Gina D. Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I FINALLY saw an oncologist yesterday after much boo foos with an incompetent GP and HMO problems. Not bad..it's only been 3 mos since surgery anyway, he explained my pathology report a little clearer than the surgeon. My nodule was only .8cm! (t1, n0,m0) and a PET caught it. He doesn't think chemo would benefit me, nor radiation, but I got a follow up schedule. I see him and have bloodwork every 2 mos, and get ct scans every 6 mos. The good news besides that..my films are clean and so is my blood work. I am finally off on my journey toward that 5 year mark! (Hope I don't get a flat!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmc Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 Hey Gina; Congrats to you!!!! Welcome to the wonderful world of recovery!!!!! Glad your being seen by an oncologist and hope the HMO stuff is behind you; OK, NOW GO CELEBRATE!! God bless and be well Bobmc - NSCLC- stageIIB- left pneumonectomy- 5/2/01 " absolutely insist on enjoying life today!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debi Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 Gina!! Great to hear you went to see someone and all is okay. You have helped me so much regarding what laid ahead for me with my surgery and were one of the many who gave me hope since I related so well to you. Keep forging ahead woman, I'm right there with you..well maybe a little behind you but with a little work, I'll catch up! Debi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Posted June 26, 2003 Share Posted June 26, 2003 Gina, Glad to hear you have an onc and schedule; sounds like you're truckin' right on down the road just fine! How sweet good news is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrie Posted June 26, 2003 Share Posted June 26, 2003 HOORAY GINA!!! Great news!!! Now on with LIFE!!! Terrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fresca Posted June 26, 2003 Share Posted June 26, 2003 That is great. Its nice to know EXACTLY what is going on. I will pray that the 5 year mark is only a small mark in your long survival journey. You have my blessings and prayers, and of course CONGRATS that everything is going well. Rana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted June 26, 2003 Share Posted June 26, 2003 Super news, Gina! Keep on keepin' on! Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gina D. Posted June 27, 2003 Author Share Posted June 27, 2003 Thank you everyone. I think I like this forum the best I read in here most often, actually, and show it to some folks in my life that are scared and don't understand how this works. It's not a death sentence! okdebi..glad you are healing up OK and are in good spirits. Was I (and eveyone else) right? It seems like it gets better by the minute, doesn't it? Tell us how you are doing TODAY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaMRG Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sooooooo happy for you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anniemac Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 Gina That's great news!! I always worry a bit when I hear the doctor has said "I got it all and you don't need any further treatment" Never hurts to be safe and get a 2nd opnion. And such a good one!! Annie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debi Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 Gina: You guys most certainly were right about the surgery aftermath. In fact, wasn't it you who said it would feel like a fleet of trucks hit me and every day there would be less trucks? LOL...that would be about the most accurate. Actually, every day I feel a bit more in tune with my body again and I'm sure, in time, it will be the finely tuned instrument it once was (Well, it never actualy WAS, but sounds good lol). I seem to be sleeping more now than I have been. At first I fought it but now I'm rolling with it..figure my body is trying to tell me something. People at work are dropping off food every night to me..they have a schedule and every night someone else prepares something and drops it by. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely appreciative but I need to vent. If I get one more dish with chicken or turkey I'm going to scream. I would give my first born for a side of beef right about now. I live in Oklahoma for crying out loud..there are cows on every corner..what's with the chicken? There, I feel better (ungrateful perhaps, but better). The other thing driving me nuts is smoking. YOu would think I need my head examined. I'm not smoking nor do I ever intend to again, but I dream about it and find myself thinking about it half the time. I refused to wear the patch in the hospital because I wanted to detox from the nicotine while I was there so my cravings are not physical, just mental. But I didn't expect it to be on my mind almost continuosly, what an addiction! I am a recovering alcoholic, clean for 20 years... but even THAT has been a walk in the park compared to nicotine. Debi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gina D. Posted June 28, 2003 Author Share Posted June 28, 2003 I am glad to hear you are coming along smoothly! Tain't the first thing I would choose to do on a sunny afternoon, but it doesn't seem nearly as bad as you thought it was going to be, is it? I know what you mean about the sleeping thing, I did it too. Napped all the time, I would just drop what I was doing when I felt the need and layed down. I still do, but it isn't nearly as frequent Do it, don't feel guilty..yes, it is your old bones telling you to stop and regenerate now. The smoking thing. You are not alone, I haven't had one in 4 months and I still want one every day. BUT.. the urge goes away immediately as soon as I mentally "feel" all that hot and sticky smoke hitting my battered, cut and bruised lung! OUCH!!!! I was in the hospital with folks that had the same or worse that were actual STILL smoking, right after surgery, they would hobble outside with thier IVs and drainage tubes and bags in tow. I could not believe it! I would feel SO guilty, not to mention horrible physically! I had to go out there in the courtyard to get my sanity and a change of scenery, not to mention it was the only place I could use my cell phone. It was making me gag! I am still hooked on the 'tine, I use the inhaler, it seems it is my permanent friend now, but I am cutting down. It definately takes the craving away with the same satisfaction as a smoke does. I wish more docs knew about them, understood how they worked and offered them to patients who want to quit. My ONCOLOGIST, who specializes in lung cancer had never seen or heard of one until I showed up last week. I had emptied my pockets when they weighed me, and he saw the inhaler and immediately yelled "I thought you told me you QUIT smoking!' I laffed and told him I did, I showed it to him and oddly, he had very little interest in it. Sad. He apologised for yelling, but that was it. He suggested I get off it too, which I will. Good luck with that demon, I can relate. I had drug "issues" in my 20s, and yep..they were much easier to dump than the smokes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 Gina, You might want to push your oncologist a bit and get some chemo. There had been research on having chemo after suregery and the held belief was that it didn't change mortality statistics. And THAT made no sense to me. Turns out the study was flawed and now chemo after surgery is being done. Considering that there is NO test (blood or otherwise) that can tell if a LC patient REALLY doesn't have any micro traces of LC, it makes sense to get a little cancer-killing chemo! Just a thought. JudyB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David A Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 Okdebi and Gina, I too am a recovering alcoholic of almost 21 years as well as a few choice street drugs that I loved. Alcohol and the others don't hold a candle to nicotine as far as addiction is concerned. I quit smoking over a year ago and still dream about smoking and crave a cigerette from time to time(alot), don't remember craving alcohol that much. Today I went to the drag races by myself (my son backed out) and saw so many young people smoking I so wanted to lift my shirt and show them the ugly scar on my back and explain what it was from, although I'm sure a few of them heard me coughing and saw me using my inhaler to help me breathe. I'm glad you two are doing so well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gina D. Posted June 29, 2003 Author Share Posted June 29, 2003 David A ~ I actually DID that to a friends husband last weekend on a camping trip. At her request, actaully..she wants him to quit so bad, and especially after all this, she is scared for him. I don't think it gave him a cheap thrill, and he did try my inhalers as he forget to bring cigs and had forgotten he wasn't going to be able to bum them from me anymore! He agreed to try them for awhile, I gave him a couple packs and a holder. He is still using them I hear. JudyB ~ I hear you and mentioned this to him. His concern was that I am a very small person to start with, and he feels it may cause more damage than good at this point. Under normal circumstances, I hover around 105, and I am 5 ft 1. I am down to (or I should say back UP to 100lbs now tho) I wonder how kids stand it tho? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debi Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 Thanks Gina & David...I'm glad I'm not the only one still craving a cigarette. It seems that with every day, the better I feel, I want one more. It's so ludicrous! Talking about people smoking with tubes in and all..the Cancer Treatment Center actually has a smoking "lounge". The evening before my surgery, I stayed in one of the guest rooms and of course, eventually found my way to the desolated wing of the 4th floor which housed the "lounge", even though I had vowed not to smoke the night before. Well, the room was totally disgusting..ceiling turned yellow and brown, etc etc. I was having a cigarette when this one woman came in, no hair, with an IV pole with about 10 bags hanging off of it and some other apparatus hooked up to her. She came in asking if anyone had a lite cigarette, which is what I smoked and I happened to have them on the table in front of me. I felt bad giving her one, but felt like it wasn't my place to not give her one, she was an adult. After she lit it, I tried not to watch the whorls of smoke going thru the various tubes and we started talking. She comes there once a month for treatments and was a very nice woman. After talking awhile, she asked what I was there for and I told her that I was having lung surgery the next day. At this point, her eyes narrowed, and she said, very judgementally, "and you're smoking?" I'm not sure if anyone else appreciates the humour in this situation but I did. Anyway, I absolutely refuse to pick up another cigarette and am trying to find a new addiction to take its place. It has to be remotely bad for me but not life threatening. Since I have such an addictive personality, I don't think I'll be happy until I find a new addiction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gina D. Posted June 29, 2003 Author Share Posted June 29, 2003 Debi ~ It too easy to use the "I feel good" excuse. I was asymptomatic at DX. I went into the doc for something unrelated and came out with something I hadn't ordered I FELT good when I heard those evil words "You have lung Cancer". Just think of how you felt the split second after you heard those words and then ask youself if you are willing to hear "It's back". Thats enough motivation to keep me quit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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