Debi, I'm so happy to hear CJ is doing so well with her recovery. I can't believe she's home already, that's just unbelievable considering she had brain surgery.
I'm sure her hair will grow in just fine, she'll probably have a fine line where the incision is that won't produce hair but once the rest grows in she won't even be able to see it.
my understanding from taking staples out on other patients is that they DO HURT!!
FYI for the person that said it was nice they moved your sister to your home town for the surgery. This hospital happens to be one of the pre eminent hospitals in the country. We have over 30 Neuro Critical care beds alone. We are a level 1 trauma center and brain stuff is what we do! So really for brain surgery there was no Better place for her to go then here and that's a fact!!
Funny you should ask today .....
Her appt to get lab results was originally last Monday but was postponed due to weather. She went today. And she said taking the staples out didn't hurt at all.
She has an aggressive cancer. With chemo and radiation, she has an expected survival rate of 1-2 years, if she's lucky. They actually said it could be 2-3 months .... it could be 2-3 years.
She's 50 years old. Her youngest son is in military basic training and engaged to be married this year. Her grandchildren are 3 and 1.
It's organic, not genetic, so she is thankful her sons won't have to worry about it "running in the family." She joked about it being like popcorn .... "POP! THere ya are ... now ya got a tumor!"
To be honest, she's dealing with it MUCH better than I am. I never considered a day in my life without her. She's my very VERY best friend.
Debi, I am so sorry you got that terrible news.
Seven years ago my sweet FIL was diagnosed with bone marrow CA...they gave him 6 to twelve months. I spoke with him today, he was complaining about parts of his driveway still having ice (in TN), "Makes it impossible for me to get to the mailbox!".
I hope the doctors are wrong about dear CJ as well...only God really knows.
You will be in my prayers.
Kathy
Oh Debi... sending you great big cyber hugs!!! I'm so sorry to hear about the news she got.
Oh, Debi, that is terrible news. (I'm sorry I have not replied until now but I have been following this thread. I usually have at least one child on my lap or climbing on me so it makes typing very difficult, right now this is taking me a long time I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am). I can't even imagine going through this.
I thought I read earlier in this thread that they caught her tumor in its early stages?
To look at it in a hopeful way, your sister seems to be mentally strong which is a big help.
The popcorn description of cancer and tumors your sister joked about sadly seems to match our world today. Much seems to be beyond our control, like an evil lottery.
Sending lots of sympathy and comforting thoughts your way,
Sofia
Debi, I don't know what to say other then we're all here for you, thinking of you and praying real hard that your sister will beat this.
I wish I could be there to give you a big hug, I can't even imagine what you're feeling right now.
((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))
God Bless!
Deb
P.S. I wanted to add that I will go to LaSalette Shrine in Attleboro, MA this weekend and light a candle for CJ. I truely believe in the power of prayer and positive thinking.
http://www.lasalette-shrine.org/About_Us.html
P.S. I wanted to add that I will go to LaSalette Shrine in Attleboro, MA this weekend and light a candle for CJ. I truely believe in the power of prayer and positive thinking.
http://www.lasalette-shrine.org/About_Us.html
Oh that just makes me cry (some more!). Thanks so very much .. to all of you!
For anyone who might be interested, CJ sent me the Wikipedia link with info. It actually made me feel worse.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glioblastoma_multiforme
Only 2-3 cases per 100,000. And it strikes men more than women. And folks are usually over 50. (CJ is just now 50).
Less than half make it thru a full year. (That's when I started to cry again.)
Her son is scheduled to be married Oct 2010. I want her to be there.
I am so so sorry. Your family is in my thoughts.
I am so very sorry Indydebi...I have never loss a sibling, so I do not know how u feel. My sis is also my best friend. My heart goes out to u...May our dear Lord make a miracle happen...take care
Dear Debi, I am so sadden to hear this news of your sister. I will pray for CJ and all your family.
I am so sorry Debi. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.
I'm so sorry...My mother passed away a few years ago from breast cancer, and it's hard to see someone you love go through the chemo when the prognosis is bad anyway. I hope that your sister is able to handle the treatments well, and that the time she has left is longer than they predict. She seems to have a good attitude, which definitely helps during treatment.
Wow, Debi, your latest posts are such a shock! I, too, thought that the doctors had caught the cancer in time. I'm so sorry to hear that the news wasn't good. Here's a favorite poem about cancer that I hope you'll share with your sister:
What Cancer Cannot Do
Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple Love
It cannot shatter Hope
It cannot corrode Faith
It cannot destroy Peace
It cannot kill Friendship
It cannot suppress Memories
It cannot silence Courage
It cannot invade the Soul
It cannot steal eternal Life
It cannot conquer the Spirit.
Author Unknown
Just believe it and you WILL get through this ordeal. My thoughts and prayers are with your sister, you and your entire family. Hugs, Julie
Debi, that is utterly heartbreaking. I have been watching this thread and praying for your beloved Sister and your family. I did not reply sooner because I was at a loss for words. Nothing I could say could put a dent in the situation, except for Faith, Hope, Love and Miracles. Your sister is a truly giving steward of grace and compassion. I pray that God in His Wisdom and Grace, that He takes your sister home in the blink of an eye, quickly and gently. That in His perfect timing she would in just an instant be absent from her body and present with Him. I pray that His perfect timing allows her a Miracle, to endure this treatment and fully recover, and fulfill all she wants in her lifetime, and that she is ready come that day. I pray wholeheartedly that it is a generous amount of time and that each moment be a celebration of Life and Joy, and that she be surrounded with the Love of those close to her. Debi, we all have our time, but we are never ever ready for the loss of someone special in our lives. Please know that all of Your Sugar Friends Love You, and we will be here for you in that time. (((SUGAR HUGGS)))
OK now I need some more tissue, sniff sniff.
Debbie spend as much time as you can with her. I lost my twin sister and also never thought of living a day without her. Here I am with all my faith in God is what got me through it. I am terribly sorry that one of my CC friends is going through this, I will pray both for you and her every night. (((((((Big Hug))))))) and always a shoulder just a PM away! God Bless you and your Sister.
Kathy aka Chippi
Some good news today! She had her appt with the chemo-doctor. Said it looked like the tumor had only been there for a couple of months. It was in the front-front part of the frontal lobe, which is the best place for one to be. She had been told 9-14 months ".....and don't depend on seeing 14 months". This doctor told her, with the treatment, he's seen many go 24 months ... some go more but not many, but 24 months is realistic.
So we've gone from under a year to potentially 2 years. My biggest "relief" is that she has a real possibility of being at her son's wedding.
God is good! Thanks to all for every prayer being said in her name.
BTW, she has a scheduled phone call with her youngest son (in basic training) and his chaplain tomorrow at 10. *SO* glad she has this good news to be able to share with him!
Debi, I am so thrilled to open this up and find that you got a bit of good news. I am praying for you and your sister every day.
CJ emailed me yesterday and said "Dealing with the cancer is going to be easier than dealing with the insurance company!"
She will be taking chemo in pill form, instead of thru an IV. One pill a day for 6 weeks = 42 pills. She goes to the pharmacy to get the prescription. THe total cost was ......
are you ready?........
$13,000!!!!!!!!!!! AND ................!!
The insurance cmpany declined to pay for it because it was $13K! SHe was on the phone with them and told them, "This is a cancer treatment, not a cold pill! I COULD sell my car to pay for these, but I don't have time, seeing that I'm going to DIE SOON!" (can you tell we're sisters?) 
She also pointed that if she was strapped to a hospital bed and taking it in the arm thru an IV, they'd pay for it with no second thoughts under Major Medical, but since it was pill form, they were treating it like a sinus infiection prescription!
They worked out some kind of compromise and she got a partial prescription, but she's not done with them.
I actually feel sorry for the insurance company. They've no idea who they're dealing with right now! 
CJ emailed me yesterday and said "Dealing with the cancer is going to be easier than dealing with the insurance company!"
She will be taking chemo in pill form, instead of thru an IV. One pill a day for 6 weeks = 42 pills. She goes to the pharmacy to get the prescription. THe total cost was ......
are you ready?........
$13,000!!!!!!!!!!! AND ................!!
The insurance cmpany declined to pay for it because it was $13K! SHe was on the phone with them and told them, "This is a cancer treatment, not a cold pill! I COULD sell my car to pay for these, but I don't have time, seeing that I'm going to DIE SOON!" (can you tell we're sisters?)
She also pointed that if she was strapped to a hospital bed and taking it in the arm thru an IV, they'd pay for it with no second thoughts under Major Medical, but since it was pill form, they were treating it like a sinus infiection prescription!They worked out some kind of compromise and she got a partial prescription, but she's not done with them.
I actually feel sorry for the insurance company. They've no idea who they're dealing with right now!
This sounds much like my insurance, since I have only $2,000 in drug coverage per calendar year. I have a chronic disease which requires many, many thousands of dollars of drugs per year. The solution to that is that I am on an IV drug, which my insurance pays for 100%. In my case, the other drugs are just as expensive or more expensive.
BUT, my specialists office takes care of figuring all of this out for their patients. They call the insurance company, find out which treatment they will pay for, and tell you exactly what your options are. They stay on top of the situation for their patients, taking lots of stress off of all of us. In your sister's case, there may not be a better choice, but I am very surprised her doctor didn't research this for her and tell her if there were alternatives and act on her behalf with the insurance company. She needs advocates like that so she doesn't have to waste her energy that way. I'm sorry that she does.
Update:
She just had another MRI which showed more tumors. She will be having a 2nd surgery inside of a week. Without this surgery, she will die in 2 months.
Her only goal right now is to live long enough to be at her son's wedding in August in Colorado. He's in the military and they've had to change the date 6 times due to change in orders.
That's all she wants right now..... just to live long enough to see her son get married. She has no illusions about living long ..... just living "long enough".
And her son is scrambling trying to get married before his mom dies. That scenario just makes me cry every time I think about it.
She's forgetting names of her best friends and tells me she "loses" words in a conversation.
She's my best friend, gang. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do without her.
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