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Nancy B

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Posts posted by Nancy B

    Recurrent Small Cell Lung Cancer????

    in SCLC GROUP

    Posted

    Hi Jen, yes, I guess recurrence of small cell can be a bad sign, but I choose to look at it as just another battle in this lung cancer war.

    I am six years out of non-small cell and still clear. I was two years out of small cell when it came back this past May. They tried surgery as they had to find out if it was sc or nsc. No go, sc again.

    So, I started chemo and radiation and I will keep fighting this - I am not giving up. I believe it is possible to live with chronic lung cancer. I truly believe I will achieve another remission. I have to, I want to live to see grandkids and my son is only 24 and not married yet!

    I will be praying for a continued remission.

    Hugs,

    Nancy B

    Plan of Attack

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    Hey, thanks for asking. Chemo took about 3 1/2 hours - no major problems, then across the street for radiation. Long day.

    Today, however, woke up feeling nauseous and really bad headache. Went to radiation and then called doc to see if headache is a side effect of Cisplatin - no, but can happen when you take both Emend and Zofran which I am. Only take Emend one more day so hope it gets better.

    Just going to take it easy today and gather up some recipes for Andrea.

    Hugs to you all,

    Nancy B

    Plan of Attack

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    God bless all of you for your thoughts and prayers. I go tomorrow at 10am for chemo and then 2pm for radiation. Then I will have chemo once a week and radiation every day for 6 weeks. I am not looking forward to it, but I am so glad to be doing something positive against the cancer.

    I am going to try to work through it - almost have to, we are self-employed and it is just my husband and I. I have been "training" him for a couple of weeks to do my job, but he has his own side of the business to hold up.

    My friend Jackie is coming over every evening to give me my Lovenox shot -5 more to go. My port is feeling better but still sore. I appreciate all of your suggestions on how to make it feel better. The pillow for the seatbelt and Carleen's kind offer to send me Keith's seatbelt buffer. What a sweetheart.

    I will stay in touch cause I just know I am going to need you guys. Thanks for everything.

    Love and hugs,

    Nancy B

    Plan of Attack

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    I am almost 3 weeks out from surgery that solved nothing other than determine it is sclc. I was feeling pretty good and worked 3 hours at the office 5 days after getting out of the hospital.

    I had a port put in on Tuesday and went for my radiation sim on Thursday. During the CT scan they noticed something on the right side of my neck. The port is on the left side. Off I go to the Vascular Lab for a Dopler. Seems I have a blood clot in the jugular. So, off to the oncologists office where they give me a shot of Lovenox which I will have to do daily for 8 days.

    I will start 6 weeks of radiation on Thursday along with 1 day per week of Cisplatin along with the radiation, then 4 more months of chemo. Right now I am not feeling very good at all. I think I have tensed up my whole body so many times this past two weeks every muscle and bone hurts.

    I tolerated the Carbo and VP16 but I am worried about the Cisplatin. Seems like I have cried more this time than I ever did the previous 2 times. Really kinda feeling sorry for myself.

    Thanks for listening.

    Love and hugs to you all,

    Nancy B

    Port Question

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    I had a port put in on Tuesday. I guess I had no idea what was involved. I am still VERY sore and bruised. Is that typical? When will it feel normal again? Also, how do you wear a seatbelt with this thing? Thanks

    Nancy B

    Carboplatin Vs Cisplatin

    in NSCLC GROUP

    Posted

    Hi Holly, welcome. I don't really have an answer for you but I may after tomorrow. Two years ago I was given Carboplatin and Etoposide (VP16) for sclc. The sclc had been surgically removed so the chemo was a precaution to make sure it hadn't gone anywhere else.

    Well, two weeks ago I had another thoracotomy to biopsy something that showed up hot on the PET. It is sclc again and my oncologist did mention Cisplatin this time around. I have an appt. with him tomorrow and will find out more.

    It is my understanding that Cisplatin is a harsher chemo, but two years ago he told me that Cis and Carbo were pretty much the same but carbo was easier to take (fewer side effects). I will see what he says tomorrow and will let you know.

    Take care,

    Nancy B

    More worries

    in CAREGIVER RESOURCE CENTER

    Posted

    Oh Andrea, nobody is getting sick of you, we love you. I am sure all of this will turn out good. My son (he's 24) developed blood in his urine when he was about 4. We took him to Children's Hospital and had every test in the book run. The concensus was "that is just the way he is". He still has it. They did say that if he ever got strep throat to get him on antibiotics immediately - not sure why.

    I guess it runs in the family as my Mom and I both have it. Thinking good toughts for you. You are right to have this stuff checked out. Let me know what happens. Hey, let's get together for lunch some Saturday.

    Love and hugs,

    Nancy B

    Lance and the ESPYs

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    Debi, I so agree with you. Reading his book has certainly helped me keep a positive attitude. Even spurred me on to do two half-marathons. If he appears to be somewhat arrogant, so what.

    I too think it is great that he is using his name to further cancer research. I didn't see the show either, there was racing on ESPN 2. :)

    I'm Baaaaack!!!

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    Hey you guys, I'm home. Thanks to all of you for the thoughts and prayers. I thought of you all constantly.

    They went in the same incision as the last two times and got far enough to figure out it is small cell. They did a roter rooter job on me (cleaned out scar tissue) and closed me up. Feels like they stuck a blender in there. It is just as painful as if they had actually removed something meaningful.

    I didn't get the chest tubes, the Foley or the iv lines in my neck out until yesterday. I kept getting all tied up in all the wires. They turned off the epidural yesterday am to see if I could tolerate the pain and then removed it last night.

    I will make an appointment with my oncologist on Monday to see when we start chemo and he may overlap with radiation. The small cell has already gone to another place in the lung, but nothing else lites up on the recent PET.

    My Mom, a sweetheart, flew out from Florida on Sunday, went to the hospital on Monday with me and didn't leave until we came home today. She slept in a recliner chair that didn't recline. Well, it would for about a minute and then would pop back up. Never a word of complaint and all the nurses just loved her. Couldn't have made it without her.

    I can't drive as long as I am on Vicodin but do hope to be back to work in 2 weeks. I really feel pretty good as long as I stay ahead of the pain.

    I have so much to catch up on here on the board. Hope you all have been well. I will check in again real soon.

    Love and hugs to you all,

    Nancy B

    Too much pain

    in GRIEF

    Posted

    Dear, dear Carlene, my heart is breaking for you. Like TeeTaa said, just hold on tight. I don't have any words of wisdom, but I am praying for strength and comfort for you. Please stay with us.

    Love and hugs,

    Nancy B

    Recent Surgery

    in LC SURVIVORS

    Posted

    Hi Billy, welcome. Just let us know what we can do to help you along, or if you just want to "blow off steam" (this CAN be a very scary thing). We will be here for you.

    Take care,

    Nancy B

    Another Dip in the Rollercoaster

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    Hi Tom,

    I would definitely get these areas biopsied. My first lc was nsclc and had my upper left lobe removed. 4 years later, a lung resection and biopsy confirmed sclc in the same lung. They tell me that is rare, but I sure would want to find out for sure.

    I am scheduled for surgery on Monday, there is another tumor and they have to biopsy it to know how to treat it (treatments for nsc and sc are totally different).

    I would check it out - it is rare, but it happens.

    Best of luck to you. Take care,

    Nancy B

    continuing meds

    in LC SURVIVORS

    Posted

    Hi Max, it sure never hurts to get another opinion, or 2 or 3. Just think positive, seems like this doctor isn't thinking positive. I haven't been on any medications between my remissions, and I am headed for my third surgery.

    OK, I changed my mind, definitely get another opinion, you need a doctor that will fight with you, if that is what you want to do.

    Max, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

    Hugs,

    Nancy B

    Newly Diagnosed

    in INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

    Posted

    Welcome Eileen,

    I am scheduled for surgery on July 10 also. My first surgery (nsclc) was done after a needle biopsy. Upper left lobectomy. But, the second tumor was too deep in my lung and too close to my heart for a needle biopsy, so I had to have surgery (lower left wedge resection) for them to biopsy it. Turned out to be sclc.

    This time a tumor lit up on a PET scan but, again, it is at a place they can't get to, so off I go to surgery again. Please let me know if I can help. I will be glad to try to answer any questions you might have about the surgery and recovery. The surgery is not easy but, as Connie said, it is certainly doable.

    I will be thinking about you on the 10th.

    Take care,

    Nancy B

    Surgery Scheduled

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    All tests came out good, so surgery will be Monday, July 10, 10:00 am. He will do a bronchoscopy first and if he can find anything to biopsy, he will. If he does and they find small cell, they will stop surgery and I guess then proceed to chemo and radiation.

    If he can't find anything to biopsy (he doubts he will), then he will go ahead and do a completion phenmonectomy, take out the rest of my left lung so he can get to the tumor so they can biopsy it. Since I have had both SCLC and NSCLC (leave it to me to be odd) they have to know what it is to properly treat it. I am alittle nervous as he says that this surgery is riskier than the first two but he is an accomplished surgeon and does lung transplant surgeries.

    3rd time's a charm, maybe I will get it right this time and not have to do this again.

    We have a race in Sonoma, CA the first weekend in August and my goal is to be there.

    I sure would appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

    Love and hugs to you all,

    Nancy B

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