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Guest ziggytwo
Posted

My husband has been diagnosed with NSCLC. He had absolutely no symptoms. The 2x3x2cm tumor was found on a chest x-ray during annual physical. Biopsy showed two lymph nodes next to lung also cancerous. He went through 25 sessions of radiation and 12 aggressive chemo treatments. We were waiting for surgery to remove the tumor when a PET scan showed a microscopic metastasis to his scapular bone. It was so small the radiologist could hardly get any of it for biopsy. Now surgery is out and he is back on a new chemo every three weeks for six sessions.

I guess we haven't asked the correct questions of the doctor yet and were blown away when surgery wasn't an option -- meaning it isn't curable. But it is treatable, containable, arrestable...

My husband thinks he will be dead soon and I am going out of my mind trying to comfort and support him. I think he has a long time left but no one has told us anything yet. My husband gets angry easily and his coping skills are about shot. He is used to being in control but feels he controls nothing now.

He gets angry with me and sometimes wants me to leave him -- distancing and decompensating.

Am I alone in this or is this normal reaction?

I am so scared and praying so hard -- I hope I've found a form of support.

Thank you! :cry:

Posted

Hi Ziggy,

I'm so sorry that you have to be here and about your news. I know very little about nsclc but I would say that your husband's reactions are totally normal and I expect that you'll get many replies along those lines soon - especially from those in your husband's shoes.

At the moment he seems to be shocked and depressed which is totally normal. If you could get him to read here (or print some stuff off for him) I'm sure that would help. There are many people successfully living with stage iv nsclc and they'll give you and your husband hope. Hang in there and remember to look after you too.

Dee

Posted

The early days following DX or ReDX are by far the hardest...on everyone. I can assure you that it will get easier and a new normal will establish itself.

For your husband: every form of cancer has been beaten....there are survivors, but if you give up you can't beat it....fight it!!!

Enjoy each day and worry about tomorrow when tomorrow arrives...anger serves no purpose.

jim

Posted

All the treatments your husband has undergone can affect how you feel and comunicate with others.The time period after being told you have cancer or spread of cancer is hard to swallow for many.

There are many here who are surviving with it and there are more and new options being made available all the time.

It is my belief that you have to keep fighting it and try to maintain a positive attitude while you do.This is not always easy to do but it can be done,and it is a real plus to have as much support as possible.

Posted

Hi I am not sure of your first name?

sorry you have to be here, but welcome to the group. I just have a question, how sure are they that it is a MET? I have lit up pet scans and it was inflammatory tissue. Did they indeed get enough to biopsy? Have you had a second opinion?

I think your husband's reactions are quite normal. In the beginning--it is a very tense time. Hopefully, once he gets more educated about the treatments, he will refocus his energy in getting better.

Regards,

Guest ziggytwo
Posted

I am overwhelmed at the response since I posted this a.m. It is so great to know that we are not alone.

I put my initials in as signature but my name is Kathy.

The thoracic surgeon who looked at the results from the PET scan said it was cancer and he is supposedly one of the best. The mets was so, so tiny that the radiologist had to try four times before he got it. The oncologist agrees with the findings too but they are both just reading the radiology report.

I think my husband will have to have another CT scan in a week or so and we'll see if anything else lights up then.

He is experiencing neuropathy in one of his legs and it is causing him pain. Long story -- he broke the leg last summer but it wasn't diagnosed as broken for four months -- we went to Ireland thinking he had a sprained foot! Knowing the chemo makes this worse, we don't know what caused the nerve damage.

Too many things happening to someone who was never ill.

His attempts at smoking have been futile though he is down from 3ppd to 1/2ppd. He is very anti-medication -- hates taking pills which doesn't help.

Again, thank you for the warm and comforting welcome!

Kathy!

Posted

Kathy,

Just want to let you know that we care. I am sure we will get to know each other better as we move along this road we have in common.

The group on this forum have literally been a God-Send for Brian and for me.

Welcome, sorry you needed to find us, but you will be grateful that you did.

Blessings,

Pat and Brian

Posted

Hi Kathy and WELCOME!

I don't have a lot of time to reply because I'm at work. Just wanted to get my husband's profile up here for you to read. We're almost at the 2-year mark. As you can see from the diagnosis below, and the subsequent findings, this disease can be beaten back for a very, very long time.

I suggest that you print the responses as you get them and let hubby see them so he will have more hope.

Gotta run, now!

God bless,

Peggy

Posted

Hi Kathy!

The first couple of months after diagnosis were the worst for me and for most people in this situation, from what I read. I found a lot of help at a website started by one of the founders of the HR Block company - he survived lung cancer. You can order a free copy of his book from the American Cancer Society, or download the chapeters and print them at home. He really focuses on attitude.

I think you'll find it helpful and your husband will probably read it. Go to:

http://www.blochcancer.org/

Here's an sample of information he gives to patient's supporters (like you):

Understanding the patient

This book is about actions!

Actions you can take from the very beginning and continue all the way through a cancer patient's recovery. What is important is to do the things that will really help the patient. Make them feel better now and in the long run. Try to help them have a better chance of succeeding in the fight against their disease.

In order to be a true helper, start out trying to understand how the patient feels. That is not what they say or how they act, but their true deep down feelings. To do this you must understand what they are going through.

They have been told they have cancer. It is impossible to appreciate the gravity of that short statement if you have not yourself been told this. Cancer is the most feared disease in America. All our life, we have been raised to understand that cancer kills. We have been told it is a horrible disease accompanied by pain, suffering and treatments that are probably worse than the disease itself. Even though we might not recall them at the moment, our subconscious recalls individuals who have had cancer, all of whom suffered and died. Supposedly cancer means pain and imminent death.

This is probably the first time the patient has had to seriously face their own mortality. Sure, we're all told from childhood that someday we will all die. But that is someday. Now they are told that someday is here. Wow! No matter what the age of the patient, it is like trying to get a child to leave a game arcade. They want to play just one more game. It is not unnatural to think about dying, but the important thing is to concentrate on living.

How suddenly their whole life changed! Cancer is often discovered by a doctor looking for the cause of a minor complaint or accidentally on a routine physical exam. One instant they are perfect or have a small complaint and the next they are told they have cancer, a term they know to be painfully fatal.

Next come all the psychological reactions. These are not isolated or occasional events, but in talking with cancer patients, happen universally to all those diagnosed. "Why me?" "What did I do to cause this?" "What did I do to deserve this?" "Who did I hurt?" "Where did I go wrong?" "So many others will be hurt because I have failed." The guilt trip is immense!

"I'm so angry." "Why now?" "Just when things are starting to break for me." "Just when I'm starting to succeed." "Just when I'm starting to have fun." "There's no justice in this world." This anger is often vented at the health care system, at oneself and those who help the patient including the supporter.

Talk about being scared! From every standpoint this is the most frightening thing that has ever happened. What is being scared? It is not knowing the future and fearing what it might be. And that fear has no bounds. It runs from death to treatments, to incapacity, to not knowing where to turn, to financial burden, to exposing their body and their thoughts, to who is going to care for others, to everything imaginable.

And isolation! "No one else has such a bad problem." "Everyone else is so happy and going about their business." "This is so rare." "I don't want to burden others with my problems." "I don't believe anyone else wants to be around me." "No one really cares." "I can't count on anyone." "They give me lip service but they really don't mean it." "I can't trust anyone anymore." "Maybe I can curl up in a corner and it will go away."

Then there is denial. "They made a mistake." "I really don't have cancer." "You read about these medical errors all the time." "I feel too good to be that sick." "Maybe the doctor got the wrong X-rays or maybe he mis-read them." "Should I just forget about it and see what happens?"

The list goes on and on. These are the universal feelings of every individual we have talked with who had cancer. These feelings are normal, natural and expected. A supporter will have comparable reactions. It's okay, and we should not feel guilty about it.

Whether the outlook for recovery is good or poor, the days go by, one at a time, and the patient and family must learn to live each one. It's not always easy. On learning the diagnosis, some decide that death is inevitable, and there is nothing to do but give up and wait. They are not the first to feel that way.

Orville Kelly, a newspaperman, described his initial battle with the specter of death. "I began to isolate myself from the rest of the world. I spent much time in bed, even though I was physically able to walk and drive. I thought about my own impending funeral and it made me very sad." These feelings continued from his first hospitalization through the first outpatient chemotherapy treatment. On the way home from that treatment, he was haunted by memories of the happy past, when "everything was all right." Then it occurred to Kelly, "I wasn't dead yet. I was able to drive my automobile. Why couldn't I return home to barbecue ribs?" He did, that very night. He began to talk to his wife and children about his fears and anxieties. And he became so frustrated at the feelings he had kept locked up inside himself that he wrote the newspaper article that led to the founding of Make Today Count, the mutual help group that now includes several hundred local chapters.

Each person must work through individual feelings of possible death, fear and isolation in his or her own good time. It is hard to overcome these feelings if they are never confronted head on, but it is an ongoing struggle. One day brings feelings of confidence, the next day despair. Many people find it helps considerably if they strive to return, both as individuals and as a family, to their normal lives.

Only when you thoroughly understand the patient, can you help. They are out there cold and alone in a totally strange place they have never seen and don't know where they are going or what they are supposed to do. With that in mind, where do you start out to help?

First, understand some truisms about cancer:

1. Cancer is the most curable of all chronic diseases.

2. There is no type of cancer for which there are no treatments!

3. There is no type of cancer from which some people have not been cured!

Next, make a list of things not to do:

1. Sympathy for the sake of sympathy doesn't help anyone. Show your compassion followed by a positive, constructive statement. An example would be, "I'm sorry you have to go through this ordeal, but be grateful that it was caught at this time and medical treatments have advanced so greatly."

2. Tears and sorrow are for the dead, not the living. When you are with the patient, cry with the patient, not for the patient. It can lead to meaningful conversations.

3. Never lie or state anything that is not a fact. It will ruin your credibility and come back to haunt you. For example, never say "I know you are going to get well." You can't possibly know that and the patient realizes it. Therefore, anything else you said with that would be ignored. However, it is possible to state any negative comments in a positive and constructive vein. "It's very serious, but we're going to do everything in our power to beat it" is an example.

4. There are no secrets from a cancer patient. Be totally open and honest, but with tact and optimism.

5. Do not classify in your own mind the patient as a statistic. This can cause you to harbor false feelings and your feelings have a way of coming through.

6. Do not encourage a feeling of futility. The patient's actions might make a difference in the outcome and will make a difference in the quality of their life.

7. Do not discourage work, prayer, exercise or diet.

8. Do not make a prognosis.

9. Do not make decisions for the patient that the patient is capable of making.

10. Do not fail to express love, caring and concern. Let the patient know how much you are hurting and the anger you are also feeling.

To summarize, your friend or relative is going through a traumatic time in their life. They don't need your sympathy. They need your help, support and direction. Do not say, "John, it is so terrible" or "John, it's such a shame." Do say, "John, we're going to do everything we can to try to get you healthy again."

Hope we can be of help. You -and your husband - are not alone in this fight.

Also, Massachusetts General does a lot of clinical trials for lung cancer. Check them out.

Posted

Kathy,

Are you guys willing to travel outside of your area if a surgeon can be found who is willing to take on your husband's case? See, surgery on your husband my very well be out of the skill range of the surgeon in your area. But there are surgeons who have the skill to tackle complex cases. You can find these 'stars' of Thoracic Surgery at large comprehensive cancer centers/teaching hospitals, or the NCI-NIH. Maryland is not that far from Massachusetts. We have a member here who was told she was inoperable. We have another member here who works at the NIH. They put their heads together, and our Kasey HAD her surgery and is doing well. Please read her story under the MY STORY section.

Sometimes we have to be willing to leave home to find a way to survive.

Wishing you the best,

Fay A.

Posted

Hi, Kathy, and welcome! Yes, each person reacts to cancer in his or her own way, whether you are the patient or the loved one. Anger is definitely one expression. Be patient with him -- he is going through a tremendous emotional and physical upheaval. Normally, surgery is not used if the cancer has escaped (metastasized) to other locations, since removing the original tumor does not remove all the cancer. It is normal to treat then with chemo and radiation.

Tell hubby that my wife was diagnosed with NSCLC, Stage IV, many bone mets, in Oct. '02 and she is still here fighting! She has had two different chemos and a bunch of radiation, and has favorably responded to it all. I wish the same for him. Don

Posted

Kathy,

I just want to welcome you and let you know that we are glad you found us. You will soon learn that this group is like a big family . We do our best to help each other with our own experiences, as well as support each other with love, prayers and sometimes crazy insane laughter. In time, as you explore this site , all the forums and member profiles you will learn what is offered here. Sorry you have to be here, but know that you are not alone.

Prayers to you and your hubby,

Sue

Posted

Hi Kathy,

I am the "one" Fay has referred to. I went for 4 opinions. If you read MY STORY you will see that I was pretty much crossed off the list of the living. There IS hope out there. I am hoping that you can grab hold of some.

I will be thinking of you and wishing for you the very best. Keep exploring until you get the answers you want.

Kasey

Posted

Hi Kathy, welcome to the group.

I hope you can get your husband to explore this site a bit. Maybe it will help him pull himself out of his funk. Everybody dealing with cancer goes through some kinda funkdom. I found that the best way for me to deal with it was to find out as much as I could about it. I would go on line for hours at a time. I guess it was almost obsessive, but I think it was better than just sitting around wondering what was going to happen next. I hope you get some emotional support here so that you can be supportive of your husband and retain some peace for yourself. And I hope your husband finds a chemical combo that will result in no evidence of disease.

You should consider looking for a super star surgeon as Fay suggested too. At my second surgery, my surgeon told me that if I had cancer in my chest wall, he would abort the surgery because it would be inoperable. Yet there are surgeons who do chest wall surgery. I stayed with my surgeon. At the time, I felt my chest wall was clear, and so it was. I am now cancer free, although short one lung.

Don M

Posted

Hi Kathy, Sorry to hear about your husband and perfectly understandable how everyone feels. I'm @ Stage (see my profile) IV, doing well and not planning on going anywhere soon. It's doable. Take it one step, one day at a time. Stay positive and focused. Keep moving, stay busy. Research as much as you can, learn as much as you can. Knowledge is the the key. Below are some sites you might find helpful. Also I'm not to far (Medford, Ma) from you if you/hubby would like to talk, just PM me anytime. Might want to consider a support group at some point. Always helps to see people in person and what they are doing, how they are doing etc. Stay with us, lots of great info/support/caring from great people. Hope this helps. Prayers for the best. Rich

http://lcam.org (Lung Cancer Awareness Month / November)

http://www.yourcancersource.com/useful.html (Your Cancer Source)

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/index.html (Merck Manuals / Medical informations)

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com (British Medical Journal's)

http://www.cochrane.org/index0.htm (The Cochrane Collaboration / The reliable source of evidence in healthcare)

http://cancer.gov/dictionary (NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms)

http://www.nccn.org/patients/patient_gl ... tents.asp# (Lung Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients – Version II/May 2004)

http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cancernet/600081.html (National Organizations That Offer Services to People With Cancer)

http://www.acscsn.org/books (The ACS and NCI Offer Free Cancer Survivorship Books)

http://www.cancercare.org/FinancialNeed ... .cfm?c=388 (Financial Needs: Internet Links for Financial Assistance)

http://www.cancermonthly.com/ (Cancer Monthly (The Source For Cancer Treatment Results)

http://www.roycastle.org (Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... h&DB=books (NCBI / BookShelf)

http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... _id=&state (Caregiving)

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MON/MON_1.asp (Track Side Effects)

http://www3.cancer.gov/cancercenters/centerslist.html (NCI-designated Cancer Centers / Cancer Centers Listed by State)

http://www.healthology.com/focus_articl ... cancernews (How To Eat Well During Cancer Treatment)

http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/nutrition/nutrition.asp (Nutrition Facts and Information Center)

http://www.about-nsclc.com/content/patient/nsclc (Iressa)

http://www.about-nsclc.com/content/prof/about (Iressa)

http://www.findcancerexperts.com (Find Cancer Experts)

http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... 008,00.asp (Making Decisions About Cancer Treatment)

http://www.chemocare.com (ChemoCare)

http://www.curetoday.com/currentissue/d ... index.html (Toolbox: Resources You Can Use)

http://www.cancerindex.org/clinks8h.htm (Resources for Caregivers)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=U ... sa&spell=1 (Medicaid)

http://www.thehealthinsurance.com/medicaid.htm (Medicaid)

http://www.thebeehive.org/health/contests/medicaid.asp (Medicaid)

http://www.lungcancerfyi.com/lung_cancer_faq.html ((Lung Cancer - Frequently Asked Questions)

http://www.lungcanceronline.org/treatme ... osurg.html (Surgery - General Information & What to Expect)

http://www.lungcancerfyi.com/lung_cancer_glossary.html (Lung Cancer Glossary)

http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... 008,00.asp (Receive the PLWC Bulletin)

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/hos ... p_home.htm (Directory Of American Hospitals)

http://www.lungcanceronline.org/tests/index.html (Lung Cancer Online / Test And Procedures)

http://www.vh.org/adult/patient/cancerc ... index.html (Understanding Blood Tests / A Guide for Patients with Cancer)

http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/tr ... ng/patient (SCLC)

http://www.meds.com/pdq/smallcell_pat.html (Medicine OnLine / SCLG)

http://health.allrefer.com/health/prima ... -info.html (Diseases And Conditions / SCLC)

http://www.hospicefoundation.org (Hospice Foundation Of America)

http://www.hospiceweb.com (Hospice Web)

http://www.hospice-america.org/consumer.html (Hospice Association Of America)

http://www.hospicenet.org (Hospice Net)

http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... 151,00.asp (PLWC Feature: Talking to Someone With Cancer)

http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/ ... 87526.html (3-year-old keeps her smile in battle with rare cancer)

http://www.rfalung.com (Radio Frequency Ablation Of Lung Cancer)

http://www.lungcancercoalition.org (Global Lung Cancer Coalition)

http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... 008,00.asp (PLWC Feature: Financial Support Resources)

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/nycu/healt ... hqcanc.htm (Best Hospitals)

https://www.alcase.org/advocacy/sign_the_petition.html (Advocacy / Sign the Petition)

http://www.cancersymptoms.org (Oncology Nursing Society)

http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... 008,00.asp (Questions to Ask the Doctor)

http://www.alcase.org/education/publica ... reath.html (With Every Breath A Lung Cancer Guidebook / From ALCASE / A Wealth Of Information / Free)

http://www.cancersurvivaltoolbox.org (The Cancer Survival Toolbox / Free / From NCCS)

http://www.centerwatch.com (Clinical Trails Listing Service / Center Watch)

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&editi ... ung+cancer (Lung Cancer In The News)

http://www.thewellnesscommunity.org/pro ... /guide.asp (The Wellness Community / National Cancer Support, Education And Support / Free)

http://www.drugs.com (Drug Information Online)

http://www.alcase.org (ALCASE / Alliance For Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support, Education)

http://www.nlm.nih.gov (Unites States / National Library Of Medicine)

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html (Health Information / Medical Encyclopedia)

http://www.google.com (Great Search Engine)

http://blochcancer.org (R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation, Inc. / Please read: A Letter to all newly diagnosed cancer patients)

http://www.cancer.org (American Cancer Society)

http://www.cancer.gov (Cancer Information Service / NCI)

http://www.cancerresearchcenter.org (Cancer Research Center)

http://www.aicr.org (American Institute for Cancer Research; Nutrition Hotline / AICR)

http://www.cancerhopenetwork.org (Cancer Hope Network)

http://www.acor.org (Association of Cancer Online Resources / Free Online Lifeline For Everyone Affected By Cancer & Related Disorders)

http://www.meds.com/lung/lunginfo.html (Lung Cancer Information Library)

http://www.lungusa.org (American Lung Association)

http://www.ama-assn.org (American Medical Association)

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.ns ... g%20Cancer (Doctor’s Guide / Lung Cancer)

http://www.healthfinder.gov/Scripts/Sea ... ?topic=506 (Healthfinder)

http://www.medicinenet.com/Lung_Cancer/article.htm (Medicine Net)

http://www.cancerindex.org/clinks2l.htm (Cancer Index / Lung Cancer Resources Directory)

http://www.nfcr.org/site/PageServer?pag ... ncers_lung (National Foundation For Cancer Research)

http://www.patientadvocate.org (Patient Advocate Foundation)

http://www.lungcanceronline.org/effects ... fects.html (Lung Cancer Online / Hematologic (Blood) Effects)

http://www.cancerlinks.org/lung.html (Lung Cancer Links)

http://www.cancer-free.com (Cancer Free Connections)

http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/C ... ung_cancer (Health Insite)

http://www.lungcancerclaims.com (Lung Cancer / Lung Cancer Information Page)

http://www.cancerlifecenter.com/engine. ... =dictionar (Cancer Life Center/ Cancer Dictionary)

http://www.canceryellowpages.com/Resour ... G%20CANCER (Cancer yellow Pages)

http://icare.org (ICARE / The International Cancer Alliance)

http://www.vh.org/index.html (Virtual Hospital)

http://www.lungcanceronline.org/support/financial.html (Lung Cancer Online / Financial, Legal & Insurance Issues)

http://www.lungcanceronline.org/index.htm (Lung Cancer Online / HomePage)

http://cancernews.healthology.com/focus ... cancernews (Cancer News)

http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/7_48.htm (Follow-up Care: Questions and Answers)

Posted

Hi Kathy,

The best thing to do is to have your husband read the posts on this board. And especially the "my stories". They will give him hope. I felt the same way until I found this board and found that so many people are going through the same thing I am... and BEATING IT!!

Posted

I am sorry it has taken me such a long time to welcome you. Your post brought back so many memories of the first months (about 2) after first receiving my first DX. Coupled with that another member posted a link to the following writer who chronicled his lung cancer journey in a Canandian newspaper.

One of his articles is entitled something like the top ten ways my DX made me feel. It is very close to my own reaction and I would venture to say many people's reaction.

I will put the link here for you. As it might give you some insight into your husband.

It sure struck a cord with me. And brought me to tears, I will warn you.

http://www.canada.com/national/features ... 50ff2e7edb

I am very lucky. I was given 6-12 months--then the Dr had the wonderful idea to zero in on his estimation of 9 months as if it were an office pool.

So I set out on what I thought would be something like a pregnancy in reverse. That was 16 months ago.

He and many others were wrong. I did not have the kind of cancer they say I had. But, it is still hard for me to really trust that they were wrong the first time.

Many people here have outlived predictions or statistics. Many. Not all.

But those first weeks are the worst. There are many stages of grief--and those of us who are Dxed go through the grief of the possible loss of our lives.

Loved ones,especially6 caretakers and immediate family, especially, go through grief also--at the loss of the life they had and thought they might have. It is so complicated.

I also want to tell you that I, too did my best distancing work ever after DX. I thought it would be easier for my loved ones if I carried it all myself--as if that were possible. The thought of their pain distressed me to no end.

I am only now really able to stop doing that. It is a hard ride-- for both of you and all of your families.

Pls know that you can come here to find people who know somewhat how you feel.

In the last two months, counseling has helped me. Only my son has sought counseling even though I think my husband and daughter would also benefit. But it can't be forced on anyone.

There is no right or wrong way to go through any of this. It is uncharted territory.

Remember to take care you yourself, too.

love and fortitude

elaine

Posted

KMT-

There is always hope! When I was first dx I was 36yrs old and at Stage 1, after surgery I was Stage 3A. After my radiation and chemo treatment it came back at Stage 4 and has been kicking my *ss ever since 02/05 at Stage 4. Thank God it's only in my lungs! I am in my 5th line of treatment and am currently on Avastin and Alimta.

I know how scary this is, it is all I can think about day and night. I'm in pain, I'm scared and I am still in denial after almost 15mths.

Just remember....you are not alone! Mine was also found by accident, I feel down the stairs and figured I better get an x-ray of my ribs.

As I sit here on my oxygen with major shortness of breath....I still can not believe that this isn't some kind of sick joke. I just turned 38, I have a 14yr old and 8yr old.....I don't have time for this crap! I'm too young and and a Mom!

Anyway, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here and understand.

Hang in there and keep the faith, I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 4 weeks later...
Guest ziggytwo
Posted

My husband just had a CT scan after two treatments with Alimta. We were cautioned that the scan might not show any microscopic bone mets. But the results are such good news - the best we've had since January that I wanted to share with all you wonderful folks who had given me advice and support here.

There are no signs of any mets! The previously affected lymph nodes and scapular mets are gone/clear and the original tumor site has reduced significantly! He will continue the Alimta for three more treatments and we'll go from there.

My husband turned 67 on July 20 - what a great birthday present. We know that this is a tricky bugger but he really needed this emotionally. Now he is happy and making plans for the future!

We are so thankful!

God Bless!

Posted

Hi Kathy. Great news on that last test. Does the doctor think now that he could have surgery? Chemo has down staged others before, made them a candidate for OR. (Including me) Keep us posted. Donna G

Posted

Hi Don:

How were you handling Gemzar and Carbo? My husband is in the same cocktail which started today. I'm praying the side effects won't be that bad. He's already winded though he is not on oxygen. He can only walk very short distance and get short of breath.

Please let me know.

Thanks.

Malou

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