Songwriter

Hey Barry,
Just read your post about Retuxin (SP?) affecting lungs.
I now have COPD and seemed to get it after taking Retuxin
only for a month & then earlier took Methotrexate for a short time also.
I took these terrible drugs for Rheumatoid Arthritis, not cancer.
My drs. don't seem to think these have anything to do with my getting the COPD out out the blue. I do!
Any info that you might have heard about lung damage & these drugs would be great.
Thanks a million.

Dear Songwriter: I have been battling triple negative breast cancer stage IIIb, plus recurrence IIIb, radiation times 2 separate times, head cancer, I've chemo for a total of 12 months and chemo by tablets for a total of 9 months. And multiple surgeries.

It is 4 years this month that I have been fighting.
My palliative care MD initially let me try Ritalin 2.5-5mg twice a day. It was a MIRACLE. Being bedbound most of the time due to pain and or fatigue, just getting up to make a cup of coffee was daunting. With the Ritalin, I could shower, do laundry, drive....wonderful. very hard not to overdo it. However, the tradeoff was experiencing drastic headaches.
Fast forward 2 years later to now. I have a new pain management MD. We try Adderall vs. The Ritalin. 2.5-5mg once or twice a day.
Perfect. No headache. No shakiness. My quality of life is so much better. Even if I'm not doing anything in specific, 2.5mg a day definitely makes me generally feel better.
Katie

"Chemo can definitely give us more time however the chemo only kills and doesn't heal. It does nothing about the reason we have it and until that we are stuck with the killing."

Statements like these are not helpful and scare those who are just starting out in treatment. Please refrain from making statements like these that scare people. And are not true. I am living proof that chemo cures, as are thousands of others around the world and on this site. Yes, chemo kills the cancer cell, but that's how it works. And, yes, it doesn't address the reason we got cancer, but still, it works. I am actually speaking from personal experience.

We hope you're doing well and are able to keep your cancer at bay.

Yes that was a great song and one that you must have had a keen sense or awareness because today, I actually did get hug from my mom after many, many weeks of miscommunication between us. Thank you, you are my Charm!

Welcome to the WhatNext family! The WhatNext family is made up of people like you who are looking for help or looking to help others. To help you along your journey the WhatNext family has put together a Beginner's Guide to Cancer that I highly recommend you check-out here: http://bit.ly/10BQKCi. Also, please do not hesitate to reach out to others or ask for help.

Wishing you the best.

David
Founder, WhatNexter