Hello
I am new to this group. Never thought that I would be here. No one in my family has dealt with cancer before. Luck of the draw, I guess. On October 1st I went to the ER with pain in my left shoulder and pulsing through to my chest. It hurt worse when I tried to take a deep breath. I went, thinking it was heart related...was I in for the shock of my life. I was quickly evaluated in the ER and my heart was eliminated as a cause for my pain. Then came a whirlwind of x-rays and CT's, blood work and Dr.'s asking all sorts of questions. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, I was given the bad news...they had found a mass in my chest and it was encasing the pulmonary artery. I was being admitted and would be having further testing to confirm a diagnosis of lung cancer. CT's, MRI's, a bronchoscopy, and 2 separate needle biopsies later, I was sent home with a diagnosis of Stage III Adenocarcinoma. I have not received the final staging from the oncologist yet and have a PET scan scheduled for later this week, so I am certain this is not the final staging level. Until all of the testing is done, I sit and wait, and think, and try not to think. To say the least, I am overwhelmed with a mix of emotions and numbness. I go from hope one minute to planning my final wishes the next and all points in between. Mostly I am scared. Scared of the unknown, scared of the pain and other yucky things that go along with this diagnosis. I worry about the financial drain on the family and I worry about my husband and how he is coping with this. Sorry this is so long.