Flyman35 Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Hello, I am new here to this site and here is my story. My husband after having a bad cough for several months and was treated for pnuemonia finally had an x-ray and after many other test was diagnosed 1/29/08 with Stage IV NSCLC Squamous cell w/ mets to the liver. We have just has the third round of chemo with Carboplatin/taxol. He had a CT scan on 3/20 which showed 1/3 shrinkage to the liver met and a 1 cm shrinkage in the lung. We will have 1 more round of chemo and then another CT and a bone scan to see if there is more shrinkage. Tom is 72 yrs young. Tom has lost his father and 2 sisters to cancer. As far as age goes he has out lived all of them. His father and 1 sister were taken quite quickly both within a year but Marion lived for 7 years before throat cancer which had gone to her brain and bones took her away. We still remain hopeful. Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ry Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Welcome to our board. I am glad that things are going in the right direction and the chemo is shrinking the cancer. Keep us posted on how he does. I am sorry you have a need to be here, but I am glad you found us. Rochelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leslie Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Hi Denise-- I'm so sorry that you are here...but I am happy to hear that your husband has responded to the chemo and there is shrinkage. You've come to the right place for resources and support. My thoughts are with you, your husband, and your family. Best, Leslie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandraL Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Welcome Denise. There is absolutely always hope. There are all sorts of inspirational stories here of people who are living with and beating this nasty thing successfully. Hope you continue to get positive results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recce101 Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Hi, Denise, welcome to the group! It's great that your husband is responding to his first line chemo -- that's a very encouraging sign. I'm curious about the username. Is there an aviation connection? Aloha, Ned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patti B Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Hi Denise- Welcome to the boards!!! So glad your husband seems to be doing well with chemo. Hope that the shrinkage continues. Please keep coming here - we would all love to get to know you better. Hugs - Patti B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Hello and Welcome! Let us help in your journey if we can. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyman35 Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 Thank you all for your welcomes. I have read alot of the post on the site and I am very encouraged. Ned, Yes my husband Tom was a pilot of small planes mostly just for hobby for about 35 years. He can no longer fly as he lost his medical. In the last 4 years he has had a quad heart bypass and a AAA repair and now the cancer. I don't beleive he will ever be cleared for take off again. It is a shame because he really enjoyed it. To all, Right now Tom is a little freaked out about being upgraded from IIIA to IV last week after the CT as he knows there is no cure for IV. But I am trying to convince him that with treatment and a positive atttitude and his good overall health going into this that he can live for many years. I mean look at what he has survived so far. If I had not convinced him to see a doctor after passing out a few times before he had the heart surgery he would have been gone already. 2 arteries were completely blocked and a 3rd was 75% and 50% in the same artery. His latest bloodwork came back straight down the middle and he said that if he wasn't sick he'd be healthy. The last couple of days have been hard though with vomiting and diahrea. He lost 9 pounds in 2 days but I think it is from the decadron and the vicodin that they just started him on. Today aside from feeling a bit dizzy this morning he had a better day than Friday and Saturday. We had a low key day so he was able to just lay around and rest which was much deserved. He delivers car parts part time for a local place just for a reason to get up in the morning. Through this whole thing other than the day of the biopsy he has not missed a single day of work. Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley (MLC) Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Hi Denise and welcome! My Mom was diagnosed with Stage lV over a year ago. There may be no cure (yet) but you can certainly LIVE with LC! Please read the profiles here...You will definitely find people here that are doing well, despite having to deal with this horrible disease. I wish you and your husband the very best. Believe and fight! Shelley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyman35 Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 P.S Tom was a smoker for 55 years. He quit the day before his bypass 2/1/04. Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyman35 Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 My mother is a 2 1/2 year survivor of breast cancer. She had radiation but no chemo needed. Has a new cluster of cells but they are watching it no need for treatment at this time. Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welthy Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Hi Denise! Welcome to the LCSC. We are neighbors. I live in the West 'burbs. I'm glad to hear that Tom is responding to the first line treatment. That is GREAT news indeed. I don't like to hear that he is so sick. You might want to contact the doctor to tweak his anti-nausea meds. There are many good ones out there like Zofran and Kytril. Make sure he takes them in the evening of his infusion and for 4-5 days after. Maybe the vicodin is causing nausea problems. Check it out. Staying hydrated is very important too, of course. You two sound like quite a team that has been through a lot already. That will make this new challenge easier to get used to. Did he fly out of Palwaukee? I'm sorry I mean Chicago Executive Airport -- (Yeah, Palwaukee isn't Palwaukee anymore and Marshall Field's isn't Marshall Field's anymore. ) Warmest wishes for great success, Welthy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fillise Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Welcome Denise! I offer another story of hope for you. My mom was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer 15 months ago and she is doing very well now. She hasn't had any treatment since May and feels great. She was told at the beginning that she couldn't be cured, but the Dr. felt like he could control her disease. So far he has been right. It is very overwhelming in the beginning, but keep coming here and asking questions and reading profiles. This was the first place many of us found reason to be hopeful after diagnosis. There are many many reason here and each of them (survivors) are happy to share their knowledge. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyman35 Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 Tom began flying out of DuPage and then Schaumburg. Today was a much better day. His legs are a bit weak but I hear a lot of people say that about the decadron. Denise Anyone have tips on how to get pics into the body of messages. Any pic I try to attach says it is to big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recce101 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 "Flyman35" Anyone have tips on how to get pics into the body of messages. Any pic I try to attach says it is to big. Denise, you need to use an image editing program to reduce the width of the photos to around 300 or 400 pixels and the height to a proportional value. Check through the programs installed on your computer and see what you have available -- one of them should be able to do the job. Send me a PM listing what programs you have and I'll try to be more specific. Aloha, Ned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyman35 Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 I got it. Thanks. My smiley Tom Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peebygeeby Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Hi Denise, Just want to welcome you, but sorry you have to be here. I also, am a newcomer to this situation, I want you to know that there are some very wonderful people here waiting to help in any way that they can. I wish you success in this new journey. All the best, Gail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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