Paulak64

The doctor showed me the actual scans today. As of now I am in remission but will still finish 2 more rounds of chemo. However can you pray that God help me to know what to do as far as radiation. I have to meet with a radiologist to ask questions and decide what to do.Both Radiation and the two remaining chemo's would be preventative measures because small cell cancer can come back too easy and we want to do our best so it does not come back.

How many treatments did you go through? Was it your first time going through chemo? Did it make you sick or something? Sorry so many questions thx Paula

Tylalla, you helped more then you think. It helps to know people go through the same struggles and fears that I do. I'm still working on the hope part but I'm starting to get there. Thx Paula

Yes, a CT with contrast. I couldn't remember what it was called. I am going to finish all my chemos. I have 3 left for a total of 6. I didn't think to ask the nurse for all of my records so thank you. I can do that when I get my next chemo which is coming up soon. I haven't been having anyone with me unless it was when I was in the hosp and my daughter was there and the initial visit with the doctor after the biopsy. I will see if she can go with me this next time. The drastic improvement without all the extra sure would be nice. I know I'll be praying for that and so will my friends and family. Thank you very much

I forgot to mention that it was not the doctor that read the results to me. Now these were the exact records the doctor was given. As he read and was confronted about the difference he stated that they must have been interpreted incorrectly. He also stated I was in remission. I knew for a fact that that was not true. Later in the conversatoin he said there was very little left and it never was anywhere but the four areas he mentioned. This is not the first time he has done something like this. I know I still want a few more rounds of chemo with the same drugs so I think I will go until those are done and then look for another doctor. In the meantime I am telling my doctor that I want to see a copy of the test. Again, it is all so frustrating especially when you feel you can not trust your doctor to tell you the whole truth. Again, thx for listening. This site has helped a lot. Paula

I have SCLC, carcinoma, metastasized. I am currently receiving chemo with Cisplatin and Etoposide. I have had 3 treatments total with each one being 3 weeks apart. I was suppose to start radiation soon but now the doctor is saying it's too late to do radiation. I so far have had no radiation at all so this has me confused. I was told by the doctor I had cancer in my left lung, it had spread to my right lung, it was also in my Lymph nodes in my neck and my thyroid. After the 3 treatments we just did another dye test to see how things were doing. I wrote this part earlier today so I'm just going to copy and paste: All I can seem to do today is deal with shock. I had good news from my test the other day. Well, I thought it was really good until... When they found my cancer I got the dye test and the oncologist told me it was in the left lung, partially the right lung, the lymph nodes, and thyroid. I went the other day for my latest dye test. Before anything else, I was told that there was a drastic improvement in my cancer. I was excited right away, with a big smile on my face and a sigh of relief. It was at least going the right direction and it was drastic. After that they went over what the new test showed. Cancer in lungs is less, minimal cancer in my shoulders and upper back. Cancer has decreased in my lymph nodes, cancer has decreased in my bones in lower back and pelvis, cancer has decrease in lymph nodes, no cancer in adenoids, Cancer has decreased in the thyroid, cancer spread just a little but not significantly. At this point I was too shocked to even ask where it had spread. Does anyone else see the problem between what I was told the first time to the second time. No one mentioned bone cancer, nothing about my lower back or pelvis. no mention of my shoulders or upper back. WTH, I feel worse not better. UGH so much frustration, anger, depression. Please pray.

I'm still hanging in there and working on things like hope and acceptance. Any prayers would be appreciated. "Thx Paula

Dang, I figured after 13 years you would be a pro at this, have no fear, no worries, all the hope and faith in the world. I assumed all of you who had been at this a while would be like that and give me the great directions to keeping faith and hope and not having fear or worry. Of course I should know what happens when I assume. I make an "*ss of U and ME" Sorry I learned that when I was young and it's always stuck in my head lol. I'm not calling anyone am *ss. I just have a twisted sence of humor sometimes. Hmmm, maybe I'm not so hopeless, just maybe. And maybe I'm more like you guys than I think. Maybe it's me just being human. Of course that's a lot of maybes but I do think even I could "hope for no evidence of disease". I don't expect that right now because I've only had 3 sessions of 3 chemo treatments each. I'll be going for my dye/MRI test on the 7th to find out if the cancer is shrinking or maybe even gone in one of the areas. I then go to the oncologist on the 13th to find out the results of that. I'm just trying not to think about that too much right now. If anyone else has wants to toss their two cents in here I'd sure like to hear it. It helps to finally have people to talk to about this stuff. And Thanks Tom!

I discovered I have stage 4 SCLC about 3 months ago, Dec of 2016. I was told without treatment I would have approx. 2 to 4 months to live. With treatment I could live up to a year and if really lucky I could live as much as 2 years. This devastated me! I have always had a strong faith in the Lord and so does most all of my family and many of my friends. However when it has come to my cancer I seem to want to rely on facts and not faith. I have gone through depression, which some of you here on this site have helped me with greatly, but now I realize I have had trouble believing in some of my own words. I have said "I know God can heal me if He wants." I had some in my family , who I have since talked to, want to only talk about a healing or an overcoming of this cancer and me living for years. I needed them to see my side of things and acknowledge the possibility that I could die. It has not been until today after a conversation with my mom that it really hit me that I am currently unable to acknowledge the possibility that I could live. Here is, I believe, my problem. When I was told I had cancer it hit me and my family hard, especially when we just lost my father a year and a half ago and he too had cancer. We knew he was dying of emphysema already when they discovered his body was covered in cancer. He died a week later. I was able to accept his death fairly easy because there was no hope of him living. In the same manor I can more easily accept my own "inevitable" death from cancer if I don't start, in my own words, "messing around with the idea of hope of being cured or healed." I feel like if I entertain those ideas and I am wrong then I will be devastated again. To me death is less scary then the depression I have gone through and am just now getting out of. The last thing I want to do is to go through it again. I also do not want to give my kids a false hope only to see them go through the devastation of it being wrong. I'm not real sure what to do or how to deal with this right now. I feel better just getting this out but if you have any suggestions those might come in real handy too.

Wow, thank you everyone. I've had a couple rough days this time right after day 3 of treatment but still better than some of the stories I hear and not anything I can't handle. I even managed to enjoy some TV, some time on the computer and some visiting from family. Mostly I was just really fatigued, nauseous, in pain and constipated but no vomiting, NO depression and best of all, thanks to you guys and some prayer, NO loss of hope! Maybe I should say feeling like I have found new hope. I know there are no guarantees of course but I also don't want to say "I'm dying, leave me alone" which is how I was beginning to feel. Someone also reminded me there are 5 stages of death and cancer can be dealt with in those same 5 ways, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I figure it's ok that those around me are at different stages than I am. I did talk to a couple of people who are the closest to me and that I deal with everyday and explain to them that I needed, for my benefit, for them to at least accept that "I" believe there is a chance I could die from this whether they believed that or not. I also needed them to not rebuke what I was saying but to respect my thoughts and feelings if they were going to keep being around me. I was worried when I did that but it all turned out ok. For those interested, I'm 53, I have 3 grown children ages 26, 28 and 30, 2 girls and 1 boy. 1 girl is transgender and I only mention that because I still mess up and say He instead of She and to others that can be very confusing. I also have one grandson who is 10. My oldest daughter and my grandson moved back in with me recently so my daughter could help me out. She has been a huge blessing! Before this whole cancer thing I was already on disability due to about 15 or so other physical problems I have. I am currently just doing chemo but I should start radiation soon. I have a dye/MRI test in two weeks to find out how my cancer is doing. I'm still trying to take things one day at a time and enjoy life as much as I can each day. I could say more but I feel like I'm rambling on and don't want this to become a book. LOL. I really mean it when I say Thank you to everyone. You guys really helped and I am looking forward to getting to know you all more.

I'm glad you shared. Thx

Is it SCLC? When were you first diagnosed and how long have you lived? I just with I had some idea. I am sorry to hear it is back.

You nor your father did anything wrong or anything to deserve cancer. Cancer just happens and people who smoke just take the chance of getting lung cancer even though they don't think about it happening to them. My father passed away 1 year and 4 months ago. I now have SCLC that is metastatic. Of course this makes it twice as hard for my family, especially my mom. Cancer is not something that is always fair. As much as you miss him, as I do mine, the pain of loss gets easier with time. Just remember your father is now at peace and without pain. Your's will come too in time.

I am new but it's 2017 and I'm feeling it. I have SCLC that is metastatic. I sometimes, like tonight, struggle with depression or anxiety over the idea of death even though I'm saved. I guess it is the fear of the unknown. Of course then there is also the just "not knowing" how long you will live, helping family and friends to understand what it is you have. Sometimes there feelings overwhelm me too. There just seems to be so much to deal with at one time. I start my third day of my third session of chemo tomorrow morning. I have handled it all very well with very little side effects. I will be tested in a couple of weeks to see how the chemo has done so far. It can all feel so overwhelming at times. ugh, I hate cancer!!

Hi I'm Paula I am struggling with depression over my imminent (spelling) death. People want to believe I am being healed by God and I know that is always a possibility but I need those same people to understand it is a greater possibility that I am going to die from this. Does anyone ever live more then 1 or 2 year with SCLC? I have SCLC that is metastatic? I am in my 3rd day of my 3rd treatment. I am always told I am doing so well in handling chemo and I guess I really am but then it seems to make me look not sick to those around me which is not always a good thing. Most of the time I live my life to the fullest as much as I can. I do the thing I love the most which is to be with my loved ones. I also shoot some photography when I am up to it which is not nearly as much as I wish I could. That's about it for now.