Topic: Brain MRI-making me CRAZY!

Lisa, that wasn't a helpful comment, and I thought surely someone would stop by with some real words of wisdom.  I don't have any, but on NoSurrender's site, I do remember that Edge said that ativan (lorazepam) is the best drug for counteracting the anxiety and hyperactivity caused from the decadron.

As far as talking you down, I don't know enough about brain mets to even venture a supposition.  We're all walking this new road together.  I have my brain MRI followup on June3, and I'm hoping for good results, but still the imagination goes where it will.  I'm still feeling symptom free, but we know what could be there and it's so very hard not to imagine the worst case scenario.

Is your MRI tonight?  It sounds like your sister is level headed.  I hope you can lean on her.

Thank you so much for your compassion - both of you. I worked up a sweat outside doing badly neglected yard work for some distraction. I now will have a lemonade, fresh from my tree - with a splash of vodka, methinks. Unfortunately my sister is at the other end of the state from me. I'll be taking a cab down to the hospital - it's under 10min. and the MRI will run far too late for early-rising friends.

I'll take that Ativan, Brenda - I've been nibbling at one all day, but one entire sucka will go down about 8:30!

Lisa

(((Lisa))) I'm thinking of you... I hope you manage to calm down just a little ~ I know that's easier said than done, but I hate to see you so anxious & worried.  Unfortunately I do not have any advice to offer, just a lot of hugs & positive thoughts for you.  You are in my heart tonight ~ we'll all be right there with you.

Lisa,

You have been on my mind lately and I am so sorry to find you going through a difficult time here.

I don't have anything. but friendship, love and prayers to offer. I wish I had words of wisdom, but I somehow never do at the most critical times. I would love to be there to share a lemonade and vodka with you. I'd give you a nice shoulder and foot massage and cook you a delicious meal.

I do pray that the news is as good as possible and that the Lord will guide the doctors to treat you in just the right way. I'll be thinking of you and anxiously awaiting good news.

Love you, sister!

Miss S

Lisa sending you many gentle hugs Heather

Lisa - sending hugs, white healing light and prayers for you that you will find a resolution of the brain issues.  Ativan used to help me when I was wired from steroids.  Don't be shy with 'em.  Let us know what happens with the MRI.  You are loved and cared about. Crossing my fingers and toes.

Hugs, Jeanne 

Lisa, I'm sorry that I  have no advise but want you to know that you are in my thoughts, prayers and I too am holding you close to my heart.  Wish I was on the west coast so I could take you for your MRI and be there for you...know that I am there in spirit.

Love to you my dear sister,

Nancy

Lisa, maybe the brain needs more time recovering and it isn't the tumor.

We do understand the fear, the anger, the steriods...that make people crazy.

Fingers crossed and prayers that the MRI looks good and that you just need some more time on the 'roids.

Janis

Pugs snoring, is that better than a spouse?

Oh, crap, Lisa, four hours??  They should make long acting Ativan.  I personally dose up every night with 15 mg of time-release melatonin and a 3 mg Lunesta.  Used to take 12 mg Ambien cr until the new insurance didn't cover it.  Sleep is so important.  If you have issues typically, I strongly recommend Ambien or Lunesta regularly. 

Your oncologist is a lying sack of shit, that's what I think. 

Call the neurologist.

Oh Lisa that is so ridiculous ~ and I completely agree with Brenda on this one!!!!!  If I were you, I'd be making myself a pain in their asses until I got some answers, LOTS of answers.  Don't back down on this one!

Oooooh I'm steamed.  There should be a special place in hell for oncologists who go away when their patients are waiting for test results and don't have a backup plan.  This is totally and completely unacceptable.

And to tell her yesterday that he'd call this morning when he knew FULL WELL that he had NO INTENTION of doing so.  A-HOLE!!!!!

In my oncologist's defense, he did not say yesterday he would call first thing in the morning, he promised that last week when I saw him. Now I've just gotten a call that my neurosurgeon in LA is in a procedure ALL day.

Hard to believe he can't take 10 min. to call. Maybe the procedure ends with the 18th hole.

My neurology guy who has only seen me once, for the consultation in LA, has now got a somewhat tearful request in to read that report. In the ER the MRI results were back within 30 min - why can't I crack/hack the Kaiser system and get my own records? They won't be typed up for a week for my retrieval. 

Maybe I will make a pitcher of lemonade. Liquid sunshine. I was in the backyard when the call came (my cordless gets a signal - it's a small yard) and running across the lawn I stepped in dog poop. Now my Pugs are RAW -fed, and it just takes a few hours to turn it crusty and dry. But this was fresh.

It's just not my day.

Lisa

Reminds me of the day I had my PET scan to find out if I was metastatic.  They told me it would be about an hour until the results went to the dr, so I drove home, and after two hours called the nurse.  She checked, no results, but promised to keep checking.  Two hours later, I called her again.  No results, again, she promised.  Two hours later I called, no results, but she would check again because she was about to leave.  She never called me back, and the next day I called and got her message that she was out until further notice.  I was going nuts.  So I called the dr's secratary and she was very vague about the nurse, but she'd have the onc call me.  All day I waited, and finally at the end of the day I got a call to my PCP, and she called me back with the results.  She's the one who told me I was metastatic, not the onc.  I switched onc's soon after that, and I never have spoken to that nurse again, even though she's on staff at Cleveland Clinic.  I remember that as one of the worst days in this cancer journey.