chloesmom

All of my scans in recent years have been without contrast-try not to worry too much about it-with scans to compare, I think that those reading them are better able to see new issues. good luck to you, Cindy

Hi Ralph, I too was so afraid of surgery. Except for an overnight in the hospital after early stage breast cancer surgery, I had never spent a night in the hospital either. But, I decided the only way that thing in my lung was going away was if I got to the hospital and did the surgery. It was terrifying to me too-it was everything I could do to put one foot in front of the other that morning walking into that place. However, after the surgery they did a good job of managing my pain. And they got me up in the chair the second day. The third day they made me walk up and down the hallway. After the first walk, I realized that the quicker I got my strength back, the sooner I could go home. I walked all afternoon and evening that day. I guess it worked because I was sent home the next afternoon. Then, once home, I really recovered quickly. It is scary, but take advantage of the opportunity to get that thing out while it's still small. After that, then you can get on with life- Cindy

Congratulations on your survivorship!

Hi Liz, Not a medical person, but I think I would not wait until her next treatment to report any kind of unusual symptom I would make the call to the oncologist and have them decide whether or not she should come in-why take a chance? good luck, and thank you for letting us know about those posts-I took care of them. Cindy

Hi Kellie, Love the pictures you are posting! You look like you are feeling great!!!!! I am happy the Tarceva is going well. Rash is a problem for so many-I hope some of Katie's suggestions get it under control. Cindy

Tairen, It's always tough to see people you love going through all of this-it sounds like you have a great mom-and please keep us posted. We all understand what you are going through. Cindy

I'm with Katie on this one for sure-teaching hospitals -university facilities - seem to be the most forward in terms of the latest treatments, clinical trials, etc. I got great care and results at a university hospital. Cindy

Hi Angeline and welcome! I don't know about alternatives - I did traditional treatment and then consulted with complementary treatment (a blend between conventional and alternatives). You might want to check the other topics in the forum though for more information. good luck and keep us posted! Cindy

No expert here, but I have not heard of that. Please keep us posted.

Diagnosed June 2003 Stage 1B, surgery, chemo as treatment All clear at last annual visit in June 2013. Previous stage 1 breast cancer survivor-2011.

Denise, I'm so sorry. Cindy

Congratulations!

Hi Don, sorry to hear that you are back in battle mode with a new lung situation. I hope that the doctors zero in on exactly the right treatment for you and you get underway soon to get rid of the monster. Good luck to you and keep us posted. Cindy

Yay for you! And keep on doing what you're doing! Cindy

Hi Truke, I just wanted to say welcome. I read your post and of course, like a lot of us, this was an incidental find. Mine happened as a result of a routine chest xray that my breast cancer surgeon ordered because I was a smoker and the last chest xray I had was two years prior before my breast cancer surgery. I had a 1B tumor in my upper left lung, adjuvent chemo that wasn't great, but wasn't really terrible. i worked full time throughout the treatment. I just got a clean bill of health a couple weeks ago at my annual lung surgeon's visit. And I do truly feel fantastic. I quit smoking the day I got my CT scan results and was told to go see a lung surgeon. It truly was the best thing I ever did. Staying in shape is one of my priorities now and I don't feel that the missing lobe is holding me back at all. I hope you have the same great results. Please keep us posted on your progress. Cindy

Hi there! I missed the HOPE Summit this year, but was in attendence the previous two years. A great event, and an excellent opportunity to be able to interact in person with so many people who know what kind of experience living with lung cancer can be. It's great that you've come to the message board as well-if we can't 'talk' in person, at least we have the convenience of a message board. keep in touch with us and let us know how you are doing! Cindy

Jim, Congratulations on your years of survival and keep on going! Cindy

Hi Don, I missed the HOPE Summit this year, but we are FB friends. It's good so see you on our original message board. I love seeing your photos of all of your activities-talk about living your life! I hope Tarceva is the magic charm for you and may you continue spinning and hiking and doing all those great things for a really long time! Cindy

I did not have radiation as part of lung cancer treatment, but I did have radiation for breast cancer two years prior to my lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. If you have some trepidation about radiation treatment, I would recommend a couple of things. First, express your concerns to your medical care team-whether it be surgeon, oncologist, radiation oncologist. Sometimes the unknown is our worst fear of all and when we find out exactly what's going to happen the fears ease up a little. I'm sure the risks are scary, they are scary for all procedures, but maybe the expected benefits outweigh those risks. Second, get another opinion as to whether radiation is recommended. There are a lot of people here who have had radiation to their chest as treatment for lung cancers. I hope they weigh in with their experiences. Good luck to you-and keep in touch with us. We all know how scary these times are. Cindy

Hi Debbie, I am so sorry for your loss and I hope you can find peace in some great memories-39 years is a long time. Cindy

Congratulations Craig! We have several members who are enjoying great success with Tarceva and I hope you do too! Cindy

Alyssa, I'm so sorry for your situation, but happy you found Lungevity and the Lung Cancer Support Community. I am a survivor and not a caregiver, but you will find many caregivers that you can correspond with on this site-and we survivors are also happy to give you any information we can. It's a tough path to walk for sure, but I have found a lot of companionship here and I hope you do too. Cindy

I hope things continue to go well for you! Cindy

Good luck with the new drug, Janet! Cindy

I am happy for your good news!