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Gina D.

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Posts posted by Gina D.

    Feeling Positive!

    in INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

    Posted

    Hello BEO, and welcome!

    I feel for your hubby! One of main reasons I did not do any chemo was because of my size. I fear adding insult to injury.

    I have always been "miniature", 5 ft and hovering around 105 avg. as an adult. I think I got up to 117 as a kid, what a porker, eh? :wink: I now live with everyone, even those that knew me from before, thinking I am "sick" when it is just the way I am. I'd be this size if I wasn't dx'ed!

    I dropped down to 87 after my surgery, but have managed to "bulk" it back on and am now 102! Yee Ha!

    I tried the drinks, and fat and did all the stuff you are not supposed to do when you want to LOSE weight, only to end up with a cholesteral issue. I got my wieght back on with excercise. (Middle age should take care of the rest)

    Bike, or I got a "poor mans Bowflex" ~ cableflex machine. It was inexpensive, 40 bucks at Wal-Mart. I walk and hike too.

    Don't know if he can handle any of this during chemo, but even tiny bits help. I was really mad at my doc when in the hospital because they would not let me even do small things like gripping or knee bends.

    Excercise is really what all the hype is about, and it does feel good while doing it, also is much bigger a "high" than smoking was.

    Good luck to you and hubby! Tiny peoples unite!

    What to do?

    in NSCLC GROUP

    Posted

    Stage 1a here. I initially took the "you won't need chemo" as great news! My DX was about the time all this possible benefit info was coming to light with most of the onc. world, so after I heard about it, I asked ALL my docs. GP, Onc, Pulminologist, Surgeon.

    They all said it was an option, but they did NOT recommend it for someone at my stage, and with such a small tumor. They suggested that at this point in time, the "cure" was worse than the potential of disease.

    Like others in the "nay" section, I decided that I would not weaken myself if I needed to fight further.

    This is ultimately your decision, I know it's a hard one. Weights and balances..tuff one. You had 2 lobes involved. I may have a different attitude of that was my case.

    I am curious about Doctor Sams stats. I have read and was told 87% survival rate avg. at this stage, and supposedly I was even higher due to my age, health and tumor size. Be honest..is this positive "doc" speak to keep my positive attitude? I often wonder if they do that.

    Questions

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    my lobectomy was on 4-3 of this year. To my knowledge, I was never on a ventilator after the surgery. If I was, it was removed long before I woke up in the recovery room.

    I do not think a vent is typical, but ask the doc.

    I was also 1a, no chemo, no rad.

    Wishing you the best! I know it's hard not to worry. You and Mom will do OK, I am sure.

    if you smoked what quitting method finally worked for you

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    Hi!

    I used, actually am STILL using the nicotine inhaler (Oral, not nasal) Have been since just a little before official DX. March 1 2003, last ciggie.

    I am starting to get tired of them tho, they are now making my throat soar, and I am down to about 1 cartridge a day anyway..so when my supply is gone, I believe that will be it for me.

    I ordered about a years worth tho :wink: could be awhile!

    What Do I Expect Next

    in NSCLC GROUP

    Posted

    Hi luvmydog2! I love your handle 2! (I have 2 Beagles, so 2 and dogs go together)

    Everyone here is smart enough not to play onc. As mentioned, your onc is the one you need to be talking too. Don't be afraid to ask specific questions. I do, and don't feel squeemish or guilty about it.

    I am not sure what you mean about anything less than 1.5cm not being abnormal. My tumor was only .8 (Yes DECIMAL POINT 8 cm, 8/10ths of 1 cm ) and they took the whole lobe it was in. I was happy to give it to them too! .8cm was still too big for my comfort :wink: I have been declared cancer free and have been given every reason to believe I will live a long life. BUT with the caviats mentioned here already.

    I will not consider myself "cured" until 10 years from now, and even then, there is always that little twinge of uncertaincy. This is lung cancer. Normes advise must take over in this situation, if you dwell on the "what ifs" you are wasting your life. Enjoy it!

    My follow ups are every 3 mos with blood work and xray, every 6 with bloodwork and CT, plus 6 month follow ups with the surgeon after the cts, and I also have a pulminologist that helps with the shortness of breath and other lung issues I might have due to the surgery.

    The shortness of breath will diminish, it's still soon for you. Doesn't seem like it every will right now tho, does it? :wink: Trust us, it will. I had my surgery on 4-3 of this year, now I ride a bike daily and today I did a 5 mile hike. That was something I thought I would never do again, even before the surgery!

    Now, 5 miles doesn't seem very much right now, but I was with a woman 5 years my senior, and a boy aged 12 and when we climbed the steps to the top of a firewatch at 7000 feet, I was the ONLY one NOT out of breath. Cool, huh?

    Bob is wise, exercise regularly, stay away from the ciggies of you smoke(d) and it may even seem better than before dx. I know I feel better now than I did a year ago, and I was asymptomatic at dx! (I went to the docs for a routine physical and some nutrition advise and came out with Lung Cancer. Boy, did I feel cheated! :wink: I could not have made it up those stairs a year ago when I was still at a pack a day and spent all my weekends and evenings with a remote control.

    I simply set a goal, that I would NOT be cheated out of doing the things I used to do before middle aged sedataryism set in. And I am making it. You can too.

    We wish you a speedy recovery and good news and support from your onc and all the other pros involved.

    Swollen Glands, I have one

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    Thanks Fay,

    You don't have to be fancy and post a clickable link, just copy the address from the address bar on those sites, and past them into a post. We can figure it out. HTML is not everyones cup of tea! (it's mine, but I am a geek)

    Are you refering to a "Cone Down" mamogram? I had one a few years ago because they thought they saw something that turned out to not be there. I am afraid I am getting the "squish" version. Fortunately, there isn't that much to squish :wink: They will do it this friday in the AM. No time to change things around. I can stand a little pain for that short period.

    Have your chest cut into and let them rip out parts you use every few seconds. Not much is too uncomfy after that, let me tell ya. Paper cuts don't even make me queezy anymore!

    They said I could take pain meds before, as many as I needed, as long as I didn't pass out in the waiting room! LOL! I like places with a sense of humour! NOW I just wish I hadn't taken all the good stuff.

    Tell us what you did.....

    in JUST FOR FUN

    Posted

    > My docs just had no sense of humor.

    My new Onc does, he is serious about the work, but doesn't keep it all TOO serious when dealing with you on a personal level.

    Today he was trying to take pictures of me with my cell phone. I don't know WHAT was up with that, but, hey..it beats him taking pics with a real camera!

    Swollen Glands, I have one

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    OK OK..here we go with the "oops" wrong planet" thing :wink:

    It is not a node, it is too low, about nipple level. Anyone? Does that sound right?

    THEY (all 3 oncs in the office) couldn't feel it, and when I pointed it out, they DID feel what I was concerned about, but they smirked a little and told me not to worry too much about the muscle I pulled. (I did move a few things this weekend, but they didn't know that) I was happy that Doc #1 asked Doc #2 to verify and Doc#3 came along just to be sure.

    BUT, they also told me I did the right thing by calling and coming in and they would treat everything like it was bad until proven otherwise.

    They are going to do a mammogram too, just to be safe. I am due for one anyway, but put it off because my right breat is still VERY sore from surgery. This ain't gonna be fun, nope.

    I feel a little better now :wink: Even if I feel dumb.

    Swollen Glands, I have one

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    > Life ain't nowhere near the same as BS (before surgery)

    Well, the BS part continues :wink: I just complian about it less now!

    I am having a hard time with balancing the just "what" I should be concerned about and what to ignore thing.

    I realize a swollen gland can be MANY other things besides a met, (I have had them before, they go away on thier own) but how to you judge when to and when NOT to bug the Pros with these things? This is all still new to me.

    Pain in my ribs, the inevitable result of a rib spreader, can be common for months after surgery, but it can also be a sign of a bone met. My right lung still hurts, but it is getting better. With a buncha staples in there and considering what happened to it, this doesn't suprise or alarm me. BUT, It could be a sign of things progressed.

    I don't want to be an alarmist, but I certainly don't want to ignore important things either. It's frustrating.

    Anyway, symptoms, not many more than I mentioned, actually. I have a little numbness in my right arm, not much tho. This worries me, because I was in Arizona a couple of weeks ago. Valley Fever :wink: Geez, I have everything now :wink:

    Swollen Glands, I have one

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    Hello,

    1st, I am calling my Onc. tomorrow, yes.

    I have had a gland in my right armpit swell up off and on since surgery. The surgen told me this was common do to trama in the area. Made sense to me at the time.

    But now it has come up again, and it HURTS. It's not real big, but it definately is there and my whole armpit is pained. Not horrible, but noticable.

    Anyone else experience this after surgery?

    deleting all posts

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    Hi Christina,

    First, let me express my sorrow at your loss.

    Then let me express my joy at your generousity.

    In answer to your question, I don't believe you can donate perscription drugs, especially narcs. When me stepfather passed away, (Bone Cancer) we tried to give his drugs to an AIDS organization, but they were only allowed to take the supplies, and suppliments (Ensure etc) They were still very happy to get those items, they are spendy too!

    I am sure federal law rules here, but I am not a lawyer.

    Poor Choice

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    Hi Mary,

    Many sympathies to you in this battle! I quit slightly before my DX was official, about 4 months ago.

    Smoking seems a past life to me now, but I still have a crutch. I second the suggestion for the nicotine inhaler. I still use it, even after a lobectomy. It has been the best and easiest way for ME to quit. Wish they had them years ago. I actually enjoy them, they give all the junkie pleasures you get from the smoke, without the smoke.

    I don't suggest you just swap one bad habit for another tho, but they are a godsend to a smoker that has a tuff time.

    I used about 3-4 cartrdiges a day when I started on them, I didn't use any nicotine when in the hospital. Unfortunately, I went back to the inhaler after I got home. But at a much reduced rate. I use 1-2 cartridges a day now. I am not even concieously cutting back on them, it is just a natural tapering for me. I probably will do without them when my last batch of them is gone here. I have probably 200 or so left.

    Try again..never quit quitting!

    Why does it echo in here?

    in NSCLC GROUP

    Posted

    Hello everyone!

    It's been awhile since this issue, eh?

    I have seen an onc. He agreed with what the surgeon said, no chemo or rad is warranted, tho it is an option. I have decided not to at this time.

    I do have regular follow ups scheduled, an xray and blood work every 3 months, with a CT every 6. I am doing my blood work tomorrow as a matter of fact.

    I also INTEND to do a pet once a year, out of my own pocket. It's 3k at Loma Linda and insurance won't cover for routine checks. I will ask the onc. if he can swing it, but I doubt it.

    This sounds a pretty standard course. Am I right?

    got a dumb question

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    I am not sure exactly what the medical community thinks is remission vs. NED, but when I speak with people about this, I do not use the term "remission". Even tho that is, I THINK, what I am in :wink:

    Remission is missunderstood by most folks. They have a tendancy to think it means a break in the desease, it's still there but inactive or not bad enough to make you sick, and you are in a TEMPORARY period of wellness. I don't want them to think I am automatically going to get it again.

    In my situation, I don't tell them I am "cured", I tell them I have NED and if they ask further, I tell them there is always a small chance of re-occurance (I am careful not to say "come back". I want them to know it's GONE, not hiding or on vacation :wink: but the odds are overwhelmingly in my favour. This is the truth without giving the gory details and it seems to "unscare" most folks.

    This also seems to make a difference in thier attitude and the way they treat me. I don't get a lot of "Oh poor yous", tiptoing and the other stuff that goes with it. You all know what I am talking about.

    It helps that I was a symptomatic at DX as well. They see me now as I was the day before surgery, outwardly healthy and active and I think it gives them a certain comfort level and OKness with it.

    Well, they do see ONE big difference. I don't always have a smoke in my hand :wink:

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