Hi, I'm new to this site

[Greeneyes, (Toddy)]

Hi,

I am a sixty five year old female who after going through surgery and chemo show no evidence of disease twenty months later. I'm both patient and as of a few months after completion of my Chemo became care-giver to my husband who was also diagnosed with LC.

I'm new to this site but not to Lung Cancer or the stigma and lack of support out there for those dealing with this the number one cancer killer. I've been as active as I was able this past year, participating at another site, witting to editors, and our governor trying to have the month of November proposed as Lung Cancer Month in our State, no luck. I've contacted my Congressman on several occasions regarding HR 335 recognizing Lung Cancer as the number one cancer killer in America, it finally passed late last year as did a similar resolution by the Senate. However I still can't find a support group in my state, better yet my area. So my strength, hope and faith has come from those who share their's with me through the magic of the Internet. God bless you all

HISTORY:

I knew something wasn't right beginning in 2005 and began trying to track down the vague problems with a new doctor insurance dictated by my insurance preferred list at the time. A series of basic tests were done, all normal. Finally after a chest film thrown in many months later just for the heck of it during a stress test the journey began:

2006 I was diagnosed with Lung Cancer, sadly in February of 2007 my husband of forty-six years was also diagnosed with Lung Cancer; giving us both the prospective of patient and care giver.

Oct. 2005 I began to notice pain in my left side under my arm about two to four inches down and some chest tightness also on the left side. I told my doctor a blood panel was done which was normal and with nothing else to go on it was not investigated further.

In April of 2006 I began to experience swallowing problems, more chest tightness and still had the pain or catch under left arm but was now feeling discomfort just above the left clavicle. This time the doctor ordered a bronchoscope. When I met with the Gastrointerologist I was told he wouldn’t do the procedure until my heart was cleared and a stress test was ordered. I passed the stress test with flying colors but a chest film that had also been ordered showed an abnormality and I was told to contact my doctor immediately. I did that and was told it was probably atypical pneumonia, given an antibiotic and an order for a repeat chest film in six weeks. The bronchoscope was done showing nothing remarkable with the exception of possible reflux and a narrowing at the entrance to the stomach.

On June 8, 2006 the repeat chest film was done showing no change and my doctor said to come back in six months for another chest film. I CHANGED DOCTORS.

From that point forward everything happened very fast. I found out that the radiologist had recommended a CT follow up to the very first chest film. I was sent to a lung specialist who told me it looked like Lung Cancer, a bronchoscope biopsy was taken that failed due to bleeding and then a needle biopsy was done.

On July 11, 2006 I was rushed to the hospital due to lung hemorrhaging more than likely the result of the two biopsies and was in surgery the next morning where both left lobes were taken by means of a thoracotomy. The tumor was 7 – ½cm long, by 6 – ½ cm wide, by 2 cm thick, staged 1B adenocarcinoma. T2, N0, M0. After a thorancentesis I was sent home on July 19, 2006.

August 17, 2006 the first of four rounds of Chemo, Taxol/Carbo was started the last infusion was October 18, 2006. All of my scans have been NED since that time with an occasional “let’s watch an enlarged lymph node that resolved on it’s own, and a spot on the liver which was determined to be a cyst.”

An endoscope biopsy of the esophagus performed in October 2007, has shown Barrett's Esophagus, with no displasia. It is a pre-carcerous condition of the Esophagus which seldom becomes malignant but being an LC patient up's the anti some. I will have yearly scopes to follow this condition.

As of January 24, 2008 I am still NED, and blood levels have returned to normal. However I have been scheduled for a follow up CT in about six weeks?

MY HUSBAND who is a six year Prostate Cancer survivor was diagnosed with Lung Cancer in February 2007. It was found because during his routine annual check up he asked for a chest CT, the doctor thought it was unnecessary but because of my cancer agreed to humor him. On February 13, his results came back showing a nodule in the lingual area of the left lung which appeared to be cancer. A PET was scheduled and then we met with our Thoracic Cancer team. The PET showed no other area involved and surgery was done March 13, 2007. The upper left lobe was removed by means of a thoracatomy, following Vats for pathology during the procedure. His tumor was 1 – ½ cm, staged 1A Squameous Cell Carcinoma. Chemo was not recommended. He has remained NED for a year this month.

[Muriel]

Welcome, Greeneyes. We're glad you joined us. I think there is an important lesson in your story: Ask for a copy of all reports (lab work, CTs, XRays, PETs, etc). You should be able to trust your doctor, but every so often things don't work that way. I'm assuming that the radiologist mentioned a follow-up scan in his report. It's a good thing you changed doctors when you did.

Please keep in touch with us. We want to know how you and your husband are doing.

Muriel

[MsC1210]

Hello Greeneyes and welcome

Thank you for sharing your story as well as your husbands.

Christine

[recce101]

Hi, Greeneyes, welcome to the group! Congratulations on your activism, and for being proactive in your, and your husband's, medical care.

Yours is the kind of story that all of our new members need to hear. If you convert your detailed and very readable history into a diagnosis/treatment/status profile like you see at the bottom of our messages, you could write just a brief welcome to new members and your valuable medical info would automatically attach. Here's how:

Click on My Profile above, scroll down to the Signature block, enter/update your information (you can copy-paste from your message the first time), scroll down further, ensure Always attach my signature is marked Yes, and click Submit at the very bottom. From now on, your profile will attach to every message you send.

Best wishes and Aloha to you and your husband,

Ned

[Greeneyes, (Toddy)]

NED, what a great nick name, thank you for your post and instructions, I'll give it a try. Am having a little problem navagating this site.

Congratulations on your stable & improved tests, NED is a great place to be, may you remain there a very long time.

God bless,

Greeneyes

[recce101]

Hi again, Greeneyes, thanks for the nice thoughts. Though Ned is not NED yet (still some tumor activity in the right lung), I do hope to get there, and as we all say, stable is good too!

Your profile looks fine. Since my rather lengthy profile appears above, I'm unchecking the "Attach..." box in this response to save space. Aloha,

Ned

[ztweb]

Bless you Ms. Greeneyes...glad you found us. May you know the peace and healing that can be found with this disease. Thank you for joining and being a ray of hope for others.

Jen

[Patti B]

Welcome Greeneyes-

Thank you so much for your story and that of your husbands. It is quite inspiring. And thank you so much for your activism in fighting this horrid disease.

Wishing both you and your husband continued success. Please stick around on the boards so that we can know how you both are doing.

Hugs - Patti B.

[Shelley (MLC)]

Welcome! Thanks so much for sharing both yours, and your husbands stories with us. I am so happy to hear that you are both doing well. We need to read more success stories like yours! Shelley