So....talk about.....CANCER SUPPORT THREAD !!

[Damummis]

Luna............

How are you feeling? Thinking of you today as I noticed the moon flowers poking thru.

 

[lise]

I'm sorry that you've gotten sick,
I hope that you will get well quick,
you look real nice without your hair,
I'm glad that you wanted to share,
the pictures of your pretty head,
a well shaped egg, and we all said
we thought you lucky to have a crown,
that looks great bald, so don't feel down.
we're glad that you are feeling good,
and pray you heal up like you should.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:

Good job!!

 

[chickeypoo]

This was my first time reading any posts. i didn't get too far back. but i just wanted to say i didn't want to read at first since i am dealing with cancer in my family(total shock to me and myfamily) but i have to say Luna, you are inspiring. My dad, we are not sure how bad it is yet. He's not healthy enough to get any scans at this point. he's got lung cancer(i do have a posting on it here at BYC)

Coyotemagic, i believe you are the one with the tattoos of the ribbons(i can't remember for sure) but what color was it for lung cancer? when my dad passes away( i know it could be a while down the road) i want to get a memorial tattoo..

I hope to keep reading this to keep my spirits up. I am struggling through the days right now with the saddness that has become full force in no time since he was diagnosed.

 

[ozark hen]

Quote:

 

[WingingIt]

Luna,

How are you doing today? Have you been playing your drum? I sure hope so. Hugs and prayers.

T

 

[XHippieChickX]

My Aunt had that surgery.Of course, she was in pain afterwards for a lil bit, but the actual surgery was not bad. I will be praying for you.

 

[bwebb7]

This should make you laugh...
I left the garage door open (to the back yard) and this morning I have chickens roosting on the shelves! I have to go on an egg hunt!
I hope you are feeling good and get a little time in the garden this morning.

It is a glorious day!

My cuz in Brick is still fighting the fight- 9 treatments down 3 to go-Go Mary!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
Hey! Yes, I'm the one with the tattoo of the ribbons.

Lung cancer is a pearly grey/silver ribbon. I lost my Brother to Lung cancer.--third one in.
By the time my brothers cancer was discovered it was already too late. My brother abused his body from a very young age. He smoke since I don't know when and was also an alcoholic by the time he was 18. He was also a volunteer Fireman and worked in the shipyard around asbestos. We don't know what of all the stuff brought on his cancer. He was 43, 5 years younger than I am now.

Now is the time to spend with your Dad if you feel that his cancer is beyond the point of help. Just being there to listen. I didn't get to spend anytime with my brother. Life was getting in the way. I made my Mom's best friend promise to call me when things got bad and that I would come home then. They went from bad to worse and then he was gone before she could call me. I miss not having been there to say goodbye. Don't make the mistake I did.

When my best friend became ill, I found the time to send with him. I managed to have saved up weeks and weeks of leave time and I used it. Sometimes I just sat there and said nothing for hours. Helped him smoke a cig when he wanted one. Made him one of his favorite foods, Crab Cakes, even iff we had to feed it to him with a spoon. When he began waisting away, I sat beside him and had a very hard talk about his needing to let go. He was holding on because he didn't want to ruin Christmas for his young son. Within 2 days of his making peace with what was happening and with those he loved around him, I sat there and watched him go. 6ft 8in, big ol' cheesy moustache, and beautiful brown eyes. When I think of him, the song from CaddyShack will pop up on the radio. "I'm all Right" with the dancing Gopher, lol. Tom had Lou Gerig's his is the ribbon with blue pin stripes.

The rest of the ribbons are for these people who have passed.

1. PurplyBlue--Alzheimers--my maternal Grandmother
2. Brown---Colon Cancer--my Aunt Maggie
3. Silver--Lung Cancer--my Brother, Steve
4. Pink--Breast Cancer--my Friend, Judy B
5. Pin-stripped--ALS--my best friend Tom
6.Teal---Ovarian Cancer---my Aunt Barbara
7. PurplyMagenta--Pancreatic Cancer--my Friend Barbie
8. Periwinkle---Stomach Cancer--my paternal Grandmother

 

[Lunachick]

A nice way to remember them Coyote.

lise - Thank you for the poem! I really liked that. I hope you don't disappear now.........

I'm taking my drum with me and I'm still reading the booklet that came with it. It has a lot of useful info in there and I want to read it before I attempt to drum.

Before I got chemo I had to have a port put in. I had no idea what a port was and why you had to have it. Even when I went to the hospital to have the surgery for it, I asked what it looked like and how they put it in. The nurse answered my questions like I was a nurse too, so I didn't get half of what she said. Before they even did the surgery I was looking at the table with all the surgical stuff on there and still couldn't identify the port thing that they were going to put in me.

Anyway, since I've gone this far showing pics and everything, I may as well show you how my port looks. In case anyone has to have one put in, at least they know what it would look like and where they would put it and how it works.

A port is a way they get into your bloodstream for the chemicals to go into your system. Instead of invading the veins in your arms constantly, a port is a lot more convenient for the nurse administering the concoction and easier for the patient without having to invade your veins and busting up the works and causing infection too. This is my port:

The little "drum" shape you see is the entry way, they stick the needle right in the center of the "drum". In case you can't tell, this is my upper right chest just below my collar bone. The needle and the IV tubing is attached to that and that is connected to more tubing that goes into the IV bag and, therefore, the chemicals.

The red line you see above that is where they cut to slip the drum like thing in there, above that there is an inch or two of tubing that goes directly into my vein.

It really bugged me at first, but I got used to it after a while. The only time it bugs me now is right after chemo - I get a burning sensation on and around the area and I have to be careful not to scratch at it, which I do periodically.