Meloni

Hi Karen! I've completed two rounds of the same chemo that's being recommended for you. I was diagnosed with IIIA NSCLC on February 15 of this year. I'm scheduled for a RML lobectomy on May 23, and I'll probably do some more chemo after surgery. There are side effects, and the severity varies from person to person. Fortunately, they have great medicine to mitigate the side effects. They want us to successfully complete the treatment, because not completing the treatment is no bueno for kicking cancer's butt. Here are some side effects I experienced, as well as what doctors did to help me. Your mileage may vary. Nausea - I disliked this one the most. Fortunately, they loaded me up with lots of anti-nausea meds, gave me IV hydration appointments in-between appointments, which included IV anti-nausea and anti-stress meds, and were willing to experiment with new meds if what I used wasn't strong enough. Smells and Taste - I became hypersensitive to smells, and things began to taste funny. Some people prefer hot food during chemo, I preferred cold, because it had less scent. Weight Loss - No doubt related to the above two side effects, I lost weight quickly, because I didn't feel well, and things tasted and smelt terrible to me. The doctors don't like this at all. They gave me doses of steroid, additional anti-nausea meds and hydration, and marinol to stimulate my appetite. Fatigue - This varies from day to day, and may vary at time of day. Naps are essential, but so are walks, even if they are baby strolls through the backyard. Hair Loss - I haven't lost all of my hair yet. It's gotten noticeably thinner. I suspect it will get much thinner after the next rounds. The severity of hair loss varies from person to person. I was very nervous as well. I'm nervous about the upcoming surgery too! Do you have a support system at home? Friends and family who can be there while you receive chemo? I have found that to be very helpful. Are you scheduled to actually receive the chemo on Monday, or are they still setting you up? If you are receiving it, have they installed a port, and given you an "education class", etc? Although the above side effects look unpleasant, I agree with Tom. It's worth pushing through. You've been through the tough part. They really do have great ways of dealing with the unpleasant side effects, because THEY WANT YOU TO SUCCEED. Oh, and stay hydrated! It's really important. Mel

I hear the *carbs trigger cancer* thing a lot; not from physicians, but from people and books that promote alternative methods to cure or prevent cancer. Studies are being done to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of low-carb diets during cancer treatment. Here is one example. http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials/search/view?cdrid=709592&version=HealthProfessional&protocolsearchid=14982876

Hello Friends! I had my Pet scan Friday, and holy cow was it tough to wait. I finally know what the "scanziety" is all about! My surgery consult was today, and the surgeon was very optimistic. He said my scan looked "GREAT". He showed me the before and after scan, and it seems everything is smaller and not very "lit up" at all when compared to before. The surgeon intends to remove my right middle lobe, my affected lymph nodes, and any lymph nodes that are within the area of the right middle lobe. I'm scheduled for May 23rd.

Thanks for checking back in, Mary. I just finished my 25th session of radiation today, and I'm scheduled for my 3rd chemo on the 19th (next Tuesday). I'm finished with radiation for now--I'll have a PET scan in early May, followed by a surgery consult to see whether surgery is an option. If surgery is a no-go, I'll be back to the radiation table. The chemo has been a bit rough for me. I've had a few extra hydration/anti-nausea sessions, because I tend to stop eating the first week of chemo, lose too much weight, and worry the doctors. Vomiting is one of my least favorite activities, so I might be hypersensitive to that sensation. Other than that, it appears that my blood counts recover nicely, although the ARNP notified me this would be more difficult over time, as my body gets hit again and again. I'm looking forward to kicking this stuff in the butt. Hope everyone is well!

Hello all, It's been a chaotic time. I had lots of set-up last week. First chemo and radiation treatment happened yesterday, and my 2nd radiation was today. We met with the RAD doc on Friday, and he said that due to my good health and age, he'd like to be more aggressive and consider surgery after this round of chemo and rad. He'd also like to pursue the genetic / mutation / whatever testing, even though my Stage cancer isn't typically approved (IIIA), and he's going to try to get an exception, or work something out. You can really see he's thinking steps ahead, but I think he also wants everyone tested, and the "system" just isn't there yet. Anyway, I'm at work, trying to catch up with a few things. It also gives me some alone time. I'm feeling a little bit smothered. Everybody wants to talk about cancer. I'd like to talk about other things while I still feel kind of good. I see why Jesus needed 40 days and nights in the wilderness every now and again. : )

Hi JohnSkip, I'm new to this forum as well. I've discovered in very short time that there are a lot of really great people here, who've experienced similar feelings of fear and uncertainty that I've experienced, and have a lot of great insight. I'm confident they will have something to offer, and am hopeful it brings you comfort. This is a scary time. I know. Who do you see at the U of Penn tomorrow? Is it a specialist, such as a pulmonologist? I hope to hear from you soon!

Thank you Mary, Barb, and all! My husband and I met with the oncologist on Friday, as planned. In a nutshell, the brain MRI came back clean (nuttin' going on upstairs, <snicker>). The cancer has been staged as IIIA. Doc says treatment will be with the goal of remission and cure, and we are going to start with chemo and rad therapy, done concurrently. Tomorrow I meet with the rad doctor for the consult (6 weeks of therapy, but she'll give me the rundown); Tues my chemo port will be installed, and Friday I meet with the ARNP for an education in chemo. Treatment for both will start the week after (March 7).

Tom, thanks for the book recommendation! I've ordered Emperor of All Maladies by Siddharta MukherjeeI, as I suspect I'll have a lot of reading time on my hands. Today is the big day. In about four hours, my husband and I meet with the oncologist to review the results of the MRI - brain, and discuss my prognosis, treatment, and, uh, stuff. I'm trying to keep my anxiety levels down, but it's tough.

Thank you Barb and Tom! My MRI was on Tuesday. Like the CAT scan, PET scan, and bronchoscopy, it was my first of that type of procedure. Very noisy, and I felt like Hannibal Lector when the placed the hood device over my head and face. My next appointment with the oncologist is tomorrow, and it's been a test of patience, wondering what's going on in my body, and how my life will be changing. Tom, you have mentioned genetics in some of your posts. Do you have some keywords that might help narrow my research regarding that? The doctors have asked about my family history, and it was tough to immediately answer because the father who raised me, passed from lung cancer at 48, but he was not my biological father. All of my siblings (1/2 siblings, genetically speaking), are cancer-free, but I am also the oldest. My biological father, whom I have only recently reconnected with, has disclosed that he has COPD (industrial exposure), his father passed from lung cancer, his paternal grandfather passed from a type of cancer, and my father's sister passed from lung cancer last year. I have no idea if that's relevant, but thought I could add it to the info if it would be helpful. Thank you for your help, and also about the notebook Barb!

Good afternoon Tom, I was just browsing the forum and realized I hadn't been very social in my intro post. I came back to remedy that, and saw your reply! Thank you. In answer to your question, I have had a biopsy. After my x-ray in January, I had a CT scan, and then a pulmonary consult. Pulmonologist ordered a PET scan, "just in case". They figured my nodule was probably an old something or another from growing up in AZ (Valley Fever). The PET scan came back, and my nodule "kinda lit up" and some lymph nodes "lit up". Pulmonologist said it was probably inflammation or infection, but let's do a bronchoscopy to be sure (which I very much appreciate). The results of the biopsy confirmed that the nodule is lung cancer (adenocarcinoma), and the lymph nodes were confirmed as well. Thank you for the link to the questions, and thank you for the very thoughtful response. Meloni

Hello, My name is Meloni (pronounced like "Melanie"), and I'm 40-years old. Last week, on February 15, my pulmonologist called me to confirm I have adenocarcinoma. The origin is my right middle lobe, and not large--1.3 cm; however, it has spread to some lymph nodes in my chest (I believe some mediastinal ones, but I don't recall which ones--the #s 3 and 7 come to mind). My husband and I met with the oncologist on the 18th. Doc ordered an MRI of the brain, which is scheduled for tomorrow, the 23rd, and on Friday, the 26th, he will have reviewed the MRI, the PET scan (in more detail), consulted with thoracic surgeon and radiology doc (I think the nodes will be a big part of the conversation, but I know very little about nodes), and I think have more specific information about my staging and treatment advice. I need to come up with a list of questions to ask, but I think I'm still in a daze. It's been a process. I went from patient-who-is-low-risk-demographic-for-lung-cancer-why-won't-she-leave-us-alone to oh-s**t-she-has-lung-cancer, and the transition has been a bit tough, even though I tried to prepare myself for the scenario.