LexieCat

Hi there, and welcome.
I'm sorry about your mom's diagnosis.  Unfortunately, being "healthy" doesn't prevent a person from developing lung cancer, but it really does provide an advantage when it comes to fighting it.  It's great that she came through the brain surgery so well.  
We have quite a few members here who have long-term survival after a Stage IV diagnosis, so there's plenty of reason to hope.  Others here will have more input on the chemo/immunotherapy/clinical trials issues--I was one of the lucky Stage I people, so surgery is the only treatment I have personal experience with.  But the others will be along soon.
Glad you found us--this is a great place for information and support.

Hi there, and welcome.
I'm sorry about your mom's diagnosis.  Unfortunately, being "healthy" doesn't prevent a person from developing lung cancer, but it really does provide an advantage when it comes to fighting it.  It's great that she came through the brain surgery so well.  
We have quite a few members here who have long-term survival after a Stage IV diagnosis, so there's plenty of reason to hope.  Others here will have more input on the chemo/immunotherapy/clinical trials issues--I was one of the lucky Stage I people, so surgery is the only treatment I have personal experience with.  But the others will be along soon.
Glad you found us--this is a great place for information and support.

Great--that's more good news. You should come through this without much difficulty. The surgery is actually pretty easy--most people get VATS, which is laparascopic. Three tiny incisions and most people go home within a couple of days at most. I was out for dinner and a concert with friends two weeks later.
And for me, the chemo wasn't too bad. I didn't have chemo till my recurrence (I was Stage 1b first time around with no lymph nodes). I'm now Stage IV, so I'll be on maintenance therapy (chemo/immunotherapy) indefinitely, but the initial chemo had relatively mild side effects (mostly fatigue and brain fog). Yeah, unfortunately lung cancer sometimes recurs so you will want to stay on top of your followup scans, so if that does happen you can jump right on it. 
Keep us posted!

Hi, KM,
Sorry about the diagnosis but glad to hear things are moving along. What did the PET CT scan show? Since you have a couple of positive lymph nodes, there's a good chance you'll be getting adjuvant chemo after surgery (assuming you have surgery). 
Thanks for your work as a paramedic. I'm a retired prosecutor and have always appreciated the good work you folks do taking care of victims of violence.

LOL, Lou, I gotta remember that one--like reading my own reviews. Yeah, some things are just plain dangerous to one's mental health!

Hey, I updated my will and other info, myself, as soon as I was diagnosed. The way I look at it, I'd sooner do all that crap while I'm feeling good (and I'm the same age as you are--65 later this summer) than worry about it/struggle with it when I'm feeling sick. It makes me feel better, actually--like I'm controlling what I can. A bunch of things I no longer have to worry about. Worst case scenario, I live to be a hundred and spend all my money having fun in the meantime.  

One other suggestion--everyone is different about this but I prefer to make sure I don't see scan reports before the doc has a chance to discuss/explain them. I've had several instances where the oncologist or other doctor disagreed with the radiologist's take on it, and if I'd read the report on my own I would have been freaking out a bit. Plus PET-CT results are often not definitive, and you need for a doctor to explain the significance of the results.
Just my experience--YMMV.

I haven't heard of COVID-related masses, which isn't to say they don't exist. 3 cm is large enough to be concerned about, though. The PET-CT and biopsy, if possible, will tell you a lot more. 

Best of luck to the two of you!  Please keep us posted on how you are making out--you guys are like the intrepid pioneers.  Love your attitudes.  

Great to hear, Tomm! Keep it goin'!

Hey y’all,
Happy New Years and happy holidays to everyone here! I want to thank y’all for being a support system that I didn’t think I needed until I tried this out. My latest scans show good results as more shrinking has taken place. Doc even says that it seems my lung is regrowing new and healthy tissue. It also seems that the spots in my back or decayed or dying off. If this keeps up I’m sure to be on a road to a clean bill of health hopefully. I tend to just live day by day appreciating whatever moments I get. I hope everyone else has had good luck in fighting their own battles and if it hasn’t my prayers are out for you to get better or get good news. 

Hi, Ale,
Sorry to hear things feel crappy for you right now. I've been having sort of a rough time, myself, recently--the cancer IS taking a toll on me and I'm about to begin a new clinical trial. I've been worrying about who can help me if I need it. I have the world's best neighbors who do a lot for me but they spend every winter (starting Jan. 1) in Florida. I finally reached out to family and we are slowly formulating a plan. My daughter will come out in mid-December and stay with me till sometime in March, after which my cousin has said she can come out to stay with me. Though I need to stay here as long as I'm in the trial, if it stops working or makes me too sick, we are formulating a plan for me to move back to Colorado (where my whole family is)--probably in an Assisted Living thing, at least until/unless my health improves.
I'm glad you are feeling well physically. And Lou's right, none of us deserves this disease--even me (longtime smoker). Many others smoked more and never get cancer. But I do understand getting down about things. All I can suggest is to reach out for whatever help you need. I felt a huge weight lift as I talked to various people willing to help. It's hard for me to do that--I've always been very independent and self-sufficient. But almost everyone eventually needs more help than they can conjure up with their own resources. And I'm finding that people are happy to feel they are helping.
Hang in there, kiddo. Will keep my fingers crossed for good scans for you.

Hi, Ale,
Sorry to hear things feel crappy for you right now. I've been having sort of a rough time, myself, recently--the cancer IS taking a toll on me and I'm about to begin a new clinical trial. I've been worrying about who can help me if I need it. I have the world's best neighbors who do a lot for me but they spend every winter (starting Jan. 1) in Florida. I finally reached out to family and we are slowly formulating a plan. My daughter will come out in mid-December and stay with me till sometime in March, after which my cousin has said she can come out to stay with me. Though I need to stay here as long as I'm in the trial, if it stops working or makes me too sick, we are formulating a plan for me to move back to Colorado (where my whole family is)--probably in an Assisted Living thing, at least until/unless my health improves.
I'm glad you are feeling well physically. And Lou's right, none of us deserves this disease--even me (longtime smoker). Many others smoked more and never get cancer. But I do understand getting down about things. All I can suggest is to reach out for whatever help you need. I felt a huge weight lift as I talked to various people willing to help. It's hard for me to do that--I've always been very independent and self-sufficient. But almost everyone eventually needs more help than they can conjure up with their own resources. And I'm finding that people are happy to feel they are helping.
Hang in there, kiddo. Will keep my fingers crossed for good scans for you.

Hi, Ale,
Sorry to hear things feel crappy for you right now. I've been having sort of a rough time, myself, recently--the cancer IS taking a toll on me and I'm about to begin a new clinical trial. I've been worrying about who can help me if I need it. I have the world's best neighbors who do a lot for me but they spend every winter (starting Jan. 1) in Florida. I finally reached out to family and we are slowly formulating a plan. My daughter will come out in mid-December and stay with me till sometime in March, after which my cousin has said she can come out to stay with me. Though I need to stay here as long as I'm in the trial, if it stops working or makes me too sick, we are formulating a plan for me to move back to Colorado (where my whole family is)--probably in an Assisted Living thing, at least until/unless my health improves.
I'm glad you are feeling well physically. And Lou's right, none of us deserves this disease--even me (longtime smoker). Many others smoked more and never get cancer. But I do understand getting down about things. All I can suggest is to reach out for whatever help you need. I felt a huge weight lift as I talked to various people willing to help. It's hard for me to do that--I've always been very independent and self-sufficient. But almost everyone eventually needs more help than they can conjure up with their own resources. And I'm finding that people are happy to feel they are helping.
Hang in there, kiddo. Will keep my fingers crossed for good scans for you.

Hi, Ale,
Sorry to hear things feel crappy for you right now. I've been having sort of a rough time, myself, recently--the cancer IS taking a toll on me and I'm about to begin a new clinical trial. I've been worrying about who can help me if I need it. I have the world's best neighbors who do a lot for me but they spend every winter (starting Jan. 1) in Florida. I finally reached out to family and we are slowly formulating a plan. My daughter will come out in mid-December and stay with me till sometime in March, after which my cousin has said she can come out to stay with me. Though I need to stay here as long as I'm in the trial, if it stops working or makes me too sick, we are formulating a plan for me to move back to Colorado (where my whole family is)--probably in an Assisted Living thing, at least until/unless my health improves.
I'm glad you are feeling well physically. And Lou's right, none of us deserves this disease--even me (longtime smoker). Many others smoked more and never get cancer. But I do understand getting down about things. All I can suggest is to reach out for whatever help you need. I felt a huge weight lift as I talked to various people willing to help. It's hard for me to do that--I've always been very independent and self-sufficient. But almost everyone eventually needs more help than they can conjure up with their own resources. And I'm finding that people are happy to feel they are helping.
Hang in there, kiddo. Will keep my fingers crossed for good scans for you.

Hi, Ale,
Sorry to hear things feel crappy for you right now. I've been having sort of a rough time, myself, recently--the cancer IS taking a toll on me and I'm about to begin a new clinical trial. I've been worrying about who can help me if I need it. I have the world's best neighbors who do a lot for me but they spend every winter (starting Jan. 1) in Florida. I finally reached out to family and we are slowly formulating a plan. My daughter will come out in mid-December and stay with me till sometime in March, after which my cousin has said she can come out to stay with me. Though I need to stay here as long as I'm in the trial, if it stops working or makes me too sick, we are formulating a plan for me to move back to Colorado (where my whole family is)--probably in an Assisted Living thing, at least until/unless my health improves.
I'm glad you are feeling well physically. And Lou's right, none of us deserves this disease--even me (longtime smoker). Many others smoked more and never get cancer. But I do understand getting down about things. All I can suggest is to reach out for whatever help you need. I felt a huge weight lift as I talked to various people willing to help. It's hard for me to do that--I've always been very independent and self-sufficient. But almost everyone eventually needs more help than they can conjure up with their own resources. And I'm finding that people are happy to feel they are helping.
Hang in there, kiddo. Will keep my fingers crossed for good scans for you.

Hi, Ale,
Sorry to hear things feel crappy for you right now. I've been having sort of a rough time, myself, recently--the cancer IS taking a toll on me and I'm about to begin a new clinical trial. I've been worrying about who can help me if I need it. I have the world's best neighbors who do a lot for me but they spend every winter (starting Jan. 1) in Florida. I finally reached out to family and we are slowly formulating a plan. My daughter will come out in mid-December and stay with me till sometime in March, after which my cousin has said she can come out to stay with me. Though I need to stay here as long as I'm in the trial, if it stops working or makes me too sick, we are formulating a plan for me to move back to Colorado (where my whole family is)--probably in an Assisted Living thing, at least until/unless my health improves.
I'm glad you are feeling well physically. And Lou's right, none of us deserves this disease--even me (longtime smoker). Many others smoked more and never get cancer. But I do understand getting down about things. All I can suggest is to reach out for whatever help you need. I felt a huge weight lift as I talked to various people willing to help. It's hard for me to do that--I've always been very independent and self-sufficient. But almost everyone eventually needs more help than they can conjure up with their own resources. And I'm finding that people are happy to feel they are helping.
Hang in there, kiddo. Will keep my fingers crossed for good scans for you.

I kinda think there's always a letdown after a big effort is finished. I'm a retired prosecutor and I used to feel that way after I finished a trial and the jury was out. It's like you've done all you can, and there's a sense of being at the mercy of forces outside your control, after a big push giving it everything you've got.
Glad you're feeling better--I think it just takes time to adjust to not having to actively battle.
 

Great summary, Lou, I can't think of a thing to add.
Except maybe one. It's a rare situation that doesn't affect most people, but it did me and a few other people I know. I developed something called "crepitus" or "sub-cutaneous emphysema" right after surgery. Has nothing to do with what most people think of as emphysema. This is a small leak of air that gets into the tissues under your skin (sub-cutaneous). It made me feel at first like my glands in my neck were swollen and then it spread to my whole chest and up my face. I looked like a chipmunk with the mumps! 
Sometimes this resolves on its own but if it progresses, it becomes VERY uncomfortable--if you look it up online you can see some people have even their eyes swollen shut! So you do NOT want to let it get to that point. 
I had to go back in the hospital for a few days with a chest tube to slowly deflate, and then I was fine. 
As I said, it's pretty rare but it does happen, and if it does, it's something to report to your doctor. Not generally life-threatening, but a complication you want to address ASAP.

I didn't find the bronchoscopy to be too bad. Sore throat for a day or two from the breathing tube. You'll need to have someone drive you home (due to the anesthetic) but you should be released in just a few hours.
Glad things are moving along for you.

How very odd that a nurse would call you with this news, and they decide on treatment even before getting results from your biopsy. Just sharing for reference: At that stage (after PET), I was just told that in addition to the tumour, the lymph nodes and adrenal gland appeared to be involved, but that they would have to wait on biopsy results to recommend treatment. In the end, it turned out that I have no actionable bio markers for first line treatment (I do have a KRAS mutation with options for later treatment), but that my PDL numbers are very high, so my treatment will be immunotherapy only, keeping chemo as a fall-back option for later.
Of course, none of us here are oncologists, and I am sure there is an explanation, but I would ask to see an oncologist ASAP and get a thorough explanation as to why they have decided on this course of action already. Also, make sure you get detailed info on the types of chemo you will get as from my understanding they each come with different side effects etc that you may want to be aware of and prepare for.

Most nurses will not explain PET results. That's the oncologist's job. You need your biomarker test results. I had chemo and radiation, and with the location of your lymph nodes, esophagitis from radiation would be very likely. Keep pressing for your biomarker results. 

Trust me, I found out the hard way.

I don't think you can draw any conclusion from how long the scan takes. My latest scan (and I'm dealing with somewhat ambiguous results) was super fast. I've had some that seemed longer than others. Might just be a variation on which machine is used or who the tech is.
But two weeks is a ridiculously long time to wait for results of your scan. Is there any way you could contact your oncologist and ask them to phone with the results sooner? On the off chance that there is something significant to discuss, that could wait till your appointment, but if there's nothing of any great significance, it would spare you a ton of stress to find out sooner.
Welcome--glad you found us. You might want to introduce yourself in the newcomers' forum. As you can see, there isn't much action on this thread--the last post was two years ago.