Brenda Morelock

So sorry your husband's cancer was missed. The same thing happened to my husband years back. He started complaining with chest pain & because he had open heart surgery 6 months prior the doctors were focused on his heart & nothing else. He continued to have chest pain on & off. He then started with a horrible take your breath away cough. Ten months later they decided to do CXR due to his symptoms. CXR revealed pneumonia for which he was treated with 2 rounds of antibiotics. When it didn't clear they proceeded with further testing-so a year later he was diagnosed with sclc. He was able to take radiation treatments & then chemo. Sadly he passed away 2 1/2 years later. My prayers are with you & your husband. Treatment options are so much better now so don't give up hope. Ironically I began with congestion & cough right after Christmas last year. I was diagnosed with sinus infection & bronchitis. Continued with congestion & cough-then was diagnosed with pneumonia. I had 3 rounds of antibiotics. Pneumonia never cleared & I was sent for CT scan. This showed a nodule highly suspicious for malignancy. Then to pulmonologist & had bronchoscopy which revealed I had nsclc. Finally had upper right lobe removed May 31. Doing fairly well now. So yes sometimes nodules & masses don't show on all CXR. I have been on both sides of the fence caregiver & patient- Many prayers for healing of your husband & grace for you both as you start on this journey.

So happy for you!!

Hi to everyone! I had my surgery on May 31. Developed a significant air leak & also pneumonia (both lungs). In ICU for 5 days out into stepdown unit for 7 days. Thanking God for being with me. My pathology came back good. Cancer confined to right upper lobe-which was removed. Lymph nodes were negative. Now for working on regaining strength & building lungs up. Blessings to all!

Hi to everyone! I had my surgery on May 31. Developed a significant air leak & also pneumonia (both lungs). In ICU for 5 days out into stepdown unit for 7 days. Thanking God for being with me. My pathology came back good. Cancer confined to right upper lobe-which was removed. Lymph nodes were negative. Now for working on regaining strength & building lungs up. Blessings to all!

Thanks so much for your responses. It really helps to know that there are others who really understand and I can talk to. I have felt bad the last week. The weather here has been windy & rainy. My allergies are all flared up & cough is worse. I just stayed in this weekend & rested. I have felt better today. Just trying to stay positive and be ready for surgery. My pulmonologist is going to do a referral to oncology so they will be on board if needed. I pray you all continue to do well & I appreciate your prayers.

Glad your surgery is over. Sorry you are having so much pain. Prayers for easement of pain.

So happy for you!!

Hi to everyone! I had my surgery on May 31. Developed a significant air leak & also pneumonia (both lungs). In ICU for 5 days out into stepdown unit for 7 days. Thanking God for being with me. My pathology came back good. Cancer confined to right upper lobe-which was removed. Lymph nodes were negative. Now for working on regaining strength & building lungs up. Blessings to all!

Good morning, Dawn.  Quite a few of us were similar to your dad - no real symptoms or symptoms that didn't seem respiratory in nature and then all of a sudden, we're sitting here with advanced lung cancer.  Do you know if your dad's tumor was tested for any genetic markers/mutations?  There are some great targeted therapies available based on those results.
As for your other question, no, we really don't have any idea how long he can live with his cancer.  The oncologist, if asked, will give you the 5 year survival stats that are very discouraging for late stage patients.  Here's my opinion about stats: ignore them.  They're usually based on patients diagnosed 5 years ago and don't take into account your dad's overall health.  The stats also don't reflect the new treatments made available to lung cancer patients in the last 3 years.  They also don't reflect if people dropped out of treatment or chose not to pursue treatment.  There are several individuals on this forum who, statistically, should have died years ago but they're still here.
I know this is overwhelming for you, your dad, and your family.  But if I can give you one piece of advice, it's this: find a reason to smile and celebrate each day, even those crummy chemo days. None of us know when our last day is, and it would be a shame to spend each day worrying if it was the last day.  I did that last summer.  Wasn't worth my energy.
We're here for you.

Surgery is done, still hurts like hell. Sent home with pneomostat. Going to call surgeon tomorrow for follow up and go see family Dr tomorrow to talk. Feeling down. 

Carl, So sorry you having such a rough go of it. I pray that things will go well for you during surgeries I will be having right upper lobectomy on May 31. I know the feelings of depression & sometimes our minds go to dark places. We must fight this as hard as we can. Keep fighting. Hope to hear from you again.

Glad for the good news! My prayers are with you.

Susan, My prayers are with you. You have encouraged me so much & I am just starting my journey with cancer. I pray things will get easier for you.

Brenda,
Anything is possible but we are dealing with degree of probability. I've found surgeons to be reluctant to operate if there is even a moderate probability of the disease spreading.
From my reading ("The Emperor of all Maladies" is a good source), tumors achieve a certain size and shape before metastasizing or casting off cells to spread. That size range is generally described as Stage IIB and smaller. Some Stage IIIA tumors are removed and very rarely Stage IIIB. 
So while possible, I'd say not likely.
Stay the course. 
Tom
 

I think it's possible for lymph nodes not to light up, but come back positive. My lung nodule didn't light up on the PET, apparently because it was so slow growing and not metabolizing very fast. Because of its location, it couldn't be biopsied without taking it out. So I didn't have a firm diagnosis until after my lobectomy. . My surgeon took out a bunch of lymph nodes also, which thankfully were all negative so I had adenocarcinoma, stage 1a.  
Is your surgery going to be VATs? Mine was, and my recovery was easier and faster than I had anticipated. I was discharged from the hospital the day after surgery, with a drain tube in place. I did have som pain, especially before the drain was removed 10 days later. I  quickly learned how to move to avoid jabs of pain.  I had adequate pain meds. I got off of opiods in a few days and just  used tylenol and Ibuprofen. I spent a lot of time lying around and I needed help changing the bandage around my drain tube, but I was able to be up and walking around the neighborhood right away. I wore an oversized raincoat to cover up the drain tube and bag. 
One thing that was really helpful was a foam wedge pillow. I was told to have my head/chest elevated 45 degrees when lying down or sleeping. I tried to use various combinatins of regular pillows and a sitting-up-in-bed type pillow but ended up with a crink in my neck, so my partner went out and got a 12 inch foam wedge from a medical equipment store and it was great. If you don't have one already, I recommend you get one before your surgery. I think they're well worth the price, which I think was $30 or $40. 
Best of luck to you in your surgery. Keep us informed!
 

Brenda, I am sorry to hear that your cousin has been diagnosed with lung cancer, you will be able to support each other and understand. I believe that the stage of your cancer does not change. Staging only means the cancer has metastasized to other areas. You can be in complete remission but your initial staging does not change at least that is what I have been told. I hope that is helpful.

Ok, against all odds my ebus on the PET SUv Max 4, 1,3 cm hilar R lymph nodes came back negative (Thoracic surgeon was nearly certain I was going to be positive and stage 2a or worse). That followed my ct that showed my SPN in lung declining in size from 7.2mm to 6mm in 45 days on its own (in volume terms that is a significant 42% deciline).. But I know every time I think I am ok, some bad report comes my way so I am still fearful. Will follow with another CT in 45 days.  In the interim, I still feel like my ride side is sore from my neck to my lung and cant help but be reminded of my problem each day. Draining on me. We watch and wait. But I will take that over confirmed cancer any day..

Hey there! My appt. with surgeon was moved up to this Thursday May 4th. At first I was really glad. But today is a different story. I can feel the anxiety & reality in the fact I have lung cancer. I am upset- now wondering if surgery or treatment is even worth it. I have watched several family members go through surgery & treatments for various types of cancer. My husband passed away almost 9 years ago from lung cancer. He had radiation & chemo right up until the end. Quality of life was poor. My mother & grandfather both died from colon cancer. My Mom lived 2 weeks after diagnosis & my grandfather 6 months after diagnosis. I have had 2 cousins with breast cancer. they are doing well. I guess I am just a bundle of nerves right now. I am not sure of what I want to do. Just thought I would vent & put my feelings out there. thanks for listening to my rambling.

Thanks so much for your responses. It really helps to know that there are others who really understand and I can talk to. I have felt bad the last week. The weather here has been windy & rainy. My allergies are all flared up & cough is worse. I just stayed in this weekend & rested. I have felt better today. Just trying to stay positive and be ready for surgery. My pulmonologist is going to do a referral to oncology so they will be on board if needed. I pray you all continue to do well & I appreciate your prayers.

Thanks so much for your responses. It really helps to know that there are others who really understand and I can talk to. I have felt bad the last week. The weather here has been windy & rainy. My allergies are all flared up & cough is worse. I just stayed in this weekend & rested. I have felt better today. Just trying to stay positive and be ready for surgery. My pulmonologist is going to do a referral to oncology so they will be on board if needed. I pray you all continue to do well & I appreciate your prayers.

Thanks so much for your responses. It really helps to know that there are others who really understand and I can talk to. I have felt bad the last week. The weather here has been windy & rainy. My allergies are all flared up & cough is worse. I just stayed in this weekend & rested. I have felt better today. Just trying to stay positive and be ready for surgery. My pulmonologist is going to do a referral to oncology so they will be on board if needed. I pray you all continue to do well & I appreciate your prayers.

Thanks for all of your support.

Thanks for all of your support.

Thanks for responding. I guess since I have had a lot of bad experiences with family members it causes me to question treatment.

Hey there! My appt. with surgeon was moved up to this Thursday May 4th. At first I was really glad. But today is a different story. I can feel the anxiety & reality in the fact I have lung cancer. I am upset- now wondering if surgery or treatment is even worth it. I have watched several family members go through surgery & treatments for various types of cancer. My husband passed away almost 9 years ago from lung cancer. He had radiation & chemo right up until the end. Quality of life was poor. My mother & grandfather both died from colon cancer. My Mom lived 2 weeks after diagnosis & my grandfather 6 months after diagnosis. I have had 2 cousins with breast cancer. they are doing well. I guess I am just a bundle of nerves right now. I am not sure of what I want to do. Just thought I would vent & put my feelings out there. thanks for listening to my rambling.