richinsdakota
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Posts posted by richinsdakota
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I too had suspicions about the back pain, even tho Id had it for 15 yrs., it was twice as intense after lung surgery. If thats what you had, ....they move and spread the ribs to get in there, and they are all attached to vertebrae of course, so the back pain is aggravated by all that pressure, etc...We did a couple MRIs to be sure,....and no sign of cancer there, just aggravated arthritic inflammations, I guess. might be what u find out, too. Anyway, good luck.....Rich B.
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Yea; Im just 5 mos. out...still trying to expand lung capacity and build up my upper body strength again. Still sleeping in my chair, dont sleep welll, anxiety, depression.
I remember the famous words my surgeon uttered; "There are a lot of ppl running around with one lung out there, and theyre doin just fine." Yea, right....first of all theyre not 'running" around, and theyre 'doin jus fine" if theyre relaxing in the recliner.....anything more, like a shower, is an exhausting excersise. I guess its easy for him to say....Im not sure they realize how disabling losing a lung can be. sigh.
Most of my pain is down considerably now, but I find every little chore I used to knock off in 30 mins., now takes all afternoon, If I can do it, lift it, at all. So I guess it IS the new norm....dont think it gets much better from here, so trying to accept my limitations and jus do a lot less, and accept more help,. heh...but, youre right of course., it feels like crap...
Rich B.
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Can I jus weigh in here to say its also a guy thing....Ive been prone to depression most of my life, since military service. (What could be more depressing than that..?) Now, after this crazy year of diagnosis, surgery, chemo attempts, ....There suddenly is nothing more to be done...watch and wait, screen for recurrence...knock on wood. Its like weve lost all those reassuring words and procedures that we hope are saving us...back on our own now, cept for occassional screenings. I had to admit I was greatly relieved when I went to emergency room trips lately, due to bad reaction to steroids. Being back among nurses, docs, who cared, reassured, listened and treated me. I think we come to miss that, after the intensity of hospitalization, etc....anxiety and depression seem to be the manifestation of this...? Living alone, I also feel a new and intense loneliness....wishing I had family for company. Quite a change for someone whos always been a loner all his life.
Anyways; the bad reaction to steroids was treated with Lorazepam, for the anxiety and insomnia. And the anti-depressant Nortriptyline also helps with sleep. Not sure how much its knocking down depression...I spose I could be pretty down if I wasnt taking it.
When all has been done to remove/fight the cancer, and no further involvement is found....its a little scary, helpless feeling, ....its all back on me now, ...whether I stay NED, or develope reccurrence....before any thing can be done to fight it again....its a very uncertain, nervous place to be in, I think....tho it may be the best place we can hope for.
So, I think its just natural that we have anxiety/depression, etc....we are very worried about out health and futures....and were on our own again....
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Sorry to hear of more troubles....think theres lotta folks here who have had similar and can help....keep up the fight! Rich B.
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geez...yea, my attempt at chemo gave me pneumonia like infection, so stopped all treatment cept. antibiotics and steroids...then steroids left me an emotional basket case...so on lorazepam now...stable...sigh...yea, we dont need these double and triple whammies....good luck sorting out the best treatment...Rich B.
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sounds like your sense of timing is serving you well so far..hehheh....glad its all working out as best it can for you..good luck..Rich B.
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welcome; see topics list/ sclc group should have lot of info for you...good luck..Rich B.
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Yep; welcome and sure youll findmany answers here...good luck..Rich B.
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welcome Ken; yea, not much choice but to get those thing out of there...good that you had PET scan, so you know there are no other trouble spots that would make surgery less effective. As my bio below shows, I lost left lung in July, getting along fairly well, after pain got managed and down some. Had some setbacks with chemo (reactionto taxotere__), pneumonia...then bad reaction to steroids used to treat that. But back doing fairly well now, stopping all treatment. Learning to get along with half my respiratory capacity. Limiting, but livable.
Yea, Id get Oncologist in on it before surgery, if possible, at least, so they cn agree on what theyre dealing with etc. Best of luck to ya...Keep us posted....Rich B.
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Great! Relax and enjoy the Holidays....Rich B.
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Yea; sounds like a second opinion with a diff. Doc would be good idea, and would help with your anxiety also. Meantime, I hope you can get some relief for that pain....We have a Pain Management Center at my Med. complex....they have powerful stuff, including injections, and morphine pumps...etc. Can you ask if there is some pain relief available to you? Good luck....Rich B.
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Taxotere, huh? My onc hit me with that...gave me pnuemonia infection in remaining lung...took 7 days of antibiotics and steroids before I could walk up the stairs again. Probly all cause of my "significant phsyciatric history"...sigh.
I wouldnt put too much significance to it....they gotta write intellectual gobbely gook to justify their fees, I guess...heh Anyway, any Doc. reading this will see it for what it is....nonsense.
Anyway....good luck to us all...take care and try to laff it off...Rich B.
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Youre in the right place hon....for good info and support...and yes, we all belong here, to help each other fight this disease...Welcome...Rich B.
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Yea; I read similar things about the recent studies and Onc. suggested adjuvant chemo...even tho he said there's only about a 4 percent chance it will save me. (Im a Stage1T2M0). I tried it, expecting to get carbo/taxol ....but he hit me with a full treatment of taxotere ...still dont know why...and it gave me pneumonia like infection in remaining lung...sheesh. Dont want to scare anyone off from adjuvant chemo, tho, remember this was taxotere, and just hit me wrong, I guess. Anyway, Onc. has lost my trust and confidence...figure I better stay away from there before he crosses me up worse, even. So, cancelling any further treatment. And I had so many xrays and CTscans the last few months, dont wanna even screen for 6 mos. , If I can help it.
You want to give yourself every possible chance, however small, but only if you can tolerate the treatment. If there are serious reactions to the drugs....just not worth the small chance to me. Important to clarify and confirm what chemo regimen/drug youre getting, and what side effects to expect....if its well tolerated, fine....
Dunno if I might seek advice from a different Onc. yet....
Meanwhile...i did survive one powerful treatment of taxotere....can only hope it got any stray cells and knocked em dead. Rich B.
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Interesting; what do you take, an over the counter selenium supplement? Id like to try, I think, since I stopped preventative chemo...
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Thanx again all;....and Kaffie, nice to hear from you. I was afraid u might be absent because of chemo complications or something...since I know you started before I did....good to know youre ok. Ill try to post again soon...Rich B.
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Thanx for your kind thoughts and replies....Interesting thought about supplements, etc....I m afraid Im getting lazy, not researching possible treatments enuff lately. Gotta get on the stick again! hehe...
Hope Dr. Joe can weigh in on this too....Ill ask my onc. too...try to update this soon. I currently take a little Celebrex, (200mg/every other day), and hope it helps fight cancer, cause it sure dont do nothin for the arthritic joints, that I can tell...just wear and tear on the stomach, which necessitates Nexium accompany it. I dont even get any pain relief from Celeb....very expensive placebo if it dont fight somethin..heh.
Good news is: The antibios/steroids put the kabosh on the pnuemonic infection, and Im back out walking my moderate excercises already...with air to spare...hehe. See onc. tomorrow....cya soon. Rich B.
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Yea, Im living with surgery and back pain too...tho mine is supposedly just arthritic joints, etc....pain management doc has me on Oxycontin/darvocet....right now. I understand a "nerve block", (injection) may be possible later, and Ive heard they are quite effective and long lasting...so, I may have to consider it later.
Yea, doc doesnt worry about addiction either, so I dont let it worrry me. Good luck, wish you the best for her. Rich B.
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Yep...good to hear. Tell her were all rootin for her, look forward to more posts...Rich B.
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Welcome; as u browse the topics/posts here, you will find lots of knowledgeable and caring folks here...sorry for the tough diagnosis, but this is the right place to learn and find support, I think. Welcome...and wish you the best...Rich B.
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Dang! I had bad reaction to taxotere, so going to stop chemo. (Doc says it s not worth it, small chance it will help much, and cant risk getting that close to danger again.) Caused a pneumonia-like infection in my remaining lung, ended up in emergency room gulping oxygen one nite. After a week of Intra-veinous antibios and steroids, Im finally getting my wind back, but was a bit panicky there...
Be careful and watch for these kinda reactions...it came on slowly, kept expecting to improve, but suddely realized I couldnt walk in from th e car without a 5 min. rest to puff my wind back...sheesh...
So, looks like Ill drop chemo...just be on a screening schedule to watch for any new demons. Meantime, pursuing the most effective pain management we can figure out for the back and joint pain , and lingering surgery pain. Currently on Oxycontin, but cant take it forever, dunno whats next.
Anyway, hoping noone else has this experience , and chemo works out better for yall. Just keep a close eye out for symptoms that become more than just nausea, fatigue...K...take care all ...Rich B.
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HI; Its a good thing to be able to get that thing outa there, of course...its no easy experience, but try to keep faith , from your earliest wakening, that the med. staff will be doing the essential things to sustain you, move you along in your recovery. They dont always explain a lot, specially docs, but you find that the necessary things are being done.
I had that same fear, that coughing could open something up again...apparently they fortify with staples, stitches, etc., so that cant happen....noone ever cautiouned me to "cough carefully', heh...fact, the better the cough, th e better, I guess.
That is not to say that some of the lesser things are sometimes not stressed enuff...I was sent home without any inhaler therapy (albuterol), or any guidance on "range of motion" excercises which help keep the muscles from healing too tightly, thus restricting motion of arm, etc...Youll learn about those things soon enuff after youre up from recovery room.
Important thing is to ask...demand to know if you wonder about things...if you read something that isnt being done...ask why...(they dont always match the brochures., due to diff. epuip., etc..) Most med. staff enjoy helping you suceed, but sometimes...well, youlll know if youre not getting the proper attention/response to your care.
From my first memory after surgery, I did not want to lay in a bed...made them get me a comfy recliner chair. Dont be afraid to ask for this....patients with respiratory problems/surgeries often are uncomortable laying down...they know this. I also had aggravated back pain, and we brought in a lumbar cushion to help...and it reallly did.
Finally; Pain...yes there is pain for sure....but they will help you manage it with heavy medications....I had a back catheter put in before surgery..to pump in morphine later when I needed it. They also give you meds as you need them. Nurses are the key for pain relief, and most are generous with meds....again, youre the judge if youre getting enuff or need to deman d more.
And; try not to worry/fear too much....sure its a little bewildering and scary...but youlll quickly adjust to the new 'you'. And will be tired of all the tests to ensure your progress that they do soon enuff...heh.
Best of luck and least of discomfort to you thru this surgery...Rich B.
P>S> Im 4 mos. out from surgery...still sleeping in my recliner...you get used to it, if this happens to you.
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Good to see youre post....hang in there, and best of luck to us...Rich B.
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Got first taxotere Mon.....hit me thurs. morn. , fatigue very heavy, can hardly walk around house...doze off every time I slow down, sit..heh
Funny thing, it makes me shorter of breath too, and I dont need that, already runnin on one cylinder. Feel Like Im on the edge of panic every time I move around house a bit., trying to breath deeper.
Oh, well, hope it only lasts couple days....cause gotta go back in Mon. for another, probly cisplatin..not sure yet. Gonna make sure it doesnt add same side effects, not much room for more of same..heh.
Trying to hold the back pain in check with meds till after chemo regimen, I guess...not a good time to do nerve block injuections, get infection, etc. K...jus to update yall. More latta...Rich B.
Please someone help!!!!!!
in INTRODUCE YOURSELF!
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Welcome to the best support group around.....all I can add is that brochoscopy is inexact and frequently inconclusive, as mine was. Only way to get the correct diagnosis is to biopsy it, so I agree its the only way to know for sure. Yea, needle biopsy aint all that bad, I had no sedative even....but Im sure you can request it, if u want to .
Good luck, hope you find its less than cancer, but at least you will know for sure....Rich B.