Although I've been an IT guy for over 30 years, this is the first message board I've ever joined. Anyway, my diagnosis, at this point, is up in the air. I have a small tumor on the upper right lobe, PET scan showed no spread and am headed in for a needle biopsy tomorrow. Just about no chance it isn't malignant, as both thoracic surgeons I've seen were nearly 100% sure it was cancer and it lit up in the PET scan. At this point, it's just a matter of what kind. So strange and ironic for me for so many reasons. Before I go into them, let me say that while I am a bit scared, I'm also strangely energized. Been taking each poke, prod and test one thing at a time and holding up pretty well emotionally.
Okay. Strange and "lucky" in that it was caught due to a CT scan for what now appears to be an unrelated growth under the opposite armpit. That growth didn't light up, nor did any nodes in between in the PET scan. Still don't know what it is, but it likely saved my life.
Strange and miserably ironic because my sister died of lung cancer less than a year ago. She was diagnosed as IIIB, inoperable but responded so well to chemo and radiation that her tumor shrunk enough away from her aorta to be removed. She wound up surviving three years, although the last several months went very badly due to complications from a fall.
Guess I should have said up front that I am 59 years old and my sister was only 56 when she passed last year.
Not sure how much to add to my intro. I am a branch chief at the FDA after a long career in private industry. Quit smoking over 17 years ago, but apparently not soon enough, eh? Sister didn't quit until long after her diagnosis and then started again several months before she died. You couldn't put a gun to my head to make me smoke one of those things at this point. I'll always be glad I quit, even if it turns out it wasn't in time.
Anyway, trying to keep my sense of humor and get through this. Like I said, I'm strangely energized and know that it's very likely going to be IA and I'll make it through. I'll leave on this. It's amazing how fast your attitude about life can change. Up until a few weeks ago, I was dreading turning 60. Now, I can't imagine anything better.
