Hi All!
I'm so glad to hear about this forum and the potential to connect to others who have an understanding of this diagnosis. Three months ago, I was a happy, healthy 42 year old university professor with terrible back pain. The week before Christmas, I was shocked to discover that the pain was actual a bone mets to my hipbone. I would find out later, on Christmas Eve no less, that it was lung cancer and I was told I had four years or less to live.
Since then, I have found a new treatment team who seem to be more optimistic. I have adenocarcinoma, EFGR+ and only a small lung tumor with the one mets to the hip. The hipbone has been treated through aggressive radiation therapy and I am scheduled for surgery to remove the lobe of my lung with the tumor. After, I will take Tarceva and Gilotrif.
Overall, I feel I have adjusted quite well. It has weirdly been a crash course in gratitude for all I have in my life and I have been showered with love and support. My treatment team is wonderful and despite fighting (and losing) with insurance, my treatment has been rather easy up to this point. But there are two things I am struggling with a bit:
1) While I am optimistic about my future and hopeful about treatment, everything I hear and read about this diagnosis, stage IV lung cancer is so very bleak, it is very hard not to view it as something of a death sentence. I'm wondering how others have dealt with that. I'd also love to hear survivor stories.
2) I'm dreading my surgery, but even more so the targeted therapy. I'm grateful I'm able to take it and avoid traditional chemo, but I already developed a horrible rosacea breakout/rash all over my face I'm assuming from radiation (Did this happen to anyone else?) and have heard nothing but horror stories about Tarceva. I work with the public and am dreading side effects like a rash I can't cover and potentially losing my hair. Has anyone NOT had these side effects?
Thankful to have found the site and welcome some positivity, connection and stories of success. Wishing you all health and happiness!
Kerry
