tammy_ Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Hi, My 68 year old father has lung cancer. I don't know what kind yet. He had a ct scan on Dec 23 showing bronchogenic carcinoma replacing most of the left lower lobe with mediastinal invasion and subcarinal lymph node metasteses and suspicious looking enlarged periaortic lymph nodes. He's been a smoker for about 50 years and had asbestos exposure at work when he was younger. He had a bronchoscopy done on Jan 16th but there's no result yet. Because of breaks in the Christmas season and doctor moving offices and long waits to see doctors in BC, Canada this is taking forever!!! I'm so worried and fed up with waiting. We have no treatment plan yet. I'm feeding my dad ginseng and sang hwang mushroom tea that I brought from Korea when my dad got his ct scan results and I feel so helpless. His tumor is just getting bigger and bigger. He says everything feels so 'tight'. From my reading it seems that doubling size is about 3 months and it's been a month since his ct and the tumour occpied 1/3 to 1/2 of his left lung at that point. It must be even bigger now...I managed to get a hold of our temporarily officeless surgeon in OR and he says he'll get back to me today or tomorrow with the pathology. And either we get referred to a thoratic surgeon or to the Cancer center for maybe chemo and radiation. I've been researching all sorts of chemo also. I think maybe the tumor's too big to operate and it's very close to pressing on his heart if it's not already. So it'll likely be chemo, I guess. From my research into that I can't tell if there's one type of chemo that's better, it all seems to be about the same: kind of a crapshoot...I'm so overwhelmed with all this...I'm sorry this is so long and thanks for reading my rambling... Tammy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryanne Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Hi Tammy, First off welcome here. You have a great group of people who are very supportive and extremely knowledgeable. I know how scared you are with your dads disgnosis that he has LC. Added to that the stress of not knowing the extent and if is operable or not is so frightening. Once they find all that out from his test results and start him on a treatment regimen he will feel so much better and so will you. It is possible to shrink the tumor with radiation and then operate. The location of the tumor is also a factor. But first we have to see what the pathology reports say. Keep us posted and know the LC is not a death sentence. People beat the odds everyday. Do not listen to stastics as they have come a long way with treatments compared to years ago when they first made those stastics. Praying for you dad to have good results Maryanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen335 Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Hi Tammy, Welcome! Are you from the states? Maybe you should try and get your father into a cancer facility here. Get another doctor and/or opinion. Why is it taking so long? Please keep us posted, so we can help you... Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammy_ Posted January 25, 2006 Author Share Posted January 25, 2006 Hi, Thanks for the welcomes. I really appreciate having people to talk to who know so much about my situation. The amount of information out there can be overwhelming... Dad's living in Kelowna, BC, Canada right now and he was working in AB before his dx and I was working in South Korea. From x-ray to ct was 8 days and from ct to report was 2 weeks. Almost 2 weeks from then to bronchoscopy. And it's been another week since then. This thursday will be 6 weeks since his x-ray. It seems so long to go without doing anything. Not having a plan is driving me crazy... Tammy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Tammy, welcome to the site. It is a scary journey we are all on, but we are all on it together. You are not alone. Best to you. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Welcome Tammy. We all know the waiting is awful! You say it was a week ago that he got a biopsy? When is his doctor appointment. There are several different kinds of tumors, SCLC and NSCLC ( and several of the non small cell also) all are treated differently so the biopsy report is very important. Keep us posted. Donna G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shineladysue Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Welcome Tammy, We are glad to have you here with us. As you learn more about your Dad's case to tell us, we will be better able to help you. You have joined a wonderful group. sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gail p-m Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Oh Tammy, I feel your frustration with the medical system. I live in Abbotsford, B.C. and things are too slow when you have a serious disease. I really don't know what the medical facilities in Kelowna are but in Vancouver, I do know there are private clinics. It is "pay as you go" though, but my understanding is the service is fast. (A couple of years ago, my daughter had an MRI at a private clinic right in Abbotsford. We had a 1 or 2 day wait to get her in). At times, I've put myself on cancellation lists and that occasionally helps to move you up. Recently, I needed an ultrasound and when my doctor's office phoned to make the appt, they had just had a cancellation and gave me the appt. Maybe your Dad can find out when a good time to phone is... and phone each day when he's waiting too long for an appt. As far as chemo goes and the wait, I'd be sure that whoever organizes that realizes how long your Dad has waited and perhaps that could move him up on the list a bit -- if chemo is suggested (or radiation). Two weeks between CT and report seems like too much to me. (I know UBC has increased the size of its medical class to graduate more doctors which is something we need but that doesn't help BCers out for a few years). Keep in mind that Washington State and Idaho are to our south and maybe that would be an option but it will cost money. I'm sorry I don't have anything more concrete for you but I do feel your frustration keenly. I will keep your Dad in my thoughts and prayers. gail p-m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don M Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 welcome Tammy: once you get a referal for your dad, things should move better. I am sorry it is taking so long. For sure, once there is a treatment plan in place, things go better. Don M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadstimeon Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Welcome Tammy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irisheyes Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Welcome Tammy. Your dad is fortunate to have you on his side. Just take it day by day or for me sometimes it's even minute by minute. I hope you find as much support at this site as I have the past few months. Folks here are incredible listeners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellen B. Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Welcome, Tammy! I can understand your frustration with the long waiting, we had the same when Henk was dxd. But you will feel better after the start of the treatments. I hope that the long waiting will be over soon. Keep us posted! Ellen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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