Yvetteh

Hi Chris, Wondering how your surgery went for you? Yvette

I was diagnosed with Stage 3B- Non-Small Cell Carcinoma. My oncologist decided to try a just approved FDA approach (end stage cancer treatment w/ immunotherapy). After therapy I had my upper left lob and 13 nymph nodes removed on June 2, 2022. If anyone is interested and having significant pain in the areas of surgery, I have another exercise that can be done to ease the pain without drugs. It is done only with hand movements. This was written by ? and was found on one of the many lung cancer sites I review. I have found it to be very helpful. I believe what it does is by you manipulating the areas (lightly) you are not only breaking up scar tissue, but also helping the nerve endings to find each other again? This is just my educated guess. I do this exercise standing up rather than laying down as it states. I am not doing the bands yet, because I am just now able to lift heavier items (more than 10 lbs) Give it a try and or pass it on. Wishing you all the best! "Hi. My daughter had just studied physiotherapy when I hadn't op and she advised me to go to physio. I saw 2 and both helped me in 2 ways. One at the time sounded a bit unconventional in her treatment but it worked. She was a neuro physio just by chance and she explained to me how nerves can become pain nerves after trauma and not 'sensation' nerves. I was completely numb front and side from having the traditional thoracotomy. She made me lie on the bed, eyes closed and slowly stroked one side from back to front across my rib area on the good side and then did the same on the site cut side and then did the 2 sides together. She said the brain likes symmetry and that we have to re-teach the brain that the nerves need to feel sensation not pain. I did this 3 times a day at home with my youngest daughter and after 3 weeks I started to have sensation and less 'nervy' pain. I have full sensation now except on scar tissue but still have pain in lower rib area that has never gone away. Just twinges. I went to a respiratory physio who didn't really help.me for the breathing but I met an amazing young man who when I told him my issues said he knew exactly what was wrong. I couldn't even start for 5min or do anything that involves me uses my arms and torso. The burning back and side ache was so painful. He explained the op and how they 'strength' you on the table etc and he started of with simple stretches. I had a band wrapped around both door handles (side on) or around a frame so you could pull on them both ends. I started with 5 and built up to 20 of pulling with straight arms to my side. Then bending my elbows and pulling into my waist height. And once I got that so it wasn't to painful, I made the bands into a circle about shoulder width, put hands inside slightly outstretched and tried to open my arms, So the bands became the resistance. Just strengthening my muscles. He gave me other stretches and deep breathing exercises as he realized my lower rib cage wasn't moving at all really and that was 6 months after my op. So all that helped me within a month, pain and mobility wise, but I just can't so much without becoming breathless. Walking up the stairs gets me haha I have to wait on top to catch my breath. Hope these tips could help you."

I found a post regarding hand reflexology that really helped with the cough. Between this and the spirometer I was able to gain control

If anyone is interested and having significant pain in the areas of surgery, I have another exercise that can be done to ease the pain without drugs. It is done only with hand movements. This was written by ? and was found on one of the many lung cancer sites I review. I have found it to be very helpful. I believe what it does is by you manipulating the areas (lightly) you are not only breaking up scar tissue, but also helping the nerve endings to find each other again? This is just my educated guess. I am not doing the bands yet, cause I am just now able to lift heavier items (more than 10 lbs) Give it a try and or pass it on. Wishing you all the best! "Hi. My daughter had just studying physiotherapy when I hadn't op and she advised me to go to physio. I saw 2 and both helped me in 2 ways. One at the time sounded a bit unconventional in her treatment but it worked. She was a neuro physio just by chance and she explained to me how nerves can become pain nerves after trauma and not 'sensation' nerves. I was completely numb front and side from having the traditional thoracotomy. She made me lie on the bed, eyes closed and slowly stroked one side from back to front across my rib area on the good side and then did the same on the site cut side and then did the 2 sides together. She said the brain likes symmetry and that we have to re-teach the brain that the nerves need to feel sensation not pain. I did this 3 times a day at home with my youngest daughter and after 3 weeks I started to have sensation and less 'nervy' pain. I have full sensation now except on scar tissue but still have pain in lower rib area that has never gone away. Just twinges. I went to a respiratory physio who didn't really help.me for the breathing but I met an amazing young man who when I told him my issues said he knew exactly what was wrong. I couldn't even start for 5min or do anything that involves me uses my arms and torso. The burning back and side ache was so painful. He explained the op and how they 'strength' you on the table etc and he started of with simple stretches. I had a band wrapped around both door handles (side on) or around a frame so you could pull on them both ends. I started with 5 and built up to 20 of pulling with straight arms to my side. Then bending my elbows and pulling in to my waist height. And once I got that so it wasn't to painful I made the band's into a circle about shoulder width, put hands inside slightly outstretched and tried to open my arms,.so the band's became the resistance. Just strengthening my muscles. He gave me other stretches and deep breathing exercises as he realised my lower rib cage wasn't moving at all really and that was 6 months after my op. So all that helped me within a month, pain and mobility wise but I just can't so much without becoming breathless. Walking up the stairs gets me haha I have to wait on top to catch my breath. Hope these tips could help you."

Hi Bob, yeah my lungs look and sound good too according to my docs. I really think it has something to do with how fast my heart beats at times. I have been able to view my scans to see my lung. They removed my upper left lobe and byt he second day the lower lobe had extended up to where the upper lobe was. At 3 months you can hardly tell that I had a lobectomy. The body is so amazing.... Have you had a chance to look at yours?

Yes Bob, please let us know about how your pleural effusion goes. I am just past my 3-month mark and at my last ct scan showed that I have a little fluid in the left lower pleural. It is scary when you research what this means. I just hope my body absorbs it.

Forgot to say I had my upper left lobectomy and 13 lymph nodes removed on June 2, 2022. All labs came back cancer free. So the 8 hours of chemo and immune therapy treatments seemed to work well for me so far.... They treated me with a very aggressive treatment plan (as a stage 4 end of life even though I was only a stage 3b). Feeling blessed and also guilty at the same time if that makes sense.

Hi Bob, I didn't have the same type of reactions to coughing as you have, but if it makes you feel better the cough does go away after a while. I googled and di many different searches as to how to relieve the coughing as nothing seemed to help me and the pain that the coughing was causing was pretty bad. What really worked was reflexology of the hands. Do a google search of this and you will see the different pressure points on the hands. Also make sure to continually to the breathing exercises with the spirometer. I was faithful for a few months then went back to work f/t which slowed me down on my walks each day and I did not do the spirometer as often which is a big mistake. I ended up feeling very ill and then coughed up a bund of stuff... So again, a reminder It takes about 6 months for the lungs to heal. You may feel great but thrust me when I say they are still healing. Keep doing the multiple walks daily and the breathing exercises 4-5 times a day.

Thank you for sharing. As I read your story it brought tears to my eyes. It is good to hear the journey of survivors, it provides hope for those that are continually struggling. I too talk with God daily. I have been diagnosed a stage 3a. My oncologist treated me as a stage 4 end of life recently approved trial therapy- Premetrix, Cisplatin and an immune therapy regimen before removing the growth through a lobectomy. I have my follow up appt with the oncologist coming up in early July to discuss the test results of the growth and 12 lymph nodes.

Hello everyone. I really am glad I found this site and appreciate the feedback that is provided by everyone, it has help me through various recovery steps of my lobectomy. I am now 3 days into my 3rd week after lobectomy surgery. I am noticing that just moving around in my home I am very short of breath and this week I am very constipated. I am doing my breathing exercises with the spirometer, drinking lots of water and going on short walks outside. I am still taking 1000 mg of Tylenol once daily and 400 mg of ibuprofen twice daily. I am attempting to ween off the oxycodone .5mg which I have been taking a night since June 4th. I read that ibuprofen can cause constipation and know that the oxy does as well. I do not have pain in my chest but do still have quite a lot around my 2 incisions (the drain tube site and the site where they removed my lung through the tube). Is it normal to be so short of breath just walking around my home? Thank you, Yvette

thanks Tom, it is good to know about the healing time. I really worry about infection with an open wound. My husband has been changing the bandage daily for me. I have been coughing which is making it difficult on the open wound and the site where they pulled the tube and bags to remove the lung and nodes. I talked with doc today and she does not want me to take any kind of cough syrup and asked that I take another dose of the oxycodone prescribed. I had been only taking 1 of the oxi at night before bedtime to aide in sleeping. .

Ashnnazila, please discuss with your mother how she would like to proceed. Go to doc appts with her is your able. Ask the doctor any questions you may so you can better understand what is going on and what options they have discussed and have available for her. I know when my father was going through cancer for the second time (12 years later) the docs spoke directly with my father even though I was in the room. I happen to be at one of his medical appts when they were asking him questions about how he wanted to proceed for treatment. My dad was so overwhelmed with the fact that the cancer had come back that he was not really listening to anything else the docs were saying to him at that moment. The docs wanted a decision on how to proceed right then and there, I asked dad if he was ready right now to answer this question and he was not he wanted to think about it before committing to treatment again. Additionally, You may want to research and inquire about a procedure I read about "gamma ray knife" for brain tumors.

Hello, I recently had an upper left lobectomy and removal of 12 lymph nodes on 6-2-22. They removed the lung chest drain tube the next day. After my first post op appt 6-8-22- I asked the surgeon why they do not stitch shut or glue the drain tube site like they did all other puncture site? She stated that some surgeons like to close the drain tube site others do not. By not closing the drain tube site it allows the site to continue to drain as needed. She stated that my 5 robotic surgical sites were healing really good, and although the drain tube hole was cut a bit bigger than need be, it would heal up on its own as well. As the surgeon knows-the problem is that I am coughing from time to time which breaks open the drain site and lung fluid drains out- very messy and scary to my husband which has been helping me. They did have me do an x-ray just to be sure I was not producing too much drainage fluid. Additionally, I was taking a shower each day as per discharge instructions but have just cut my showers back to every other day in hopes this helps the drain tube site to close/heal. I am changing the drainage site bandages daily or as needed. Has anyone else had the Lung chest drain tube site left open to drain? How long does it take to heal typically? Thank you! Yvette