Peg24 Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Dear Friends, Some of you may remember me posting on this site back in Feb. My mom had been diagnosed with lung cancer and I could not convience her to go for treatment. She passed away 2 months later on April 24th. She hadn't been gone from us even a week and my brother of 54 was diagnosed with the same thing. He has a malignant tumor blocking his airway 90%. He is in extreme pain making it very hard to get from one pain pill to the next. They did a lung biospsy and said it was small cell lung cancer and because of where it is located it is inoperable. My brother unlike my mom is ready to fight it, but it is so frustrating that the medical profession and the insurance company moves at a snails pace. After almost 3 weeks, he finally got the pet scan done yesterday and now they tell him he is to come back for the results in a week. ANOTHER WHOLE WEEK! He needs to start treatments!My gosh, this man is dying here. He's in terrible pain, can't breath, no appetite. I am so afraid this is spreading so fast. Can anyone with this small cell relate to this and tell me, should we be concerned here. The doctors sure don't seem to be. Please advise. Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lc46 Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Peggy My Mom was in pain after getting her Bronchoscopy done-had a tumor that was wrapped around her aorta and was coughing up blood more each day. When we went for our first opinion on a Monday-our 2nd opinion was on Wednesday and they admitted us immediately and started her chemo that night @ 2am. You cannot mess around with small cell-when they say it spreads fast-they are not kidding. I would tell your brother to go to the hospital asap and get admitted that way. If you need any more information please email me. Dar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodogs Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Peg, Your brother's symptoms sound very similar to those of many of us. The waiting game is terrible and becomes nearly unbearable when you're at the point where you are currently. Most of us never went to the doctors until we were in some level of pain and can surely sympathize with the both of you. While you are waiting and agonizing we will all be praying for you and your brother. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyr Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Hello again Peg. What terrible news you've received especially coming so soon after the death of your mother. If your brother lives close to a comprehensive cancer center then that is where he needs to be. You don't say where he lives. Is he in Florida? There are many good cancer centers here. I agree time is crucial & he should get a second opinion immediately. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peg24 Posted May 19, 2007 Author Share Posted May 19, 2007 No, he lives in Arizona. He tried to get into a cancer treatment center there but his insurance will not cover it. He is seeing a private Oncologist. What's really sad is that he was told by his primary doctor that if he was on unemployment, he would have not trouble getting into one of those cancer centers. What a wonderful system we have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ztweb Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Peg, We would have been in your same situation had we not saught a second opinion. I am a huge advocate for this. Small cell is not something one wants to mosey along with. Do you best to push, push, push treatments quickly... Bless you! Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyr Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Has he spoken to the Mayo in Arizona? wendyr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don M Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 They move much more quickly in a major comprehensnive cnceer centr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jyoung20 Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 I'm so sorry you and your family are having to deal with this cancer again.....Prayers for your uncle. God's Peace be with you!! "None of them faced a hopeless end, but instead found endless hope" excert from When God and Cancer Meet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welthy Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Peggy, First, my sympathy on the loss of your Mom and also on the shock of a new cancer in the family. My friend went into the hospital SOB, coughing up blood, had pneumonia, and was diagnosed with SCLC. She was on chemo treatment before she even left the hospital for the pneumonia. Bring him to the ER for the extreme pain and hopefully that should get the ball rolling faster. Good luck and I hope things start to be addressed quickly. Welthy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peg24 Posted May 19, 2007 Author Share Posted May 19, 2007 The whole thing started with him being in the hospital. Three weeks ago they went to the ER because he was very short of breath and chest pains. They found that the calcium level in his blood was dangerouly high so they had to start him on meds for that. That is when they started running tests. Did a cat scan and fouund the tumor blocking 90% of his airway. They did a lung biopsy in the hospital. They said it was small cell stage 111. They did not have the equipment at that hospital to do a pet scan so they sent him home and started to schedule for the pet scan. It took two weeks to get autho from insurance and doctors and everyone was just moving so slow. Like I said in previous email, he has tried to go to Mayo, etc. His insurance won't cover him to go to any of those places. Very Very Very frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teriw Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Peg, I'm sorry for the loss of your mom, and this new devastating blow to your family. We didn't have quite the wait that your brother is having, but we were frustrated by some things that seemed to move slowly up front during the initial diagnosis phase. However, my husband was started on chemo before his PET scan came back. Even if insurance won't cover a cancer center, I think they have to cover a second opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welthy Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 (((Peg))) --- I was just suggesting to get him to the ER due to inability to control pain. (Any excuse is what I meant.) Maybe then they will admit him. This just plain sucks eggs. I am so sorry that he is suffering so right now. Being short of breath is very scary. My husband has oxygen 24/7 and has had a bad time with SOB on and off. He also had a tumor compressing one of his bronchial tubes when diagnosed and boy did he feel better when the chemo worked on it. Hoping for some resolve to this madness for you and your brother!!! Welthy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueeye Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 oops..wrong thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowergirlie Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 I am so sorry for the loss of your mother. I can not imagine what you must be going through with your brother now being diagnosed. It seems to much to handle, I am sure. I was just wondering if anything had changed with your brothers situation since you posted this. Small Cell is certainly nothing to play games with. Please let us know what the status is. I will be more than willing to be available to you and give you any information I have. Hugs...Flowergirlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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