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Believe51 · 03-18-2009, 12:13 PM

Hey Lee, I think you have your answers but I would like to add my opinion? Mostly just to vent if you don't mind and to say I too feel sad. I too feel that it has sucked the lifeforce out of him. He always looked younger than he was but now appears 15+ years older.

Through this entire journey I have noticed several things. Ed has a raspy voice now from chemo and radiation. The weight loss of this very healthy 'before cancer' man helps to make him look even sicker. What little hearing he had before treatments is gone from the radiation and he will be deaf eventually. The skin on his face sags, his eyes are always glossy and always a pale glow to that beautiful face. His teeth are not the white teeth I once remembered but they are all his atleast. His hair is no longer auburn with white, it is black, it is sparse and it will never grow back completely. One thing he admired about his features was his hair. The doctors cannot believe it even has grown back at the rate it did after all he has been through.

I have bought him newer clothes that fit a little better and make him look a little better but they hang on him. I am going to address the Faslodex injection because he has no meat on his butt to stick it into anymore. I offered to splice off some of mine to help him out but he refuses the operation!! (haha) Go figure!

I totally agree with Flori and the tropical vacation or any vacation at that. I have the most gorgeous pictures from the cruise. The ones the crew photographer took shows Ed at his best. Let me add that he had the Gamma Knife 8 days before we left too. His pictures are proof of what time away will advocate for the patient. There was a pink glow to his face, his smile was natural, his clothes helped to make him look well. He was radiating from the inside out. No one would ever imagine that he was all Decadroned up and making me crazy....hahaha, glad I can laugh now!

But I am with you, Lee. Ed has never looked more beautiful to me, more stronger inside. Yes he looks fragile I must say, but never looked better. I am really looking forward to the rest of our lives together. Keeps getting better and better with each day!>>Believe51

PS: If Ed refuses the splicing operation, I think I should look into the low lighting or fog thing myself. I have aged from this journey for sure!

03-18-2009, 12:13 PM	#16
Believe51 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: RHODE ISLAND (Ed getting me a latte on 2nd Cancerversary Cruise 2008) 'BELIEVE': To accept as true or real, To have faith in, To presume ALWAYS BELIEVE Posts: 2,999	Hey Lee, I think you have your answers but I would like to add my opinion? Mostly just to vent if you don't mind and to say I too feel sad. I too feel that it has sucked the lifeforce out of him. He always looked younger than he was but now appears 15+ years older. Through this entire journey I have noticed several things. Ed has a raspy voice now from chemo and radiation. The weight loss of this very healthy 'before cancer' man helps to make him look even sicker. What little hearing he had before treatments is gone from the radiation and he will be deaf eventually. The skin on his face sags, his eyes are always glossy and always a pale glow to that beautiful face. His teeth are not the white teeth I once remembered but they are all his atleast. His hair is no longer auburn with white, it is black, it is sparse and it will never grow back completely. One thing he admired about his features was his hair. The doctors cannot believe it even has grown back at the rate it did after all he has been through. I have bought him newer clothes that fit a little better and make him look a little better but they hang on him. I am going to address the Faslodex injection because he has no meat on his butt to stick it into anymore. I offered to splice off some of mine to help him out but he refuses the operation!! (haha) Go figure! I totally agree with Flori and the tropical vacation or any vacation at that. I have the most gorgeous pictures from the cruise. The ones the crew photographer took shows Ed at his best. Let me add that he had the Gamma Knife 8 days before we left too. His pictures are proof of what time away will advocate for the patient. There was a pink glow to his face, his smile was natural, his clothes helped to make him look well. He was radiating from the inside out. No one would ever imagine that he was all Decadroned up and making me crazy....hahaha, glad I can laugh now! But I am with you, Lee. Ed has never looked more beautiful to me, more stronger inside. Yes he looks fragile I must say, but never looked better. I am really looking forward to the rest of our lives together. Keeps getting better and better with each day!>>Believe51 PS: If Ed refuses the splicing operation, I think I should look into the low lighting or fog thing myself. I have aged from this journey for sure! __________________ 9/7/06Husband 50yrs=StageIV IBC/HER2+,BoneMets10/06TaxotereX10,'H'1X wk,Zometa,Tamoxifen4/12/07Last Tax5/18/07Pet=Rapid Cell Activity,No Organ Mets,Lytic Lesions,Degeneration,Some Bone Repair5/07ChemoFail6/01/07Pleural Thoracentisis=Effusions,NoMalignantCells6/19/07+7/2/07DFCI 6/25/07BrainMRI=BrainMets,Many<9mm7/10/07WBR/PelvisRad37.5Gx15&Nutritionist8/19/07T/X9/20/07BrainMRI=2<2mm10/6/07Pet=BoneProgression 10/24/07ChemoFail11/9/07A/Cx10,EndTam12/7/07Faslodex12/10/07Muga7512/13/07BlasticLesions1/7/08BrainMRI=Clear4/1/08Pet=BoneImprovement, NoProgression,Stable4/7/08BrainPerfect5/16/08Last A/C8/26/08BrainMets=10(<9mm)9/10/08Gamma10/30/08Met=5mm12/19/08Gamma5mets5 12/22/08SpinalMets1/14/09SpinalRads2/17/09BrainMRI=NoNewMets4/20/09BoneScan5/14/09Ixempra6/1/09BrainMRI=NumerousMets6/24/09DFCIw/DrBurstein6/26/09Continue Ixempra/Faslodex/Zometa~TM now lower7/17/09Stop Ixempra By Choice9/21/09HOSPICE10/16/09Earned His Deserved Wings And Halo=37 Month Fight w/Stage 4 IBC, Her2+++,My Hero!!