Bud Baker

I took gabapentin after I developed severe pain in my toes after my second round of chemo. It worked well for me with no side effects.

A big CONGRATS, Coleen!

Welcome, Wennot! My story is similar to yours. I had an upper left lobectomy December 20th, 2007, and three rounds of chemo afterwards. I had already started to make healthier lifestyle changes, and am also trying to help my long term health from that angle. There are lots of way to advocate for lung cancer. I even got to be a survivor speaker at a fund raising event our own Katie hosted!

I get my medical care from the VA, and they are bad about making you wait. This last scan, I called and was able to get a quicker appointment with the oncologist (they had originally scheduled me over 3 weeks after the scan). The scan before last, a compassionate scan tech, looking at my history and commenting on how much I had been through, told me right after the scan that it looked good to him.

Welcome, Jane. Glad you found us. I was also diagnosed with a fairly small nodule and had surgery. Because pretty much all the studies that have been done have not shown a benefit from adjuvant chemo for stage I patients, many doctors don't recommend it. While my surgeon thought my cancer was stage I, he was saying I wouldn't need chemo. My cancer ended up being stage II, because of a single cancerous lymph node, and the studies done have shown a lower recurrence rate for stage II with chemo, so I did the chemo. Almost all doctors seem to recommend it for stage II patients. If you are stage I, you can find doctors on both sides of the fence, when it comes to adjuvant chemo. You'll really need to do your own research and make up your own mind. Most stage I people here seem to have chosen the chemo. Good luck, whatever you decide, and keep us updated.

Same thing here. It's hard for me to watch anyone smoke, and even harder to watch my son and two step daughters do it. My son is now 35, and rapidly approaching the age where smoking starts to rain its damage on you. Strangely, my sister quit smoking the same month I did, with neither of us knowing the other was quitting. After my diagnosis, she went in for a scan, which thankfully, was clear. The money thing is, indeed, a good motivator. When I quit cigars, five and half years ago, I used the money I had been spending on the cigars to make payments on a new boat. I named the boat, "No Cigar".

Amanda, Condolences to you and your family. I am too new here to have gotten to know your father. But I've already run across so many of his old posts that I feel like I know him anyway, and it's obvious that his writings will continue to inspire and inform for a long time to come. So sorry for your loss.

Congrats, Kasey!

Congrats, Nicole! Tell her to enjoy that great Florida weather for all of us.

Welcome, Scott. Glad you found us. I had my surgery a year ago and have done well so far. Good luck, and keep us updated.

I have survived for a year. The suspicious chest x-ray was in October, 2007, and the CT scan was done in November, but since no biopsy was done before surgery, my official diagnosis was my surgery day, December 20th, 2007, one year ago today. We're having a party this evening at my house to celebrate. I had chest and abdominal CT scans yesterday, but I won't know the results until my doctor appointment on January 2nd. But, I have no symptoms, so I'm hoping everything's fine.

Congrats on the great news, Sandra, and welcome to the forum! I also had one lobe of a lung removed, and one lymph node tested cancerous, so I did the chemo, too. So far, after a year, I'm also cancer free. Keep us up to date, and I'll look forward to your future posts.

Welcome, Richard, and congrats on your health!

A big congrats, Max! My own one year anniversary is right behind yours.

Wow, congrats Donna!

A big congrats, Jim! I get my one year ct scan later this month, and I'm hoping for the same results.

Wow, some unique things there. Very nice!

Very well said, Debi. And I agree with Kasey. Here is where you'll find people who truly understand and appreciate those words. Christmas is really going to drive that home for me too, since I was released from the hospital after my lung surgery on Christmas afternoon, last year. In our long distance randonneuring rides, we jokingly refer to extra miles ridden because of wrong turns as bonus miles. To me, all the miles I ride now are bonus miles. Not many people would really understand that if I told them.

Our Christmas tree has a different look this year.

Congrats, Geri. I hope it was a wonderful Thanksgiving for you. Your post reminded me of our Christmas last year. I had my surgery on December 20th, and was released from the hospital on the afternoon of Christmas Day. Everyone had waited for the gift opening until I got home. I was pretty puny (40 staples in my side, and I couldn't even put on my socks by myself), but I was home with my family, and it was a wonderful family gathering.

Congrats, Bruce! I'm hoping for the same thing with my upcoming scan.

Big congrats, Colleen!

Carl, I had the upper lobe of my left lung removed and was faced with the same decision after a single lymph node being cancerous made my diagnosis Stage II. I did the chemo. Everything I studied told me that chemo helps lower the odds of recurrence. I did have my troubles with side effects. If it gets too tough, you can always stop treatments sooner, but I would recommend at least starting it. Best wishes for you, whatever you decide!

Welcome, Jim. I'm another diagnosed with stage II who had surgery, then chemo. I had surgery last December 20th and finished chemo in April. I'm doing fine after 10 months. Good luck and keep us posted.

The same thing occurred to me. He's given so much to so many charities, it would be fitting if his family now decided to help lung cancer research in a big way. But the way they seem to be avoiding saying lung cancer, I guess that isn't going to happen.