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Hi Mich, Just my opinion, but this sounds like another version of blaming us for our illness. I think that our state of mind can affect our quality of life in recovery, and that stress reduction, prayer (ours and others), positive thoughts, visualization, etc, can be helpful for some of us. But I distrust someone who treats cancer as a psychosomatic illness that requires psychotherapy for "successful treatment". And I note that this person appears to be selling a particular brand of psychotherapy. I'm not buying! Bridget

Hi to everyone! I had my surgery on May 31. Developed a significant air leak & also pneumonia (both lungs). In ICU for 5 days out into stepdown unit for 7 days. Thanking God for being with me. My pathology came back good. Cancer confined to right upper lobe-which was removed. Lymph nodes were negative. Now for working on regaining strength & building lungs up. Blessings to all!

Thanks for the update Jeffrey ! Keep up the breathing treatments or as Tom wrote you'll get congested which leaves to more coughing and more pain. Continuing to pray for more progress and that you feel better and better every day. Donna G

Jeffrey, Recovery from thoracic surgery is a process. In a non-medical characterization, it starts with chest tube or tubes removal. So, you are on the way. Expect coughing and expect pain but it should improve every day. Breathing treatments help because they ease the congestion. The doc needs to ensure your lungs don't get clogged, thus the breathing treatments. Today, you'll likely meet the spirometer - a device that you'll blow into to to keep a ball elevated as long as possible. Likely, you'll be coached to performing this exercise many times per day. It will be uncomfortable but is necessary to hasten your recovery. Glad the VA system is taking care of you. It validates most of what I know about VA medicine. That is, the problem is getting into the system. Once in the system, the VA operates like every other hospital. Stay the course. Tom

They removed the lung tube last night And it felt wonderful for a while a breathing treatment came and I made a caugh and now I'm back-to ground 0 with pain Today I will just do what I can it's just too painful I was getting up I will try again .As far as the VA once we got going the care has been totally outstanding I could not ask for anything better the surgeon is outstanding the nurses are very friendly and understanding I am glad I am here if I have to be in the hospital

Jeffrey, So very happy to hear your surgery is over and you are apparently on your way to recovery. Yes it is painful but I'm sure you'll be encouraged to be taking laps around the ward floor soon. If you are still in the hospital, ask the nursing staff to bring in some extra pillows to attempt to find a more comfortable position for your chest tube. If your recovery is normal, this should not remain in place long, so that is something to look forward to. Great news about the resection of the tumor in the Trachea. I recall that was of concern. Despite the success of the surgery, you'll likely have post surgical chemo 30 to 60 days after discharge to ensure all potential cancer cells in your blood stream are dealt with. Keep us posted and since there are several forum members currently starting treatment with the VA, insight and information about your VA hospital experience would be helpful. Stay the course. Tom

Great news, Jeffrey! You will probably feel better once the chest tube is out. I know I did. Best wishes for a fast recovery.

It's over he only had to remove the top 1/3 of my lung and he was able to get the tumor out of my Trachea you so it's a little narrow now.chest tube Hurts terrible

Glad to see your like so that we know you're okay Jeffrey. Hope your healing is speedy. Judy M Sent from my SM-J100VPP using Tapatalk

Jen, Welcome here. If I had a CT scan report of 6 nodules, enlarged lymph nodes, a liver lesion, and enlarged spleen, and my doctor wanted me to wait and rescan, I'd get a copy of the radiologist report for the CT and take it to another specialist, pronto. My first choice would be a medical oncologist, but I'd see the first available lung cancer practitioner. While waiting for your appointment, you might want to read Lung Cancer 101 on the LUNGevity.org site. You'll have questions, no doubt and this is a good place to ask. As Susan said, we are not doctors but have accumulated lots of experience with all facets of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment from a survivor's prospective. Stay the course. Tom

It's 4:15 where I am. I'm awake and I'm praying Jeffrey. You're not alone. Judy M Sent from my SM-J100VPP using Tapatalk

Jeffrey, Nothin' better in the world than an Oh-Dark-Hundred wake up! I know you've done a few of these in the past. This one will be for a slightly different reason but you'll be fine. I had a pneumonectomy and two additional surgeries to repair a tear in sutures. If I survived, so can you. Stay the course. Tom

Hi Lauren, I flew to out to Mexico City for a cryoablation/immunotherapy treatment that has not yet been approved in the US. However, my Dr. is from the states, where we initially met him. We have had an amazing experience and I am currently going through a strong immune response that involves fever and flu like symptoms as the body's immune system attacks the cancer, no fun to be sure, but exactly what the doctors want to happen.I know treatments like this are not the norm, but they do involve FDA approved immunotherapies, just used in a combination that is not yet approved in the states. Brief Opdivo infusions upon return are the next step followed by several scans to measure progress. I hope to share more upon completion of this protocol that is useful for Stage 4 patients especially. God bless.

St Michael, Welcome here. We don't endorse physicians or treatment facilities in this forum but you can Google the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and easily find useful information to validate its reputation. I'm not a doctor but a lung cancer survivor who experienced a reduction in tumor size and numbers from chemotherapy alone - twice. My second line therapy, the drugs Taxol and Carboplatin, was administered after tumors appeared in my left lung after my right was removed. After 6 infusions administered over the course of 18 weeks, the 3 recurrent tumors in my left lung were declared NED (no evidence of disease) by both CT and PET scans. Unfortunately, a year later, one tumor returned to my left lung and I again had 6 infusions of the same drugs. Again, the tumor was deemed NED, but it returned again and I had stereotactic radiation (CyberKnife) to finally eliminate the tumor. So, if your objective is to shrink the tumor to allow surgery, then your mother is on the right treatment path. From what I read, Cisplatin and Pemetrexed are the standard of care for treatment of NSCLC when surgery is not possible. So be optimistic; this combination of drugs can be very effective. Surgery is indeed the best way to deal with lung cancer but it is not the only way. There are emerging therapies called targeted treatment and immunotherapy that are very effective treatment methods. Here is some information about them. https://www.lungevity.org/about-lung-cancer/lung-cancer-101/treatment-options/targeted-therapy and https://www.lungevity.org/about-lung-cancer/lung-cancer-101/treatment-options/immunotherapy My nearly 13 years of surviving lung cancer taught me that the primary effect of chemotherapy is to extend life. No one knows how long, but no one really knows how long one will live. I've learned a better approach is to enjoy the life I have and the extension I'm granted rather than fret over how much time I have left. This is so important because it took me a while to realize this prospective and I wasted a lot of life fretting and worrying. Be optimistic but help your mother enjoy her life every day. And, spend time enjoying her company. Stay the course. Tom