Hi everyone,
Sorry but this could be quite long.
I've never been involved in this type of forum before but felt that I should so that maybe I could offer some people hope.
My story is: At the ripe old age of 35 I gave birth to my first child in December 93 via emergency ceaser after 12 hours of labor. Immediately after I developed a cough and was coughing blood. Let me tell you that coughing hard after a ceaser is definitely not a nice experience. The doctor decided I had a chest infection and I was prescribed antibiotics.
When I took my baby for his 6 week check up I mentioned to the doctor that I was still coughing blood. I'd been feeling bloody awful but thought that was just the combination of brand new baby, surgery and chest infection.
He decided to send me for an x-ray just in case I was coughing something awful onto my new baby. That was a Friday afternoon and I collected the x-ray to take back to the doctor. Of course I had to open the envelope to have a sticky and was horrified to find the report said there was an 8cm mass on the lower lobe of my right lung and spent the weekend crying and totally stressing out.
My GP sent me for a CT scan first thing Monday morning. By Wednesday I was in hospital having all sorts of test for things like TB and Psittacosis because they didn't think someone as young as I was would have lung cancer. A fine needle biopsy confirmed that it was cancer and I was booked in for surgery 3 weeks later, the surgeon wanted to wait because I was a smoker. Bone scans showed that it hadn't spread anywhere else.
Well, we reorganized our lives and I had surgery. I had my lower right lobe removed plus the surgeon removed any lymph nodes he could see because it looked as thought it had spread to them (later confirmed). Surgery was followed up with radiation and in his terms "We'll hit it hard because you're otherwise young and healthy".
That all happened in the first half of 1994. One year after that I think one of the most important things I did was spend 2 weeks at a place run by a cancer survivor call Ian Gawler. Before I went there I was feeling so helpless and my life was out of control, but afterwards I felt that I did have control. It might sound like a small thing but it made a huge difference to me.
I'm now 49 years old (only stopped smoking 3 months ago ) and have survived for nearly 14 years after I was told my chances of being alive after 5 years was about 10%. I also had another child when I was 42, mad I know, but it felt right.
I'm very active in dog sport circles (always been a dog lover) and compete in flyball. I have an extremely supportive partner, who's been with me through everything.
I'd love to hear from anyone else whose had similar surgery so I can compare notes.
Never give up.
Sharon
