kathe2024

After receiving some good news on my brain and liver MRIs (no met), I started treatment a couple of weeks ago. While I am not a candidate for surgery or radiation at this point, I remain at Stage III C, NSCLC. They have started me with four cycles of weekly chemotherapy, as well as immunotherapy every 3 weeks. I will complete my first three-week cycle this coming week. So far, I am feeling pretty good. Just tired. I decided pretty much from the get-go that I did not want to know my prognosis. I have not asked my oncologist and he has not told me. I have erased what I have read online from my mind and I refuse to google anything more. Here’s why. It has been over twenty years since my mom died of pancreatic cancer. The doctors gave her 3 months to live, but she survived nearly two years. It was her refusal to give up hope and succumb to negative outcomes that helped her extend her life. And I am grateful for the extra time I had with her. If I’m focused on a deadline of when I might die, I could easily lose hope. So I’m not going there. I have decided to live and appreciate each day, regardless of how much time I have. And that means being vigilant about my attitude and everything I do. I intend to focus on living. When I look around at all the survivors who have come before me, I am in awe. You give me hope and strength.

Congrats on your 20 years! I just read your book "Scanziety". From the bottom of my heart, thank you for sharing your story. I got several treasures from it, particularly about the gift of extended life. "God's Will is for me to live, share my story, and never give up." God willing, I will do the same. Thank you for all that you do and for all the hope you bring. We are all here to help each other. And you and your wife are living proof of this.

January 26, 2024 I never thought I would be quoting the late singer/songwriter, Tom Petty, but here it is. “The waiting is the hardest part.” Every part of my mind and body screamed, “Don’t look at the test results in “My Chart.” Reason dictated that I wait for the doctor’s appointment and let him explain the results of my bronchoscopy /biopsy. My appointment wasn’t for another week, and the suspense was killing me. So I took the plunge. My biopsy included three lymph nodes. As I opened the results for the first lymph node, I breathed a sigh of relief as I read “no malignant cells”. So I was feeling pretty confident as I opened the next test result. Unfortunately, the second lymph node was squamous carcinoma cells. The final test result was more tenuous but pointed towards malignancy. I felt myself go into stun mode. I wasn’t feeling anything- just numb. Shortly after, I attempted to get an earlier appointment with my doctor. Although I eventually did, I still had to wait several days to get any kind of information—and it was excruciating. So how did I even get here? I have suffered from pesky kidney stones for many years. Having yet another kidney stone episode, my urologist ordered a CT scan back in November 2023. Unfortunately, not only did they find a very large stone, but also some tiny spots on my lungs and some enlarged lymph nodes on my chest. They also found some nodules on my neck, my adrenal glands, and my groin. My primary care provider immediately referred me to a pulmonologist and endocrinologist. My endocronolgist ruled out any issues. However, my pulmonologist sent me for CT chest scan so he could get a better look. After that, he was concerned enough to order a Petscan/CT. From there, he ordered a bronchoscopy/biopsy. So here’s the timeline. Biopsy on Tuesday. Initial biopsy results a few days later on Friday that I peaked at without medical explanation and support. The doctor warned that getting results quickly was not a good thing in this situation. So Friday I look at results and get the bad news. There’s nothing I can do over the weekend except wait until Monday and try to get an earlier doctor’s appointment. The original follow up appointment was scheduled for Monday of the following week and I wasn’t going to wait 7 more days. So, I finally got an earlier appointment with my pulmonologist for Wednesday, after several rounds with Nurse Barbara. He broke the news that he has referred me to an oncologist because I have stage 3c lung cancer- for now. He says that I still need an MRI of my brain to make sure it hasn’t spread. He said that the referral has been made and I will be contacted soon. That was Wednesday. It’s now Friday night and I have not heard from the oncology practice. This is a lot to absorb by itself, yet feeling like you’re being ignored by care providers. Somehow, my husband and I survived the weekend. Since trying to make a phone call to my provider is like trying to get into Ft. Knox, I sent off another message through My Chart on Monday morning. The squeaky wheel eventually does get the grease because I finally got a phone call from the oncology office that afternoon. I now have an appointment with an oncologist for early next week. Yay! Finally, some action. I'll take it. So, my husband and I have decided to get a change of scenery and will go to the lake for a few days. The waiting is the hardest part.

I am at the very beginning of my journey and I'm waiting for my first oncology appt. next week. I was told by my referring pulmonologist that I will still need an MRI to make sure that it hasn't metastasized to the brain. My diagnosis for now is IIIC, NSCLC squamous. I am hoping and praying for a miracle. Your story hit home for me. I hope you are able to keep writing and sharing your stories.