Sarah's saga

[Isunique]

Hi all

I would like to introduce myself and tell you a bit about myself. I am 54 years young, cancer survivor.

My history is this:

1992 gallbladder attack, gallbladder surgery. Path report, cancer. Another surgery, targeting clips just in case. No other treatment needed. Monitered like forever.

Fast forward...

2008, Feb 2 Knit Michigan, knit for a cure, raise cash for cancer and make chemo caps.

Took Feb 4th off to take Mom home after event. Mom cancelled out, go to the docs instead, need to get a RX renewed anyway. Doc is old fashioned, chest x-rays on smokers, and I hadn't had one in about a year. Plus, it was time for my yearly bloodwork (leftover testing from the Gallbladder cancer). Okay, that done, ga boack about my buisiness of the normal day to day life.

Doc called, there was a spot on the X-ray, wants me to get a Catscan with contrast. Okay, set it up go the next week. Not good, pretty good chance it's cancer. Okay, next step is.... Go to see a pulmonary doc, breathing function test, Pet scan, and a FNA, what fun I'm having. Breathing test, not fun if you are a smoker, but dealable. Pet scan, not bad got to get some sleep in while waiting to glow. FNA, what a mess. I had a partial lung collapse (5%), pain, and the embarassment of being transported around the hospital with my butt greeting all has we went.

Okay, done, back at work in a couple of days.

Go back to pulmonary doc, not good. They believe that the cancer they found in my lung is a secondary cancer. They think there is more in my abdomen somewhere because of the way the cells look. Okay, thime for a second opinion. Go to the oncologist I went to for the gallbladder cancer. He is a good doc, lousy bedside manner, but will tell me like it is and not what I want to hear, but what I need to hear. He says just lung cancer, plain and simple, easy for him to say. Still, I am concerned about the other finding, let's make sure before I go any further. Third opinion, big university hospital, major cancer and thoracic center. See two docs, first one watned me to have a repeat of all the tests I jjust had. The thoracic surgeon said BS, this is the only test you will need. So a week later I am having a colonscopy and it comes back clean.

Okay, surgery is scheduled, need to use the spirometer and walk 3 miles per day.

April 8th, removed my upper left lobe and numerous lymph nodes. Staged at 1B, T2 N0 M0. See another oncolgist there. Well, it appears that I am straddling the fence in treatment options. I have a 50/50 chance. If I decide to go with Chemo it would increase my chances by 5%, mayber that is if it worked and a rogue cell didn't wander off. Okay, send out an e-mail to family and friends, heck even a few folks I wasn't crazy about. Bottom line, they will support me in whatever I decide to go with.

Well, I decide to opt out of the chemo. Try to keep my healthy cells heathly for as long has I can. After reading quite a few posts onthe subject, it still looks like I could have gone either way. Well, that is my story so far. I still am getting over the surgery, I am back to work and the gym trying to get my lung capicity a little bit better. Dealing with the SOB and problem sleeping, but other than that I feel great and try to live for the moment.