onlyone

Just wanted to let Joanie know my mom and I are thinking of her and appreciate the advice she gave us on doctors. You're in our prayers.

My mom was a retired teacher when she had her lobectomy (Oct. 06) but has started talking about finding some volunteer work to do now. She still gets shortness of breath but goes to breathing classes and exercise class. She was discouraged for the first 3 months but then started noticing improvement. From what I found in studies on the internet, that is the classic recovery in terms of breathing ability after lobectomy. From what I know about soc. sec., the first denial is not unusual and many decisions get reversed on appeal. From what I know about nursing, it is a profession in demand and I would think with your mom's experience, she might be able to find some type of work she could perform with her limitations, but I don't know how that would affect her eligibility for soc. sec. I know once you're on, they permit you to go back to work on a trial basis to see if you can do it without losing your benefits. A lawyer who specializes in soc. sec. would probably be the best person to consult.

My mom wants a second opinion on adjuvant chemo from Sloan Kettering. I told her I'd do my own research on who to use and we'll see if the same name comes up from our different sources. Any advice? Mom is emotionally fragile now and it didn't help when she had to wait 3 hours to see her pulmonologist yesterday, causing her blood pressure to go up, of course, just when it had been getting back to normal after the surgery...

Just came back from another weekend with mom. She is healing from the surgery, sleeping alot - naps and through the night, and puttering around the house. Appetite is returning - she has reduced her pain meds due to the nausea and is doing well. Still hasn't been outside, except to go to the surgeon earlier this week. He said her lungs look great. She isn't anywhere near strong enough (physically or emotionally) to consider an oncology consult yet - I guess I should just follow her lead and listen. Either she'll be ready to consider it or not, and I shouldn't push it, but I can't help but want her to get the treatment that will ensure her the best outcome. In the meantime, my independent mom has been allowing me to help her and it's great to be able to.

Mom had her right upper lobe removed Monday. Lymph nodes were clear and tumor (5cm x 3cm x 2.5 cm) was not touching chest wall. Her chest tubes, epidural and catheter came out yesterday. The plan is to transfer her to sub-acute rehab. on Monday. I will be heading back home later today and probably be coming to visit on weekends. I assume once she is recovered from the surgery, we will meet with an oncologist or two.

While in the hospital for the collapse, we were able to meet with the doctor and he advised that the biopsy was positive - adenocarcinoma, stage I and he recommends surgery (laparoscopically) to remove right upper lobe with possible mediastinoscopy and then depending on pathology after and mediastinoscopy, possible chemo. Going from believing it was Stage IV based on the PET to Stage I based on the biopsies put me on cloud 9.

Since I'm new to this, I don't know if this is the right board to post this info on. The doctor called my mom and told her the result of the adrenal biopsy was negative (1.2 cm nodule had a maximal SUV of 4.3 on the PET). It was a hard biopsy because of the location and the adrenal gland apparently influences blood pressure. After that one, the lung biopsy on Tuesday was a piece of cake - still waiting on result - but in the meantime, mom had shortness of breath and sure enough had slight collapse of the lung so is in the hospital to fix that. Will keep you posted and thanks for being there.

Thank you for your support and insight. Many good suggestions. I will keep you posted on our progress.

My mom, 76, has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, possible met to adrenal gland, only by CT and PET. Biopsies are scheduled in the next week. (Brochoscopy was negative.) I am an only child and live 3 hours away, work and have two kids. My mom has some close friends where she lives but I am concerned that I will not be able to be there for her for any ongoing treatment. I will offer for her to move in with us but I think that during treatment, if any, she will want to stick with doctors where she lives. She is still in denial, which I understand is a protective measure. Any advice?