Hi Melissa. My husband was dx with a recurrence in March of this year. His original dx was June 06, which was followed with surgery, then radiation and chemo. The recurrence started with back pain early this year, which we later learned was a tumor at is 4th right rib. He also had multiple mets to his lungs and a spot in his neck and a few other places. For us it was tougher than the original dx. Doctors suddenly go from optimistic and tossing around the cure word to being "so sorry." I could barely stand it when they would give us the puppy dog eyes.

I finally arrived at the conclusion that modern medicine has terms like treat and cure, but we as people still have terms like heal and healthy available to us. Joe's cancer is only treatable (according to the docs), but he is healthy and healing. Starting in April, he began weekly chemo infusions of carbo/taxol/5FU, and Erbitux. He is also receiving complementary treatments to help with side effects and boost immunity, and Zometa to strengthen bone (every 4 weeks). To date, he is doing great. He is working part-time, exercising (even doing some light jogging), and doing stuff that he enjoys. He doesn't have the same energy level as before, but this is nothing like the chemo experience the first time around. Other than the nausea med that he gets on infusion day, he doesn't take anything for that or for pain. We attribute much of this to the complementary treatment. He had his first scan at the end of June. After 12 weeks of treatment, the tumor in his back went from 68mm to being completely gone! He went from multiple lung mets to one mass that shows no PET activity and has shrunk by 40%. Everything else is clean. The report described it as a complete response to the treatment. His doc said his results were remarkable. We think they are heaven sent.

So, I'd like to say, don't let anything or anyone make you give up on the healing powers that are within you. We are designed by our very nature to heal. Don't let anything distract you from this fact. Combine the best of all modalities then believe that anything is possible.

Wishing you healing and health.

Chris