DebCOS

Hi Chuck! I resonate with you on this, as I, too, was Stage 4 NSCLC treated with Tarceva, and am currently (after 15 months) with "no evidence of disease." I just posted my Introduction minutes ago, and agree with you - we are the lucky ones! Targeted therapy has made something that would have killed us 3 years ago something that is merely now a chronic condition that we can live with.
I LOVE your upbeat style! I am grateful, but struggle with side effects, especially wondering and worried about the long term effects of such. I guess I don't have enough to worry about! But I'd rather be upbeat, like you. Would love to stay in tough to compare notes about staying on Tarceva, or whatever targeted therapy we may have to move to if our bodies reject it after a while.
Like you, my hope is not just living and thriving with cancer, but GET RID OF IT PERMANENTLY! I am so hopeful that immunotherapy is the key - we are so fortunate to be the beneficiaries of others' willingness to do drug trials (I am on one myself, only I'm a "control" patient, not actually getting the drug). Cheers to you, Chuck!

Hi Chuck! I resonate with you on this, as I, too, was Stage 4 NSCLC treated with Tarceva, and am currently (after 15 months) with "no evidence of disease." I just posted my Introduction minutes ago, and agree with you - we are the lucky ones! Targeted therapy has made something that would have killed us 3 years ago something that is merely now a chronic condition that we can live with.
I LOVE your upbeat style! I am grateful, but struggle with side effects, especially wondering and worried about the long term effects of such. I guess I don't have enough to worry about! But I'd rather be upbeat, like you. Would love to stay in tough to compare notes about staying on Tarceva, or whatever targeted therapy we may have to move to if our bodies reject it after a while.
Like you, my hope is not just living and thriving with cancer, but GET RID OF IT PERMANENTLY! I am so hopeful that immunotherapy is the key - we are so fortunate to be the beneficiaries of others' willingness to do drug trials (I am on one myself, only I'm a "control" patient, not actually getting the drug). Cheers to you, Chuck!

Hi, thanks everyone for your emails! I haven't logged on in a while! My dad was about to start chemo (the type wasn't confirmed) and he then called me and said "I can fight this without the chemo. I have a strong will to live, I have to much to do still and this is not going to stop me. He really has no symptoms that's what's so strange! No symptoms honestly; so it's really difficult to believe. I have been torn with this all. I wish I knew what was the right thing to do. He asked me what would you do and I honestly couldn't give him a truthful answer! I told him whatever you decide I am by your side...it's your body. He then replied my heart is telling me not to do it. I just hope we/he will not have regrets later. I am so confused! I really can't picture my life without him! I just hope that his strong will to live, his strong mind can help him get through this! He keeps saying Chemo for life is not a way of living, I've decided to live with my own mind/body and heart.
I will have a good conversation with my dad but I can't right now...I don't want to damper his spirits. He's been giving me strength as weird as that may sound. Really, thanks again for your posts and reaching out. I hope that you're all doing well

If you want my honest opinion, I think statistics are crap.  When I was first diagnosed, my oncologist gave me the grim statistics and I cried for 2 days.  Then I talked to a physician assistant at the oncology clinic and she put it into perspective.  Those stats are based on people diagnosed 5 years ago and all lung cancer patients are lumped in.  Those statistics don't accurately reflect the new treatments on the market in the last 2-3 years, or those who were diagnosed and opted out of treatment, or YOUR age and overall health.  I literally trashed the printout the oncologist gave me and I've never looked back.  
My oncologist and I have a running joke about statistics.  I had a nodule on my thyroid; both he and the ENT said that less than 5% of nodules are cancerous and it is incredibly rare for cancer to metastasize to the thyroid.  Fast forward to my thyroidectomy where they found two nodules and both were cancerous; one was thyroid cancer and the other was metastatic lung cancer.  So stats?  Nope.  
Stop googling the stats and enjoy today.  Enjoy tomorrow. Make plans.  In the words of Tom, if he can live, so can you.