[Mtngrl]

Thanks, Paula, Pam, Tracy, and all.

I tried to get a second opinion from a different cancer center in town. The people there did not seem very well informed. Somehow they were unable, with a couple of months' notice, to get together all the information they thought they needed for the consultation. The admin person was asking me for copies of reports I've never seen and don't have access to. They didn't ask me for things I could have gotten, such as images of all my scans, or reports from biopsies. The intake person didn't seem to know anything at all about metastatic breast cancer. She was perplexed that I haven't had breast surgery or radiation to my breast, and when I told her about my lung mets she said, "Oh, you have lung cancer too?" It did not inspire confidence.

I just want to say I am feeling MUCH better. I am coughing a whole lot less. I still get out of breath on exertion, but it's not causing tachycardia or leaving me gasping for air. It's more like the old familiar, "Boy, I'm out of shape" feeling. That I can work with. I'm hungry all the time, but that's actually kind of welcome after a long stretch of not feeling much like eating.

I've been making a beautiful red juice in my juicer every morning, with carrot, beet, lemon, apple, and greens (currently chard). Then I turn that into a smoothie with Greek yogurt, frozen berries, grated turmeric and ginger, and some sour cherry juice concentrate. Lots of dishes to wash, but it's delicious, gives me a big boost of energy, and is loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. I've never thought of food as equivalent to medicine, but it certainly couldn't hurt.

Amy