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Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/21/2017 in all areas

  1. Mally

    Future scans

    Ive recently had ct scans done and no sign of cancer which im totally thrilled about but im scheduled for my next scan in 6 months time but just wondering if you all wait 6 months for your next recurrence scan after getting the all clear ? Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk
    2 points
  2. Greetings Friends! We have a plan!!! And it's a good one! Next Tues afternoon I will start my first (of four) rounds of a chemo combo (carboplatin and pemetrexed). The thinking is that this is the treatment that makes treating two cancers comparatively simple. It's quick (only 12 weeks) and very well known. After being in the land of amazing new medicine, it is strangely comforting, knowing that there shouldn't be any mystery side effects to deal with. After chemo I will start 35 or so sessions of radiation. Then Larry the lung cancer will have been cut, poisoned, and burned. This has been one long, scary roller coaster ride and I've hated waiting to figure things out. But this waiting time has given me opportunity to think and pray about what I want in treatment. It's easy to say that I want to be cured (and my 23 year old body back as a side effect). But it's much harder to figure out what I'm potentially willing to give up. This extended time has helped me figure this out. And I'm so grateful. Shalom, Julie
    1 point
  3. Tom Galli

    Deja Vu All Over Again

    I'm writing this from a Florida Hospital radiation clinic waiting room. My daughter is having intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to treat her meningioma residual left over from surgery 3 months ago. This was her second brain surgery and in between was the birth of my granddaughter. Ironically, our greatest joy was sandwiched between our greatest fear. She'll have at least 30 fractional sessions. I'm here doing grandfather and father stuff, the former fun, the latter hard as nails. There are substantial risks. The tumor residual is lodged around her eye socket and the impact to her vision is of vast concern. We've talked about it. Mostly we try and forget. Daughter feeds back my mantra of only worrying about things that can be controlled but it doesn't ease my concern. Too much experience in this radiation domain to not worry. I find myself undone by uncertainty, again! Yesterday's clinical visit experience was my first in a long time. Things haven't changed. Quiet people waiting for their time with "the beast", families talking in hushed tones, most have lost hair indicating combination therapy. One change: the radio oncologist came out to greet my daughter. He supervised the fitting of the facial fixture and stayed through the entire dose application. That was unique in my experience and immensely comforting. Maybe the cancer community is learning to treat people not patients. Passing on parental knowledge and experience is expected but not on this subject matter. We need to fry this tumor, but the potential vision side-effects are disconcerting. We've got one chance, twenty-nine radiation bullets left, and then scanziety and hope. Tumor is a word I need to discard from my vocabulary. We will stay the course.
    1 point
  4. Steff

    Brand New

    Jeffrey, My mom had her upper right lobe removed in January 2016. I've been reading your journey so far through this post and hear some of the similarities. It took her awhile (a month or so) to feel that she "recovered" from the surgery enough to resume some of her hectic daily schedule. After surgery, she had quite a bit of fluid built up and had to have some of it removed at one point. She still has some fluid around her lung from the surgery but it is slowly decreasing now on its own. We are told if may never totally go way, but not to worry - I would still be sure to have it checked as Tim said. Even more than a year later, she still has pain where her incision was, she is told that is normal due to all of the trauma that went on in that area. I wish you the best in your healing process and hope all goes well for you. Take care
    1 point
  5. Susan Cornett

    Deja Vu All Over Again

    Thinking about your daughter and you, and praying for only the very best results.
    1 point
  6. Steff

    Looking for hope

    Thank you Tom, I really appreciate your response. Today is better than yesterday, we at least know that her surgery to have a stint placed in her bronchial tube will be no later than early next week to help her breathing. We are supposed to have the results of her biopsy this week, so I will definitely post once we know for sure the type of cancer. Thanks again for taking the time to respond. Have a good day.
    1 point
  7. Tom Galli

    Looking for hope

    Steff, I am a fourth time cancer survivor. I had 4 recurrences after reaching a state of no evidence of disease (NED). So here is the hope I offer, if I can live so can your mother. Lung cancer is persistent. At some level, recurrences should be expected. Take some time to get acquainted with this site. Most of us were not "one and done" survivors. But we are here. Let us know the type of lung cancer your mom has (for example non small cell Squamous cell lung cancer). Those with a similar type can chime in and tell you of their experience. Stay the course. Tom
    1 point
  8. Julie, You said it best! Stay the course. Tom
    1 point
  9. BridgetO

    hello

    Welcome Raymond! It's good that you went to Sloan Kettering when you weren't satisfied with the answers you were getting. Cancer does mean a lot of reevaluation. Hang in there! Bridget
    1 point
  10. rayj3497

    hello

    i have to add a few things about me. i retired in 2008 as a new york city fire department paramedic and at the same time as a site coordinator for a emergency medical training site in the air force in rank of a master sergeant. so i have a little bit of medical knowledge. so when this all started i went to the local hospital. its a good local small town hospital. but when i was not getting the answers i needed to educate me on this disease, it was time to bring it the experts. so yes i have a great oncologist and a great thoracic surgeon at sloan kettering. but from my past experience with sloan i also have my pcp involved to take care of me after surgery. its just not knowing whats happening and the frustration, i have a bass boat but when i have bad days the weather is nice when i have good days the weather is bad. since i retired im 2008 i have been practicing my trumpet again, just joined the local community band, with all the anxiety, oh did i fail to mention i have ptsd, i can't practice, so no fishing no playing music. have to reevaluate, i am strong. i will survive. but i will witch and rant. laughing until my sides hurt .
    1 point
  11. Tom Galli

    Brand New

    Jeffrey, I wouldn't know about withdraw of benefits but I wouldn't worry about it yet. You are some distance from a NED scan and I can research your situation when I get back to my computer. Just stay focused on recovery for now. Stay the course. Tom
    1 point
  12. Dave, Glad you are able to handle the treatments. Expect your throat discomfort to increase somewhat. Do you have coughing symptoms? Stay the course. Tom
    1 point
  13. Well another week has gone by. Not enough goes on to post updates everyday so the once a week thing is working for me. The days go by so slowly. It's hard to stay busy when you don't feel good. Another week of daily radiation treatments and the once weekly chemo. The chemo and radiation seem to have really kicked my butt this week. Thursday, Friday and Saturday were the worst days of pain I've had so far. Stomach all nauseas but I got stuff for that, kinda works. I've had 4 chemo treatments so far and 17 radiation treatments. I should be half way through by now, at least that's what they told me when I started. Got some stuff that numbs the throat so I can swallow and eat. Just can't really tell if something is very hot or very cold. Throat is raw so I still can't eat much. Well im thankful I have my morphine. I still have the pain in the chest and all my energy is gone. Well, I guess I will post again next week. Good luck to all you who are going through cancer treatments. I kinda am partial to living a lot longer so I'm not giving up anytime soon. Take care everyone, DragonKing (Dave)
    1 point
  14. Sarah, I do absolutely understand. I had 4 recurrences after treatments. Each one felt like an emotional punch in the gut. I wish I had a magic pill that would wipe away this madness. You know the drill. A treatment plan will emerge and you'll need to suite up for the beat lung cancer game. Welcome back and stay the course. Tom
    1 point
  15. Susan Cornett

    Chemo with costumes!

    I think we can all agree that chemo stinks. I had four rounds of cisplatin/pemexetred last year and I'm 3 weeks into 6 weeks of carboplatin/taxol for a recurrence. Last year, my girlfriends and I decided to have themes for chemo. One session was 80s and the last session was Mardi Gras. We had beads and boas for everyone. We're doing the same thing again this year. We had spring fling, beach fun, and today's pajama party. For some reason, my husband wants no part of the costume concept! I'm sharing this in the hopes that it will inspire you to find a way to get through chemo with a smile. If we don't laugh, we cry.
    1 point
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