Tuesday, August 30, 2011

For you my friends....

A Friendship Rose:
Just like a rose, so precious and rare,
is the forever friendship the circle of us share.

Planted with kindness, it's warmed by the sun of
caring and sharing, laughter and fun.

It's grounded in trust and nurtured by love,
with a sprinkling of grace from God up above.

Tears of sadness and joy, like dew,
renew this friendship I share with you.

And in the heart's garden,
we find the room to be ourselves, to grow and bloom.

A blessing of beauty unsurpassed,
our friendship's a flower that will always last.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Some Free Wallpapers for you!

I don't have much spare time lately but it helps me to deal with everything so I have made some wallpapers for the coming months for you to use. Most are 1440 x 900, I use them on my notebook/laptop. You can resize them in any art program to fit your own computer needs.

Hope you like them, just click onto them and they will open in their own window where you can just click on the ones you want, save background or picture to your computer okay (usually saves in your pictures folder.)   Have fun with them, I have left some of them png's so that you can add your own photos or calenders. God Bless!









Download Link








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        Download Link


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Results are in....

Well the biopsy results are in: the cancer is limited to my right lung and it is "small cell carcinoma." It is a rare cancer, has only a 15 to 20 percent survival rate. But if I am one out of five who beats it then i won't have it again.

They have started me on a three day once a month Chemo regimen. My first day is 6 hrs. of Chemo treatment, the second day is 2 and a half hours of treatment and the third day is also 2 and a half hours of Chemo.

A little note on: Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is treatment with anti-cancer drugs injected into a vein or taken by mouth. These drugs enter the bloodstream and go throughout the body, making this treatment useful for cancer that has spread (metastasized) to organs beyond the lung. Chemotherapy is usually the main treatment for small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Doctors give chemotherapy in cycles, with a period of treatment (usually 1 to 3 days) followed by a rest period to allow your body time to recover. Chemotherapy cycles generally last about 3 to 4 weeks, and initial treatment typically is 4 to 6 cycles. Chemotherapy is often not recommended for patients in poor health, but advanced age by itself is not a barrier to getting chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy for SCLC generally uses a combination of 2 drugs. The drug combinations most often used for initial chemotherapy for SCLC are:
• Cisplatin and etoposide
• Carboplatin and etoposide
• Cisplatin and irinotecan
• Carboplatin and irinotecan
• Cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), and vincristine

If the cancer progresses during treatment or returns after treatment is finished, different chemotherapy drugs may be tried. The choice of drugs depends to some extent on how soon the cancer begins to grow again. (The longer it takes for the cancer to return, the more likely it is to respond to further treatment.)
• If the cancer progresses during treatment or relapses within 2 to 3 months of finishing treatment, drugs such as topotecan, ifosfamide, paclitaxel, docetaxel, irinotecan, or gemcitabine may be tried.
• If the relapse occurs from 2 to 3 months to 6 months after treatment, topotecan is often the drug of choice. Other drugs that may be tried include irinotecan, the CAV regimen (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine), gemcitabine, paclitaxel, docetaxel, oral etoposide, or vinorelbine.
• For relapses 6 or more months after treatment, the original chemotherapy regimen may still be effective and can often be tried again.

Possible side effects of chemotherapy

Chemotherapy drugs work by attacking cells that are dividing quickly, which is why they work against cancer cells. But other cells in the body, such as those in the bone marrow (where new blood cells are made), the lining of the mouth and intestines, and the hair follicles, also divide quickly. These cells are also likely to be affected by chemotherapy, which can lead to side effects.

The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the type and dose of drugs given and the length of time they are taken. These side effects can include:
• Hair loss
• Mouth sores
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Increased chance of infections (from low white blood cell counts)
• Easy bruising or bleeding (from low blood platelet counts)
• Fatigue (from low red blood cell counts)

These side effects are usually short-term and go away after treatment is finished. There are often ways to lessen these side effects. For example, there are drugs that can be given to help prevent or reduce nausea and vomiting.

Some drugs such as cisplatin, vinorelbine, docetaxel, or paclitaxel can damage nerves. This can sometimes lead to symptoms (mainly in the hands and feet) such as pain, burning or tingling sensations, sensitivity to cold or heat, or weakness. This is called peripheral neuropathy. In most cases this goes away once treatment is stopped, but it may be long lasting in some people. For more information, see our document, Peripheral Neuropathy Caused by Chemotherapy.

You should report this or any other side effects you notice while getting chemotherapy to your medical team so that they can be treated promptly. In some cases, the doses of the chemotherapy drugs may need to be reduced or treatment may need to be delayed or stopped to prevent the effects from getting worse.


I see the Radiation Dr. on this Thursday to set up my schedule seems like this cancer likes to head to the brain next so precautionary measures are to have radiation therapy to the brain, Monday thru Friday for 6 weeks.

A little note on: Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays (such as x-rays) or particles to kill cancer cells. External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) delivers radiation from outside the body that is focused on the cancer. This is the type of radiation therapy most often used to treat small cell lung cancer.

In small cell lung cancer (SCLC), radiation therapy may be used in several situations:
• It is most often given at the same time as chemotherapy in limited stage disease to treat the tumor and lymph nodes in the chest. After chemotherapy, radiation therapy is sometimes used to kill any small deposits of cancer that may remain.
• It can be used to shrink tumors to palliate (relieve) symptoms of lung cancer such as bone pain, bleeding, trouble swallowing, cough, shortness of breath, and problems caused by brain metastases.
• In limited SCLC, it is often given to the brain after other treatments, to help reduce the chances that the cancer will spread there. (The brain is a common site of metastasis.) This is called prophylactic cranial irradiation.

Before your treatments start, the radiation team will take careful measurements to find the correct angles for aiming the radiation beams and the proper dose of radiation. Radiation therapy is much like getting an x-ray, but the radiation is more intense. The procedure itself is painless. Each treatment lasts only a few minutes, although the setup time – getting you into place for treatment – usually takes longer.

Most often, radiation treatments as part of the initial treatment for SCLC are given once or twice daily, 5 days a week, for 3 to 7 weeks. Radiation to relieve symptoms and prophylactic cranial radiation are given for shorter periods of time.

Standard (conventional) EBRT isn't used as much as it used to be. Newer techniques help doctors treat lung cancers more accurately while lowering the radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissues. These techniques may offer better chances of increasing the success rate and reducing side effects. Most doctors now recommend using these newer techniques when they are available.

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT): 3D-CRT uses special computer programs to precisely map the location of the tumor(s). Radiation beams are shaped and aimed at the tumor(s) from several directions, which makes it less likely to damage normal tissues.

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): IMRT is an advanced form of 3D therapy. It uses a computer-driven machine that moves around the patient as it delivers radiation. Along with shaping the beams and aiming them at the tumor from several angles, the intensity (strength) of the beams can be adjusted to minimize the dose reaching the most sensitive normal tissues. This technique is used most often if tumors are near important structures such as the spinal cord. Many major hospitals and cancer centers are now able to provide IMRT.

Possible side effects of radiation therapy

Side effects of radiation therapy might include sunburn-like skin problems and hair loss where the radiation enters the body, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Often these go away after treatment. Radiation might also make the side effects of chemotherapy worse.

Chest radiation therapy may cause some damage to your lungs, which might cause a cough, problems breathing, and shortness of breath. These usually improve after treatment is over, although in some cases the symptoms may not go away completely.

Your esophagus, which is in the middle of your chest, may be exposed to radiation, which could cause a sore throat and trouble swallowing during treatment. This may make it hard to eat anything other than soft foods or liquids for a while.

Radiation therapy to large areas of the brain can sometimes cause memory loss, headaches, trouble thinking, or reduced sexual desire. Usually these symptoms are minor compared with those caused by a brain tumor, but they can reduce your quality of life. Side effects of radiation therapy to the brain usually become most serious 1 or 2 years after treatment.

Only time will tell what is in store and only by the "Grace of God" I go with...this is in HIS hands now! My faith will carry me through.
I want to Thank everyone who has sent their thoughts and prayers my way....God Bless You All!!!! I will keep you posted.


American Cancer Society Site

(((((HUGS))))
Linda


Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Congratulations! You've Made It!

According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's probably shouldn't have survived.


Our baby cribs were covered with bright-colored, lead-based paint. We had no child-proof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. Not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we rode in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Horrors!

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing!

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this. We would leave home in the morning and play all day as long as were back home when the lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day long. No cell phones!

Unthinkable!!! We didn't have PlayStations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games, no 99-channel cable TV, videotape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, no personal computers or internet chat rooms. We had friends!!! We went outside and found them.

We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us! We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell - or just walked in - and talked to them. Some students weren't as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade. Horrors!!!!

School tests were not adjusted for any reason. Our actions were out own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that!!!

This generation has produced some of the best risktakers and problem-solvers and inventors, ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned to deal with it all. Makes a person wonder what happened to society!!!!




My mom sent this to me a few years back.
Written by Dick Peer who is a retired editor of "The Leader" (1961-1987)

Friday, August 5, 2011

Certainly wasn't "Food Poisoning!"

Had my "Pet Scan" done on Tuesday of last week at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.  Have to go for my pre-op on this coming Tuesday cause they said my right lung lit up and they have to go in and investigate it so I will have my biopsy done on Friday, hopefully! 

My upper right lobe near my air flo has collasped due to the mass they found in my right lung on July 9th during an ER visit. I thought I had food poisoning from some almonds i had ate...lol...guess not! 

They will be going down my trachea and take a piece of my lung to see what stage and what cancer it is!  I believe they said that they will then start me on chemo & radiation treatments until the tumor has shrunk enough to be surgically removed.

The "Pet Scan" was to make sure that the cancer had not metasticized to other parts of my body and it hasn't, Thank God! 

Will post after I have seen my Dr. at Roswell Park again on Tuesday in case there are any updates or changes made!  Have a great weekend and God Bless!  


Love ya, Lynn