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Hi Donna, Welcome! I am also fairly new to the board diagnosed end of May by my pulmonologist that gave me no real information, was officially diagnosed IIIA NSCLC on June 9, 2006. I will start Chemo and Radiation soon so I cannot give you advice there but the PET scan was very similar to the CT scan except it took longer. The worst part was drinking the substance that reminded me of Maalox so they could better see my intestines abdomanol area. Because I am Claustrophic, for my Brain MRI I took a Xanax one hour prior and kept my eyes closed for the hour test and only began to panic for the last five minutes. I didn't need any medicine for the PET scan.

First I want to thank everyone on the board for giving me wonderful advice and support on my first post last week on the welcome board. The Thoracic Oncology group at Yale as diagnosed me with NSCLC stage IIIA. I had an MRI last night to check to make sure there is no brain MET. If that is clear they will do a mediostein (not sure how to spell this)biopsy of the two lymph nodes in the middle of my chest to see if they are defintely cancerous. They are assuming they are currently. Once that is done this coming week I was told, then I will start 6 weeks of concurrent Chemo and Radiation. After that I will have surgery to remove part or all of my right lung. I'm feeling better than I was a week ago but I'm feeling very numb most days, having a hard time just living life and trying to be normal. I want to try and be normal for my children but it's really hard. It's also hard when everyone constantly is asking how you feel as if you are going to break into pieces any second. There are days I just feel like a leper. My 81 year old father said to me that I need to stay strong and live because for every day I live the more advanced the technology and drugs to treat lung cancer. That is what I'm counting on.

meredith, I'm new here and to cancer and still trying to grapple with my own diagnosis but I will send prayers and although I have lung cancer all cancer is terrible. My grandmother died in 1929 of another very rare cancer. Cancer of the Vulva. Back then there was not much for treatments. I pray every day for a cure for all of us. Hugs. Lilly

I'm an ex smoker, mother of 3, 40 years old and diagnosed with lung cancer last week after needle biopsy on 2 cm lesion on lower right lung. Going to Yale-New Haven friday to discuss lymph nodes in mid chest that also lit up on PET and potentially biopsing them during surgery. I still cannot believe this has happened and that I may not see my 6 month old even reach her 1st birthday. I can no longer sleep and am so depressed.