I really need a friend to chat with. NC or anywhere really. Please send me email if you are interested in chatting with me. Thanks!!

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Muffy
1-2-2007: Took mom to hospital for bronoscopy, doc said no need for test, he got results from sputum test.. sclc, non-operable.
1-5-07: Appt with oncologist, said we would start chemo next week, if MRI of brain scheduled for Tues was neg. Took mom to sisters in Tennessee for weekend with family before treatment, as she missed Thanksgiving and Christmas bc of pneumonia and doc visits.
1-8-07: Met aunt in Asheville to pick up Mom, she fell on way out of my aunts and appears she broke her foot, took her to ER and they admitted her for pneumonia.
1-10 thru 1-12: First chemo treatment,,hard time on 1-11, but Mom came back fighting hard.
1-18-07: Doc said Mom could go home, but her oxygen use was so high that she had to go home with hospice. We met with them but denied there services bc they would not allow Mom to get next chemo treatment. We aren't sure if she will be able to take it but didn't want to take it away just yet. Praying for guidance and a miracle.
1-19-07: Took Mom home with me,(without hospice) She is HAPPY to be home.
1-20-07: Spent all day rounding up prescriptions, and getting food that Mom will eat. She's just started eating after 2 week bout with the pneumonia and 1st chemo. We are just glad to be sleeping at home instead of hospital room.
1-21-07: Mom walking well and eating like a pig. Good to see her laughing again too!!!

Hi! My name is Joy and my husband Michael has stage 4 nsclc with brain and liver mets. Would love to chat....

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If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane!

Randy in Greensboro Drop me a note if I can help.

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April/03 My Wife Deborah, age 46, diagnosed adenocarcinoma NSCLC
1/20/2006 Admitted to hospital Respiratory distress
1/23/2006 Ran to the light and is waiting for us to be rejoined in the Kingdom Of Heaven Her journey is Over but mine lingers on for Now!!!
4/23/07 DEb is joined in Peace by her Puppy Dawg Daisy from Cancer
8/30/07 Got new Pup named Mocha!!

"No matter hnow much it hurts, No matter how alone you feel, Your friends will help you get through anything!!"
Scrubs!!!!Yes the comedy show!!!

The Reason I advocate
If you would like to see our family photos Click on this link!
http://deborah-wallin.memory-of.com/

My memory-of Link is good to go now if you want to see it!!

Hi
I'm Ellie in Mount Airy, NC. Great to have another North Carolinian!! Chat away!!

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picture of my beautiful sister & her terrific husband.

Sister age 57 non/never smoker
dx 6/06 stage IV nsclc
Nov. 27, 2006 - My wonderful sister and best friend reached for the light. We are separated for now, but will meet again in heaven

Wow! Thanks Ellie and Randy!

I'll try to keep this short as possible. A lot has happened in the past 6 months. 12/29 doc thought Mike has stroked, sent for MRI. Called before we left diag. ctr and said go straight to hospital.Brain tumor. 1/10 brain tumor removed. Pathology report showed it came from his lungs. 14 WBR, 14 rads to his chest. Adenocarcinoma. Started Tarceva 4/2 and began getting sicker and sicker. Onc had him stop if for a few days, started him on lower does etc. CT scan ordered by pcp for pain we thought could be gall bladder on 6/1 showed liver mets. Onc said no trials. PCP put us in touch with Dr. John Powderly at Carolina Biooncology in Huntersville. He had a trial. During the extensive testing to get into the trial we learned that he in the past two weeks has had a stroke. When we went to the hospital to get his port the ekg shows lateral eschemia. The stroke(?) eliminated him from the trial. This past monday he had his first chemo.

Mikes been in bed now for 6 weeks except for the 3 days he was taking predisone 50mg over last weekend.
He's lost 55 lbs. Won't eat. I'm discouraged.

Hospice has come in. So far...I'm sure they will be of great help when it gets worse. Today he used the oxygen for the first time. It hurts to never get any good news....so many people here have remission or stabilization or "cures".

I need to add that Mike is 57 yrs old and worked until Christmas vacation as a conductor on a freight train....very strong, able and hardy.

Please share with me how you helped your loved ones during times like these. I feel like I'm failing as a caregiver!

Thanks,
Joy

Since I finally found this site, I am not so sure how you could get my email address unless I put it here. And since Mike has gotten ill we've been getting lots of unsolicited email and snail mail from "buy your house" to funeral directors. Seems like the vultures lurk at every corner. Let me know how to do what we need to do in order for all this not to be public, okay?

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If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane!

It's secure- there is a E-mail button at the bottom of your post and people can send you an e-mail withouth knowing your direct address...also we have a PM button at the botton of every member name/post and that is our online private messaging system. To check your messages just click on My Mail.

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- Katie Brown, Co-Founder and Director of LCSC-

15 yr cancer survivor.

"Any of us who have experienced the cancer journey- and survived it-
have an obligation to make the path clearer and aid those that come after us."
- Lance Armstrong

In memory of Jessee Dewey, SCLC
December 29, 1938 - September 6, 2003
Lisa Dewey- Jan. 22, 2007
my parents are together in heaven


facebook www.facebook.com/lungevity

I too live in nc,if anyone wants to talk,though i am not a caregiver,I have cnacer,so i might not be much help to someone in the caregiver position,i dont know but id love to have a buddy

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3/10/07 x-ray of left shoulder shows multiple spots on left lung swollen lymphnodes
3/16/07 ct shows suspiciousnodule on upper left lung,swollen lymphnodes,various spots on right lung
4/12/07 fn aspiration biopsy of left lung nodule fails further biopsy recommended
4/18/27 brochioscopy/biopsy of left lung nodule and lymphnodes,tissue from swelling in upper right lung shows positive malignancy,adenocarcinoma
4/20/07 told cancer inoperable,pet scan shows multiple mets to nodes,vertibrae in back,cancer in right lung more extensive than thought.inoperable,pallative care advised
4/29/07first round chemotherapy taxol/carboplatin.
nausea,vomitting,bone pain.
sharp pains in legs and various places in body unbearable at times
5/20/07 2cnd cycle chemo,less nausea,worsening pains numbness in limbs
6/12/07 ct shows no improvement in masses,some growth noted
sent to chapel hill for second opinion.decided to go with taxol,carboplatin,avastin for 2 cycles
6/18/07chemo with 3 drugs,not so much nausea,pains continue.
7/28/07 ct shows small shrinkage of mass in left lung ,lymphnodes swelling down some.few spots in right lung gone.
advised to continue with avastin wants to stay with less toxic chemo at least for the time being.
12/28/07 ct scan shows no growth or shrinkage in tumors in lungs,no change staying with avastin for 2 more cycles then re-evaluate.
1/13/08 debbie is wondering if the avastin is no longer going to work.scary.not afraid of chemo,but i did like seeing some hair.
pain in my back is worsening.