Tom K
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Posts posted by Tom K
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Congratulations I am glad things are looking up for you. Mendy’s suggestion is a good one. I slept in the hospital recliner for the first 5 days after surgery and it was a whole lot more comfortable. I hope you are feeling better soon.
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Yes, my cough started about 7 weeks after surgery and it still comes and goes. Sometimes I would get a wheeze as well as a cough. I was told all of it is related to inflammation as a result of the surgery, chemo and radiation. My doctor told me, after the surgery, the remainder of your lung can move around until it finds a comfortable spot and it can even expand to fill the void left from the surgery. That can lead to inflammation. Of course the chemo and the radiation on top of the surgery contributed to the problems. My doctors weren’t concerned either and told me over time the cough will go away. They did give me cough syrups to help deal with it. I think they are right, my wheeze hasn’t been around for a couple of months now and I haven’t used the cough syrup for more than 3 months. I still cough a few times a day but it isn’t the problem it once was. Next time you see your doctor ask him about it.
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Hi Peg,
I live in Jacksonville. Interestingly there have been some suggestions that cancer progresses slower in people that are a little older. Also, age does not seem to be factor in treatment success. But just like everybody else here, I strongly recommend you get her to an oncologist ASAP. You have lots of choices including Mayo. I received opinions from Baptist and St Vincent’s cancer centers. I choose St. Vincent’s because they treat the most lung cancer patients each year (even more than Mayo in Jax) and because I just really liked the doctors there. I will PM you with more information. Your mom is in my prayers.
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I saw a podiatrist yesterday and he prescribed Metanx (a B-6 & B-12 combo) for the neuropathy in my feet. He said he has used it for several patients with diabetic neuropathy and it has worked great. Has anybody here ever used this product or similar B vitamin compounds to relieve neuropathy?
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Congratulations! Now go out and party!
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I had nodules on my liver that also showed uptake in a PET scan. Because of the location of the nodules, they had to do surgery to do a biopsy. My doctors were able to tell me the pathology results as soon as I woke up in the recovery room. You should ask your doctor when he will have initial path results. Ill bet he will have them immediately after surgery.
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I believe in God and I believe there is a heaven and an afterlife. Now, what form heaven will take, I have no idea, but, similar to what Don said, I like to think heaven will be perfect understanding. After death, I will finally understand as much of God’s plan as is permitted, I will know if there are parallel universes, I will understand why he gave us free will, I will solve all the great mysteries of this life, such as why I developed cancer, why bad things happen to good people, and why my wife “needs” 30 pair of shoes and a dozen handbags.
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I didn’t have any complications so I was back to work 4 weeks after surgery. Also, I didn’t have chemo or radiation prior to surgery so I was able to recover pretty quickly.
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Is it inappropriate for me to be happy about the side effects you may suffer? I hope you have to deal with unacceptable elation when the PET results show a dead tumor. Good luck to you.
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Welcome. It may not seem like it but you are actually very lucky your cancer was found while surgery was still an option. I know you didn’t ask for advice, but for what it is worth, if doctors offer you an epidural, say yes… keep a pillow close by so you can hug it when you cough….you will feel a whole lot better once they take out the chest tube. Don't hesitate to ask questions. There are a lot of us here that have had lung surgery (some more than once). Good luck and prayeres for great results.
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I can’t relate to the bra thing, (I have never liked them), but, I can relate to the tightness somewhat. I still have a slight tingle that runs along a single rib from my back all the way to the front middle of my chest and it is still painful to touch. I understand it is nerve damage from the surgery. You should, of course, mention it to your doctor, but your tightness sounds like nerve damage also. I’m sorry I can’t forward you a reference, but a while ago I was searching the internet for “thoracotomey” information and came across an article that indicated the majority of thoracomtomey patients will experience ongoing discomfort and that 20% of those will need long term drug therapy to alleviate the pain.
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I can do most of what I want to do as long as I pace myself. I even walk fast/jog 3 to 4 times a week. But if there is some sudden or unplanned exertion, like having to run across the street, I definitely get SOB. I described this to my onc last Tuesday and was told “you have less lung tissue now and you are still healing from some very aggressive treatment last year”. Since the visit revealed I was still NED, I wasn’t about to tempt the fates by pushing the issue. I hope with continued exercise and healing my breathing will eventually improve.
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I can’t imagine any words that could ease your pain, but you, Carleton and your family are in my prayers.
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Angel Decoys
in HOPE
I spent 20 years in the Air Force with most of that time in MAC and AMC working ground support for C-130s (as well as C-141s, C-5s and C-17s) and I never had a chance to see anything like that. Awesome photos.
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Like several others here, I had the weekly Taxol/Carbo with daily radiation for about 7 weeks. The radiation was straight on my mediastinum and my discomfort in the esophagus seemed to last a couple of months (soft foods for many weeks). After completing initial treatment, I then had consolidation chemo treatment for 6 more weeks. For some reason, that series of chemo treatments did more damage to my RBC and caused anemia so I was constantly tired. I also lost most of my hair during the second series. But today I feel great and I know the treatments were defiantly worth the mild discomfort.
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Ernie,
I am not even close to being and expert, but I had a PET scan last July that had some doctors convinced I had mets to my liver because of the high SUV values and the nodules that appeared on the MRI and CAT. As you can see from my time line, a biopsy proved them wrong and it was only “inflamed fatty tissue”. My primary Onc (who didn’t believe I had mets) told me that PETs were far from being 100% accurate in finding cancer because they are also very good at finding infections and inflammation with no easy way of discerning between the 3.
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I know the fear she faces that she won’t be fighting "it" any longer. I responded to that fear by doing a lot of research and putting together a regime of supplements and vitamins I take. Others on this site helped me refine that regime, so don't be afraid to ask if your mom is interested in supplements. I told my doctor what I was taking and he was non-committal as to whether or not any of it would actually help. But he felt none of it would hurt. At the very least, each morning and evening when I am taking my supps, it makes me feel I am doing something to keep “it” from coming back.
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You should probably contact your oncologists and let them know about these symptoms. The doctors might be able to give you something to alleviate the discomfort. I had very similar treatments and I do not recall having a fever or a great deal of pain in my chest. My radiation was right in the center of my chest on my esophagus, so it did hurt a lot when I ate, but only when I ate. That lasted about 2 to 3 months. I did have a cough and I was given steroids and cough medicines to control it. That also took several months for it to resolve itself. The fever and the pain seem unusual compared to what I and others have experienced so I recommend you let your doctor know about it. I am glad you are back to work. It will do wonders for your peace of mind.
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I started this note trying to be gentle, but that is not how I feel. I am angry. Very angry. Frank’s courage and humor was an inspiration and it is not fair that he be taken from us. Damn this disease. I can only imagine how his family must feel. I hope they draw some comfort knowing how much we loved him as well and that we share their grief.
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Hi Frank,
I hope you are comfortable and that they find a way to make you a little more mobile. I am also hoping the meds won’t prevent you from enjoying a beer or 2 while watching the game tomorrow. BTW, who are you rooting for?
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I am not an expert, but I understand everybody with stage 4 lung cancer is eligible for Social Security regardless of age. You may want to contact them.
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It does indeed seem like things are moving very slowly for you. You can see from my time line that it was exactly 2 weeks from the date of my first symptom to surgery. During those 2 weeks my PCP arranged for me to have a CT scan, a biopsy, a PET scan and a PFT (Pulmonary Function Test) as well as multiple meetings with the pulmonologist and the surgeon. My PCP was a real powerhouse driving things for me. He was pretty insistent that the other doctors should move quickly while I was still a stage 1. As it turned out I was actually a stage IIIa but that was not evident until a month after the surgery. One of the things I have learned at this site is the squeaky wheel definitely gets the grease. You may want to go back to you doctors and start complaining loudly. Particularly since it sounds like you may also be a candidate for surgery if they move fast enough.
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I am a couple of hundred miles to the north of you and my car thermometer told me it was 28 degrees at 6 AM this morning. This afternoon, it is in the mid 50s.
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I also gained about 20 lbs. My appetite has increased tremendously since I finished treatment. I don't know if my taste buds changed because of the chemo or because I quit smoking, but food is definitely more enjoyable these days.
Introducing myself
in INTRODUCE YOURSELF!
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Terri,
Welcome to the group and do not hesitate to ask questions. There is a lot of experience and knowledge in this group.