luvmydog2 Posted July 17, 2003 Posted July 17, 2003 Hello. My name is Bruce. I was diagnosed with NSCLC 3/03. My CT Scan revealed a mass on my left lung approx 7 cm in size. Scan also revealed 2 spots on my lymph node less than 1 cm. My onc said that he didn’t consider anything less than 1.5 cm to be abnormal. My onc said he felt like the way to go with my type of tumor was surgery. For the next 3 weeks I went through extensive testing.... CT, bone scan, pelvis scan, brain scan and PET Scan. All these came back clean and my onc determined that the tumor was on the left lung only and had not mat yet. When I finally saw my surgeon, he said he was not sure he could remove it if he went in there. He recomended Chemo and Radiation to shrink it. I had 5 chemo treatments (1 per week) and 25 radiation treatments. The treatments were Carbo and Taxol. I had no side effects that I could tell. My tumor shrunk to approx 1.5cm by the last radiation treatment. I had surgery to remove the lung on 6/17/03. The only major problem I am having right now is Short of Breath. I only have this problem when I get soreness in my back and side area where the incision is. Other than that I am fairing well. The Path report came back that they got it all out. I don’t see my onc for 3 more weeks so here are the questions that are going through my mind. Does this report mean that Cancer is gone or just gone from this area. I know each person is different but now that surgery is over ...what next. Am hoping that those of you that have had this surgery can tell me some things to expect in time. After reading hundreds of your post, I am glad I found this site. There is so much love and support here. I will be keeping each of you in my Prayers. Quote
daggiesmom Posted July 18, 2003 Posted July 18, 2003 Hi Luvmydog2, Boy, you are a TROOPER. You have been thru the mill, my friend, and now you're on the OTHER SIDE! Congratulations! My situation is different than yours, i have not had surgery, so i'm not much help there. But if you went thru CHEMO, RADIATION and SURGERY and are doing SO WELL, you are a TRUE SURVIVOR. Many people here can answer your specific questions better than I can, but i wanted to welcome you (especially since i saw your board name - i'm a doggie fanatic, 2 doggies, my best friends. Welcome and continue to heal. Joanie Quote
Don Wood Posted July 18, 2003 Posted July 18, 2003 Hi, Bruce, and welcome to the board. Much info and support here. You are a trooper. What a surgeon literally means when he says "We got it all" is "We got all we could see." This does not mean they missed something -- it just means that some cancer cells cannot be seen and could grow later. That is why they usually recommend chemo as a precaution. Good luck to you. Sounds like you are off to a great start. Don Quote
mscyn4u Posted July 18, 2003 Posted July 18, 2003 Hello Bruce; Welcome to a great place, my husband just had a left lobectomy June 26, 2003 after being diagnosed in May 2003 with NSCLC. He just came home today after spending 22 days in the hospital. Staged at IIa. He had to come home with a chest tube because he wont stop draining, and the home health nurse will be coming in to change his dressings. He has been short of breath this evening. The surgeon said he got it all, however the pathology report indicated one lymph node had microscopic traces of malignancy, so the oncologist wants to follow up with chemo after he has healed from surgery. This is my husbands second primary, his first was in his right lung and Staged at 111a, so he was treated with chemo and radiation in 1997 - 1998. They think the chemo and radiation made some changes in his lymphatic system and that might be why his body is not absorbing the pleural fluid since the surgery. I have found great support and knowledge on this sight I am sure you will to, I would like to learn from you how my husband will be feeling in the next upcoming weeks. We were not together when he had the previous cancer, we just remarried last year after being apart for 15 years. So this is all new to me and has been scary but I am learning to be there for him. Keep posting updates ... they will help someone and you will be added to many prayers. As Ever, Cynthia.. Quote
Anniemac Posted July 18, 2003 Posted July 18, 2003 Bruce, your case sounds very much like my husbands. Left lung-5 weeks of chemo and 25 radiation treatments to shrink. Surgeon didn't think he could do surgery unless the tumor would shrink, had left lung removed in June---found two lymph nodes with some live cells. Does this all sound familar??? Weird! Tim has healed very well from the surgery. He went swimming today--just a little--and it wore him out. He does get short of breath, but just tries to do some excerise--usually just a bit of walking--everyday. he will be starting twelve weeks of follow-up chemo in a week or so. He will have chemo once a week for 3 weeks and a week off and then start over. His onc wants him to have this because there were still some live tumor cells in the path report. Also, his pre-surgery chemo was very weak because he only has one kidney and they have to make sure they don't ruin it. He surgeon also said he got it all and the path report did show that the margins were clean--aparently a very important thing. Is your doc planing on any follow-up treatment? Annie Quote
norme Posted July 19, 2003 Posted July 19, 2003 Hi Bruce, my husband had his whole left lung removed even though the lower part did not have any cancer at the time. he showed one tumor before the operation but during the operation there were two tumors in the left upper lobe. because of where the orig tumor was the who lung had to come out. also during the operation, they had to cut away parts of three ribs to get the lung out. they checked 7 lymph nodes and 5 had microscopic traces of cancer so they took the five out. he then had chemo and radiation 3 weeks later. you can look at my signature and see what else occurred after. my husband was having shortness of breath when ever he would take a pain pill. he also tried the patches and they took his breath too. i talked to the druggest and the side effects of most good pain meds is shortness of breath. don't know if you are on any but check with your druggest, that might be your problem. i am not saying my husband's breathing is great, but he does not need oxygen. i think he registers 97.5 on the scale which is great. he has trouble when he climbs stairs or walks up a slight incline. he has to rest to get his breath.... did they take out the lymph node you showed some cancer on or in? also, he kept telling the surgeon and the chemo dr how much pain he was having in his side. on a scale of 1 to 10 he always and still says its between 7 and 8. come to find out, the ribs now have cancer on the left side....he takes no pain meds because of the breathing. the ones he has tried that don't take away the breath do nothing to him for his pain so he goes it alone. everyone is somewhat different, so what happens to one, doesn't mean it will happen to you. take care. GOD BLESS Quote
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