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We got good news yesterday no mets to the brain. Dr. is prescribing another medication for the pain--stronger he said it still might make him sleepy. I certainly hope the radiation eases the pain he starts this Tuesday--does anyone know how long it usually takes for pain relief I know everyone is different but trying to get a general idea. He told me yesterday no pain on the left side where he had rib fractures from the fall--that's good too. Thanks for all the good thoughts

It was a grueling 2hr test for my husband but it's over -now we wait for results today or tomorrow. It was a long day appointment in the morning for mapping for radiation and 2hrs later the MRI. He was exhausted by the time we got home it was a long day and still no pain relief call has been made this morning to see what can be done the Vicodin is making him sleep all the time and makes him fuzzy headed a feeling he hates but I don't know what else he can try. Radiation treatments start on Nov 1st.

My husband is scheduled this Tuesday for a MRI of the brain. I talked with the radiologist Thursday and she said she was going out of town for a week and wanted to get all calculations completed before she leaves including the mass they are going to radiate. Well a few days went by in all this fuzziness and I just realized that she was also talking about the possibility of brain mets. I'm concerned now because we don't want any brain radiation done until we talk with the dr. we don't even know what's involved yet or even if he has mets. I know she was trying to cover all bases so treatment could start as soon possible but we are hesitant. What questions should we be asking the dr. and I read online if he has mets that WBRT is really no good and doesn't increase survival time that meds can be given to cope with symptoms. I will be the one asking the questions as my husband seems to be fuzzy headed from the meds and just sits there(and of course I am checking his every move for brain met symptoms--is this one of them?). I feel so overwhelmed. He was going to tell his sons this week but now has postponed until he has info from testing on Tuesday.

Today has not been a good day I thought the pet scan we had done included the brain--it didn't and now he is being scheduled for a brain scan--another worry. And my husband trying to be the jokester today during dinner out said "well this time next year I won't be here"--I lost it and started crying in the restaurant--I blaming this on the Vicodin he takes--what else could it be. It's been of those days--

Had meeting today with radiologist and she suggested 2 wks of radiation for pain relief. I did find out more info today the tumor is located on the lining and into the ribs but from the back area not the front as I thought. She told us that in her best guess my husband has a 1yr to live with treatment less without--he asked.. She said there could be other areas of cancer in the body but too tiny to show up. They are treating the mass only because if they tried to treat the other nodules it would do too much damage to the lungs. I'm trying to be optimistic but I'm not feeling it today sorry. By the time all appointments are set up it will be at least 2wks before treatments start.

Dr. visit went well yesterday and we were able to view the pet scan. The dr. is suggesting starting off with radiation treatments first for pain relief--(we see that dr. tomorrow)and when that is completed to start a once a week chemo treatment. A ct scan will be taken after a few months to see any changes and if things progress well he will be on maintenance chemo--once a month. He told us that the cancer is confined to the one lung and has not spread to any other organs or lymph nodes--he said that was good news; the bad news was there is not only the mass next to the ribs/lining area but 2 other nodules one 2cm and one much smaller--he is hoping the chemo with shrink those--we will return to the oncologist in 3wks to discuss the chemo treatments. I am hoping the radiation helps with the pain as the medication is making him sleep all the time.

Thanks for the reply Tom his primary Dr. switched his medication to Vicodin/with Tylenol after viewing the pet scan results and seeing the fractures and again he is sick to his stomach this morning and the pain has not subsided; we are at a loss as to what the next move is we don't know if the pain is from the rib fractures or the cancer he tells me it feels as though his whole chest hurts. If no better when he wakes up he is calling oncologist to see what he might think--perhaps we can get an appointment to see him sooner.

Just received pet scan results the cancer has not spread to the brain or other organs and is confined to the right lung but the mass is large 5.4x 2.1cm with osseous erosion in the right posterior fifth rib and another nodule in the upper right lung 2.2 x 1.4 cm. I am able to get results from our medical portal so we have yet to hear from the Dr. but I did see where it was listed as stage iv. I do not know what the next step will be my hubby has severe copd and the dr had talked about palliative radiation. I have been upset all day trying not to cry in front of my husband but every little thing sets me off--on top of all this he fell last Friday on his left chest and now that hurts and the pet scan showed minimally displaced rib fractures--don't know what that is.

Hi Deanna and welcome I am new too. My husband has severe copd can not tolerate PFT testing is unable to walk any distance and was able to have a lung biopsy; he also has 2 heart stents, is type 2 diabetic and has PAD and CAD they couldn't do the nodule because they were afraid of complications but were able to do the mass. I am thinking perhaps his was in a area that would have been hard to reach or would have created trauma for him. My hubby said it wasn't an easy procedure to have done you are awake the whole time a needle is used to numb the area--you can't move and then of course the biopsy is done you have to lie still and be able to breath when they ask--this also was difficult for him. Tom is a great resource. One thing I have learned is to ask lots of questions. Hang in there

Thanks so much for the quick response it has helped ; my hubby says I am a "helicopter" wife--I guess that explains it. It's hard not to be we have been together 28yrs and he has battled severe COPD since 2004. So that in itself has it's ups and downs but nothing like this. Just dealing with all the test and doctors is tiring for both of us.

Husband has pet scan scheduled for this Tuesday but I am seeing things that don't seem right but since I have no knowledge everything worries me and of course he won't call the Dr. or let me call for him. We have second appointment with oncologist on the 17th. In the last few days his appetite has changed and I noticed the other night his right ankle/foot were very swollen. I don't know what signs to look for and I am worried he will go downhill fast--these changes have been since this past Friday and we do not know where the cancer has spread. They gave him Tramadol for pain and the reaction to that was terrible, itching, vomiting, unstable balance--he quit taking it a few days ago and most of the symptoms have disappeared expect the balance. Could all these things be the cancer spreading quickly. I am the type of person who has to know what to prepare for and I have to know everything--don't want to be in the dark.

Thanks so much for all the replies and resources I have found a place that really cares. I don't feel so alone in this battle knowing I can share with others. My husband has already had a needle biopsy with a diagnosis of Squamous cell lung cancer either a stage 3 or 4; we are waiting appointment for a Pet scan to see where it has spread and an appointment was made for the radiologist. So if all goes as planned we should know the extent on the 17th when we meet again with our oncologist. The hardest part is yet to come we need to tell his adult children

I asked the oncologist and he told us that when a nodule or mass is located on the chest wall and near the ribs sometimes it can be difficult to diagnose and my husband has severe COPD. I would think that would be right if the nodules/mass were small but these were not.

Does anyone know why a lung mass would not show on x-rays. My husband had numerous x-rays taken in the last several years and nothing showed up his pulmonary Dr. decided to get a CT scan due to a 9mm nodule they saw and then that's when they discovered not only the mass(it's abutting the pleura and down to the 5th rib) but a 2CM speculated nodule and pleura nodules in the upper and lower right lung. I looked online but could not find anything, I know it doesn't change the diagnosis but I'm upset to think that we thought we were being proactive in our health care and I guess we weren't. My husband had been complaining of right rib pain for about 2yrs.

Welcome I am new here too