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I just joined the lung cancer club


Trudy

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Hello,

I was diagnosed in July with stage IIIB lung cancer. I have to be honest; I have stayed every night since the diagnosis thinking that I will probably not make it, ok crying my self to sleep. :( Everyone tells me to be positive, but when you do a search for the rates of survival, they are not good. I kept thinking "where are the people that survive lung cancer?" Then, I found this web site!! Now I feel like I have a good fighting chance. :lol:

I would like to thank all of the NEDs for encourgaging the new comers. I hope that I can be NED one day too!

Thanks,

Trudy

P.S. By the way I am still frightened, but Zoloft helps a bit. I still cry every day a little bit. Maybe it is hormones.

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Hi, Trudy, a big welcome to the LCSC from the "other" Ned!

As you can see below, I also have NSCLC IIIB and received the same chemo combination as you. Since February I've been on Avastin alone and feeling better each month. My most recent Avastin infusion was yesterday, and in a couple of weeks I'll have another CT scan to see if it's still working or if we need to go to Plan B. The longer I can stay on Avastin, the happier I'll be.

If you know your cell type (adenocarcinoma, squamous cell, etc.) and what factors resulted in your IIIB staging, you might add that to your profile. It's great that surgery may be a possibility.

Another site I highly recommend is onctalk.com, which is run by Dr. Jack West, a Seattle oncologist specializing in lung cancer. He's just returned from an international conference on lung cancer held in Korea and when he gets his days and nights figured out will be giving detailed updates on what transpired there. Browse around onctalk.com and I think you'll be impressed, especially with the question-and-answer forums to which he devotes a considerable amount of time.

You'll be getting more responses from our mainland friends when they wake up in the morning. Aloha,

Ned

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Welcome. I know how you feel; the initial diagnosis is pretty scary. The great thing about this group is that there are so many survivors here. Like, you, finding this group gave me hope. Please do not hesitate to ask questions. The other great thing about this group is that somebody here has probably already gone through whatever treatment you are on and they can tell you about their experiences and what to expect. It makes it a whole lot less scary hearing what to expect from somebody who has actually gone through it. Sending you prayers for peace of mind and a successful treatment.

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Hi Trudy, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome. I am so glad you decieded to join our family here. It is a great place. I am also IIIB. I finished up treatment in the beginning of December and have been stable ever since. Tuesday will be my 1 year anniversary!! :D I'm doing everything I did before without any real changes. I can't run a 5K, but then I couldn't before cancer either. :lol: But Ernie can!! I have some numbness at my insicion sight, a slight cough. That's about it. I hope you stay with us. We've all been there, done that. You will get more suggestion's and answers quicker here than at the doctors. And Dr. West is a godsend. Ask him anything. He usually answers within 24 hours, if he's not globe trotting for our cause. Any chance for radiation? Hugs, Liz

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Welcome to you, Trudy!

If you read my profile you will see I have listed IIIA, but you will also see that I got 4 opinions. Some of those 4 had me at IIIB. So actually I am not quite sure which is correct.

I identify with your staying up at night and the crying too. I did both. But there is hope. Please read my story in the My Story forum. You'll see I advocate always getting at least one other opinion. You don't mention where you are located. I would seek out a second opinion so you are not trying to second guess yourself down the road about the course of action taken.

You stay here with us, Trudy, we'll see you through. We will support you, answer questions, and sometimes a little loving kick in the butt is in order too! It is all doled out with much love, compasson, and concern.

What all of us recommend new folks to do is to step back, take some deep breaths, get yourself organized, and gear up for an interesting ride.

Kasey

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Hi Trudy, and Welcome to the club NONE of us want to be in. :roll::wink:

I'm a Stage IIIB LC Survivor 12 years. :D Did I cry when I was first dx.d? Let's see, you could say I cried a RIVER! :cry: The only thing that will make those tears go away is TIME! (I hate to say that, but it's the truth)!

STAY AWAY FROM THE STATS! First rule of being a lung cancer survivor is DO NOT READ THE STATS! Besides they are 5 years behind on there information by the time you read them. (HONEST) It takes years to research and to put those stats together, and by the time they publish them, 40 new drugs have come on the market and new treatments are in play and ZAP buy buy to States! Everyone here will agree with this. AND I might mention there really ARE TWO sides to STATS and there's NO REASON you can't be the STAT that makes it. :wink:

I hope you'll hang out with us and let us walk the walk with you. Your NOT ALONE! Those of us walking it, know just what your going through and we've all cried tears, (still do) and we're all scared throughout this journey. But, it's doable and with the suppport of one another we can get through it a little easier.

Take care and it's nice to meet you.

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I'm so sorry that you have a membership card to this club, but you've come to the right place.

I'm the spouse of someone living with cancer. LIVING is the operative word. None of us knows how much time we have, so we just do our best to live each day well and try not to project into the future. My husband joined this club last September, and we still have our weepy days. This can be a scary journey, so tears are to be expected.

Keep fighting and coming back to this wonderful website.

Welcome Trudy!

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Boy do I remember the tears! I also remember the day my doctor let me cry for about an hour and just listened, what a nice guy! Then he referred me for counselling and put me on an antidepresent. Those first months are tough. I started with chemo and daily radiation before I became able to have surgery, it was all worth it, for that was nearly 10 years ago! Keep us posted.

Donna G

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Welcome, Trudy. I'm another IIIB who just celebrated 2 yrs. since diagnosis. I finished radiation treatements in 1/06 and chemo in 3/06 and since April '06 I've been taking Tarceva (a once a day pill). I'm sending prayers that your treatments are completely successful.

Take care and keep posting.

Trish

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Hi Trudy and welcome here! I am so sorry you had to search us out, but glad you did because now we can help you through this.

As you can already see by the posts many people here have your staging and are doing very well years later.

Do not look or even care about what they say about stasticts as that is a bunch of hooey! So many people here have been in your situation and have beaten the odds.

I could only imagine how scared you are, but and this is important... LC is NOT a death sentence. There are so many treatments now of days and if one does not work they will try another.

Keep us posted on your progress. Please know that we are always here for you.

Maryanne

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Welcome Trudy:

We know how scared you are, we've all been there, done that. Things always look so grim in the beginning but there is HOPE. Believe it !!! The stats you've been reading are at least 5 years old and no longer apply, so don;t pay any attention to them. Focus on your treatment plan and getting better. Keep us posted and let us know how we can help you. Good Luck & God Bless

wendyr

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Welcome Trudy

I think the most depressed I got was when I found out about my second cancer. Up to that point, I thought I had the cure ...oh well. I have been on lexapro off and on through the years. I have not used it in a year or so. After a while you just find a way to find the joy. It is part of being a human being. I just found out about my 4th cancer, and was depressed for a couple of hours I guess, but I am kind of shrugging it off now because I know I will soon get rid of my pneumonia and feel a lot better.

Good luck with your treatment.

Don M

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Welcome Trudy,

Sorry you had the need to find this site, but glad you did. This is the best place to be for support, advice, kindness and hope. Sending prayers to you in Silver Spring. (I just moved to NC from that area).

Ellie

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Trudy,

Welcome! The tears are normal and sometimes can be very healing. When I was first diagnosed I was so angry and incredibly sad. I would stay up at night and watch my kids sleep and ball my eyes out. No one knew I was up at night....just me. The days go by and we develop a thicker skin and dig in and fight. I still have my bad days and I allow myself that. I'm glad you found us. There is so much hope here.

Take Care,

Rachel

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Hi Trudy, welcome to our world, it will get easier, I too take zoloft have been on it for over 10 years for depression and PMDD, it does help but I did find I needed additional help with my recurrence so my pcp prescribed Klonpin which has help alot, without out it I found myself at a pity party nearly everyday. You will find each week is a bit better, I too am stage IIIB with the recurrence. Went for a CT scan this morning now doing the Www Waiting wondering watching game. We are here whenever you need us, there is always someone on this site night and day. I have trouble sleeping at times and find myself looking for posts up in the late hours. Prayers that you find some peace soon.,,,

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Hi honey...

Tears are OK...we all cried a river...but it will get better...honest it will....There are so many people here on this board doing very well with 3b.

As far as statistic's...they shouldn't even be allowed to be on the internet...they are soooo outdated and so much new treatment's have come up since then...and as someone mentioned our own DR WEST just coming back from a seminar is Korea will have some interesting news about 'staging' ...I understand the staging is going to be different...should be interesting..

At any rate...calm down .stay positive..fight the good fight and come here as often as you can for the best support any one can give....btw..I take Zanax every day and it will be 3 years for me since dx in about one week...This is some heavy stuff we are dealy with..grrr..but we will all hang in and wait for the Big C...(the big cure)..Take care and God Bless..hugs...Nonni

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Hi,

Think you have come to the right place! Listen to these people telling you how you can kick the heck out of IIIB Cancer...

Me, I'm a miracle altogether...working on LC #3 right now, diagnosed originally in 1992 (15 year survivor); recurrence in 1999 and now in 2007. Stay positive, don't believe or internalize all you read / hear. Miracles happen every day - Doc's have no explanation for spontaneous healing...

Welcome to the LC survivor group!

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