DragonKing

Here's the latest update on my cancer. Went to the VA clinic this past Wednesday and saw both primary and pulmonary doctors. The cat scan showed that both the larger and smaller cancers had shrunk by 1/3. Hip hip hurray!!! Next week, will be seeing the radiation and chemo doctors and they will make a determination as to what the next step will be. So that was great news in itself and now just waiting what the next step to fight this cancer will be is most encouraging. It's all good. And it's due to the wonderful support of those of you and you know who your are, that prayed and sent healing energy to me. All positive energy helps to heal the mind, body and soul and it has done lots for me and mywife too. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Oh and the doctors all helped to expedite the treatments too, gotta give them some credit.

Blood test show the numbers going up slowly. Cat scan coming up the 16th of August will tell more. Still no energy and still not gaining weight or strength back. Doc says it takes time to heal but of course I'm in a hurry. Will post when I get more news. Dave, DragonKing

Hello there! I finished my last radiation last week, a total of 35 treatments. Yesterday I had a follow up appointment with the Florida Cancer clinic for a blood test. All my numbers are still down low, especially my white blood cell count. That would probably explain my weakness and tiredness, no energy. My throat and tongue are finally doing better so I'm able to eat a little more than before. The numbing stuff is okay for a couple of bites and then it seems to wear off. I can eat mashed potatoes now with gravy, no meat, it seems to scratch the throat. I'm sure this will get better. The sores on my tongue feel good with frozen ice cream, now that I'm able to eat more, I picked some up today. I've still been trying to be active, but for every hour of activity, I seem to need 6 hours of rest, mostly sleep. I've gained 3 lbs back so far. The right side of my chest I've been encountering pain, not sure what from since that's not where the cancer is nor where they did the radiation. I've got another appointment coming up with the cancer for a blood test and meet with the doctor since my last chemo on August 2nd. August 16th, I'm supposed to get my first cat scan. I'm looking forward to that one to see if anything has happened with the cancer. Thanks all for the good wishes, it helps to know others are going through the same thing you are and understand the feelings of occasional depression. DragonKing (Dave)

Well, the good news is - today (July 5) was my last day of chemo I did 7 of them. I still have 6 more radiation treatments, I'll have 35 when I'm done with them. My throat feels like rough sand paper inside, even though have meds that are supposed to deaden the pain of swallowing food, it still hurts to swallow anything and the taste of food isn't there either. I drink the enlive, ensure and boost, ugh, but I can only get 1 bottle a day down. I've lost a total of 47 lbs. I gain back 5 and then lose 3, and then I gain back 3 and lose 4, and it just keeps going like that. My clothes don't fit at all and when I look in the mirror, this strange skinny old man stares back at me. I've lost a lot of muscle mass and that is going to be tough to get back I'm sure. My hair was falling out in patches, really looked bad. I have lost more than half my hair, so the wife cut it real short. It just falls out all the time, standing at the counter in the kitchen, it's like sprinkling hair everywhere. Radiation treatment is now in the boost stage, I guess that's when they narrow the beam and it's more intensive on the cancer. I just hope it's working. I don't have any energy but the wife keeps me going and the support of my friends has been a great help. Well, so goes it and it just seems to be repeating the same thing. Take care everyone, DragonKing (Dave)

Well another week has gone by. Not enough goes on to post updates everyday so the once a week thing is working for me. The days go by so slowly. It's hard to stay busy when you don't feel good. Another week of daily radiation treatments and the once weekly chemo. The chemo and radiation seem to have really kicked my butt this week. Thursday, Friday and Saturday were the worst days of pain I've had so far. Stomach all nauseas but I got stuff for that, kinda works. I've had 4 chemo treatments so far and 17 radiation treatments. I should be half way through by now, at least that's what they told me when I started. Got some stuff that numbs the throat so I can swallow and eat. Just can't really tell if something is very hot or very cold. Throat is raw so I still can't eat much. Well im thankful I have my morphine. I still have the pain in the chest and all my energy is gone. Well, I guess I will post again next week. Good luck to all you who are going through cancer treatments. I kinda am partial to living a lot longer so I'm not giving up anytime soon. Take care everyone, DragonKing (Dave)

Well, things have been going along fine. Had radiation everyday this past week and chemo on my scheduled Wednesdays. I really haven't felt any effects yet except possibly a bit of a sore throat from the radiation. I've lost over 40 pounds now and that makes it difficult to do anything, no energy. Try to eat, but can't keep it down. Actually, I have severe pain and I have been getting morphine for about the past month and a half. It helps the pain somewhat. I had been getting oxycodone and it didn't do anything for the pain. I actually started complaining about the pain in my chest starting about 2 to 3 years ago. But since I have all the wonderful side effects from agent orange such as heart disease, copd, acid reflux, they removed a tumor on my stomach about 10 years ago, it was benign, PTSD, diabetes insulin type and so on, any pain I had they always looked for the heart first and found nothing out of the ordinary considering I've had 5 heart attacks, 7 stents and a pacemaker/defib. I'd go to the hospital and complain about chest pain and that was a couple of years ago and then they would do a stress test and keep me for a few days and say my heart is fine but wouldn't find out what was causing the original pain. Starting last year, the pain started increasing even worse. The doctors said that it couldn't be cancer because there isn't any pain usually with it. Well after so many tests, and blood tests, endoscopy, colonoscopy, ct scan, pet scan and the finally since I'm a heart risk, the VA docs decided to do an needle aspiration and even with that, there was no reason that they could find why I was in pain. Starting about this January, I got so that I couldn't keep food down, it was becoming hard to swallow and I started losing weight. I finally asked my VA doc to do an X-ray and there it was, two, not one Squamous Cell (non-small) Carcinoma of the left lung. One was about 7 cm and the other was 3 cm, I think that was the measurements they used, in other words quite large. So now here I am, a cancer patient that has been in pain but not due to the therapy. Go figure. Now I'm just waiting to see if all this is going to do anything for me. I'm a heart risk so operating has already been ruled out. So, it's a waiting game, though they finally know what is wrong with me. So as far as the treatments, I have noticed a little hair loss and I just had my third treatment. I'm in it to win it, so I'm not giving up, but I do find it hard to fight being so weak. Thanks for listening, and I'll try to be more prompt with my daily experiences, but I felt I was just repeating the same thing. Good luck to you all who are fighting cancer too. Best regards, DragonKing (Dave)

The best of luck to you bigheart and anyone or all of you who will be starting with radiation and chemotherapy. If the doctors and staff explain everything, you'll feel better knowing what is going to happen. It's scary but this too will pass. If you do have questions, always ask because you need to know as much as you can about your cancer. I had another session of radiation today. Met with the PA. She said that it would be about 3 months after my treatments before they would do any tests to see if the cancer has shrunk. Also, I'll probably need some kind of spray for my throat to make it feel better. Tomorrow will be my second chemo treatment. Will keep you posted. So far I still feel okay. Still need the morphine for the pain but that has nothing to do with the treatment. DragonKing (Dave)

Well, I did have my first radiation treatment last Tuesday. It lasted 10 minutes and was a piece of cake. Then again Wednesday but then right after I went to chemo. That was different. I got a shot, anti nausea, they said, then there were 2 little bags and 1 large bag and it took 3 hours of sitting in a very cold room. No pain going in. A few hours after I went home, I started having severe pain in my chest. I do have morphine for that, a slow acting pill I take every 12 hours and fast acting that I can take 4 times a day in addition as needed. And I needed it. My cancer is touching my artery and thorax (I think that's what it's called) and I have a hard time swallowing food or even drinks. I've lost 35 pounds in less than 3 months since this all started. Okay, then Thursday again my radiation, piece of cake. Then Friday rolled around, no radiation - it seems the machine went down. So now I have to wait until Tuesday and start the week all over again. So far there's been no changes, nor have they taken any test, so I'll keep posting on that. I'm still positive about the outcome. Just wish it didn't hurt so bad, I had always been told cancer don't hurt, don't believe it, mine hurts like being malled by a few bears. May because of the location of the cancer, haven't been told yet why I have the pain. Will keep posting, still need to know there are others out there who went through it too. Still scared, but no longer of the treatment, more about the outcome. Happy Memorial Day to all my Soldier Brothers out there! DragonKing (Dave)

Well, here we go. Tomorrow starts my first radiation treatment. It'll be five times per week for ten minutes. Chemo will be every Wednesday for 3 hours but only once a week. Will keep posting to my progress. Dave (DragonKing)

Well I finally start my radiation treatments starting next Tuesday and they will be 5 times per week for about 7 weeks. Today I got my 3 tattoos and Monday morning I'll get another tattoo. The oncologist sounded very optimistic that with both treatments, that we may be able to eradicate this cancer. My chemotherapy appointment scheduler should be calling me anytime. That treatment is for only 1 time per week. I've been told that this is the treatment that will make me sick, nauseas, and weak and of course, lose my hair. We shall see. There seems to be signs of cancer in one of the lymph nodes, but due to my heart condition, surgery is not an option. I'm scared but very optimistic about everything that will be happening to me. I'm going to fight this thing. I'll keep updating. Need positive input and any healthy suggestion for exercise or diet to help me fight this thing. Dave (DragonKing)

I'm Hello Jeffrey, I was just diagnosed with Squamous cell (non-small cell) Carcinoma of the left lung. I am a Vietnam vet. My intro tells you more about me under DragonKing cause my name was taken. Any how, the Bay Pines VA hospital is great, great staff, great nurses and great doctors. They diagnosed me but they also wanted to treat me there. I live in Cape Coral and it's too far to drive daily and I refused to stay without my wife. If you're wondering, they do treatments that's no problem. If I didn't live so far away I would go there. I don't want to wait another month or two to get my veterans choice referral, I am opting to use my Medicare and tri care for life. The veterans choice just takes too long to get approved. If you have any other insurance you might check on that too. Best of luck to you and hope you get better. Dave (DargonKing)

Hello, my name is Dave but that was taken so call me DragonKing. I love dragons, thus... I am a retired retired US Army veteran. I am also a Vietnam vet. I am suffering from agent orange. I have COPD, acid reflux, gerd, hernia, gout, PTSD, (a few other things too hard to describe), have had 5 heart attacks, 7 stents plus a pacemaker/defibrillator. I've survived so far, no complaints just take life easy, enjoy it one day at a time. Then I got knocked for a loop. Just this past week I was diagnosed with Squamous cell (non-small cell) Carcinoma of the left lung. The growth is quite large and 'abuts' the aorta. I'm scheduled to see an oncologist this coming Tuesday. Surgery is not an option. The treatments I am to receive consist of radiation 5 times each week and chemotherapy once a week about 6 to 8 weeks. I've fought in a war and have fought off to the best of my ability whatever illnesses that came my way. I'm not in tip top shape but I did exercise and walk and I have outdoor hobbies. Now, this scares the he** out of me. Cancer is scary. Would appreciate some feed back from any one fighting cancer and any ideas and suggestions or any kind of help. Are there any special diets, vitamins, exercises, things that will help me survive this. If you have any questions for me, just ask. Thank you for taking the time and reading this. DragonKing