gamom Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 My father-in-law has been sick for 2 months...he has double-pnemonia(sp)?. But has been so weak..so they referred him to a lung doctor. The CT show cystic formations all in his left lung...they did a biopsay two days after which was the day before thanksgiving. We should know the results Monday...but heres some signs he is having that I don't like...spitting up dark blood specks...night-sweats....he has lost 21 pounds in 6 weeks...smoked 2-3 packs cigs for 50 years!! hes so weak that he can hardly walk...The lung doc tor said he was looking for cancer or tb....but Am I wrong but the signs point more to cancer because they have already given him 2 tb tests and they were both negative. The doctor looked in my mother-in -law eyes Wed. morning and said that the biopsy looked okay....could they telled by just looking at it or...was he just being nice to say that before Thanksgiving? Please help me...give me ya'lls honest thoughts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bart ziggie ( Greg ) Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 Gamom, I am one not to speculate when it comes to posts like this. However, the comment you made about the Dr. looking into your mothers in laws eyes and saying it didnt look like cancer could very well be a fair statement on the Drs. part. During my original Bronchoscopy and biopsy i asked my Dr. directly after the procedure what it looked like and she said it didnt look good. She stopped short of telling me it was in fact cancer however. Pulminary Drs. are so trained at what they do and see so many cases of cancer that yes in fact they can tell by looking a good majority of the time. Unoficially of course ! Nothing definitive can be confirmed without the pathology though of course. To my knowledge this Dr. would not be just saying this to be nice before thanksgiving. If this were the case i believe this Dr. should be defrocked. At any rate wait for the test results and hope for the best. I will keep your mother in law in my thoughts. Best wishes and keep us posted on the results. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanCarl Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 gamom, I have to agree with Greg here. The only way to realy tell is to wait for the pathology report of the cells taken in the biopsy ... BUT ... my pulminary doctor was the same way as Gregs. He took a close look at the CT scans and told me the probablility of cancer was very high. Right after the bronchoscopy and biopsy he was even more certain and, in fact, that is what came back in the pathology report. I, also, cannot conceve of any good doctor telling a loved one something just to be "nice", no matter what time of year. All the doctors I've delt with in the last 2 months have been streight forward with me about what I have and what can, and cannot, be done about it. The symptoms you're father-in-law is showing can be attributed to a lot of different lung problems. Here's hoping his is something that can be treated quickly and easily. Let us know what the results are. Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilyjohn Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 Please take nothing for granted and don't let anyone else do that. Research everything and above all get copies of those test results. I can not imagine a doctor saying something like that but then too I have seen so many things in the past year and a half that I know some are not as ethical as we would hope and think. As for the symptoms don't borrow trouble. There are so many things that have the same symptoms. There are a number of fungi and there is also Sarciadosis and Cystic Fibrosis. Sometimes just a severe infection can cause the same symptoms.. In short it takes a lot of testing to know for sure what is going on. Make sure that all of the tests required are done. Never let any one get away with taking shortcuts. Never let anyone just assume. When they tell you something demand reasons and the information that backs up what they say. The more you know the more you are able to face the beast or anything else that you may have to deal with. I pray that it is not cancer and that whatever it is is healed soon. Enough people have to fight this monster already. This is one area where there is no comfort or satisfaction knowing that you are not alone. The more company you have the more suffering there is for someone else. Stay positive and above all never give up hope. It is the one thing that everyone needs to fight. Without it you are drifting on a sea that can swallow you before you know what is happening. God Bless you for caring. I am touched to see so many daughters-in- law concerned and willing to help there family. I remember my Johnny's daughter-in-law and how much she loved him. She was not any real help but her love was there and he knew it. She too knows how much we have lost. I hope that you never have to learn that at least not for many many years. My best to you. Lillian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadstimeon Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 Hi Gamom, Sorry to hear about your father-in-law. It’s very hard not knowing about the uncertain. It’s hard to speculate on what it could be. It’s best to take one step at a time and one day at a time. Wait until the all the tests are back. There are a lot of options for your father-in-law to help him when you find out. Stay positive and never give up. Be pro-active. Research everything. Knowledge is the key. Hang in there. Hope this helps. Keep us posted. Peace, take care and God Bless. Rich ************************************************************* The Power Of People Helping People / The Power Of Knowledge / The Power Of God / The Power Of Believing / The Power Of Positive Thinking / The Power Of Never Taking No For An Answer / That’s The Key ************************************************************* Questions To Ask The Doctor About Lung Cancer http://www.plwc.org/plwc/MainConstructo ... 08,00.html With Every Breath A Lung Cancer Guidebook / From ALCASE / A Wealth Of Information / Free http://www.alcase.org/education/publica ... reath.html The Cancer Survival Toolbox / Free / From NCCS http://www.cancersurvivaltoolbox.org Clinical Trails Listing Service / Center Watch http://www.centerwatch.com Lung Cancer In The News / GOOGLE http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&editi ... ung+cancer The Wellness Community / National Cancer Support, Education And Support / Free http://www.thewellnesscommunity.org/pro ... /guide.asp Drug Information Online http://www.drugs.com ALCASE / Alliance For Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support, Education http://www.alcase.org Unites States / National Library Of Medicine http://www.nlm.nih.gov Health Information / Medical Encyclopedia http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html Google / Great Search Engine http://www.google.com R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation, Inc. / Please read: A Letter to all newly diagnosed cancer patients http://blochcancer.org American Cancer Society / No Matter Who You Are, We Can Help http://www.cancer.org Cancer Information Service / NCI http://www.cancer.gov Cancer Research Center / A Cure For Cancer... http://www.cancerresearchcenter.org American Institute for Cancer Research; Nutrition Hotline / AICR http://www.aicr.org Cancer Hope Network / Cancer? http://www.cancerhopenetwork.org Association of Cancer Online Resources / Free Online Lifeline For Everyone Affected By Cancer & Related Disorders http://www.acor.org Lung Cancer Information Library / Electronic Library Of Comprehensive Educational Materials On Cancer For Healthcare Professionals And Patients. http://www.meds.com/lung/lunginfo.html ************************************************************* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimblanchard Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 Most Docs know there is nothing more cruel than FALSE hope, so it's most probable this particular Doc was giving his honest clinical assessment at that moment in time, based on the info available. The microscope will determine the diagnosis, of course, but until then the Docs must run on "opinion & suspicion". All too often, Docs initially paint a worst-case scenario so the patient can begin to prepare themselves...then, if the subsequent diagnosis is anything less severe, everyone can be relatively "joyously relieved", knowing it could have been worse. Just further examples showing the profession of medicine remains as much art, as true science. May we all have Da Vincis! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 Hey Gamom, You have found a good place for support especially if your father-in-law is dx'd with lung cancer. There are so many wonderful people here to help with every stage of dealing with this disease. I didn't find it until after my father-in-law's recurrence in July '03 and so often I wish I had come here even sooner for more support. I have a couple pieces of advice. First, if it turns out to be cancer, don't approach it as a doomsday sentence. SO many folks here have beat this beast down over and over. Share their success stories with your family. Best place to gather quick info on that is by reading posts in Good News. I believe BobMC just recently posted about a great anniversary date. Next, check out this site www.blochcancer.org ~especially the letter link on that first page. There is a great link in the letter about looking at second opinions and resources available all around the nation. There is also a section to go to for supporters and one for patients. The author of the site is a longterm cancer survivor who was only given 3 months to live back in the '70s I believe. I actually found a book he wrote at a secondhand book store when my FIL was first dx'd. He said it gave him a real positive outlook. He actually had a small fist-sized mass between his lung and shoulder blade that we believe was cured by prayer. They were scheduled to do a biopsy on it and decided to do an xray or scan of it one more time only to discover that it was completely gone. Definitely a great moment of joy in our journey. Also, if your mother-in-law is at all like mine was you need to encourage her to take a notepad with her to any visits with questions already written down. Better yet if another family member can go that is very helpful. It was such an overwhelming thing for my MIL that even when she had the best intentions of asking questions she would come out of the visits with very little information because the shock of it all made it hard to focus. Their oncologist didn't have the best bedside manner, so I joined in a few times as the pain in the rear daughter-in-law that wouldn't leave until q's were addressed. Lastly, know that many folks here will hold your family up in prayer, and even if it turns out that he doesn't have lung cancer, please keep in touch and let us all know how things are going. God bless~ Karen M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamom Posted November 29, 2003 Author Share Posted November 29, 2003 Thanks everyone who reply....I've just got back from his house. Hes so so weak. He is 69. He is also a BIG GT fan and today was the GT vs. GA game the biggest rival of all. He couldn't even sat up to watch it. My 9 yr old who is the apple of his paw-paws eye...cried and cried he prayed the whole time that GT would win so it would make his paw-paw better. I also looked at his last x-rays...on the bottom its got written ..cystic formations are consolated.? cancer or TB?.....So I guessing with the biospy they are going to rule out one or another? He has had 2 neg tb tests done though...I'm going to go with them to the doctor...and I always take a notepad..my m-i-l went through the same thing in Aug 2002..she even had a her left lode? taken out...praise God it wasn't cancer!! See my inlaws are like second parents to me...I'm so blessed to have them! Well I consider my mother in law to be my best friend. I guess the reason i'm so worried my grandfather died of lung cancer after 7 months from finding out, f-i-l is having all the signs that he did.I'll be keeping everyone here in my prayers...My favorite verse is...I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me....it has carried me thru many trials...Have a blessed weekend and thanks:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Georgia- Looks like you'll need to wait for the biopsy to know for sure. My chest was X-rayed to rule out TB, even AFTER the negative TB w/controls test taken in the doctor's office. The X-ray, at first, showed pneumonia, and that was ALL that was mentioned on the film/lab. The FOLLOW-UP X-ray, to see if the pneumonia was gone, had a cloudy area on my right lung, the notation for that was "Follow up to rule out Lung CA"... and from there, life began the WONDERFUL (read with true sarcasm) spiral that is cancer... Here's hoping your dad is on the other side of the coin! Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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