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Donna G

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Posts posted by Donna G

  1. genor              I am a Pancoast tumor survivor ! 

    I had pain in my shoulder and arm and chest and thought it was muscular .

    It was a tumor pressing on a nerve going down my arm and on my chest wall .  Thank

    God the doctor did a chest x ray and saw it .     My story is found below .  Keep us posted 

     

    Donna G

  2. Hello huj123.    Yes I am one of those Pancoast tumor survivors !   

    I had shoulder pain that went down my arm and chest pain .  I had just moved back to 

    Minnesota so I thought it was due to lifting and unpacking everything. I called the Dr for an  

    appointment and they said " You are 50 , it could be a heart attack come to ER now !

    Normal EKG and blood work but luckily an x  ray done showed a tumor in my upper lobe pressing on

    nerves going down my arm and on my chest wall.  If you want my whole story go below to my story. It is posted.

    Please keep us posted on how she is doing and the treatment plan . 

    Donna G 

  3. Hi Susan, 

    Welcome, and I am so glad you found us.  Boy you have made a lot of friends here already.  glad they tested for EGRF.

    Spine surgery is challenging to get over.  Keep working at it.   So you have pills and radiation to look forward to.  When I  had

    treatment with chemo I had a lot of problems with nausea, and I lost weight.  They encouraged me to eat.  They would give me pudding, ice cream,

    jello etc.  I made it  --------   but all those sweets really gave me a bad habit.  After treatment I continued eating !   I gained weight and finally began to watch 

    what I ate and start an exercise program to get it off..  I still go to LA fitness here in Minnesota.  

    Keep us posted. 

    Donna G

     

     

  4. Hello David.  Welcome and glad you found us.

    I was 50 years old when I was diagnosed with NSCLC Stage 3B.  They did not even talk about ALK back in 1997.  

    Some advances like that are really great.  I hope you respond well to your treatment.  Survival is possible.  I was diagnosed in December

    1997, underwent lots of chemo, radiation, surgery and more chemo and got to NED.  I am still here  and able to welcome you.

    Please keep us posted on how your are doing and feel free to ask questions.

    Donna G

  5. Saw this on the noon local news.  They were a saying also A Breath Of Hope Lung Foundation is having a fund raiser Sunday 11/5 at Orchestra Hall here.

    The foundation supports Research of Lung Cancer, a support program for those with Lung Cancer  and an Awareness program.

    They said smoking is not always the cause, It is a cruel stigma, and inaccurate.

    They said 2500 people die every year here in Minnesota from Lung cancer.  More than all other cancers combined ! 

    The Oncologist was super concerned with finding an early detection and cures.

     

    http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/video/category/news/3754081-fighting-the-stigma-around-lung-cancer/

     

    http://abreathofhope.org/

     

    Donna G

  6. Carolyn , welcome. Glad you posted here to share your story.  Very happy they tested for EGFR.  It is so wonderful that you have responded so well. Ned chest x ray and shrinking .

    Hope on the 1st you get wonderful news with your Brain MRI too!   

     

    You say you are cheerful.  Laughter is good medicine.  It raises wonderful healing hormones.  Studies have shown that even smiling and fake laughing  " hah, hah, hah." can raise

    these healing hormones.  

     

    Please  let us know your news from the results on the 1st.

     

    Donna G

  7. Glad you will see your pulmonologist soon.

     I remember when I was still in the hospital after my right upper lobectomy .

    I remember the nurse listening with a stethoscope to my lungs and she listened to my right upper lobe !  

    I questioned her why was she listening there, it was gone !   She said my 2 lobe lobes had expanded and filled the space.

    That was within days of surgery.

    I will be interested in what your doctor says.

    Donna G

  8. Hi Holly, glad you found us.  Sounds like you started chemo or radiation.  That is how my treatment started.

    Boy I see you live in Florida.  Hope you didn't have to contend with the worst of the storm too !  Do you have some family

    there with you or near by ?   Being told you have cancer does bring up feelings of fear.  I know that.  Hope you respond well 

    to the treatment.  Please keep us posted.   Feel free to talk or ask questions.

    Donna G

  9. Hi Karen.

    I had my thoracotomy to take out my right upper lobe of lung in 1998..   They broke 2 ribs to get into my chest besides cutting all the muscles on my back.  

    Those ribs never "healed" or they never came back together like before the surgery.  It hurts if I wear anything that tight around them.  (Guys don't have that problem).

    So I am careful when I dress.  I do go to workout at LA fitness. ( local in Minnesota).    Even after surgery I went to the Y and did water aerobics.

    I pray you will be feeling better soon.  

    Donna G

     

  10. Lori, As noted in my profile,  I had a 4 cm tumor in my right upper lobe of lung in the apex of the lobe. It was pressing on nerves going down my arm and also on the

    lining of my lung.  It was giving me chest pain and pain down my arm.  I had just moved back to Minnesota and I thought I had injured myself

    during the packing and unpacking. I called the doctor and said I wanted an Ortho appointment.  They said " You are having chest pain, you are 50 yrs.

    old ? You had better go to the ER right away. "  Well they did the EKG, blood tests, etc. but luckily  they also did a chest x-ray !   They saw the tumor.

    I was referred to an Oncologist right away!   In just a couple of days I was started on chemo and daily radiation .  Eventually I had that lobe of lung removed

    and after recovery more chemo. If you go to      " Share Your Lung Cancer Story  "    I entered my story there on July 3 , 2004.   It is called

    " Through the Valley to the Mountain."

    Donna G

  11. Hi Lori, Glad you found us.  I am a Stage 3 B survivor.  When I was diagnosed there was no talk of ALK. 

    I am so happy when I continue to hear the fruit of new treatments.  I am here in Minnesota too.  I live just south of

    the Twin Cities.  My Oncology Doctor  was a professor at the U of M.    Mayo is a great place to go for treatment.

    I pray you respond to treatment as well as I did.   Please keep us posted on how it is going.

    Donna G

  12. Hello Nan.  Glad you found us.  To Tom's point--  After I had my Lobectomy, and it was an open incision, during my recovery

    the Doctor prescribed exercising at the YMCA in the exercise pool to get me back in shape.  They joined me up in a class so it was several times a week.

    The pool does also give you resistants  but the water  does sort of protect you from getting so much pain.

    Keep us posted on how he is doing.

    Donna

  13. Welcome K

    Glad you found us.  I was 50 yrs old when I was diagnosed with lung cancer.  I was Stage 3B .  I started with 2 chemo drugs and radiation immediately. 

    It sounds like they know you have Adenocarcinoma but you do not mention that you have a plan-- of care set up yet.  I hope they start some treatment soon !

    MD Anderson I hear is a good treatment center. 

    I really do not think there are any natural drugs that are going to make a difference .  The cure drugs can be tuff but there are meds they can give to to lessen the

    side affects as nausea etc.  Please let us know how you are doing and what the plan will be.  We have been through this and really want to help you.

     

    Donna G

  14. Michele I am glad to hear that your husbands SCLC is said to be Limited. That is great news.

    I never had SCLC but I have friends that have had it.  My friend Janet was treated with chemo and radiation

    over 15 years ago and is still doing well.  I hope your husband also responds well.

     

    Donna G

  15. Thanks for the update Jeffrey !

    Keep up the breathing treatments or as Tom wrote you'll get congested which leaves to more coughing and more pain.

    Continuing to pray for more progress and that you feel better and better every day.

     

    Donna G

  16. Hello M

    Sorry to hear about your mother especially  that she progressed to stage 4. 

    I was Stage 3B.  My tumor in the apex of my RU lung was pressing on the lining of my lung and nerves that went down my arm.

    I had Cisplatin and Etopiside, and Radiation, then surgery and more chemo and I know that is hard.  After a lot of treatment I am still here.

    I am a retired RN  and went to school in Boston . We had residents from Harvard, Boston College and Boston University.  I know your life is busy.

    Glad they test now for EGRF.  Having support, family , friends and all important.  Glad she has you.  Emotional and Spiritual  health also contribute

    a lot to our ability to respond to treatment and contribute to our health.  We are more than just physical beings. 

    Please keep us posted.

    Donna G

  17. Welcome Lisa.  Glad you found us. You just started treatment 2 days ago! 

    When I was diagnosed they were not testing for those details but we do have somethings in common. 

    I live here in Minnesota.  I was 50 years old when I was diagnosed with Stage 3B NSCLC.  I hope you

    will also have the fact in 20 years from now that you are still alive to talk with us.

    Please keep us posted.

     

    Donna G

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