# Life Sucks Sometimes (more cancer) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 14, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226 "2008-05-14T00:57:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/21 "2008-05-31T01:16:12Z")
Another Dr.'s office called me today. They told me my oncologist contacted them so I could have a ‘consultation’ about radiation. That will be in the near future. I meet with the doc on June 9. I slept last nite, and felt amazingly well today. Yay! ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/22 "2008-05-31T01:18:12Z")
I’m reading your update, **Gail** , and thinking, yep, I had that test, and that one, and that one. You’re in my thoughts. PM me if you like. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/23 "2008-05-31T04:42:53Z")
**Gail** you are doing great! Keep on truckin’! ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/24 "2008-05-31T07:55:54Z")
(((((Gail))))) ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/25 "2008-05-31T11:14:10Z")
Gail, sending healing vibes your way. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/26 "2008-05-31T20:35:08Z")
Best of luck, **Gail** ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/27 "2008-06-01T02:54:13Z")
Be strong, **Gail** , and keep us updated! ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/28 "2008-06-04T18:39:03Z")
**Update** I have a radiation consultation appointment next Monday. I need radiation for my bones. My oncologist called me Sunday evening (!) to tell me they don’t think I need any surgery on my neck. This is a good thing, because I can start on my other chemo drug–too–if I were to have surgery, I’d have to be off of the drug for five weeks. He told my only do basic poses in yoga and stay off my neck. (I was practicing headstands every day on my own –there are no headstands in Bikram’s basic class.) Tomorrow, I go for my second chemo appointment. I have been sleeping at night, thanks to ambien and most of the time I feel great. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/29 "2008-06-04T18:53:40Z")
Good news, Gail. I can’t imagine standing on my head. I’m pretty sure I’d break something. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/30 "2008-06-04T20:33:32Z")
**Gail** - I’m glad there’s no neck surgery in your immediate future. And you have my permission to stop yoga and start Ben & Jerry’s training at once. StG ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/31 "2008-06-04T23:28:31Z")
I’m sending healing thoughts your way, and wishing you all the best, **Gail**. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/32 "2008-06-04T23:30:49Z")
[QUOTE=Gail] **Update** I have a radiation consultation appointment next Monday. I need radiation for my bones. My oncologist called me Sunday evening (!) to tell me they don’t think I need any surgery on my neck. This is a good thing, because I can start on my other chemo drug–too–if I were to have surgery, I’d have to be off of the drug for five weeks. He told my only do basic poses in yoga and stay off my neck. (I was practicing headstands every day on my own –there are no headstands in Bikram’s basic class.) Tomorrow, I go for my second chemo appointment. I have been sleeping at night, thanks to ambien and most of the time I feel great. [/QUOTE] ((((( **Gail** )))))) I’ll be thinking of you, kiddo. ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/33 "2008-06-06T14:08:16Z")
**update** ``` Second chemo appointment...They hooked me up. I had my benedryl, antinausea, and steroid drips. Then I got the Taxol. After about an hour of receiving Taxol, I had a reaction to it. It was weird and unpleasant. My face turned red, I felt woozy and my chest felt tight. I tried to breath slowly and deeply and that helped a little. But it was like my lungs would inflate easily. ``` They hooked me up and said my heart was beating rapidly (that I didn’t notice) and my blood pressure was dropping. I had almost finished the Taxol, but they turned it off. I found out a lot of people react this way to Taxol. I’m also on another chemo drug, so when I recovered, they started me on the next one, Avastin. There was no problem there. I was in the chemo chair for almost five hours. It takes forever. Anyway, I got through it with no long lasting effects. I’m officially on summer break now…so I can mostly concentrate on healing (and yoga) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/34 "2008-06-06T14:41:28Z")
What do you do in the chemo chair? I don’t know if I’ll be getting chemo or not…I was thinking of bringing my knitting. I want to try socks next, but I have to finish my nephew’s blanket first. I figure sitting around for a few hours would help me get it finished off quick. ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/35 "2008-06-06T14:57:38Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] What do you do in the chemo chair? I don’t know if I’ll be getting chemo or not…I was thinking of bringing my knitting. I want to try socks next, but I have to finish my nephew’s blanket first. I figure sitting around for a few hours would help me get it finished off quick. [/QUOTE] op by ivylass I usually read…they have dvds and portable players you can watch and you can certainly knit. They put the IV in a vein in the back of your hand so you have mobility. I’m probably in it for a long haul because my doctor wants to install a IV port. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/36 "2008-06-06T19:47:03Z")
All my good thoughts are with you, Gail! ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/37 "2008-06-11T19:07:18Z")
Monday I went to see a radiation oncologist, Dr. K. He wants to use radiation therapy on a spot on my neck vertebrae (called the hangman’s vertebrae) Apparently there is a tumor inside the bone. Then, there’s a spot on my lower back, too. He didn’t seem to think this was an emergency. I’m not having any pain in my bones, which is a good thing. He showed me the MRI of my brain, which was pretty cool. There is a small tumor in the front of my skull, but he says he probably won’t treat it, just watch it. (The chemo may work on it, plus, it’s not impingeing on a part of my brain that would give me seizures, etc.) Today I had my femurs xrayed. I’m not having any pain there, but, I think my last xrays indicated there might be cancer there. Dr. K feels he can he can shrink these tumors with 15 days of treatment. (I thought it was going to be 6-7 weeks.) Meanwhile, the “rash” on my chest wall is gradually clearing up…so the chemo seems to be working. I’m becoming more calm and relieved as time goes by…I hope my second femur Xrays don’t show anything major… ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/38 "2008-06-11T19:13:01Z")
So far, so good, Gail! Here’s hoping things keep going your way. ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/39 "2008-06-11T19:19:20Z")
Best of luck Gail. My sister had a double mastectomy last year, and earlier this year got radiation for a spot on her spine that had a tumor, along with some kind of bone strengthener (she calls it bone glue). She’s doing great, and I’m sure you will be to. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-sucks-sometimes-more-cancer/449226/40 "2008-06-11T19:41:25Z")
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