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| Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 | 7:00 am
[gieseppi]
 |
(I'm a member of the Patriot Guard Rides. We attend military funerals and escort and render honors to our fallen soldiers.)
Yesterday I escorted and rendered honors to my 4th flag draped casket since I joined PGR. All of them are sad occasions as we lay to rest a service member who has died for our country. Yesterday was a little different. it was a very sad and personal experience for me. This soldier was only 10 years old. I'm sure most of you have heard of "Make a Wish" and other organizations that if its at all possible they grant a wish to a child with cancer. This child's greatest wish was to be a soldier one day. last year it was arranged that through one of the wish foundations that he was inducted into the Ga national guard they custom tailored a uniform for him gave him the honorary rank of master sergent and made him an honorary pilot. With lots of ceremony and pomp he got to be incharge for one day and got to review troops. They even re decorated his room in an army motif with lots of army stuff given to him. Sunday he lost his fight with cancer and it was arranged for this little soldier to be buried with full military honors.
It realy hit home for me because its been less than 2 years since My daughter died of cancer, as I looked at him in his casket I couldn't help but see my own daughter lying there and started crying several times. Whats more, even though the service was in Loganville, he was laid to rest in the same cemetery and within sight of Melissa grave. | | Saturday, July 19th, 2008 | 6:49 pm
[zipper]
 |
Help fight childhood cancer This is a cause that is extremely important to me, and I wanted to share it with everyone in this community. The 2nd little girl in our community with neuroblastoma just passed away this week and we are participating with the families to raise money for this fight. Please visit an Alex's Lemonade Stand in your area and help fight childhood cancer, one cup at a time. I know Buffalo Dorks always support great causes like this one. We are having one in the Buffalo (Southtowns) area tomorrow, July 20th, at 1531 Evergreen Dr., Lake View, NY. There will be lemonade, baked goods, hot dogs donated by Pellicano's, and other festivities. This lemonade stand is being held in memory of Natalie Pawelski and Janie Kashino. If you can't make it to the stand tomorrow, there's always the opportunity to donate online. Thanks, Dorks! | | Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 | 9:33 am
[guenifhar]
 |
A somewhat ranty request for advice It's been awhile since I've posted here, but I check in regularly. It's helpful to hear from people who are dealing with similar situations, so a general thanks up front.
Mom is status quo. As of her last assessment, the cancer has not advanced, but the prognosis of non-resectability has not changed, and the chemo they have her on wipes her out so completely I am sure we will be having the conversation soon whether or not the sickness from the chemo is worth the time it buys. She is being reassessed in another two weeks.
But this is not the issue, right now. All in all, the illness itself would be easier to deal with were it not for her state of mind. To put it in perspective, she's never been a glass-half-full person, regardless. She has a lot of regrets in her life and chews on them fairly constantly, has always been a bit distrustful and dismissive of anything new, something of a martyr, and fairly passive-aggressive in her relationships. So the cancer has just magnified these tendencies a hundredfold. But it is making it hard to care for her. It is as if she's almost "checked out" of trying to take care of herself, at all. When she does have good days, she does nothing to take advantage of them in any way. She is shutting people out, not returning calls, being monosyllabic on the phone, refusing to deal with things. We know she doesn't feel well, at all, but we have to constantly monitor what she is eating and drinking to make sure she doesn't slip into the dehydration cycle that landed her in crisis in February, and then she gets obstinate because we "nag" her. I'm at the end of my tether and I don't even see her more than a few times a month, since I am out of state. She is staying with my brother and SIL and I can see/feel/hear the toll the day-to-day of dealing with her is taking on them.
We've tried over and over to get her to go to counseling, especially in light of the fact that her own mother is declining, now, but she resisted mightily, saying the counselor wouldn't tell her anything she didn't already know. We finally got her to see someone, but she was entirely dismissive of the process, and I wonder if she was honest with them, at all. She talks constantly about being worried that she is a "burden" by being in my brother's home, but what she cannot seem to grasp is that it is not the illness that is the burden, it is the black hole of negativity/passivity that drains us. But she is also just being who she essentially is, the cancer did not suddenly make her a new person, it just made her more of who she already was.
This sounds like a rant about her, and that in and of itself makes me feel guilty. My mom has a lot of great qualities too, and busted her ass raising the three of us all by herself. I love her to pieces. But I just don't know how to deal with her when she doesn't seem to be taking any real vested interest in her own life. It creates this horrible emotional conflict in caring for her - I want to help, so much, but she makes it so hard sometimes. How do we deal with that? | | Monday, July 14th, 2008 | 9:49 pm
[tavisha]
 |
Gaaaah! I just can't win! Ugh! I feel... completely conflicted at the moment. Part of my brain is going WTF!?!?!?! and the other part of my brain is going, it'll be alright. Now why am I in this frame of mind? Well I had to get a new primary care doctor and such since I switched insurance companies due to work. I love my new doctor now, she's soooo on top of things and I feel can really keep my best interests and health in check. So at the end of my first appointment she did an obcene amount of blood work on me. Checking everything and anything thats wrong with me. Aside from 3 things, I'm good to go. First thing wrong is my thyroid dose is too high, so she's lowering it slightly, not a big deal. Second thing wrong, being anemic and iron deficent to boot. (I think I'm always like that :P) Again not that shocking and something that is managable. Third thing wrong is my thyroid makers are detectable, which really shocked the heck out of me. I had my thyroid taken out.. I had the 34 lymph nodes in my neck taken out... WTF!!???? Seriously, its got my head spinning. My doctor is going to put me through more tests at my next appointment to look into the anemia and the whole other issue too... it just pisses me off.. if I have to have the otherside taken out, I'm going to be really mad :P Ok I'm fine with it if it means I'm cancer free :p but I'm still not going to be happy.. its just what I need... :P not! I'm still not fully better from my surgery in november... gaaaaah!!! Sometimes its just like life to throw me a damn curve ball! Current Mood:  anxious | | Sunday, July 13th, 2008 | 8:06 pm
[eternal_green]
 |
mom Today at work, a woman came in and I noticed that she took an interest in a product where part of the proceeds from sales goes toward breast cancer research. I also noticed that she had a PIC line in her arm, but I didn't say anything right away. A few moments later I heard her talking to another staff member about going through chemo and radiation. I told her that my mom had just finished her treatments and is now cancer-free and getting back to normal etc. She asked me what kind of cancer my mom had, and when I replied, she told me that she has the same kind (colo-rectal). She has all of the symptoms that my mom had (from the chemo), tingling hands, can't eat cold foods, feeling tired and a lack of appetite. She had the same surgery etc. She tells me that they think that she has had the cancer for 3 years before they found it. I told her that my mom had it for 5. I think that she felt encouraged. I told her how my mom is feeling really good, and that she still has all of her hair and is gaining some weight back etc. I wished her luck and she told me to tell my mom that she says hello. The whole thing gave me the chills and I had goose bumps. I wonder if she noticed. I hope that my mom's story helped her somehow, to think positively about recovery. I called my mom after work and told her right away. She has been officially declared cancer-free for 1 month now. ( a recent pic of my mom, a cancer survivor! ) | | Saturday, July 5th, 2008 | 2:43 pm
[rnddaway]
 |
Colonoscopy by Dave Barry
YOU HAVE TO LAUGH AT THIS ONE !
If you've ever had a colonoscopy, read this.
This is from Dave Barry's colonoscopy journal:
... I called my friend Andy Sable, a gastroenterologist, to make an
appointment for a colonoscopy. A few days later, in his office, Andy
showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears
to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through
Minneapolis . Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a
thorough, reassuring and patient manner. I nodded thoughtfully, but I
didn't really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking,
quote, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!'
I left Andy's office with some written instructions, and a
prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which comes in a box
large enough to hold a microwave oven.. I will discuss MoviPrep in
detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to
fall into the hands of America's enemies.
I spent the next several days productively sitting around being
nervous. Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my
preparation. In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any
solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically
water, only with less flavor. Then, in the evening, I took the
MoviPrep. You mix two packets of powder together in a one-liter
plastic jug, then you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those
unfamiliar with the metric system, a liter is about 32 gallons.) Then
you have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour, because
MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like a mixture of goat
spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon.
The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a
great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, 'a loose watery
bowel movement may result.' This is kind of like saying that after you
jump off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.
MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here,
but: Have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much
the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when
you wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty
much confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate
everything. And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you
have to drink another liter of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I
can tell, your bowels travel into the future and star t eliminating
food that you have not even eaten yet.
After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep. The next
morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very nervous. Not only
was I worried about the procedure, but I had been experiencing
occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, 'What if
I spurt on Andy?' How do you apologize to a friend for something like
that? Flowers would not be enough.
At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood
and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they
led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside
a little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of
those hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that,
when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are
actually naked.
Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left
hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I
was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka
in their
MoviPrep. At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this, but
then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to
make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire
Hose Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.
W hen everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room,
where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anesthesiologist. I did not
see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there
somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point. Andy had me roll
over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist began hooking something
up to the needle in my hand. There was music playing in the room, and
I realized that the song was 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA I remarked to
Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this
particular procedure, 'Dancing Queen' has to be the least appropriate.
'You want me to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me. 'Ha
ha,' I said. And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for
more than a decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I
am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.
I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was
yelling 'Dancing Queen, Feel the beat of the tambourine,' and the next
moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood.
Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt
excellent.. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that It was
all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors. I have
never been prouder of an internal organ.
ABOUT THE WRITER:
Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist for the Miami Herald.
| | Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 | 1:42 am
[wyvernfriend]
 |
Many of you may remember ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) xnamkrad from posts. I'm afraid he lost the fight over1st/2nd July. It was not unexpected as he had been moved to a hospice over the last few weeks. It was both thankfully and rottenly quick. He will be missed. ETA: the official notice, for the record. He has asked for money to go to the Hospice. | | Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 | 11:36 pm
[joanofarq]
 |
Milestone. . . . . . Sept. 12 is the five year anniversary of my cancer surgery, and this event is shortly thereafter. Sept. is also National Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month. http://www.ovariancancerfoundation.org/onestep/index.htmlGiven all those convergences, I suppose I should do something to mark the occasion . . . Or, I may just get drunk and smoke reefer. (I'm kidding). I was/am a lucky, lucky girl. Celma Mastry, the woman the foundation is named after, was not so lucky. Her ovarian cancer was not diagnosed until Stage IV, (a/k/a "You Are SO fucked"); and a couple of her sons are doctors. . . . . still, no one figured it out until the cancer was too advanced for treatment to save her life, although she lived about two years beyond her diagnosis. I do sincerely hope that no ovarian cancer survivors die of heart attack/failure during this event. (Did the planning committee think that out?) (kidding, again) | | Monday, June 16th, 2008 | 6:20 pm
[cpufem]
 |
lung cancer question i have a question and i don't want to have to ask the cancer patient. he's been through enough.
my dad has the lung cancer symptom of digital clubbing.
he has been through 3 rounds of chemo and faces removal of two lobes of his lung next week.
does the clubbing ever go away? just curious. | | Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 | 8:28 pm
[sdaisyk]
 |
It's finally happening. It starts tomorrow. Tomorrow we leave for Duke. Thursday and Friday are tests and procedures to get Dad ready for the stem cell transplant. Saturday they start the pre-treatment of chemo and antibiotics and stuff to try and prevent graft vs. host disease (GVHD). While he is doing that, an understanding and accomendating donor is going through his own regiment in an undisclosed location (this is the third time he has scheduled to do this). Wednesday June 18th, 2008 will be my dad's "new birthday." June 18th, 2008.. A little less than a year ago ( June 29th, 2007) my mom, my sister, and I sat at my dad's oncologist office while dad sat in a hospital room and heard words like "survivability," "quality of life," "hospice." A year ago we found out that 3 months of passing out was the result of his lymphoma mutating and becoming aggressive. We were scared it could have traveled into his brain. He was living off a feeding tube for nutrition due to radiation damage. He was spending more time in the hospital than home. A year ago my life changed. I dropped out of grad school. I learned more about medicine then I ever wanted to know. A year ago I was terrified I was going to lose my dad. I was terrified from watching my dad become weak, voiceless, and just plain sick. Today I am terrified for a new reason. My dad has turned around. He has beaten back the cancer to the point where he qualifies for the transplant. He has spent the last few weeks acting like the Dad I knew before the cancer decided to put up the hard fight. But I am terrified because we walk knowingly into a situation that will make him sick again. We are walking into a situation that has something like an 18% mortality rate due to complications. He is choosing to get someone else's immune system. An immune system that could readily decide to attack his body-his skin, his stomach, everything-as foreign. My healthy, go-getter father could die from this treatment. But if he weren't to get it, he woulf have to constantly fight a more and more stubborn cancer determined to tear his body apart. A year ago I didn't know what the future held. Today is no different. We will all get through the next 7 weeks and then whatever comes after that. We have to. My dad has to. He has a grandchild coming in January. And who knows how long he'll have to wait to walk me down the aisle. The one thing I know is that my dad is more stubborn than any cancer, any GVHD or any infection that may decide to strike. [Due to age and the amount of radiation my dad has already had, they are doing a "mini" transplant for my dad's B-cell non-hodgkins lymphoma. Due to various bumps in the road we have been trying to schedule this since March and only now is everything finally a go.] Current Mood: anxious | | Sunday, June 8th, 2008 | 2:40 pm
[pixiedust_79]
 |
I'm Angry I'm Angry!
Angry at the fact that I'm 28 years old and I've finally found the person I'm supposed to be with Angry at the fact that this person has Cancer Angry at the fact that he treats me better than anyone I've ever met in my life Angry at the fact that I feel I don't deserve it Angry at the fact that we may never get married in front of all our friends and family Angry at the fact that children may never be a possibility (even adoption) Angry at the fact that people keep calling me Brave, Noble and a Saint Angry at the fact that I keep a smile on my face when I want to burst out in tears Angry at the fact that I Knew he had Cancer when I met him, but chose not to see it Angry at the fact that losing him will completely destroy Me Current Mood:  angry | | Monday, June 2nd, 2008 | 7:18 pm
[redefining_self]
 |
Post-radiation PET scan results.
The results aren't good.
The radiation made some detectable progress in the areas they were focused on. Those areas still show cancer but in a slightly reduced state.
There are two points to worry about, however. One - radiation didn't eliminate it. Two - it's showing up in a place it wasn't showing before meaning it has spread.
The spreading isn't rampant - that is to say it isn't all over the place. But anytime during treatment a cancer starts up in a location previously not involved is a bad sign.
The doctor doesn't know what else to do for the moment. Because I'm otherwise healthy and I'm not showing outward symptoms of the cancer he wants to hold off on commiting to another action. This Friday he will present my case to a board of oncology, radiology, and hematology specialists to see if there are any other recommendations. Chemotherapy, he fears, won't have much impact because we've already gone to the top of the chemo food chain in the form of tandem stem cell transplants. The body can only tolerate so much radiation over so much time so we can't use that option again for a little while.
So it isn't promising. At least for the moment I feel fine (other than the depressing effects my current shift is having on my social life) but otherwise I'm (dare I say it?) normal.
Once the doc has had a chance to present my case he'll give me a call with any recommendations the board might have. He said that would be sometime next week. | 2:16 am
[echoboom]
 |
--last weeks PET scan came back and guess who's still cancer free? yup, starting to sound like a broken record with "scan clean. scan clean. scan clean." a very pleasant sounding broken record has never been this nice on the ears.. actually, its almost common place around here to hear this good news. i sometimes have to sit back and think about it for a second. cancer free. me. fuckin A. so happy. so blessed. so well, fuckin A!! but all fun with a weak body can be a bad thing. i knew 3 days in the desert would take its toll. so i paced myself. and i thought i did a great job (except for all the bad food i ate on saturday that left me purging halfway through Prince's set).. so i scheduled a massage. and it was allright. not quite the happy ending my friend matt had, but it was ok. not that kind of happy ending. so the next day, i noticed a heat rash. that got worse and worse. long story short. i got the shingles. shingles!! fucking shingles! a painful rash that really, really, REALLY sucks. do yourself a favor: do NOT google shingles, just trust me that it sucks. for people that had stem cell transplants like me, it can be quite common. so guess who went through another two weeks of depression?? of course its easy for me to joke about it now, but damn, when your body is trying to heal and the progress is so minute you cant see anything...well, look i digress. just another thing that we knew could happen. time heals all wounds. what doesn't kill you makes you stronger... whatever dude. that's all i say. im ready to not only put cancer in my past, but to delete those times from my mind and never look back on them. so yea, im better. the body isn't at 100%. i still get tired quite easily. im trying to pace myself in a smart way. over one year since i last went surfing. i think this is the week to test that board i bought for my 30th birthday. --cesar makes you want to feel.... Current Music: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here | | Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 | 2:31 pm
[tavisha]
 |
Still Kickin :)
I haven't posted to the group in awhile... I've been busy with recovering from surgery and then getting back to life and work and doing PT and such. Now my new job is much easier to do, typing is much easier than lifting and standing all day. Ok I don't just type, but I do a lot of computer work, but I digress.
I finally got around to finding a support group to join here in LA. I was in a group a couple years ago when I was living in Florida, but since I left I really haven't found a group. I realized after going to my old group in FL when I was on vacation down there, how important it is to have people who can understand at least at some level, what you're going through. The organization I found here actually has you meet with a councilor first and then that person decides what group would be most beneficial to your needs, which I'd never experienced before. They have groups for in-treatment, post-treatment and metastic/chronic/terminal people. I went into the meeting thinking that they would be putting me in the post-treatment group, because I'm post treatment but I don't really fit into that group because I'm kinda in limbo :p So the woman I met with Pamela was really wonderful, she asked questions about my treatments and such and told me she really didn't think that I would get what I needed from the post treatment group because my needs are different. I'm constantly dealing with problems of having a chronic/terminal disease :P Since I've been dealing with the crap related to my thyroid cancer recurrance I kinda forgot to deal with other issues... like the trouble with having dysplastic polyps in my stomach and such... its a bummer and a drag, but I'll deal with it soon. I don't want to get into more trouble than I already have :p So Pamela decided that I would be better off in the Metastic/chronic/terminal group because the people in the group would understand what i'm dealing with. The group is actually lead by an oncology nurse who's a councilor too, which is awesome because she'll know stuff that someone who isn't medically based. I just have to figure out how to work it out with my boss, because they meet at 11am on fridays, and I work from 6-7amish to 5-6pm depending. My boss is very awesome so I think she'll be willing to work with me on this. If I work 6am to 6 pm, if I'm gone for 3 hours, I'll still have worked 9 hours.
Sorry I'm rambling... when I start to think about things I get slightly panic-y and freak out just slightly. I always put stuff off and I always end up regretting not being more vigilant in my own care :P But once I have my new insurance active, I'll get around to doing all the shit I need to do. Ahhh rambling again :P | | Monday, May 26th, 2008 | 11:57 am
[cpufem]
|
lung cancer surgery they've scheduled my dad for surgery in late june. they're going to remove his right lower and middle lobes of his lung. i'm going to fly in to visit him. the question is when.
he seems keen on doing some family vacation time a couple days before the surgery. if i have to limit the time i spend there.. i'd rather spend more time there AFTER the surgery since they say post-op is pretty severe. any experiences, thoughts, comments? | | Saturday, May 17th, 2008 | 5:15 pm
[redefining_self]
|
Varying effects of chemobrain.
Chemobrain, initially discovered in women undergoing breast cancer treatments, has gradually become noticeable in other cancer patients as well. It is still largely unknown what causes it and to what extent people are affected.
I've noticed in my own experience a change in memory recall (long and short) and a change in the 'length of my fuse' as it were.
Everyone has times they can't remember something. our memories as a matter of course are not perfect. The older we get the more gaps we notice. At age 34 I shouldn't be noticing regular gaps in my memory. I have some mild difficulty learning new tasks; a little more than I used to. Most of that problem revolves around memory. I'm checking my watch frequently because I can't remember the time.
Memory loss is frustrating of course but something I could deal with. It's simple enough to apologize for forgetting something I should know. But the other problem - having a shorter fuse - is harder for me personally to deal with.
I've noticed that my patience, previously unending and eternal, has disappeared for the most part. If something is inclined at all to cause me to get upset then I find myself actually getting upset and unable to let go of that anger for much longer periods than I'm used to.
It may be that my anger is only now becoming quite reasonable where previously it was unknown (as in I rarely ever got angry). I'm probably closer to a typical person in my cycles of anger and release of anger but to me it seems like I'm clutching to frustration and anger FAR longer than I ever did and ever should. Things that previously would have unperturbed me are starting to annoy the hell outta me. This has been true for months though I've been pretty good at actively concealing my negative reactions to things.
I don't perceive it getting any worse than it is. It's no worse now than it was a year ago right after chemotherapy. But it is much, much worse than it was two or three years ago before diagnosis and treatment.
In a customer service position allowing someone who is upset at you and otherwise being unreasonable to get under your skin is a bad sign. Today I had that experience. I didn't react badly as such, but I was not as professional and courteous as I should have been.
This ultiamtely is my primary concern with chemobrain since it represents (at least to me) a radical departure from the moderate, laid-back person I was a couple of years ago.
Have any of you had similar experiences with either memory or emotional responses? | | Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 | 11:52 am
[macstrong]
 |
LiveStrong Challenge Deal
Today is the day. May 13 is LIVESTRONG Day and in honor of the Lance Armstrong Foundation's one-day initiative to raise awareness and funds for the cancer fight, we're offering ½ price registration for the 2008 LIVESTRONG Challenge.
We're gearing-up to register 2,000 new Challenge participants today, 500 more people than we registered last year. We're also attempting to raise $72,000 on this single day, a 50% increase on the funds raised on LIVESTRONG Day 2007.
And if ½ price registration weren't enough, we've got some great incentives for you. The team who registers the most team members on May 13 will receive ten, 2007 LIVESTRONG Challenge jerseys. The individual who raises the most funds in their online account* on May 13 will receive a Trek bike.
As a past Challenge participant, you are a crucial part of the Lance Armstrong Foundation's fight against cancer. We'd love to have you participate with us again this year, so register today and enter code: LSDAY08 into the discount code box on the registration form.
Thank you for all of your past support and we look forward to seeing you later this year.
LIVESTRONG,
The Challenge Team
Basically, if you want to sign up... go to www.livestrong.org and follow the directions. Hope some people get involved, its a great experience. | | Sunday, May 11th, 2008 | 9:55 pm
[kino_kid]
 |
This Mother's Day, Say It With Flowers  The National Marrow Donor Program's Thanks Mom event features a page called The Donor Garden. You can add your photo to a collage of people who have registered, know a loved one who is waiting for or received a transplant, or if you have been a donor or recipient. My brother has leukemia and is awaiting a matching donor that could hep him. My ID is 100249. Add your name to the garden. | | Saturday, May 10th, 2008 | 4:18 pm
[shortysax]
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Brain Tumor support/American Idol Hey guys. I've been a member of this community for years - not terribly active, but I do post occasionally. Anyway, I wanted to let you know about a project I'm working on that has a direct tie to cancer, but also to American Idol. I'm not sure if any of you are fans of the show, but I thought I'd just let you know. Mods, if you feel this is inappropriate, please delete. I honestly mean no harm or offense. So, here's the scoop - one of the American Idol contestants this year is David Cook, who is now in the Top 3, and will almost certainly make it to the Finale in a couple weeks. Unfortunately, while he is enjoying great success on the show, his brother Adam is suffering from a brain tumor that has sadly metastasized. Last month, some friends in their hometown raised money to fly Adam to LA to see a taping of the show - he needed a special medical flight and a private nurse to accompany him, as he could not fly commercially. Anyway, he got to see his brother perform live on the show, and according to his wife it has raised his spirits greatly. Here's a link to some news coverage of the story: http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_story_104225908.html?keyword=topstoryA week or so after this happened, some fans started a fund to bring Adam back for the finale - http://www.helpbringadamback.com/I have joined in the effort by selling bracelets (think like the Livestrong wristbands) to support both the Bring Adam Back fund and the American Brain Tumor Association. I just did a walk for the ABTA a couple of weeks ago in support of my uncle and cousin, and I know them to be a great organization for funding brain tumor research and support. Here's my site about the bracelets: http://davidcookbracelets.googlepages.com . So, if you are an American Idol fan, or know someone who is, and you want to support both the Cook family and brain tumor research, please check out the link and feel free to purchase a bracelet or two. Don't forget to tell your friends, families, co-workers, etc, and feel free to re-post this information anywhere. And if you're not an American Idol fan and don't care, I'm sorry if I bothered you with this! Hope everyone is doing well. Let me know if you have any questions/comments/concerns! ~J Current Mood:  grateful | | Sunday, May 4th, 2008 | 11:05 am
[xnamkrad]
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I'm so sick and tired
of being sick and tired
seriously
For over a year now, and its getting harder to remember a day that didnt have some aches or pains - usually not too severe, but I want them to go away.
If it's not my leg then its my chest, or my foot or my stomach - or somedays all at once.
Don't know why I'm writting this - it's not for the sympathy, or reassurance fo friends - I know I have them, but somedays it is just too frakking much.
I feel that with the cancer I've lost control of my life, and damn it I want my life back.
I want to be back at work, giving out about the short sighted gits I have to deal with.
I want to go for a walk in the park with my kids, and not worry that I won't be able to walk back because of the pain.
I want to go to the cinema 2,3 times a month like I did.
I want to read a book in a day or two, not the several weeks it now takes me.
Oh I know I've been able to do things - but right now i'm drained in body, mind and spirit.
One minute I'm laughing, the next I'm crying.
I just want my life back the way it was. |
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