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21300. arkymalarky - 3/7/2007 1:43:55 AM Our school inspection went well, and the state people were very nice and complimentary. The lady who visited my room during AP World History class loved our murals and my classroom and complimented our discussion and our small class size. We didn't get cited for anything--just got a short list of easy-to-address things, mostly in our handbook. We can fix that in a day easily. They told us to get some more industry into our community so we'll have enough kids that our school can stay around. 21301. arkymalarky - 3/7/2007 1:46:51 AM WRT horse riding, I've always enjoyed it, but never have ridden much. Bob hates riding horses (read "he's afraid to ride them"), and says he will not help take care of one if I ever get one. A family I know well where I work lost their husband/father/grandfather to a horse-riding accident years ago.
I had a horseman senior last year, and in their traditional "ride around the campus" their last day of school, he led the bunch on his Palomino. A good pacer for the rest of the group in their cars and trucks, imo. 21302. judithathome - 3/7/2007 1:55:11 AM Thoughtful, so sorry to hear of your mom's diagnosis...but my son was diagnosed Stage 4. Something to keep in mind...hoping for the very best for her. 21303. judithathome - 3/7/2007 1:57:24 AM I had horses as a young girl and can't recommend them highly enough as a great way to learn to be responsible and also, to conquer fear.
It's very empowering to master a horse, bonding with it and getting it to do what you want. 21304. arkymalarky - 3/7/2007 2:02:04 AM Bob was kicked in the chest by one when he was young--while trying to feed it--and he's been leery of them ever since. 21305. wonkers2 - 3/7/2007 5:18:58 PM Thoughtful, from today's NYT Researchers Dispute Benefits of CT Scans for Lung Cancer 21306. thoughtful - 3/7/2007 6:06:14 PM thanks wonks...looks like the docs are arguing again. But sounds like the 'survival rate is meaningless' is only meaningless to the ones without cancer, like the docs. Those with it are very interested in their survival rate. In fact, when staging cancer, that is exactly what you are betting on. Mother is stage IIB which means she's got a 23% chance of surviving 5 years. Slim but better than my sister in law who had a 0% chance of surviving 2 years.
I struggle to believe the article in that early detection is so essential in lung cancer as it becomes so deadly so quickly. Where they make the presumption that there are a lot of lung cancers that grow slowly out there is beyond me. In my experience, they don't. 21307. wonkers2 - 3/7/2007 8:50:02 PM Sorry about your mother. Let's pray she's in the 23%. 21308. thoughtful - 3/8/2007 1:06:29 AM Thanks wonks. Considering that 9 of 10 lung cancers are inoperable when found, she's already beat the odds by being a surgical candidate and having the surgery. I certainly hope her run of luck continues or improves. 21309. arkymalarky - 3/8/2007 1:20:12 AM I think it's that the x-rays aren't very good at early detection. By the time something shows up it's already spread beyond what the x-ray shows. They have a new breath test, but I don't know how early it diagnoses or when it's supposed to be available. 21310. thoughtful - 3/8/2007 1:30:58 AM There are other problems in that the xray isnt' as good at picking up small tumors as the fast ct, but the fast ct exposes you to lots more radiation than just a chest xray, which, in and of itself can cause lung cancer...fire v frying pan
21311. Magoseph - 3/8/2007 4:41:06 PM I'm very sorry about the news about your mom, thoughtful. 21312. thoughtful - 3/8/2007 8:27:03 PM thanks mags.
Mom's home now, but she seems to be recovering more slowly than usual. I'm sure some of it is depression. Never easy to get a life sentence, no matter how old you are. And nothing like a fatal illness to make you feel your age. 21313. wonkers2 - 3/9/2007 4:00:44 AM She's fortunate to have a daughter who cares nearby! 21314. alistairconnor - 3/9/2007 10:42:55 AM How she feels about things is a very important element of her life expectancy. The docs gave my dad three years when he was diagnosed with bone cancer, but he'd always hated being sick and decided not to fight it.
Personally, as long as I was sound of mind and reasonably comfortable physically, I wouldn't want to miss a moment.
It's important to understand the medical stuff well enough that you don't let yourself get pushed around by the doctors. Quality of life is more important than a few more weeks or months. In any case, that has to be for the individual to decide.
I wish you and your mother all the best, Thoughtful. 21315. thoughtful - 3/9/2007 3:44:15 PM Thanks, guys. Your kind thoughts and sentiments are most appreciated.
Mom is already starting to perk up more since she's been home and since she's healing. I think we'll do ok. My hope now is to get her to see some good guys who can help with the chemo, hopefully get her into some kind of remission so we can get a couple of more good years out of her, and then see where we go from there.
But no matter how hard you try, each of these life events scars you and changes your outlook.
I don't know if I mentioned it, but when my dad died, I was pulling together photos of him over the years for the memorial service. I noticed that in the later years, he'd lost that very broad, carefree smile he used to have. I managed to narrow it down to about when he was 70 and he had his first lung cancer surgery.
I think while we know we are all mortal, we don't feel it in our core until something life-shaking happens to us...something that forces us to fully understand that our bodies are all we have and they will fail us.
That realization changes you...it can't help but. 21316. PelleNilsson - 3/9/2007 8:15:27 PM My sympathies, thoughtful. You have a difficult time ahead. I hope your mother beats the odds. 21317. wonkers2 - 3/9/2007 8:18:45 PM The older we get the more we are conscious of our mortality. I've noticed that about myself recently. 21318. PelleNilsson - 3/9/2007 8:25:05 PM So have I. 21319. wonkers2 - 3/9/2007 9:17:32 PM Pelle, quit lurking and resume contributing!
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