catlady91

Hi Monica 
That's brilliant news I'm so happy for your mum and you now you can relax and celebrate 
Take care Justin x 

Such a wonderful relief. Celebrate!

What great news!!!  You just made my day.  Give your mom a big hug and tell her that we are so happy for her.
Lou

Hi there I thought I'd update everyone about my mum's gastroscopy. She had one over two weeks ago and the found a small nodule which they didn't think was suspicious but they said it's standard to take a biopsy. Although they said it wasn't suspicious I still felt worried. Fortunately everything is ok and the results are normal. Next week is my mum's three year cancerversary. I can't believe it's been three years! 
 
 
 
 

Hi there I thought I'd update everyone about my mum's gastroscopy. She had one over two weeks ago and the found a small nodule which they didn't think was suspicious but they said it's standard to take a biopsy. Although they said it wasn't suspicious I still felt worried. Fortunately everything is ok and the results are normal. Next week is my mum's three year cancerversary. I can't believe it's been three years! 
 
 
 
 

Hi there I thought I'd update everyone about my mum's gastroscopy. She had one over two weeks ago and the found a small nodule which they didn't think was suspicious but they said it's standard to take a biopsy. Although they said it wasn't suspicious I still felt worried. Fortunately everything is ok and the results are normal. Next week is my mum's three year cancerversary. I can't believe it's been three years! 
 
 
 
 

I'm sorry to hear about your family problems Justin; my mum and I have had our fair share of problems with certain family members who weren't as supportive as they could have been during her illness. Although we've made up with them, I will always feel bitter and sadness for how they behaved. Family problems are a pain and makes life harder than it needs to be. 
I'm glad to hear that you're sounding a bit more positive. Don't give up on your dreams and don't let cancer hold you back. I let my mum's illness hold me back and stop taking care of myself and looking forward to things. I was scared to plan holidays or look forward to things in case the cancer returned and my mum had to urge me to book those holidays and live my life. My mum is also fulfilling her dreams. When she was first diagnosed with cancer, she said that if she survived the year and would be in reasonable health, then we'd go to Croatia and we did (though after 18 months due to COVID)!! 
Mum was worried she wouldn't go home to her flat in Poland and see her friends after being diagnosed but she's been four times for longer than a month each time! Mum also has booked other holidays. She's going to Israel at the end of March and she wants to book a holiday to Florence. 
Please don't give up. Anything is possible. The only obstacle I can think of going to the US is health insurance which is more expensive for people with pre-existing health conditions. However it's still possible to go, but it means that health insurance will probably cost more. 
Stay positive and keep us updated xx

Hi there I thought I'd update everyone about my mum's gastroscopy. She had one over two weeks ago and the found a small nodule which they didn't think was suspicious but they said it's standard to take a biopsy. Although they said it wasn't suspicious I still felt worried. Fortunately everything is ok and the results are normal. Next week is my mum's three year cancerversary. I can't believe it's been three years! 
 
 
 
 

I'm sorry to hear about your family problems Justin; my mum and I have had our fair share of problems with certain family members who weren't as supportive as they could have been during her illness. Although we've made up with them, I will always feel bitter and sadness for how they behaved. Family problems are a pain and makes life harder than it needs to be. 
I'm glad to hear that you're sounding a bit more positive. Don't give up on your dreams and don't let cancer hold you back. I let my mum's illness hold me back and stop taking care of myself and looking forward to things. I was scared to plan holidays or look forward to things in case the cancer returned and my mum had to urge me to book those holidays and live my life. My mum is also fulfilling her dreams. When she was first diagnosed with cancer, she said that if she survived the year and would be in reasonable health, then we'd go to Croatia and we did (though after 18 months due to COVID)!! 
Mum was worried she wouldn't go home to her flat in Poland and see her friends after being diagnosed but she's been four times for longer than a month each time! Mum also has booked other holidays. She's going to Israel at the end of March and she wants to book a holiday to Florence. 
Please don't give up. Anything is possible. The only obstacle I can think of going to the US is health insurance which is more expensive for people with pre-existing health conditions. However it's still possible to go, but it means that health insurance will probably cost more. 
Stay positive and keep us updated xx

I'm sorry to hear about your family problems Justin; my mum and I have had our fair share of problems with certain family members who weren't as supportive as they could have been during her illness. Although we've made up with them, I will always feel bitter and sadness for how they behaved. Family problems are a pain and makes life harder than it needs to be. 
I'm glad to hear that you're sounding a bit more positive. Don't give up on your dreams and don't let cancer hold you back. I let my mum's illness hold me back and stop taking care of myself and looking forward to things. I was scared to plan holidays or look forward to things in case the cancer returned and my mum had to urge me to book those holidays and live my life. My mum is also fulfilling her dreams. When she was first diagnosed with cancer, she said that if she survived the year and would be in reasonable health, then we'd go to Croatia and we did (though after 18 months due to COVID)!! 
Mum was worried she wouldn't go home to her flat in Poland and see her friends after being diagnosed but she's been four times for longer than a month each time! Mum also has booked other holidays. She's going to Israel at the end of March and she wants to book a holiday to Florence. 
Please don't give up. Anything is possible. The only obstacle I can think of going to the US is health insurance which is more expensive for people with pre-existing health conditions. However it's still possible to go, but it means that health insurance will probably cost more. 
Stay positive and keep us updated xx

Justin…so sorry you have had to deal with the family drama on top of your cancer journey. Don’t give up on your dreams and even tho it is hard, stay on the positive side. Thinking and praying for you.

Hi everyone 
Thank you so much for your replies it does mean a lot to me just knowing that you are there to support me you all have helped me through this I know that I've had low times and you have all tried your best to help me through it and I really appreciate it, 
Thank you, I'm hoping it's all gone quiet now for now my wife has given her father some rules about her sister and he's not allowed to bring her up in conversation anymore or he can't be part of our lives, I think he has finally seen her for who she is, she has been bullying him and my family for 7 years since my wife's mother died, it's all because of her guilt towards her mum while she was going through her cancer battle that took approximately 6 weeks from start to finish as she wasn't there for her mum and my wife was, my wife and her mum had a fantastic relationship but the sister has always been selfish and terrible drunk and drug taker and said some cutting things that are unforgiving , there father hasn't ever really stood up for my wife and always took the sisters side I feel so sorry for her because I feel like she lost both parents the day her mum died, we even had him for dinner twice a week since her passing and going on days out and making him part of the family still, me and my youngest son even done his shopping for 2 years through the pandemic not knowing I was the vulnerable one with lung cancer, but unfortunately we were living a lie because he they really didn't like us or his grandchildren, my wife's nan died a couple of months ago and we couldn't even go to the funeral for fear of causing a problem there because her dad sister and boyfriend were going together and we didn't want it to become a spoilt occasion on such an important day, luckily she has now upset her entire family and even threatened my wife's dad's brother who is 84 and disabled,she really has lost control the police are involved now because of her and her boyfriends behaviour they even threatened to burn down her cousins house with 2 small children inside, I think her dad is feeling guilty for listening to her for so long and he doesn't want to lose everyone aswell, 
My family and i are going through enough at the moment without this,I would just like to try and get better from this cancer or atleast make the end of the journey as peaceful as possible full of great memories with my family and friends, 
The oncologist has reduced the amount of dexamethasone but there is still no improvement of my right hand side mobility and my head is really itching but I think the worse part is the fatigue, they did say my hair will probably start to fall out around the 10 to 14 day period so dreading that part aswell I know it's only hair but I've always liked my elvis presley style hair cut lol, I was even hoping to get to graceland once more but I'm not convinced I will, I think my bucket list is a bit to extreme lol I'd like to stay at the yellowstone ranch and travel through montana aswell and see the fjords of viking Norway, there were so many things I wanted to do in my later life I really wish I did them sooner, I really hope this treatment works and will give me some time to realise my dreams 
Anyway thanks all of you for listening all take care Justin x 

Tomorrow (February 4th) I celebrate 19 years of life after diagnosis with NSCLC, squamous cell. I’m tapping this post out on a small screen while rocking and rolling in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, in route to Cartagena Columbia on our celebratory cruise. WIFI is spotty, thus the early announcement   
Two points are relevant for our Forum community: celebrate life, and if I can live, so can you. 
Stay the course. 
Tom

I'm so sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to you ❤️. 

I'm so sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to you ❤️. 

Hello Everyone! 
Hope you are all well.
This is a hard post to make but my Dad has lost his battle with lung cancer. He went into hospital with a lung infection but turns out it was worse then we all expected.
He fought so incredibly hard but in the end the cancer was more aggressive and far along then we had known. He went in on Sunday Jan 15 and passed on Jan 25 4:45 am peaceful and surrounded by his loved ones.
The cancer had advanced within those few days and ended up crushing his spinal cord.
We miss him so very very much. It feels like a blur right now like its not real. He was diagnosed early November and is already gone.
I hope all the best for all of your and your families and want to thank everyone who had replied to any of my posts as this forum has an amazing and knowledgable group of people!
All the best 
 
Amie  

Hi everyone 
I did promise i would keep you all posted it's 3.15am here in the UK and I can't sleep but nothing I'm not used to now lol,
So I had the first treatment done yesterday and it was alright nothing to worry about to be honest unless your claustrophobic then I would be difficult, I wasn't long in the machine had to have a few scans before the treatment started but I would say all in all approximately 15 minutes, I have another session today at 4.30pm and 3 more next week then I guess the side effects will start, but I'm glad I went through with it even if don't have much faith in it working atleast I tried 
Hope your all well Take care Justin x 

Thank you for your replies everyone. My mum went for another ultrasound of the kidney and vaginal area the other day as she's been having discomfort (they didn't find anything) and she spoke to a very nice doctor who said it's common for people over 60 to have nodules and growths and that they're mostly benign. The nurse from the gastroscopy said that doing a biopsy is standard even if they don't think there's anything concerning. I hope that everything is ok. I think I'm just super worried about everything because of the trauma of my mum's diagnosis. 
 

more bad news after bad news it seems.
As of a week ago my dad was rushed to hospital. He was so weak he could not move and did not look well at all. Earlier that day he had rolled his ankle which made him unable to walk. They found an infection in the lung and that his tumour had grown, even after 4 radiation treatments. 
His blood pressure was very low with high calcium levels in his blood and high white blood cells. His potassium and magnesium was very low. He was started on antibiotics and fluids among other things then was given a blood transfusion due to low hemoglobin. 
He is now unable to move his legs or do any bodily functions below the waist. they did a ct on his spine and found that his spine mets has caused 2 fractures. 
his cancer is growing extremely quickly and i am so angry that they didnt even start a first line treatment to begin with. seems there has been mistake after mistake here.
it has only been maybe 4 months since we found out he has lung cancer. it blows my mind. 
the oncologist will meet with him to see what his options are regarding what they can do if anything in a few days.
what a hell we have been through (mostly him) its just so unfair and im extremely angry.
he will not win this battle they have made that clear.

That's very true. In the UK palliative usually means end of life with the aim of treatment being to alleviate pain, not to control or get rid of cancer. I've read on some American sites that palliative doesn't mean end of life or terminal but it can be used together with curative treatment as you say. I really hope everything will be ok and fate won't deal us an unlucky hand just as it's close to my mum's third year cancerversary and almost two and a half years of being NED. 

That's very true. In the UK palliative usually means end of life with the aim of treatment being to alleviate pain, not to control or get rid of cancer. I've read on some American sites that palliative doesn't mean end of life or terminal but it can be used together with curative treatment as you say. I really hope everything will be ok and fate won't deal us an unlucky hand just as it's close to my mum's third year cancerversary and almost two and a half years of being NED. 

Thank you for your replies everyone. My mum went for another ultrasound of the kidney and vaginal area the other day as she's been having discomfort (they didn't find anything) and she spoke to a very nice doctor who said it's common for people over 60 to have nodules and growths and that they're mostly benign. The nurse from the gastroscopy said that doing a biopsy is standard even if they don't think there's anything concerning. I hope that everything is ok. I think I'm just super worried about everything because of the trauma of my mum's diagnosis. 
 

Never lose hope. The doctors obviously still thinks there's a chance. Surgery isn't always the best option for people. I've heard that it's possible for undetected cancer cells to be left behind during surgery and they start to grow again. 
Incurable doesn't mean untreatable, hopeless or terminal. Cancer is being treated more and more like a chronic illness like AIDS or diabetes. Some argue whether or not cancer is truly curable as it can always return. 
There are more and more treatments being approved. When is the next meeting with the oncologist? When my mum was going through treatment she wrote down a list of questions to ask and she'd write down the answers and doctors comments for example when the doctor said she had "excellent response to treatment". It really helps to have a record of what is said and to ask questions so you're as well informed as possible.
We're here for you. You're not alone. The majority of us have been through this dark hole but there is a light there even if it doesn't seem likely xx

That's very true. In the UK palliative usually means end of life with the aim of treatment being to alleviate pain, not to control or get rid of cancer. I've read on some American sites that palliative doesn't mean end of life or terminal but it can be used together with curative treatment as you say. I really hope everything will be ok and fate won't deal us an unlucky hand just as it's close to my mum's third year cancerversary and almost two and a half years of being NED. 

Also I hope all is ok as next month is my mum's three year cancerversary.