[QUOTE=CatalinaRose;488992]YAY Clay!!! This is wonderful news! Does she need to have a proper poop before she can leave the hospital, County?

Yep and that baby has been dropped

I got an email yesterday from my sister in NYC. She had her second chemo last Friday and already her blood work is showing a positive response to the drugs. The first chemo she had a mild allergic reaction to the rituxin (sp?) so this time the pushed it in super slow and she did great. Her weight is slowly stabilizing and she is no longer coughing!! I am so excited for her and I think she is starting to believe she might beat this thing!!! I made her a chemo blanket using her favorite colors and am popping it into the mail today. :)

GO CANCER FIGHTERS, GO!!

So glad your sister is responding in a most positive manner! Your both in my prayers! :goodluck:

Hi Everyone-

My Mom has just finished her first round of chemo for small cell lung cancer with liver and brain mets. She will having radiation today for the brain mets. She has had all of this done in the hospital as she was very weak prior to treatment. She is coming home tomorrow and I want to make sure I have all the supplies that might make this first week after chemo as comfortable as possible. Does anyone have some suggestions of must haves? Tips or tricks? So far the anti-nausea drugs have worked great for her and she has not had any nausea. Our main concern is bleeding because she is already on blood thinners. She is 73 and had COPD before all of this started so not in the best of health but not terrible either.

Thanks so much and many healing prayers to all of you who are fighting the good fight!

Glad that your Mom is doing well and ready to come home. :)

For my mom, the biggest issue is nausea and lack of interest in food or drink...so the most important list is juice, tea with honey, and soup broth.

Next most important has been sleep, sleep, sleep. She gets very tired, very easily...and I have to monitor her activity because exhaustion can come on very suddenly for her.

I'm sure some folks here will have better suggestions for you...but I'm sending you big hugs.

Hi, julie!

I am glad you posted in the thread.

The side effects of chemo depends on the type of chemo one receives. I am sure that your mother's chemo is different than mine was (mine was for colon cancer).

I would suggest finding out the specific medications that is in her chemo cocktail and then search the web for information on side effects of that specific chemo. After you know that, or after she has some of the side effects, please bring them here. I don't want to ramble on about something that would not be useful to you!

As an aside to Jo's comment about her mother's fatigue...radiation actually causes more fatigue than chemo does, so expect your mom to be really pooped!

Hi Julie,

So sorry to read about your mom. From my experience, everyone has different cravings and needs during chemo. We stocked up on whatever tasted good and took it from there. Now days I can't even look at Gatorade 2 without gagging a little. ;)

County, yay for pooping!!! That's a victory for sure. :)

Lots of water to flush the chemo and meds out. Anything yummy that she finds appealing to eat. Protien for strength.

Hey Dapper, you are so right about the fatigue with radiation. I had it at 40 and again at 55 and it kicked my ass both times. Jean

Finally! Woo Hoo! A long time coming, I know! Congrats on the cancer being contained. That means no chemo for you, right?

How much weight did you lose from not being able to eat? I lost 20lbs (granted, I got the surgery done twice, 2 weeks apart, but, still...)!

Welcome home Clay! Rest, relax and recover. It must be so nice to be back in your own bed :) I'm so glad Country was there for you. Country - thankyou so much for the fantastic updates on Clays progress through this difficult time for you both! :clap:

Fantastic,glad u r going home,tonight u will get the best sleep u have had iuna while in your own bed...nothing like being home.Take all the thime u need to get your strength back,we all will be hear when u want to post any thing.
Country,thank u for all u have done,u r indeed a special person..

Way to go claybaby.

Boost Plus and other Store Brand protein drinks available for variety until you can blend your own ~ CVS, Walgreens, etc.

Kudo's to County and Caregivers .



Jo, and julieisafemme thinking of you and your Mom's during this tough time and in a season of love and giving.

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Super fast update then I'm headed back to the ER....Mom's picc line was halfway out last night, so waiting and waiting to get it replaced today.

Struggling with pain meds....docs in FL don't prescribe but send to a separate pain management doc. Of course, they neglected to mention this (and mom neglects to mention that she's almost out) until we have difficulty getting a refill right before the holiday weekend.

Nightmare.

I'm kicking desks (figuratively speaking) and shouting at people (for real) ...and we have a short-term solution, an appointment with said pain mgmt specialist...and it'll all be okay...but it's taking a heck of a toll on me in the process.

My research, thanks to all this, also makes me think that a lot of her dizziness, fatigue and lack of appetite may be in part due to the morphine she's been on since the spring.

Hi Jo
Thinking of you and your mum during this difficult time.

So happy to hear that you are home and that Heidi will be with you soon! We've been praying and am so glad to hear you're doing well.

We have been so grateful to Countyfemme for her reports to us. Thanks you!!!

Hello All. Thank you very much for all the nice posts. My Mom is doing remarkably well. No nausea and no pain since going into the hospital. She saw the oncologist today and he said her blood work looks good, no temperature and her blood pressure is good. She has the ok to come for the family Christmas. That is a wonderful thing. She is still very tired but is getting up every day and doing things in the house. We are so blessed in that all four of her children live five minutes from her house. We have all skills to lend to her care. Add to that a good family friend who is a critical care nurse and her sister who is a nurse and we are set! I know she won't get better but it means so much that right now she is feeling good and not in pain.

Claybaby I am so happy you are home! I know my Mom is so much happier in her own bed without the nurses poking her all night!

Many blessings to you all and happy holidays.

The pecan flavored Ensure drinks are really good! Glad you are going to get the pup back soon!

You didn't answer me about the chemo?

Gosh, Jo. I am so sorry this is happening. Please keep us updated.

You didn't answer me about the chemo?Hey DAPPER: I am so sorry....I did forget to asnwer you about the chemo ? NO...no chemo OR rad. for me..it was ALL gotten with surgery AND I am "officially CANCER FREE"...yayyyyyyy Hugs to you and TF from County & I...smiles

That's what I thought, but I wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth!

WOO HOO
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

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Hi everyone,

We got the picc line replaced yesterday....so long tiring day but all resolved at the end. I also browbeat a prescription for Lortab out of her NY doctor...so she's not completely out of pain meds for the long weekend....and we'll be seeing the pain management specialist early in the week. I'm more and more convinced that we need to get her off the morphine....simply standing up makes her so dizzy that she has to put her head down and hold onto something for a minute or two.

Her weight is down a bit since the TPN is only 12 hours instead of 24 now....but she is eating a bit more. I figure I'm managing to get 800 to 1000 calories a day into her. Going off the morphine might help with her appetite and ability to eat.

Not what it should be...but an improvement. The Pedialyte also seems to be helping her somewhat...so we're keeping that up. I know I annoy her, handing her food or drink every 2 hours, but she would go all day with virtually nothing if it was left up to her. My pushy broad side is getting a workout.

Hugs to you all....glad to hear Clay and Julie's mom are home for the holiday and getting lots of support and care. Merry Christmas to you all! :rrose:

Merry Christmas to all.
 

http://www.saidaonline.com/en/newsgf...aidaonline.jpg

Wishing you the imagination of a child, the wishes of yesteryear, and the magic of the season for tonight and always.

Tommi

a rather funny story
 

Thank Clay. :) She is on the Zofran, which helps a little but not completely.
Hospice can't/won't do anything until she rejects all chemo treatment...and she's not quite ready to do that yet.

Her current/new oncologist down here is proposing modifying her chemo to something that will be less hard on her and only every 3 weeks (since she can't be cured anyway)....and she wants to see if that helps her quality of life.

Right now we're just one step at a time...but it's an uphill battle.

Happy Holidays!
 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all survivors, caregivers, supporters, and those fighting and recovering from cancer!

May we all have a healthy New Year! :rrose:

I'm so happy to log on and see that most everyone is doing so well! {{{Jo}}} My thoughts are with you and your mom. I would only hope that were I in her shoes things would be made as painless and restful as possible. How are YOU holding up?

I spoke with my sister today and she is doing amazingly well. Her doctor even made a comment this morning that he hasn't seen anyone respond to the chemo protocol she is currently on quite so well as Lisa has. She is two lbs. shy of her normal weight and is feeling wonderful. I was originally going to fly out there with the girls in February but cancelled that trip since it was rapidly getting crazy expensive. Then last week I found a round trip ticket to/from Tucson to LaGuardia for $197!!! So, I fly out on the 24th and will surprise her by showing up to her fourth chemo treatment. :) I am terrible with secrets so it's gonna be hell keeping it to myself!!

I am going in for a second opinion on the polyps I recently had removed. Grrrr. And ONLY because I am being forced to! I guess it's better to be safe than sorry, but I am so over being poked and prodded!

CLAY!!! So happy to hear you are doing well. I owe you a phone call one of these days. :)

Hello everyone,

Just a quick Mom update....she's actually doing a bit better. We got her off the morphine and on lortabs (think that's right) and it seems to have helped. The fatigue and dizziness is diminishing and her appetite is much improved. We mix her drinks with half Pedialyte, and the dehydration is also much improved as a result.

She still gets (and needs) 12 hours of TPN each night, but we're managing to get about 1,000 - 1,200 calories of real food into her every day, and of a wide variety of things. The nausea is 90% gone....and she's very very slowly beginning to gain a little weight.

She still could not live alone at this point (and probably never again), but she is far more comfortable than she was....which makes us both feel better.

She actually got up this morning, made herself some hot chocolate, and was enjoying it out on the patio. :)

That's great news Jo, I hope you both can enjoy this time together.

Good morning all :)

Sharing some good news....after over a year of having no interest in food and being unable to eat, Mom has turned a big corner. She actually woke up hungry in the middle of the night last night...enough to get up and get a snack. She woke up hungry again this morning....and was making herself peanut butter toast and orange juice while I was still pouring my first cup of coffee.

She's slowing gaining weight....and she's eating a huge variety of food frequently through the day.

Pretty amazing stuff.

When I look at her now, as compared to when she arrived only about 3 weeks ago, her color is better...she is stronger...the dizziness is gone...she's eating all kinds of things throughout the day rather than 1 or maybe 2 cartons of yogurt only....and her dehydration problem is completely resolved (thank goodness for Pedialyte....that stuff is a miracle).

Her mood has improved dramatically as a result, now that she is feeling more like herself....and she's talking about how she could do this with chemo every 3 weeks for quite some time....rather than planning and waiting for her death.

She knows that the cancer isn't going to get cured....and we're only buying time....but now she's ready to buy it, and enjoy it....and that's good. :)

Jo
 

That is terrific news! Take this most precious time and enjoy! (((jo and mom)))

Gentle Blessings and Much love & Happiness for 2012
 

To EVERYONE here....may each and every one of you be blessed in the New Year. May we all have love abundantly..in so many forms, be gentler with one another, kinder to strangers, and more loving of ourselves..we are ALL BRAVE WARRIORS...whether we march to the Cancer Dance or are a supporter...EVERYONE is VITAL! Just here on the Planet alone...we have seen so many wonderful, incredible miracles happen. I know my own Cancer was MY BLESSING...it brought some incredible people into my life...it opened my eyes...mad em gentler to others....mor eloving of myself...and being there for others...I NEVER once saw my diagnosis as a "death sentence"...for we truly have nothing to fear..except fear itself..and I have seen each and every one of you..face some terrifying diagnoses, scares, challenges, and wheteher a marcher or a drummer...YOU ALL handled it with style, class, grace, and poise, and opened yourselves up to the rest of us...some mighty fine, BRAVE WARRIORS reside in this thread...and I heart you all..YOU are all so fucking BRAVE!!! The battles we faced, fought, and won..and are winning are much worse than any battlefield abroad...these battles occured right in our very souls...BUT we marched on...every time we faltered..someone else was here to guide us, encourage us, and lend a hand up..NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND here....so...I wish us all health, love, and peace within..we have climbed those mountains now...let's enjoy the friendships and heartships we have made here...I LOVE YOU ALL>>each and every one...whether you are a fighter or a supporter..YOU all fucking rockkkk!!!! xoxoxooxo.....Clay
Big Butch hugs to ALL of you....

Jo, that is fantastic! I am truly grinning ear to ear! :D:thumbsup::clap::pile:

Ok more good news! My Mom saw the oncologist and she is doing really well. All her blood tests look great. She told her to go out and enjoy herself. She went to the grocery store and the book store and was so happy to be out. She is still weak and tired but feeling good and no pain! Her appetite is great and she is gaining weight. January 10 is her next round of chemo.

It is amazing to me how well she has done with the chemo. She was against it because of what she saw my Grandma go through. That was over 30 years ago. Things have gotten better with cancer treatment. She was in a lot pain before and not eating and now she has no pain and is eating great.

Tomorrow night we will have a little party at her house for the new year.

I am so happy and feel so blessed.

Jo I am happy your Mom is doing so well! Maybe it was the morphine that made her feel so bad?

Happy New Year to you all! Clay I am inspired by your posts and your positive attitude. This thread has made things a little easier.

Jo and Juie, Thanks for sharing the good news about your Moms. I feel such joy at reading your posts.
Jean

Checking in on clay....
 

How is the recovery going?