 3rd line chemos bombed & by 07/08 tumor back to 5 cm. w/mets to liver, left lung & lymph nodes. No viable treatments left, <b>but</b> I'm still pain-free so me and <b>my tattoo</b> are still <b>Dancing in the Street</b> (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y-x2fWKbmo)--figuratively at least! See <b>My Story: Quality of Life</b> at http://lungevity.org/l_community/viewtopic.php?t=36841.

You had better have a lot of fun!!!! We'll miss you so check in when you can.

Quality, Quality, Quality!!!!!

Denise

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[color=green]Tom 77 yrs young, Devoted Wife of 20 yrs Denise age 49 yrs, 6 kids, 5 granddaughters, 2 grandsons [/color]
__________________________________
[color=blue]1/29/08 Diagnosed with Stage IIIA NSCLC Squamous Cell with lymphnode and liver involvement.
1/29/13 - 5 Year survivor!!
1/29/12 -4 years Survivor!!
2/11/08 - 7/16/08 7 rounds of chemo w/ Carbo/Taxol
3/24/08 Restaged at IV.
4/28 CT Scan
5/5 Results day / Great scan w/ overall shrinkage.
5/12 MRI scheduled.
5/20 - Rad consult
5/28 - 7/16 Radiation to chest 35 rounds
8/18 - CT shows the lung tumor is down to 3.7cm x 2.7cm and liver lesion is GONE!! No signs of metastatic disease within the abdomen. No further treatment need at this time. Next scan in 3 months.
12/5 Hospitalized with pneumonia
12/6 CT Scan all clear. Tumor continues to shrink.
12/10 Home on 24/7 Oxygen. SOB continues.
5/18/09 PET SCAN ALL CLEAR!!!
5/2010 NED!!
4/2012 NED!!
10/2012 CT = Mixed bag of nuts
[/color]

[color=purple]Don’t be afraid your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin. [/color]

[color=red]READ TOM'S STORY @ [/color]
http://www.lungevity.org/l_community/viewtopic.php?t=37425

I hope you have a wonderful visit with your family and a grand vacation. Just from your posts, I think you will have a great time..with your optimism and fantastic attitude it would be impossible not to have fun.

Love
Bobby

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Sister, 50 years old, diagnosed with sclc/ext. on 9/16/2006.
09/19/2006 Begins Chemo. MRI clear, Bone Scan come back clean.
11/29/2006 3 Rounds Chemo completed. PET shows 100%Resolution. No cancer showing. Dr. wants to begin Radiation after Christmas along with her Chemo. Taking Neuprogen shots to build her body up to take the Radiation. Side effects have been minimal thus far..just very tired.
1/02/07 Very Depressed. Beginning 5th round of Chemo. Given Lexipro for Depression.
01/08/2007 Beginning Radiation. 28 treatments.
Sixth and final chemo postponed due to low WBC.
Radiation continues. Side effects so far: fatique, heartburn, sore throat.
01/29/2007 6th and last round of Chemo. Radiation postponed until after Chemo.

01/30/2007 In really good spirits. Feeling much better and relieved almost through with Chemo. Anti-depressant meds. are great.

Feb.05-09 Resumed Radiation
Feb. 12..CT scan done. Still waiting on Results. Praying for good news.

Feb. 12 Scan results. Dr. said he thinks only scar tissue remains. She will have 8 more radiations just to be sure.

Feb. 28 Radiation completed. Goes for PET scan on 4/10/2007. Dr. said if all goes as expected she will be in remission. 10 PCI's to start soon after.
4/10 PET scan denied by Ins. Company. Had CT scan. Will get results on 16th.
4/11 Pet scan given for free. Radiologist said all looks good. Dr. will talk to her about it on the 16th.
4/16 Dr. finds tiny spot near lung, wants to treat it just in case. Starts new chemo soon. PCI's to begin soon. He told her the PET she got for free, probably saved her life.
04/18 Begins chemo. 5-FU,Taxol and Carboplatin combination. Minimal side effects so far. Numbness in fingers and fatigue. No nausea. YEA! Will see radiologist Monday to decide on Radiation. Will have Chemo on Wednesdays concurrent with radiation.
4/25 WBC too low. chemo postponed until next wednesday. radiation done today.
5/02/2007 2nd Chemo given today with concurrent radiation. Side effects still minimal. She is feeling pretty good..just tired.
May 10 Last Chemo and Radiation for 6 weeks until scans. She is happy for the rest and attributes everything to a miracle from God. Side effects are minimal if any and is in really good spirits.

June 12 CT scan done
June 18-22 Rented cabin on the Tickfaw River for the whole family to get together. We fished and laughed and had a great time. She didn't want to know results until vacation was over.
June 26th CT scan is clear. Begining PCI's.
July 16 Halfway through with PCI's and doing pretty good. She is having headaches, but so far bearable.Dr. prescribed steroids.
7/17/07 Headaches have not subsided..Doctor sent her to have a MRI and it was all clear. Thank YOU GOD!! She will have a 2 day break on the PCI treatments.
7/25/2007 Finished PCI treatments. Some headaches, dizziness, and a rash on her forehead have been the only side effects so far.
7/26/2007 Came to Baton Rouge to visit and go to see Sister Dulce(nun that is supposed to have some healing abilities..she doesn't claim to be a healer, but someone that God works through.)
8/01/2007 Chest congestion and SOB. Dr. Thinks it is allergies.
08/02/2007 Beverly doesn't think it is just allergies. Returns to Dr. and insists on CT scan.
8/06/2007 Cancer is back. Growth is on Sternum.
08/08/2007 Starts Topotecan. Here we go again.
08/09/2007 Feels somewhat better already. Breathing is better. Continues to hold on to faith.

8/17/2007 2nd Topotecan. Will skip next week due to blood counts.

08/22/2007 Coughing, heaviness in chest, SOB. Dr. says the tumor never actually went away. Now being treated for RP. 20mg Steroids.
8/23/2007 Feeling better. Scans done next week.
8/27/2007 Brachytherapy done.
09/05/2007 Given Avastin along with Topotecan.
09/12/2007 Placed on Oxygen to help with breathing.
09/19/2007 Given partial chemo treatment due to low counts. Voice seems to be stronger and breathing seems to be easier. I Hope this combination is working for her.
She has made it past the 1 year mark!
The angels took my sister to heaven on Oct. 18, 2007. I will miss her very much.
PRAYERS DO WORK!!

Enjoy your family. Check in when you can.

_________________
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
John Lennon

"Never, never, never give up." Winston Churchill

"I rang for ice, but this is ridiculous." -Madeline Talmadge-Astor, as she was being helped off the Titanic

"Losing love is like a window in your heart, everybody sees you're blown apart, everybody sees the wind blow". Paul Simon

Husband John has NSCLC-Vena Cava Syndrome Stage 3B, Dx 6/02
Carbo/Taxol,Radiation
Taxotere
Gemzar
Iressa started 3/03
10/03 Stable CT scan
1/04 CT Still stable.
3/04 PET Scan, Still stable.
7/04 Still stable
1/05 Still stable
1/30/05 Iressa discontinued Started Tarceva, still stable 7/05
1/06 Slight increase in tumor, stopping Tarceva.
1/27/06 Started Alimta
5/5/06 Avastin added to Alimta
6/14/06 Stable, continue w/ Avastin
1/29/07 Shrinkage! Continue w/ Avasin.
7/07- Something new on the CT scan, doing a bronc 7/25/07 to see what it is. 8/21/07 begins brachytherapy. Next treatment postponed until 9/6/7 due to an infection which is making him too ill for the procedure. 9/13/07 Diagnosed with Aspergillus. Has brachytherapy 9/20/07. Developed a pericardial effusion, 10/30/07 has a pericardial window to drain the fluid. Procedure goes well but he passes away 10/31/07 due to a pulmonary hemorrhage.
Pic is me and daughter Jillian aka The Jillinator.
Visit Walk the Walk:
www.michiganlungcancerwalk.org

Have a wonderful time with family and on vacation.

Muriel

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Dx NSCLC 5/03. Surgery UR lobe. Staged as 1B. Chemo (taxol & Carbo)9/15/03 - 11/13/03. Wonderful CTs until Nov 04. Surgery 11/27/04, again staged as 1B. Chemo (Cisplatin and Gemzar) 2/05 to 6/05. Good CTs and PET since chemo.