LolasDaughter Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 This was PET scan week and we got the best news we could yesterday - 'no evidence of metastatic disease'! Yahoo!! We are thrilled and frankly, were expecting to hear Stage IV (based on seeing a nodule on the adrenal gland & suspicious lesions on the liver). We are all ecstatic. Shows what a difference a few weeks make - the fact that she's still Stage III is GREAT news! And so now, let the battle begin! Mom starts chemo on Monday. She'll receive cisplatin/etoposide Mon - Wed and then off for 2 1/2 weeks until the first week of December, for round 2. Then a CT scan to see how much the tumor (8 cm) has shrunk. If it has shrunk enough, then they will start chemo plus radiation treatments. Mom's ready for a fight and we're all here ready to go into battle with her. I've searched the board on her treatment plan and got lots of good info but would love to hear how this chemo affected folks (I know everyone is different)and Stage III success stories! Nicole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommadukes101 Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Your Mom's diagnosis is almost exactly identical to my husband's....Stage III NSCLC except his 8cm tumor is in his upper left lung. His PET scan showed no spread as well. His treatments start on 11/12 also. He is getting a different regimen; 5 days a week of radiation for 5 weeks, plus he has chemo once a week as well. I will pray that your Mom tolerates her treatment well and that her tumor shrinks FAST....that is what we are hoping for for my hubby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patti B Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Nicole - Wonderful news!!! Tell your mom to keep up the good work and fight like hell!! I see you are from Ohio - so am I......Parma Hts and I get my chemo at the Cleveland Clinic. Who is your moms onc there?? I had Dr. Kalmadi but unfortunately he just moved to Houston, Tx and will now be seeing Dr. Mikhail. Let your mom know that the chemo nurses there are GREAT -they really are all so nice - actually my cousin is one of them but they are all the best!! Keep us posted on her progress!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patti B Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Nicole - Wonderful news!!! Tell your mom to keep up the good work and fight like hell!! I see you are from Ohio - so am I......Parma Hts and I get my chemo at the Cleveland Clinic. Who is your moms onc there?? I had Dr. Kalmadi but unfortunately he just moved to Houston, Tx and will now be seeing Dr. Mikhail. Let your mom know that the chemo nurses there are GREAT -they really are all so nice - actually my cousin is one of them but they are all the best!! Keep us posted on her progress!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolasDaughter Posted November 10, 2007 Author Share Posted November 10, 2007 Hi MommaDukes - Best wishes for much success and SHRINKAGE for your DH. I don't know why, but it seems comforting to find those with a similar Dx and on a similar schedule. Nice to 'meet' you! You'll have to let me know how next week goes for you and I will do the same. Patti B - How fun that you're in Parma Hts! My DH is from there and my in-laws still live there, so we're there a lot. We're just a bit south of you in Medina. Mom's Chemo Onc at the Clinic is Videtic. I've heard of Mikhail and heard good things. I'm so encouraged by your reports on the chemo nurses. I will definitely let Mom know. What point are you at in your treatment? Thanks for sharing in our joy and renewed excitement and resolution that WE WILL BEAT THIS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patti B Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Nicole- OMG!! Medina is a stone's throw away!! You have that great Antique Mall there!! Where in Parma Hts do your relatives live?? I am on Brandywine right by Calley Forge High School!! I am still receiving chemo every 3 weeks for a year now - just started on Alimta. What is nice about the Clinic is that if your mom really likes a specific chemo nurse, you can call a few days ahead of time and request her!! I always do. Its just a nice touch if you really like a specific one. I always request the gal who was my first chemo nurse - she calmed me down - I am sure I looked like a deer caught in the headlights!! Keep in touch and let us know how it goes on Monday!! Patti B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolhg Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 So happy to hear the good news about your mom. I was diagnosed stage 3A. I had 6 weeks of concurrent radiation and chemo (carboplatinum/taxol). After that I had surgery. My scans have been clean since. (I am waiting on the results of my last CT scan that I just had this week). My surgery was in July, 2005. Hope this helps. Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fillise Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 Great news!!!!! You've got a lot of reasons to be optimistic. So glad to hear it hasn't spread! Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWest Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Sorry to misdirect the thread, but all the talk about Cleveland got me homesick. I grew up there and my family still live on the east side. University Heights and then Beachwood. I wanted to add that I've known Dr. Mekhail for years and he's terrific, both as a nice guy with good judgment and as an expert in the lung cancer world. -Dr. West Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patti B Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Thanks Dr West -have been concerned about changing docs since I just adored Dr. Kalmadi!! Nicole - will be thinking of you and your mom today!! Patti B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shineladysue Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Nicole, that's great news on the scan results. Will be keeping your mom in my prayers for her treatment to go well and to kick some cancer butt. Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadstimeon Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Congratulations on the great news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexan Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Good news!!! good luck with the chemo & all the best hug Y prayers bucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolasDaughter Posted November 13, 2007 Author Share Posted November 13, 2007 Thank you so much for all of your replies! CarolHG - thanks for your success story! It is so good to hear encouraging testimonies. MommaDukes - How did YOUR day go today with DH? I've been thinking of you. Patti B - I let Mom know about the nurses and her ability to request one ahead of time. She liked her nurse today okay, but she said she probably wasn't someone she would 'request'. But the info is so good to know. Also - did you know (you probably did but just in case!) you can get a 10 day parking pass for $40 at the Clinic? Just ask the parking attendant. Mom got one today - it's a good deal. Sue & Bucky - thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers. The prayers of many are what we all attribute to getting us this far (and the good PET scan results). Dr. West - Loved hearing your from the area. I should have known you were a fellow mid-westerner. You replied to a post of mine the other week re: Mom's Dx on onctalk.com and were so helpful to me. Thank you for all you do! And so, the update on Mom is that day #1 of chemo went well. My brother took her and by all reports, the day went smoothly. I took her over dinner tonight and she had a good appetite and she was working on getting down all the water the nurse told her to drink. They gave her 2 different anti-nausea drugs before starting her chemo. She got both the cisplatin and etoposide today and she will just get the etoposide tomorrow and Wednesday. (Again, her treatment regimen is a bit different as she has a mixed histology with SCLC, so they treat it as SCLC.) Thank you for all your encouraging words and prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patti B Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Nicole - So glad everything went well today. Yes, I knew about the parking passes but thanks for thinking of me. Hope your mom continues to feel good. Keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommadukes101 Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Hi! Our first day of radiation and chemo went very well. Chemo is a low dose of taxotere and carboplatin, doc says it shouldn't cause much of a problem because the radiation is the main attack right now. I was so fortunate to have off from work because it was Veteran's Day....I used up all of my paid time off going to biopsies and such. I wanted to go with him the first day. He's feeling good and can go on his own to radiation every day, at least for now. He is eating great and gained weight. So, for now we enjoying this "easy" time, I know the weeks ahead may be much more difficult. But, maybe not, we shall see. Greetings to your Mom and I again pray the days ahead for her and your family are blessed with God's grace. Sometimes you really do feel like God is carrying you along, it's a wonderful thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolasDaughter Posted November 15, 2007 Author Share Posted November 15, 2007 Hi Mommadukes - So glad to hear the treatments are off to a good start for you and your hubby! And yes, I know exactly what you mean by feeling like God is carrying you along. I have that visual in my mind a lot these days. Today was our last day of this round (Mon-Wed) and it was a rougher day. Mom started out tired and from there little things just didn't go quite right. Then her doc ordered an ultrasound of her leg due to swelling and that made the day longer (the ultrasound came back good - no blood clot!). She goes back tomorrow AM for her MRI and then she gets a break until 12/2. She is so ready to be DONE for a while, so I'm glad this first round is behind her and after the MRI tomorrow she'll be done with the docs for a couple of weeks. I'll continue to pray for you and your family as well - keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbf815 Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I'm glad to hear the good news!!! Good luck, Stephanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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