marym

I have had mets, but not with symptons. So far I have been treated with Radio Surgery and now they are trying a brain chemo. Good luck. Mary

I was prescribed lexapro when I was first diagnosed. My doctor said everyone who has lung cancer should be on a mood elevator. I think it helps a lot. Also, some chemos give you steroids,before the infusion. That can be a downer when you come off them. I would just ask the doctor to prescribe something. Mary

Hi and welcome. I'm sorry you had need of this site. I hope we can provide support for you and for your sister. When I was diagnosed, I lived in CA. I relocated to FL and my sister relocated from NY. I'm so thankful she is here. We both had jobs that could be done from home, so we were very fortunate. I hope chemo has good results. Let us know how things go. Mary

Hope your scans are good news! Mary

Hi Beth, I'm sorry to hear about your mother, I would look for a second opinion- at a cancer hospital. My disgnosis of stage IV was almost two years ago and until today, I have been fine (toay I woke up feeling awful - but I am on two chemo's that could be causing a problrma-. I think companies have to accommodate treatment for cancer. You should speak with the social worker who will have informstion on disability, medicare, cobra, etc. Best wishes. Mary

There are many people with nodules. Normally, they watch them and do a follow up CT every 3 to 6 months. I think I read somewhere that 90% of nodules of less than 1cm are benign. Getting the initial CY will allow follow up CT's where your insurance will cover cost. Mary

Cancer does have some genetic component, but not sure male or female. Mary

I think this si one of the side effects of your chemo. I was on Taxotere and experienced the same thing. Sometimes I would be walking along and my foot would go numb. My shoe would fall off, but I could still walk, For me, it went away when I stopped the chemo. I think you should inform the nurse/doctor before your next treatment but it is a known side effects, so probably unnecessary to report it immediately/ Mary

Wow, being a four year survivor is great! I hope the new tests show improvement. But there are still a lot of options for treatment. Good luck. Let us know how it works ou. Mary

That is just awful. Technicians are not to provide any medical information pertsining to the patients condition. I feel certain that individual would be fired at 99.9% of medical organizations. Having said that, the way I was told I had lung cancer was when I went for a bronchosopy and the secretary looking over my form asked how long since I was diagnosed with LC? I told her I thought I was here today for a test to determine if I had LC. Then I proceeded to sob for hours...it was the first time the words were said to me and I was there alone as well. While I think what happenned is terrible, I know the technicians, nurses, doctors, etc that I have encountered have been so great. I can forgive the one who messes up - I mean I know she didn't want to cause me grief. Anyway, I hope things look up for your Mom. Mary

I would ask for an antidepressant. My doctor believes everyone diagnosed with lung cancer can benefit from a mood elevator. I take lexapro, 10 mg nightly. Also, if he is having difficulty with the chemo, perhaps there is an alternative available. Good luck. Mary

Frank, Prayers and best wishes. Mary

Hi Nancy, I do not have experience with your operstion, but I send my good wishes and prayers. Mary

First, ignore timelines. What did the MRI show? Did he have multiple lesions requiring Whole Brain Radiation? If there are only a couple, they can use stereotactic radiation, which is an easy procedure. A lot of cancer patients have need of WBR and there seems to be minor problems - like some short term memory loss. I think the worst of it is that you are put on a steroid that is a nightmare to withdraw from. There are many others here who can explain how they responded to WBR. Best wishes. Mary

When I was on Alimta, fatigue was all that I experienced. Mary

I have been given arenesp many times, but only if my hemo was below 12. I think that must have been a guidline for some time, or at least it was with my doctor. Mary

Glad the last wasn't the worst and I hope the scan shows good results. Mary

The cyst I had has been with me long before the cancer. ait simply seems to have become inflamed. I saw the doctor today and he prescribed an antibiotic. Said it was inflamed with a possible infection in the tissue. Not known what caused the change. I has radiation for the spine pain that I had a while ago and it worked great. I do take 30mg of morphine sulfate twice daily and 200mg of celebrex twice daily. Both were prescribed when I was first diagnosed. I haven't need to increase the dosage and was told not to worry about decreasing. I also have some quick acting morphine sulfate should I have "break through" pain. I have used these very rarely. Mary

That's great news! Mary

Hi and welcome to the site. Many chemo's make radiation more intense, so that may be why the dosage is low for starting. When I had radiation, my radiation oncologist wanted no chemo for a week befor or during the treatment. As far as staging, I thought metastisis outside the immediate area, categorizes the cancer as stage IV. I also thought that stage IV is generally considered inoperable because of the spread. I have had bone, clavicle and brain mets. By the way, the operation is a tough operation. Based on what I have read, it is very unlikely that I would agree to an operation given my condition. If I were staged differently, then I might want the operation. Anyway, as we go through this, we learn so much. The board can really be helpful in hearing others experiences and in just knowing what questions to ask. Good luck. Mary

Hi Tracy, I'm glad you are feeling normal again. I think a lot of the mood changes are not about us - it's about the disease and all the drugs we use to treat it. I take the same drugs every day and yet, one time I cannot sleep, another time, I don't feel like eating, or I feel blue. I just try to get past it.. Best. Mary

This may be a strange question. I am on Tarceva. I have had a cyst on my back for 20 years. Yesterday it decided to become infected - it's under the skin, but very red and painful. I am waiting to hear from my doctor. Has anyone had a problem like this? My doctor has in the past seemed reluctant to give me antibiotics, if the problem could be resolved in another manner. Is there some reason for this? I don't want to be taken off the Tarceva. Just interested in what others experience may have been. Mary

Hi Ken, I'm sorry to hear of your wife's diagnosis. Hope this site can offer some support, information, or whatever it is you need. It sounds as though you have a good plan in place for treatment. The one thing that I do know is that Tarceva can be rendered ineffective if grapefruit or grapefruit juice is taken. Best wishes. Mary

I'm sorry you needed to find this board, but welcome. Many, (maybe most) oncologists do not support alternative treatments and are particularly against antioxidants, (other than normal dietary intake). I would clear anything you are taking with the doctor. If you feel strongly there is a benefit, then you need to find a doctor that agrees with your position. Good luck. Mary

Hi Vicky, I can't say I had similar symptoms - but this disease manifests itself in so many ways..mets can form anywhere and cause pain. I think the radiation is an acceptable amount when weighed against the diagnostic benefit. Certainly tell the doctor that your mother was alergic to iodine, but I would have the test. Besides ruling in or out cance, you need to find the cause of the pain. Good luck. Let us know how things work out. Mary