Hi All,
My mother in law was very recently diagnosed (1-7-06) with stage 3b NSCLC. We are just beginning to grasp what the road ahead may be like for her, for all of us. Besides the cancer she is a very healthy woman who has never smoked a day in her life. In fact she was climbing Half Dome in Yosemite when she noticed for the first time that she felt more out of breath than usual for this hike. Passing this off as age and fatigue it was her hiking group that urged her to go to the doctor when a low level cough prevented her from walking at any incline whatsoever. She was diagnosed with stage 3B LC on account of a malignant pleural effusion (2 Qt) in her left lung, which, I am told is a fluid build up around her lung. After one bout of chemotherapy, (I don’t know the exact drugs) a PET scan revealed that the fluid has returned (1 1/4 Qt). I know each individual LC is different; however I was wondering if anyone has any similar personal stories they would share? What does the recurring fluid build up mean? Is this to be expected?
Thank you
K.
