Rain Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 Ok...not knowing how else to phrase it...I will just get right to it. CT scan report shows "5mm ground glass nodule in the right upper lobe. 3mm nodule in right middle lobe. 6mm ground glass nodule in right upper lobe. 5mm ground glass nodule left lower lobe". WHY am I doing the watch and wait thing? I was under the impression that any nodule 5mm or above was suspicious and should be of concern. I am currently having symptoms that include a cough that won't go away, can't lay on my left side due to feeling like I can't breathe, shortness of breath with ANY exertion, feeing of my breath catching in my throat and random low grade fevers occurring only at night. I am a 44 year old woman who has been smoking for 30 years or so. I want to quit but the doctors for some reason can't get my insurances (Medicare and Medicaid) to cover the patches NOR can they find any program to help me get them. (Washington has no longer got a Quit Now program...I've called twice) Any opinion as to what my next step should be? I am suppose to meet with a pulmonologist tomorrow morning but am afraid it will be like it has been for the past 3 months....hurry up and wait and maybe you will not die. Went to the ER not long ago and the doctor actually looked at me and said "what do you want me to do?" so...I told him the truth...FIND OUT WHY I CAN'T BREATHE. They ended up putting me on O2 in the ER to maintain my sats. Any ideas of what to do next??? Mally 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Rain, First idea: try and relax, emphasis on the try! Believe me, I know. The CT discovery is disconcerting but the tumors are very small. The watch and wait thing might be appropriate because your reported symptoms (cough, fever) might actually be the cause of your tumors. Second idea: to ease your mind, ask your pulmonologist about a biopsy. He or she might be reluctant because the tumors are very small. Needle biopsy would be difficult. So, ask about a PET scan. Again, the size makes results interpretation challenging and doctors wouldn't know what kind of cancer but you might have a result. A three month delay in treatment is not unusual. I once had 4 months of inconclusive scans that finally resolved as my second reoccurrence. The "yes", "no", "maybe" was maddening but although cancer grows fast, the delay in treatment did not affect outcomes. Let us know how tomorrow's session goes. Stay the course. Tom LaurenH, Mally and MaryTD777 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryTD777 Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 When I was somewhere between the CT scan and the biopsy (I think... ) I was sitting in the garage (my smoking room) and read for about the tenth time: If the patient is otherwise healthy & a non smoker, surgery can...At that point I reached for a cigarette and when it hits me what I was doing as I was reading what I was... I called myself a LOT of choice words. Seriously bad words. I was 47, just 3+ years into my 2nd life... well, 2nd marriage. I had a 21 year old daughter who was just learning I wasn't as bad as she thought I had been during those teen years. I had been smoking for around 35 years. While there might be people out there who thought I deserved to die of lung cancer, I disagreed. I picked up that pack of cigarettes and the lighter and I walked over to place them on my husbands piano and few feet away. I kept googling lung cancer and every half hour or so I reached. And I thought. And 30ish minutes later I did it again. And again. That was March 2011And I haven't smoked since That was after getting up to 3 packs a day during my : " 2 jobs 4 or more days a week, 2nd one in a bar so even if I wanted to quit smoking my environment would keep me full of smoke so why bother quiting, something's gonna kill me anyway " days.If I can quit, ANY FORKIN BODY can quit!! Seriously!! The only other time I quit was when I was 16... for 6 months. A guy sent me back with a kiss LOL Maybe if I liked himAnd he didn't do it in front of the only guy I DID like!Oy!Just do it! If you don't want to, creams, lotions, stickers, candy, gum or a giant lottery win ain't gonna make you quit. If you're ready, you don't really need that caca.And like Tom said, try to relax!!MarySent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk Tom Galli and Mally 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mally Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 I smoked for about 30 yrs with a few give ups but then mum got lung cancer and watching her with surgery and then oxygen at home was enough for me to give up but that was 17 yrs ago and now ive got lung cancer but maybe if i hadnt given up when i did i may have gotten the cancer years ago Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judy M. Posted April 3, 2017 Share Posted April 3, 2017 I also smoked for 30 years, Mally. And now, 17 years later have been diagnosed with a type of lung cancer nonsmokers usually get. But I praise God I was able to quit and wouldn't trade these last 17 years. It was excruciatingly difficult at first, but grand ever since. Only wish I'd been able to quit sooner. I must have tried 100 times over a 10 year period before I finally quit for good. For me at least the key was perseverance.Judy MSent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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