Hi. My mom died almost nine years ago from SCLC and now it looks like my half sister/roommate may be headed for the same LC journey.
I was mom's primary caretaker (moved in with her) while she fought for 15 months (it was stage IV when she was diagnosed). My half sister/roommate is 57 (I'm 39 - different fathers)has never smoked even a single cigarette but she did grow up in heavy second hand smoke (as did I). Last winter, she started feeling badly and had tests. The only thing they found was an enlarged lymph node in her pelvis and an elevated WBC. A couple months ago, she started having difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, etc. She went on asthma meds but they haven't helped. She has had a cough that won't go away and hoarseness.
Last week, she saw a pulmonologist. I waited in the waiting room because we both assumed he would just change her asthma meds and send her on her way. That's not exactly what happened. They did a chest x-ray and compared it to one she had in February. The doctor told her "we have a potentially serious problem" and that there was a "significant change between the pictures done in Feb. and the one done that day." She pretty much stopped hearing after that. They set her up for a CT scan the next day ("STAT" was the instruction) and arranged to come in Tues. (tomorrow) to meet with her about the results (the doctor and his PA are usually at another office on Tuesdays). Myself and a friend are going with her tomorrow, needless to say.
I'm not a medical person but I became VERY well educated about LC and cancer in general when mom was sick. After the CT last week, they gave her the hard copies to take to her doctor. I took them out and looked at them. There is something pretty big in one lung and something smaller in the other. My understanding is that lungs aren't supposed to have anything "in" them.
I don't expect to be told anything concrete tomorrow. I think it will go one of two ways. 1.) they can tell from the scan it's scar tissue or an enlarged lymph node or whatever and that would be good news or 2.) It's something but they need a bronchoscopy to know WHAT.
Does that seem reasonable or am I jumping to conclusions because of my history?
Oh, and she's going out of town to a workshop for five days on Wednesday, so it'll be at least a week or two before they could do a bronchoscopy. I think I'm actually more antsy to know what's going on than she is!
On a personal note, this is kinda freaking me out because the pulmonologist is the same one who diagnosed mom's LC, same office, everything. Like I said, I was mom's primary caretaker and I would be my sister's, should it come to that. I'm already having some trouble coping with the possible repeat trip down this road, especially since she's my only remaining family member.
Thanks for your input. I've read some of your posts and this is a really nice group of people. I wish I'd had this kind of support available when mom was sick!
Thanks,
Frannie