Tom K
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Posts posted by Tom K
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2 cancers in one family. The guy who said life is unfair was right on target. I’ll pray that you and Fred get through this thing easy.
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Hi Betty,
Welcome and please do not hesitate to ask questions. This is a great group of people who are more than willing to share their experiences and knowledge.
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This past Wednesday I had surgery to biopsy the 2 lesions on my liver. Immediately after the surgery I was told the preliminary pathology indicated benign. Today the surgeon’s assistant called and told me the pathology lab confirmed both lesions were benign. She said they were the result of a common inflammation (which explains the PET results). I was a little surprised when my oncologist stopped by the recovery room after the surgery (the cancer center is another building on the hospital campus). He seemed as pleased as I was with the results and he mentioned that he had said a blessing for me. I already liked my oncologist and had confidence in him, but I was surprised to hear him say he prayed for me. It feels very good to have a doctor that cares that much about his patients. When I asked him what was next for me, he said we just confirmed I do not have cancer and I should call him in a month or so to schedule some follow up scans. This disease really is a roller coaster ride but for now it's time to feel good.
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Icbn,
It is you who are lifting us. Your dignity in the face of adversity is inspiring.
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Nancy,
Welcome back. I can’t imagine how you have endured that surgery 3 times. Your strength and positive attitude are amazing.
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Lori,
After my Onc laid out the plan for my treatment, I went for a second opinion. The second opinion agreed with my Onc with one exception. He recommended Taxotere instead of Taxol. He said it was less toxic and just as effective. When I mentioned it to my Onc he said they normally start with Taxol and switch to Taxotere in the unlikely event the patient can not tolerate Taxol. Here is a link to a site that describes most chemo drugs.
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GREAT NEWS!!! You 2 behave yourselves during those 4 weeks of good times.
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I am sure this will get me banned from the board, but here it is.
The Guys' Rules
Finally, the guys' side of the story.
We always hear "the rules"
From the female side.
Now here are the rules from the male side.
These are our rules!
Please note.. these are all numbered "1"
ON PURPOSE!
1. Men are NOT mind readers.
1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.
1. Crying is blackmail.
1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!
1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a Problem. See a doctor.
1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days.
1. If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't Expect us to act like soap opera guys.
1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one
1. You can either ask us to do something Or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.
1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.
1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.
1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.
1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine. Really.
1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as sex, Cars, the shotgun formation, or Basketball.
1. You have enough clothes.
1. You have too many shoes.
1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!
1. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight;
But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.
Pass this to as many men as you can - to give them a laugh.
Pass this to as many women as you can - to give them a bigger laugh
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You most definitely need a second opinion. Today there are lots of options for treating cancer. In a very honest conversation with my Onc, I was told that in a worst case scenario, I could expect 4 or more years of reasonably good quality of life provided I did not mind gong through multiple different therapies. She stressed that there were many options available with more being developed each year. You need to find an oncologist who is well versed in all the options available. Check out the people on this board and you will see there are many survivors who have been holding the disease at bay for years because of the many therapies they were treated with. BTW, age has very little to do with treatment success. In fact, I have read that age can be advantage, because the cancer tends to grow slower in older people.
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From all that I have read, I understand that uncontrolled pain is one of the reasons people give up this fight. You must tell his doctors about the pain and insist they provide him relief. If they can’t help him, find the pain management team at the nearest hospital and seek their help.
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Thank you everybody for the advice and concern. According to my Onc the tumor board recommended a CT be done which will give them more anatomical information to make a determination as to whether or not a biopsy is needed. The CT is scheduled for Monday morning and the decision on a biopsy will be made before lunch. The dome of the liver is difficult to reach, so if a biopsy is needed, a surgeon has been engaged that can do it with laparoscopic surgery. If the biopsy is positive, the lesions will be treated with RFA. While I still do not have all the answers, it feels good knowing we have a game plan. It also feels very good knowing there are people out there that truly understand. I am a serious “type A” personality and has Cindi said, I have been driving myself batty with worry. Thank you all so much for the support.
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An MRI was done on my chest and abdomen this past Wednesday. It showed “abnormal” tissue in the upper right chest where the lobectomy was performed. That same area had an SUV of 3.4 on the recent PET. The report states it could be Lymphangitic spread of the Cancer or related to previous radiation treatments. The MRI also showed 2 lesions on the “dome” of my liver. One was 8mm the other 1cm. That area of the liver had an SUV of 4.1 on the PET. Both lesions became enhanced under contrast, which according to the radiologist is indicative of cancer. My Onc still maintains it would be “highly unusual for NSCLC to metastasis this quickly after completing a first line chemo treatment” He also mentioned my blood tests show liver function was normal. He is taking my case to the Tumor Board on Friday to consider options for biopsies of both areas and possible treatment protocols. He promised to call me Friday morning after the board has met. So for now, I am just waiting and trying to maintain that positive attitude. I am sure I’ll feel better once we have a plan ready.
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I did not get nosebleeds per se, but while I was receiving chemo, I would see a noticeable amount of blood when I blew my nose in the mornings. It went away within a few weeks of stopping chemo. But like Cindi said, if your dad is bleeding profusely, it should be checked out by a doctor.
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Welcome Eileen,
Yes you are lucky you are eligible for surgery and yes the surgery is doable. Just before surgery, they may offer you an epidural, the answer is yes. If they don’t offer it, ask about it. I think mine stayed in for about 36 hours after the surgery and it made it a lot less painful to cough. Don’t be afraid to ask for the pain meds when you need them. Within 2 weeks I was down to the occasional Tylenol.
I don’t know how big your tumor is, but if it is larger than 3CM, your Oncologist will likely recommend adjuvant chemo therapy. My Oncologist recommended it for me and my PCP discouraged it. I didn't know what to do, so I asked this group and everybody that responded encouraged me to do it. Long story short, it probably saved my life because after I agreed to do it the Onc ordered another PET that showed I still had 2 lymph nodes that were cancerous.
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Jim,
Great news for you and your shadow. Looks like you will be doing a lot more fishing together. Thank you for sharing. It is always inspiring and a pleasure to hear the good news stories. BTW you live in one of the best cities in America. I was assigned twice to Charleston AFB and we loved it there.
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I had a PET scan 6/27/06 and the results were not what we hoped for. The good news; The right Paratracheal lymph nodes are smaller and showed no activity. These lymph nodes were the ones that lit up after surgery. The inconclusive news; My right lung had activity with a maximum SUV of 3.9 but no nodules were detected. The radiologist interpreted this as “Post Therapeutic Change” from the Surgery, Chemo and Radiation. Now for the bad news; “There appears to be a small low density in the liver near the dome of the diaphragm. This area shows activity with an SUV of 4.1. This would raise the possibility of metastatic lesion in the dome of the liver.”
My Onc has ordered an MRI of the liver for next Wednesday. He tried to reassure me by saying it would be highly unusual for NSCLC to metastasis to the liver this quickly while on a first line chemo treatment. He did say I have developed pleurisy of my right lung and that it was possible the PET picked up the inflammation of the right lung and diaphragm which would account for the relatively low SUVs. He is a pretty positive guy but this has me scared. I really thought I would beat this cancer in the first round.
I’d appreciate hearing from other patients and caregivers who have experience with mets to the liver. What treatments were prescribed? Are there symptoms I should be looking for? Thanks.
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I pray Keith will be comfortable and free of pain. I pray that your faith will sustain you through this time.
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Sorry about that leg. I hope it heals quickly. Of you course you will win this battle. You have a lot of us looking to you for inspiration.
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By popular demand (This group’s advice) and after much consideration (My wife nagged me). I decided (She insisted) to go see the doctor this morning. Because it was in both feet and both legs, he quickly diagnosed the symptoms as a side effect of Taxol. He said he has seen swelling before and it was not that unusual. He did not use the word neuropathy but I guess that is what he was thinking because he prescribed a drug called Lyrica which is used for nerve pain. He told me the pain should go away in a few weeks. I tried the drug today and it did not seem to relieve the pain, but, as I said, it is really more of a discomfort than actual pain. I’ll give the drug a few days and see what happens. At least going to the doctor put my wife’s mind at ease. She has been an angel throughout the entire journey and I try not to cause her more stress than she already has. Thanks to all of you for responding so quickly.
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I completed my last chemo treatment 16 days ago. 3 days later, my feet began feeling like they were asleep. The next day my ankles and legs became slightly swollen and I have minor pain in my calves when I walk. This has gone on for almost 2 weeks and I assumed it was another wonderful side effect of chemo. I had planned to mention it to my Onc at the scheduled appointment next Wed. A “friend” of my wife’s convinced her that it could be something serious and I should not wait a week to see a doctor. Has anybody else experienced anything like this as a side effect from chemo?
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You are correct this is the place to learn. I found this site shortly after diagnosis and I quickly learned that the statistics don’t matter. I have gained a lot of hope from all the long term survivors, (like your Mom).
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Your work provides help and hope to thousands. Congratulations and Thank You for all you do.
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This posting brought me to tears. I wish I had the power to make this go away. Keith and Carleen are good people and should not be made to suffer like this.
Decision, decisions
in NSCLC GROUP
Posted
I do not have experience with either of those drugs, but here is a link to a web site that has a lot of clinical information on chemo drugs.
http://www.chemocare.com/