Hi - I've been lurking for a few days, and decided it's time to "get on board". My mom, 59, has extensive sclc. She's still undergoing tests. Diagnosis did not come easily. She was hospitalized on Nov. 15 due to jaundice, stomach pain, and intermittent coughing up blood. CAT scan showed 3 small lung tumors and a 4 cm pancreas tumor. Initially, the drs. thought it was pancreatic cancer, and she had a stent placed on 11/18 to open the bile duct. Jaundice cleared rapidly, but the brushings from the procedure did not yield a diagnosis. Monday 11/24 she was supposed to have a needle biopsyof the pancreatic tumor, but the radiologist decided he "wasn't comfortable" with the procedure. The pulmonologist proposed bronchoscopy, which was performed 11/25. Mom had a lot of blood in the bronchial tube, and was still bleeding so was placed on a ventilator in ICU. She was stable but scared and fighting the equipment, so was kept very heavily sedated. Finally transferred to RI Hospital at 2 am on Thanksgiving. The first bronchoscopy was inconclusive, so another was done on Thanksgiving. 3 tissue samples were taken, but did not yield a diagnosis. Mom came off the ventilator on Friday and improved rapidly. Needle biopsy of the pancreas was done on Friday, and the results came in Wednesday night 12/3 - sclc. Thursday Mom went home. Friday - brain scan. Today she sees the oncologist and has a bone scan. Not sure it chemo will start today, or what it will be.
It's all very scary, as you well know. I have 3 boys, 12, 3.5 and 20 months, so even though I live 30 miles away, visiting isn't easy. I call every day if I can't see her. Yesterday, she noticed a grape-sized breast lump which hadn't been there the day before. I worry about how far the cancer has gone in the 3 weeks it took to diagnose. Can't fault her care much - they kept trying, and an open biopsy was considered too risky. She's sleeping a lot, though her appetite is good and she very much wants to fight. Dad is very scared, too.
We're hoping to knock the disease back fast.
Jen
