My best friend has colon cancer.

She saw the oncologist yesterday who told her she had 30-35% chance of recurrence if she did nothing.  If she has chemo two times a week every other week, it would make the odds 20%.  He did not push her strongly to have chemo, telling her it was her choice.  She has no clue what to do.  Since chemo is different for colon cancer, and I have no experience at  chemo for breast cancer,  I hesitate to advise her.  I told her how we discuss the percentages around here, that it takes highs and lows to end up at the average.  If she is in the higher range of chance of recurrence, it would be better to be getting chemo.  Finally I suggested that she begin chemo and if she finds it intolerable she can always stop.  I didn't think to tell her to ask about the path report, whether the cancer was aggressive.  I will tell her to ask about that today.  She said she has an appointment next week to decide.  Bear in mind that she is 69 years old.  She is in good health except for arthritis and bum knees from her althletic background, as far as she knows. Last winter she had a bout with something they thought was a fungus in her lung.  What makes me rather angry is that no doctor has ever told her she should have a colonoscopy.  Her tumor was the size of a baseball and weighed 1 1/2 lbs.  You would think she would have felt it, but she didn't.   Anyhow, if anyone has any ideas as to what to tell her, please let me know.  Hugs MK

Hi Candy, thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I know you are worrying about your husband and daughter, too. I will keep all of you in my prayers, also.

My husband has had some issues, too, for about eight weeks he has been crippled up. He has constant pain whether he sits, lies down or walks. The dr seems to think it is his back and has ordered an MRI which will be done next week. He also has pain in his rib cage on both sides and hears a strange sound when he moves which he describes as a popping sound. So she also ordered a bone scan for next week.

Stella's (best friend) daughter has MS also. She went into the Army after high school and recently went to a VA hospital rather than civilian care where they did a great work up on her which has helped a lot. They told her she should have done that before she had so much damage and they could have helped her.

My mother broke her hip last fall and healed like a young woman. She is getting more and more frail but still in good health. She will be 96 in May. Her mind is back in the days of her youth mostly. She still thinks great, adds great, plays cards and bingo and wins prizes, but she talks about her brothers and sisters and living at home with Mom and Dad rather than talking of my Dad and our childhood. But that's ok, as long as she is content. She seems to be and says she is well taken care of, well fed and comfortable.

Sometimes we do think we have a lot on our plate, but then we look around us and see those with much more. I take pleasure in watching the birds and occasional glimpses of wildlife I can see out my kitchen window. Hummingbirds came back last night, so now we have a feeder hanging for them alongside of the Finch feeders in our window. These tiny birds remind me of the smallest wonders of God's universe.

Big hugs back,
MK