Support for LateToSchool

NYMomof2 · March 11, 2008, 1:55pm

LTS, your post lifted my spirits! I am hoping that your good spirits, and the support of your colleague, will carry you through the rest of this week.

paying3tuitions · March 11, 2008, 2:29pm

LTS, when I was l0 and they still made us pray in public schools, I didn’t quite understand that word “temptation.” I used to say, with heartfelt enthusiasm: “Lead us not into Penn Station.”

Evidently, you dealt beautifully with Penn Station!

latetoschool · March 11, 2008, 2:29pm

Thank you for such uplifting posts. In so many ways this is an incredible learning experience. If you think about it, anyone who wants to (more or less) can put on nice clothing on just about any given day, and head out into the world. I have had the ability to do so for a very long time.

What is different now is the effort it takes to do so. For example, Sunday, I was not feeling well, either because of the cancer, the chemotherapy, the back pain from the herniated disc, or simply the stress of being suddenly hospitalized, having seven scans in one day, surgery the next, and all the worsening news. So, for me, to (1) plan for preset, high level, serious business meetings; (2) pack for the agenda; (3) find my way to Union Station; (4) board the train; (5) find my way to taxi and hotel; (6) eat - by the way - side note here - New York was beautiful although cold, and, I literally MADE myself get out and walk around Sunday afternoon, and eat in the local delis, etc. - sitting and hiding safely in hotels = not for me :); (7) get up the next morning; (8) get showered, made up and dressed for the day at 6:00 a.m.; (8) repack and get checked out of the hotel (9) get to all of my destinations, prepared, on time, etc. - given my physical condition (still some back pain, shortness of breath, cannot really walk very fast, and the general way one feels while on chemotherapy - it’s sort of “icky” if you haven’t experienced it), this was very difficult (although the more you move, the easier it gets - I am convinced the key is to get moving and keep moving). And just seven short months ago, it was nothing for me to do this - it was very normal.

But, even going through this, looking around me, I saw people in wheelchairs, or enduring various forms of physical disability. And I am not in a wheelchair, or unable to function unassisted. This is a good, positive experience, in that I am very grateful that I can get up and walk, make decisions, go to meetings, plan my day. Even if it is very difficult, I can and WILL still do it.

Whatever it is we have or do not have, we should each be very grateful for it…

swimcatsmom · March 11, 2008, 2:38pm

latetoschool - I have been lurking around this thread and reading it, often with tears in my eyes, but have never posted as I felt I had nothing new to add as everyone has said what I am thinking. But though it has been said before I have to say it - you are amazing and an inspiration. You are making the very most of what life has handed you - that is what we should all wish for for ourselves and our loved ones. What a marvelous example you are for your daughter. And for the rest of us.

4Giggles · March 11, 2008, 2:45pm

Okay LTS- I am the most directionally impaired person you will ever know, it is the family joke! I do not even attempt Penn Station! so I am extremely impressed and I LOVE the red shoes, I admit I have a very big shoe problem, another family joke.

Will be thinking of you all week during your your procedures, I know you will be as strong and positive as always- lets face it we expect nothing less!
Best to our DD

fondly
4Giggles

NYMomof2 · March 11, 2008, 2:47pm

You should not have waited so long to post, swimcatsmom - you are so eloquent!

I visit the thread much more often than I post feeling, similarly, that others have said what I want to say so much better.

I do have a specific suggestion, LTS. I’ve read quite a few books on back problems for my husband’s sake. I highly recommend Jim Johnson’s “The Multifidus Back Pain Solution.” His recommended program, based on published research findings, consists of a few very simple exercises.

latetoschool · March 11, 2008, 2:55pm

NYMomof2, would you believe that somehow, as of early yesterday morning, my excruciating back pain simply has disappeared. I have no idea how or why. I am certain the doctors were corrrect with their scans and that the cause was a herniated disc. My thoracic and lumbar spine scans came back clean. I do have a lot of disc disease as it turns out - but - according to the doctors - somewhere around “normal”-ish for someone my age who has done a lot of athletics, weight lifting, water sports, etc.

But the pain is gone. I have no idea where it went. It just disappeared, rather suddenly. Perhaps this is normal for herniated discs. Perhaps the onset of it was some sort of divine intervention so that I would end up calling my oncologist’s answering service so that events would expose the other problems so they could be caught early. Perhaps the chemotherapy is reducing the amount of cancer so the pressure has eased. Perhaps a heightened state of mind and happiness can defeat some physical issues. Perhaps all of these things. I have just no idea.

4giggles and payingfor3, what keeps me from totally losing it at Penn Station is that I stone cold KNOW, when I finally do get on board the train, and find a seat, I am a mere minutes away from the dining car, and from an Amtrak pepperoni pizzi or two. Only the desire to stay out of mental wards keeps me from ordering three pieces. I hold on to this vision and it saves me. I don’t even wait for the conductor to collect my tickets; I don’t care that I am leaving my very expensive laptop unattended, or sitting next to a street urchin, anything else - I’m gonna RUSH to the dining car and get that pizza. I ate lunch yesterday at one of the finest restaurants in NYC’s financial district yesterday, and was thinking about that Amtrak pizza the whole time. I have no idea why I like the stuff so much - it’s nasty, cheap, greasy, and gross. It darn sure does NOT do anything in any way to help fight cancer. But it makes me happy and keeps me from dispair at Penn Station.

maineparent · March 11, 2008, 3:36pm

You gals are cracking me up…

the image of the Red Shoes on LTS…all I can think of is Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz…how I wish you could tap the heels 3 times and be home at the end of the day…or tap your heels 3 times at the start of the day and be in your office…and avoid all this metro and stairs…even THOUGH I know you get health out of pushing yourself in doing all these things…

Lorelei2702’s comment about her Black on Black efforts are much dimmer in presence reminds me of a family friend who sends a holiday newsletter. Each year the format echos a different famous publication, ie front page of the WSJ or NYT or The Insider from People or The Talk of the Town from the New Yorker…anyway, one year, a front page story in the family “NYTimes” dealt with the remodel of his wife’s closet…adding electricity/lights…though he really didn’t understand why, because ALL of her clothes were BLACK and why did she need a LIGHT… NYC is definitely about Black on Black clothes.

There is another comedienne on my Comedy Channel on XM Satellite … who joked about packing for a trip to NYC…and was rushed getting ready for her big reception and she knew she needed a scarf or wrap to finish her outfit so she grabbed the first black thing from her suitcase, wrapped it around her neck…her hubby challenged her on it…she told him to shut up and hail the cab etc etc…and only upon arriving at the event did she realize she had wrapped a pair of pants around her neck!!

So, those are my humorous additions to a thread that is definitely joyful today. Knowing LTS is happy has put a smile in my own heart. Thanks for sharing…it is kind of like wedding vows…in good times and in bad… we are reading and absorbing all of it LTS… here’s to more days like this…

Faline2 · March 11, 2008, 3:39pm

latetoschool…love your Penn Station tales, and am amused about your being directionally impaired, entranced with your fashion flair and mall rat pizza dreams…and greatly relieved your back pain dissipated and you had a satisfying time with colleagues. I have been known to circle a city beltway without realizing it a time or two…once in Boston I took a wrong turn and ended up on a bridge to New Hampshire or something…can I just say…Boston is just too much of a challenge for spatial daydreamers like myself.

mythmom · March 11, 2008, 3:46pm

LTS: Just got back from work to find three wonderful posts from you. Strange as it may be to say considering the challenges to your health, I actually think you are a very lucky woman.

You sound like you looked gorgeous, and I’m sure you did.

You remind us to push ourselves through our obstacles. Way to go!!!

padad · March 11, 2008, 4:58pm

LTS, Would I have you giving me advice on how to dress up in NYC (I have little doubt that you can dress up a guy just as well) when I was at Del Posto last Friday. I felt like I must have been the most poorly dressed dinning client that had ever walked through that establishment. I was wearing my usual corduroy jacket with elbow patches.

Seriously, the disappearance of localized pain is most likely a very good sign for your new chemo treatment. My best wishes and prayers.

bethievt · March 11, 2008, 7:27pm

Whoa–i love gooey pepperoni pizza too–you enjoy girl1

churchmusicmom · March 11, 2008, 7:48pm

All of this just makes me smile!

Keep it up, LTS! You constantly amaze and inspire us all.

jazzymom · March 11, 2008, 7:51pm

I agree. My admiration grows every time I peek in on this thread. Keep one thing in mind, LTS: Winners win. And you are a winner, no ifs, ands or buts.

momof3sons · March 11, 2008, 8:12pm

LTS, I’m so happy to hear that your back pain “magically” disappeared. It must have been the high heels on those red shoes that knocked those discs back to where they belonged. ;)

garland · March 11, 2008, 9:28pm

Okay, am I the only one who read LTS’s description of getting disoriented in Penn Station and thought, she has a flaw? Seriously, you are the most, bar none, competent human being I have ever had the privilege of knowing, even if only in an online website.

now that we know what your Achilles red heel is (:)), we can breathe easier, knowing it ain’t lung cancer. And you can, I know, kick the latter in its teeth if it doesn’t get the message.

tobia_e · March 11, 2008, 9:51pm

LTS, as someone who cannot walk (among other things), I can say that what you are going through is so, so much more difficult, and I am in awe of your awesome, wonderful strength.

epistrophy · March 11, 2008, 10:07pm

“Local lung cancer survivor pushes for more research”

Marvelle Colby was hooked by the hype decades ago that a cigarette dangling in your hand was glamorous.

Today she is a lung cancer survivor who isnt missing a beat in life.

The part-time Bonita Springs resident wants to put lung cancer on a different platform in terms of research funding, who it afflicts and the get-your-things-in-order advice that often follows a diagnosis.

Theres a stigma and we have to get past it, said Colby, 73.

As an advocate with the Lung Cancer Alliance, the only nonprofit national organization focused solely on the needs of lung cancer patients, her mission is spreading the word that too little money goes into research of the leading cause of cancer death among men and women.

The shortchanging is no longer acceptable.

Since Nixon declared war on cancer in 1971, the lung cancer survival rate has not changed, she said. The suvival rate is 15 percent. That means 85 percent die.

<hr>

Laurie Fenton, president of the alliance, said getting lung cancer declared a national public health policy will spur more people to realize how much it kills.

So many people dont realize its lethalness, that it is the most lethal of all cancers, she said, adding that the resolutions are a good first step. We got our first marker in the sand and we can only go forward from here.

Since returning home, Colby has been contacting state lawmakers seeking answers as to why so little money gets directed to lung cancer research. On the other hand, breast and prostate cancers receive larger amounts despite improved survivability rates.

For every lung cancer death, $1,829 is spent on lung cancer research, according to the alliance. In contrast, breast cancer research receives $23,474 for every woman who dies from that disease and $14,369 is allocated to prostate cancer research for every man who dies from prostate cancer.

In Florida, Colbys task is raising awareness of how the Legislature has been raiding the states tobacco settlement money for uses not related to tobacco-use prevention. The state allocated just $1 million this year from tobacco settlement money for prevention programs, the original intent with the money.

This is now at the state level, to get more funding for awareness and research, Colby said. If we can get 1 percent of all of the tobacco money to raise awareness and research, that is our plan.

<hr>

Colby, a professor emeritus from Marymount Manhattan College in New York, began smoking as a teenager when the link to lung cancer was an unknown, at least in the public domain, she said.

I say to myself I am a victim of a superb advertising campaign, she said. (Smoking) was the way to be chic and sophisticated.

She smoked a pack a day but probably more when she was working on her doctorate and when she was raising her two children.

Her first real acknowledgment of how harmful it is occurred when Edward R. Murrow, CBSs famed radio and television broadcaster of the 1940s and 1950s, announced he had lung cancer and was forced to quit his illustrious broadcast career in 1964. He died the following year at age 57.

When he announced he had lung cancer and when he died, I said to myself, You have to quit, Colby said. That was when it really hit me I really ought to stop.

But she didnt stop. Especially because she didnt have a cough or other symptoms.

Not until 1991, when she was 58, did she quit after many attempts. The turning point came when her husband was in a New York hospital for bypass surgery.

I knew I had to, she said. When he was in the hospital, he was in bad shape. There was a church across the street. I went to the church and prayed.

In 2000, her former habit came back to haunt her, some 10 years after quitting. She developed a cough and initially thought she had come down with a cold. The cough persisted and her voice became hoarse. She went to numerous doctors who attributed her symptoms to various ailments. None considered the possibility of lung cancer.

In late 2000, a specialist finally ordered a CT scan and that was followed by a PET scan.

There it was, she said.

She was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer that had metastasized, and was told that just 1 percent of people with the same diagnosis survive after five years.

She was admitted to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York where her surgeon removed the entire lower lobe of her left lung and a section in the upper lobe.

Problems persisted and in subsequent years she has had two tumors removed from her neck and stereotactic radiosurgery for a brain tumor. In November 2004, she had two tumors removed in her right lung.

All told, shes had seven tumors removed since her diagnosis in 2000. Today she gets CT scans every six months.

<hr>

It is so obvious now that people other than smokers, particularly young women in their 40s, are getting it, Colby said.

<hr>

Dr. Scot Schultz, a Naples cardiovascular surgeon, said 10 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer werent smokers, but that still means 90 percent of all patients with it either smoked at some point or still are.

Nevertheless, lung cancer is more deadly than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined, he said.

For most people who have lung cancer, it is too late, he said. The key is to get them before they develop symptoms.

A traditional chest X-ray is easy but not very effective because it cannot pick up small tumors, or growths, in the early stages or other organs block something from showing up on the X-ray. A conventional CT scan is more sensitive and can detect smaller tumors. The next step would be a PET scan, which is a metabolic test because cancer cells have high metabolic activity.

Schultz would like to see CT scans for early detection of lung cancer but said it is a way off from becoming reality, given the billions it would cost the insurance industry and the government to pay for the scans. The essential first step is having studies that show early detection improves survivability.

The positive side of that is there are a few studies looking at this specific issue, he said, mentioning one study with 50,000 patients. It will take years for that data to mature.

Plenty of people who are smokers get CT scans and pay for them out of pocket, and some recommend it once a year but there is a glitch.

The dilemma physicians face is what if it (the CT scan) comes back suspicious, then what do you do? he said, regarding the patient undergoing further diagnostic procedures at his or her own expense. More benign things are found than malignant.

What I think should happen is money from big tobacco, part of that money, should go toward screening, he said. I feel confident one of the studies will show a benefit for early detection and I think the government will be forced to pay but I do think they will hold off until they have well-informed studies.

On the treatment side, there are new options today due to new technology, such as the Cyberknife, a noninvasive way to radiate tumors and not destroy healthy tissue. A far-reaching benefit with the Cyberknife in terms of lung cancer is that the radiation beams can adjust to the breathing movement of the patient to spare healthy tissue from being zapped.

Weve had 15 patients in the last six months with it, Schultz said, referring to Cyberknife treatment at NCH Regional Cancer Institute.

[Local</a> lung cancer survivor pushes for more research : Local : Naples Daily News](<a href=“http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/apr/09/local_lung_cancer_survivor_pushes_more_research/]Local”>http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/apr/09/local_lung_cancer_survivor_pushes_more_research/)

(P.S. to LTS: Great to hear you sounding so lively and upbeat, not to mention pain-free. As for my trial, we’re now in the 3rd week and have another, oh, 6-9 weeks to go. It’s a federal “white collar” conspiracy case [tax fraud, etc.]. Some stretches are tedious, others riveting. I enjoy cross-examining witnesses in cases like this, where there’s lots of paper, because you have a lot to work with.)

momof2inca · March 11, 2008, 10:40pm

LTS, I’m SO happy that you had a good day and that you love greasy, bad-for-you pizza and that you dress to the nines with nail polish that matches the accents on your business card. It’s just all so good. :)

BunsenBurner · March 12, 2008, 12:21am

latetoschool, I had a fun time visualizing you in your fabulous outfit dashing for the greasy pizza! Please do not feel guilty about your comfort food: whatever keeps your mind at peace will be beneficial for your body, too, since you body is controlled by your mind. I use this as an excuse to indulge in ice cream, my secret pleasure :), and I’m convinced it keeps me healthy. I wish you all the best and I’m praying for your recovery. You are my hero.

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