It's not uncommon for them to disagree, I think. The only sure-fire way to know the stage is through surgery. If they remove lymph nodes containing cancer cells, then it's definitely Stage 3. If the lymph nodes are all clear, it's considered Stage 2 until some new information comes along (or doesn't...

I'm very, very close to someone who needs "urgent psychological help" who refuses, for whatever reason, to seek it. There's nothing I can do about it, so I don't complain or take it personally. I've also discovered that pointing it out or attempting to get others involved, does no good. So...

Eric the spuds look really good. What is the texture like? I haven't attempted spuds here in Portland 'cause clayey soul. Tried to grow carrots and the were smushed. Would have to dig deep and prepare soil. We have clay soil, and I've been amending it with as much compost as it can take over the ye...

Kiwi, I meant to compliment you on the dishes you shared with us earlier in this thread. Looks delicious; vegan. I boiled up some of the B-sprouts and served them as a before-supper snack dressed with butter, salt and pepper. Then I made a basic garden soup, including potatoes and some more sprouts,...

It's snowing today, so it's a good thing I went out to the garden yesterday, which was a beautiful day, to see what I could glean before things got messy. I was pleasantly surprised to see more broccoli growing, despite several hard frosts in recent weeks. I was also happy about the Brussels sprouts...

Just an update. My local onc doesn't want to give me any chemo until he knows what we're dealing with, which should become clear on Tuesday, when Kemeny has me scheduled for both a CT and PET scan. Waiting to hear about the pain meds, which I asked for and they said they'd order up at the pharmacy. ...

This has happened to me before, though this time it's worse. Basically, after some procedures, I get very sensitive skin covering numb, vaguely sore muscle tissue. In both cases, it's my upper chest that's affected, either right or left side. The first time it happened, I had a chest tube inserted t...

The second treatment went well. We checked into the hospital at 5:45 a.m. and were back on the street (in the Gitney, actually), by 11:30. Caught the train to Poughkeepsie and were home by 4:30. So not a bad day at all. I never thought I'd enjoy riding in a car vs. driving, but my wife drives home f...

I had another really good garden this year, Kristi. My photos are mostly on my phone, but one of these days I'll download them (plus some work I did on the tree farm farmhouse) when all the excitement in my life calms down. Heading back down to Manhattan for what we all hope is my second successful ...

Hello, I am a new member and I have read many of your posts over the past few months. It is incredible that you have so much compassion for other people in times when you have to deal with personal challenges and how you share your experiences and the learning we get from it. I am truly thankful, h...

Well, as one of my favorite fictional characters of all time, Jim Anchower on The Onion, used to say, "It's been a long time since I've rapped at ya, amigos." The past six months have been a real roller-coaster for me, but I'm still standing and still optimistic about the future, though it...

I had a conventional LAR and was in the hospital for 4 nights. Recovery at home took about six weeks for me to get back to "normal," more or less, but I went back to work after two weeks (1 hour drive each way). So, recovery is an incremental process. You're laid up pretty good for the fir...

Tell him to enjoy his wine. One of life's small pleasures, and I think it helps suppress nausea.

The T number indicates how far the tumor has penetrated the bowel wall. T2 means it's not all that deep. But yes, I'd say that something called a T2 tumor is certainly a cancer designation. For a more detailed discussion of what the T rating means, a Google search should be helpful. I find it hard t...

The generic drug is called Capcetibine. With Xeloda, you may be able to get a "copay card" from the mfg., which means you only have to pay 15% of your bill. Not sure if this program is still in effect, but I used it for over a year and it was very helpful. Just google "Xeloda co-pay c...