Darlene Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Hi, I've been reading all I can from these message boards. This is some of the REAL info I have come accross; that from those who have been there! I am looking for others who have lung cancer along with other health problems. My husband has had five major back surgeries. He currently has three incomplete spinal cord injuries. (lots of pain) He then had two heart attacks, a double bypass, an AICD/defibrillator installed and has currently been dx with lung cancer. We are currently awaiting a biopsy to determine the extent. His chest x-ray in 12/04 did not show any problems with his lungs, 6/05, shows a 4cm tumor with significant lymphadenopathy in many of his lymph nodes on both the right and left sides of his chest from his underarms to his trachea. Is there anyone else with other health concerns? If so what were your treatment options and were there any limits? His LC was found in his pre-OP for surgery for spinal stenosis. Now they will not do the surgery, which was extremely risky in the first place due to his heart and high blood pressure. He is already taking Essiac tea. We are open to info on traditional and non-traditional threapies. He is currently quitting smoking after smoking 3+ ppd for many years. He has six children and I have five...I practice as a midwife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leslie221 Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Darlene, Wow! Your plate is FULL! I don't have anything to share about lc with other health problems, but want to welcome you to the site. Leslie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Posted August 1, 2005 Author Share Posted August 1, 2005 Thanks!! Reading everyone's signature has been very helpful and informative! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindi o'h Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 there was a gentleman who posted regarding his treatment at a Mexican facility where it was an inpatient stay of all holistic approach and education on diet and lifestyle to cancer treatment. His claim was that he was cured. Anyone remember this post and his name? In any event, welcome. You did not state the age of your husband. I had incomplete spinal cord injuries prior to lc dx also. OUCH. Also RA. Asthma. Heart attack post treatment. Still limpin' along! Good luck!! Cindi o'h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasey Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Darlene, I do have some other health issues besides LC, but nothing like you husband does, so I guess I really cannot be of help in that department. So I just wanted to welcome you and invite you to stick around and learn all you can. There are MASNY experts here among us. I am not one, however . I will be looking forward to further posts from you. Just know that once you are here we ALL will be rooting for you! Kasey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunny Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Darlene, the poster Cindy refers to is sealbeachjim. good luck to you and your hubby, you have a lot on your plate. xoxo amie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadstimeon Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Hi Darlene, Sorry To Hear About Your Husband (Wow He Does Have Is Plate Full) But Glad You Found Us. Best Place For Sharing And Support. Well Like Your Husband I Also Have Several Other (see my profile) Health Issues To Deal With. I Stay With The Traditional Medicine, Diet, Exercise, Staying Positive/Go With the Flow And Taking It One Step/One Day At A Time, Works For Me. Do Not Know Much About (But Worth Checking Out ALTERNATIVE And COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES Forum) Non-Traditional. What Ever Works For One Is The Best Way To Go, Don’t Leave Any Stone Unturned, One Never Knows. Bottom Line Is I Take A Licking But Keep On Ticking Or As My Wife Says I’m A Walking Medical Miracle. But Seriously I Have Been Very Fortunate/Lucky And It Is Doable. Stay With Us, Fill Us In More And Keep Us Posted. Hope This Helps. Prayers For The Best For Your Husband And You. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Posted August 2, 2005 Author Share Posted August 2, 2005 Thanks so much for all the replies! My husband is 53, his heart attacks were in 1999. He is currently taking 80mg of OxyContin 4 times per day for pain from his back. After a rough night last night I am not sure where to turn from here if his pain gets worse from the LC. He is already at max dosage. When he had his AICD replaced in December his back had so much pain he didn't even 'notice' the pain from the chest area until four days later... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryanne Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Hi Darlene, Welcome here. You certainly have found the best place for support, knowledge and prayers. You and your husband certainly can use all three. I cannot help you with your question, but I am sure you will hear from people who have some major health issues besides the LC. But his really seems extensive. No one sure endure all that pain that he is going through. Back pain is the worse. I can only give you support to help you get through this and encourgement to hang in there and keep the faith. As it can move mountains. I will send prayers for better days and pray for his health issues and his pain to lessen. Also much needed strength to you as a caregiver We are always here for you. Keep us posted. I am so sorry for his situation. Maryanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patkid Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Our support for you and your husband, Darlene. We are sorry for the pain and suffering he is enduring. We have no experience or advice to share but are lifting you up in prayer. Pat and Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don M Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Hi Darlene: I don't have other health problems like your husband, and have nothing to relate, (well, I do have constant back pain from scoliosis, but I don't need pain pills for it) but I would like to welcome you just the same. I hope your husband finds a good teatment plan and is able to manage the back pain effectively. It sounds like he is trying to improve his situation since he has quit smoking. I think there must be immediate benefits just by not smoking. Don M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doughnut Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Welcome there to you darlene. If memory serves me right then Fay A has many health problems but boy does she get on with it. Hopefully she'll see this soon. Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Posted August 3, 2005 Author Share Posted August 3, 2005 Thanks for all the encouragement, support and especially the prayers! I am continuing to read everyones 'signature' to see what you all have gone through. That alone is SOooooo encouraging! I am having a little trouble with some of the acronyms... is there a place where all these are spelled out for us newcommers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindi o'h Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 tell us what you are having troubles with and then we can help you. Common around here are NED. no evidence of disease NERD no evidence of recurrent disease EHC empty head club...no brain metastasis. bud lite.. beer stolies...vodka two fingers...about a shot and a half chocolate doughnuts=chocolate doughnuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francesbean Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Welcome, Darlene. You can find most of the medical terms here-- http://lchelp.org/lcsc/glossary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay A. Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Hi, Darlene, It isn't uncommon for those of us who have Lung Cancer to have other health problems; autoimmune disorders are often present. Having multiple medical problems does complicate treatment for both the cancer and anything else that ails us. So what I've done is find a Physician who is willing to experiment a little bit to find out what will work for me. I recognise that I'm not your normal cancer patient. And anything we do has the potential to cause as much harm as good. What kind of spine injuries has your husband had? Were these actual injuries, or is it possible that the cancer has spread to the spine and was not diagnosed as such? I'm asking because I had a dear friend who had no idea she had Lung Cancer until she had a couple of compression fractures of her spine. Everyone thought she had Osteoporosis (and she did), but she also had mets to the spine. Here is a link to a medical dictionary that I find helpful: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mplusdictionary.html Wishing you and your husband well, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Posted August 4, 2005 Author Share Posted August 4, 2005 Hello Fay A, Ronnie hurt his back the first time when he was working in the oil field resulting in the multi-level lumbar fusion and harrington rods. This was in 1989. Then in 2001 he slipped and fell resulting in the current three separate spinal cord injuries. What made matters worse when he fell (in a grocery store) was that EMS stood him up before putting him on the stretcher and taking him to ER. When he got to ER the neurologist said he just had a pulled muscle gave him a few pills and sent him home DRAGGING HIS FOOT BEHIND HIM just as you would see with a stroke patient! It was not until we went back to the Neurology Center in Houston did they tell us of the damage done by the EMS and ER staff and he did NOT have a pulled muscle. In fact while doing a CT with contrast it was found his stenosis was so severe that the contrast took 4 1/2 hours to pass through enough to take the needed pictures. (this usually takes 15 - 20 minutes) So while I know he has true damage to his back causing alot of pain, I am not too sure about his left hip. Many of his reports have read "post operative changes noted" in his hip bone. However he has NEVER had surgery concerning his hip bone in any way. His pain there continues to get worse and worse. I suspect he will have a bone scan when he has his biopsy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindi o'h Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Hi again Darlene. You are wise to pay attention to that left hip area on the radiology reports. Another example of a reason we need to "see" what the reports say. It sounds to me too like something might show up on the bone scan there. Sorry your husband has had so much back pain. All in all, though, I don't see from his medical history why he would not be a candidate for some good old fashioned cancer treatment. My area of injury was L3/4 and L4/5 and C5. The last day of back pain for me was the day of my cancer surgery!!! Talk about a miracle of God! I couldn't believe it! Hope your husband has the same relief as I. Cindi o'h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Posted August 4, 2005 Author Share Posted August 4, 2005 Hello Cindy o'h, Yes, too I read every report and get copies of each and every one. I have a three ring notebook where I keep all his medical records. I have dividers for cardiology, electrophysiology, neurology, PCP, etc... The cover page is a list of all his doctors, past and current with the year he saw them, such as; CARDIOLOGY (2001-2004) Dr. Parikh address phone # fax On the far right of this page I list his medical history; back surgeries and dates, heart attacks and dates, etc...then list all current meds with dosages. 1999-(Jan) Inferior Myocardial Infarction 1999-(June) Unstable Angina -placement of Guidant AICD 1999-(Oct) Anterior Myocardial Infarction, bypass X2 This helps with any emergency room visits and when we need to see a new doctor he will know what has already been done. Everytime we must go to the ER I make them make a copy of this cover page for his records. I used to just 'offer' for them to view his folder. But one time they would not even acknowgedge it and told me I was not allowed to go back with him. After about 15 minutes I simply said, "I think I'll go back and see my husband now, with all his medication I don't want him to forget what the doctor tells him" She said I would just have to wait because he is going in for an MRI!!!!! I am usually a pretty calm person and can speak their language to get what we need accross, but that time I lost it and yelled at them for not reading the medical records I brought with us, and if they had even glanced at the first page they would see an MRI would KILL him!!!!! (when I asked for a copy of the orders for the MRI, things really began to rock then!! it's amazing how nice they all became!) ~ Ok, sorry I made this so long here, but reading and keeping a copy of medical records has come in handy more then once for us...I see many of you all do this too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindi o'h Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Wow! Darlene! We could all get together to exchange horror stories I am sure of it! It makes it harder to trust the next poor bugger to come along who may well be supercompetent, but how do you know? You can't tell by looking at them Good you are savy. Would definitely love to have you on my side! Hubby can thank you that is for sure. Cindi o'h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.