Jump to content

BridgetO

Moderators
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,228

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    178

 Content Type 

Posts posted by BridgetO

    WBC, Neutrophils while on Tagrisso

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    You could consider getting a PCR covid test. My wife tested negative on 2 home tests but was still having symptoms a week later, so went to the doctor and tested positive on PCR. Immediatly after getting her results, she took another home test and again tested negative. I've read that the home tests can be fairly unreliable on negative results.

    Diagnosed March 27th

    in INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

    Posted

    Hi BBTN and welcome! I had a lower right lobectomy in 2016, with no further treatment.  The diagnosis was adenocarcinoma stage 1a. My recovery was easier than expected. I have had no evidence of disease since. A lot of us (maybe the majority having a lobectomy) recover pretty quickly and get back to normal pretty quickly. If you have questions about any aspect of lung cancer, ask us. That's what we're here for and among the whole bunch of us we have a lot of experience . I wish you all the best.

    Bridget O

    Stress and Cancer

    in HEALTHY LIVING / RECIPES

    Posted

    Hi Bernadette and welcome here. As Tom said, we can support you--that's what we're here for.   I can understand the need to rant. We've all had it from time to time. A lung cancer diagnosis is difficult for anyone, but I hear that it's especially difficult for you because of your famiily history and your partner not being supportive.Go ahead and post rants here. But also get hold of Kristi to see what kinds of support and resources she can offer.

     Hang in there, Bernadette, and stay in touch here.

    BridgetO

     

    Diagnosed Jan. 13, adenocarcinoma LLL

    in INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

    Posted

    Hi AuK. I didn't get a firm diagnosis before surgery. They were unable to do a biopsy because of the location of the tumor. Based on the appearance of the tumor and the fact that I had 2 prior unrelated cancers, I was advised to go ahead with the surgery. It made sense to me and I did. I waited a long time (a couple of months as I recall) for surgery. This was partly because I wanted to take a previously planned vacation before my surgery. Because my tumor was small and so slow growing (I had been on wait and watch for 3 months and it grew just a tiny bit) it didn't seem to me or my doctors to be much of a risk to wait. One of my prior non-lung cancers was large and fast-growing and I was practically whisked into surgery (about a week from the biopsy results) so I knew that the medical system could react fast when necessary. Also, after my experience with THAT one, I think I was a bit blase about a tiny, possibly malignant lung nodule. I didn't have a brain MRI.

    Also, there is  sometimes  a reason to have further treatment, other than spread to lymph nodes. I think a tumor can be Stage 1b solely due to size or if the surgical margins aren't clear. For 1b, people usually are offered the option of further treatment. 

    Feel free to ask anything else you want from me or anybody else on here!

    Diagnosed Jan. 13, adenocarcinoma LLL

    in INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

    Posted

    Hi and welcome. I had a lower right lobectomy in 2016, NSCLC adenocarcinoma, stage 1a. They did biomarker testing automatically.No treatment beyond surgery, and I've been NED since.  I suggest you insist on biomarker testing.  If your tumor is staged at 1b, you will probably be given an option of further treatment and at that point it's essential to know what your molecular type is. Also,  Lou's compilation of Tips and Tricks is invaluable.  Hang in there and ask us any questions you have.

    National Pizza Day!

    in HEALTHY LIVING / RECIPES

    Posted

    Here's the attack you predicted LilyMir! I'm pretty opinionated on pizza and in my opinion pineapple and any kind of chicken shouldn't be on there. I agree with Tom about Marherita. Also  I like some vegetables in moderaion: mushrooms, olives, onions, spinach and artichoke are all good, but I disagree with the "Healthier pizza" folks- piling on the vegs can result in a soggy crust. No meat on my pizza, but for those who eat meat, some sausage or pepperoni is OK. But, to each her own, so Aloha to those who like Hawaiian. And chicken if you must!

    Mri scan

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    Hi Justin,

    Lung cancer is a bear! Family members who are worse than unsupportive are another kind of bear! Set your boundaries with those people and keep them. I do know from personal experience that boundary-setting is much easier said than done.  Use whatever kind of support you can get-- from us here, from supportive family ( I know you have those, as well as the other kind), from counseling, and  from whatever suits your religious or spiritual beliefs - prayer, meditation, visualization. How about visualizing some kind of firm boundaries- a strong fence, an invisible shield?  When I was a child, we used to say to name callers "I'm rubber and you're glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you." It still works! Surround yourself with white light, angels, or whatever feels  protective to you.  Or visualize cutting whatever "cords" tie you to these folks. Get out an imaginary pair of great big scissors!  Hang in there, Justin, and know that  you can do this! 

    New here

    in INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

    Posted

    Hi Mat and welcome,  You've had some good information and suggestions from other folks, above. I especially recommend Lou's Tips and Tricks checklist. Several of us contributed to it. I had a lobectomy by VATS  about 6 years ago. It wasn't too bad as surgeries go. I was able to have standard anesthesia, so I can't speak to the combo of anesthetics your doctor plans to use. I like Karen's suggestion about talking to a pharmacist about them.

    I was up and walking around the unit the day I had surgery. I was discharged the following day, with a chest drain tube in place because I had an air leak. I do think this early release was unusual--more often they keep you in the hospital until the air leak stops and the tube can come out. Maybe it's because I don't have any serious healt problems, other than being old! (71 at the time of my surgery) My tube was in for 10 days. I had some pain fron it but I learned how to move around without aggravating it. Once it was out, my pain was much less and easily managed with ibuprofen and tylenol. 

    My recovery was pretty fast, with no lingering side effects, except that it sometimes sounds funny when  I breathe. I have a good quality of life now, and I'm working part time.  There is definitely life after lobectomy. I suggest you find somebody to stay with you for the first few days, at least, after your surgery. At most hospitals they won't discharge you unless you have someone picking you up who will be with you for at least 24 hours. I was able to do most stuff for myself pretty quickly. but I did need help changing the dressings around my chest tube and a few other things. I was really restricted in what I could lift.

    You will get through this just fine. I suggest not thinking of it as an ordeal but rather as an "interesting" healing experience.

    Bridget O

    Christine

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    Hello and welcome! We have a lot of members who are on this forum because someone in their family or another loved one has lung cancer, so you're not alone here. I agree with those who posted above that there should be other options, and a second opinion is in order. Best wishes to your mum and to you in advocating for her.

    Choosing a place for radiation

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    Hi JHP, I have a couple of comments about prognosis and reading.

    First, be aware that lung cancer treatment has evolved at lightning speed over the past several years. What this means is that reports of survival and recurrrence rates, which are usually based on 5 years of experience are practically out of date by the time  they're published. So  beware of relying on prognosis statistics that you find on Google (or elsewhere, for that matter). 

    Second, statistics are based on large numbers of patients, but everyone is a case of one. 

    Third, and  related to the second one, doctors don't know everything. I'm a survivor of 3 different primary cancers. My most recent was a lung cancer, NSCLC, Stage 1a. Before that I had a rare and aggressive gynecologic cancer, Stage 3,  which my doctor wrote in my record as having a "dire prognosis". This was in 2011. Here I am now, with no evidence of disease since the end of my treatment 11 years ago. , 

    So, read cautiously and keep up hope.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.

  I accept