Guest bucky_a Posted December 3, 2003 Share Posted December 3, 2003 my name is Bucky, I'm not new. I am Stage IB, no treatments after surgery, I take Selenium every morning & walk every morning. I just had my 1st. grand child and is wonderfull the feeling og be a grandmother. I ould like to know how can you go from stage I to stage 4 if you are going to regular controls. I really don't understand & make me really scared not to know. Sorry for my English i am an Argentinian. Thanks. Bucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s_meksvanh Posted December 3, 2003 Share Posted December 3, 2003 Bucky, hi. That is an excellent question and a valid concern for anyone diagnosed with lung cancer. First, let me welcome you to the board. Wish we had met a different way nevertheless you are here and that is all that matters. Second, being scared is perfectly understandable - you and others on thsi board are faced with a very serious and potentially fatal disease - I have found that the more I know about the disease, the less fearful I became - it did not however lessen the gravity of the situation. As to your question, there is unfortunately not a simple answer. A person can be diagnosed with Stage 1B, get treated, get regular check-ups, never have a recurrence of the cancer and die of old age or some other disease. Another can be diagnosed with Stage 1B, get treated, have regular check-ups and nonetheless their cancer spirals out of control, spreading to every part of their body ending up by killing them. Yet another person can have a similar diagnosis, have their cancer progress to a more serious stage, obtain treatment for the second, or third or fourth recurrence and be fine for the rest of their lives. Survival and progression of the disease are determined by a number of factors. First and foremost - your genetic makeup hence predisposition to certain types of cancer. Second, the type of cancer that you are dealing with - cell type, differentiated or undifferentiated, aggressiveness, presence of pleural fluid or any other complications associated with the cancer. Third, complications other than from the cancer itself - this can range from age, to other factors such as high blood pressure, cardiac problems, etc. Fourth, type and frequency of treatment proposed - note that I stress the term "proposed" - I believe that you and your doctors must evaluate, agree on and decide the course of your treatment. It's their knowledge and skills but your body, your quality of life and ultimately your survival that stands in the balance. Fifth, your attitude towards life in general - survivors come in all sizes, shapes and ages but they all share common traits - resilience (they roll with the punches), positive outlook (they all get down, but they also get right back up), stubbornness (they do not accept "no" for an answer), and deep seated faith (belief in a greater power than themselves) - they also possess other qualities - too many to list here - but you get the picture. Survivors employ a number of tactics to stay alive and live fulfilling lives - not the least of which is humor, support groups (reaching out to others online and/or in person), participating fully in their treatment, staying abreast of developments in cancer research, etc. You have already taken a giant step by coming here, asking questions and reaching for answers - that in itself is the hallmark of a lung cancer survivor. Remain vigilant with respect to the cancer but go out and enjoy your grandchild and all that follows. Cancer can rob you of life but it cannot rob you of who you are or the love around you. God willing, you will be there for your 10th grandchild and your 90th birthday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadstimeon Posted December 3, 2003 Share Posted December 3, 2003 Hi Bucky, Sorry you are sacred and it is very understandable. It’s hard when we do not know the answers regarding lung cancer. Below are some websites about staging for NSCLC and SCLC. Hope this helps. Peace, take care and God Bless. Rich http://www.livingwithit.org/lung/about/2a4.html http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=2966 http://imsdd.meb.uni-bonn.de/cancer.gov ... tml#REF_77 http://imsdd.meb.uni-bonn.de/cancer.gov ... ml#REF_134 ************************************************************* 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 ************************************************************* 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...
Don Wood Posted December 3, 2003 Share Posted December 3, 2003 Congratulations, Grandma! Wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bucky_a Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Thank you Don!!!!! I hope I survive to see him grow. prying for all of us. bucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bucky_a Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Is me again with another question. if i had a pet scan last month & was OK, is to soon to have a recurrence? I'm scarred my arm & my back hearts I hope is nothing but..... Thanks bucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Any persistent pain should be reported to the onc right away for his assessment and plan. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhutch1366 Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Hello Bucky, Welcome to this community. They are a fine bunch of folks here. I think with the support of this board, sound and valid information, and good communications with your doctors, your fear should decrease. Yes, cancer is scary. But the more I know what I have to deal with, the less scary it is. Not one bit less serious, just less frightening. God bless and keep you. MaryAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bucky_a Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 feliz Navidad!!!, and thanks to all of you, Here is the only place that people can understand me. My children thinks that the cancer is over. My husband is concern in his exwife health (hepataitis C), but he never care much about my cancer. So is so nice to be here. Feliz Navidad & Happy New Year, and I still prayng for us. bucky Stage IBadreno No treatments Only vitamins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 Feliz Navidad, Buky! Este es un buen lugar, a pesar de los problemas que he tenido, la gente es muy linda. Soy de Buenos Aires, pero vivo en Mexico, asi que te mando un gran saludo desde acá. Voz hablás buen inglés! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DaveG Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 As an 18 month survivor of Stage I, adenocarcinoma, and then restaged to Stage IV, I believe I can address this subject quite well. First of all, I was doing all the right things - diet, exercise, obligatory oncology follow-ups every 3 months, CT scans every 6 months, and even being in the Selenium Study, I still had recurrence with sytemic mets to my lymphatic system. With both surgeries, lymph nodes were taken for biopsies and all nodes were negative for cancer. The surrounding tissue was also negative for cancer. Then it was scan time, and, wham, lymph nodes "lit up". I went into a clinical study with carboplatin/taxol and ABT-510 (a shot a day, self administered). I made it through 6 cycles of chemo over an 18-19 week period. The follow-up scan, 3 weeks after my last chemo on September 2, showed either shrinkage, or stabilization of the tumors. As required by the clinical study, I was scanned again, 6 weeks later, on November 4, and I now have liver mets. I started another clinical study (ZD6474 vs Iressa) on December 9, which involves taking 2 pills a day. Physically I am doing quite well. I have little or no pain (any pain I get, I attribute that to my age, 60, and paying the price for all the things I did when I was younger). Emotionally, it has been a roller coaster. Why I had a recurrence, I don't know and the doctors don't know. Nonetheless it has happened. Do I consider all is done and that I am on my last legs, absolutely not. As long as there is a treatment regimen available I will opt for treatment. I know, and I doctor didn't have to tell me, that Stage IV is usually terminal. We don't talk about that. We talk about treatment plans and future events. I still set goals for myself, both medically, and self fulfillment. I will continue to advocate for lung cancer as long as God gives me the motivation and physical capability to do so. I, too, was worried about becoming a Stage IV, but now that it has happened, I have accepted it and refuse to crawl into a hole and pull the cover over me, like Saddam did. Just continue to live your life. I cannot tell you not to think about being restaged, because all of us deal with our cancer on a daily basis. Just keep on being you, and should it happen, just remember there are Stage IV survivors, and long term at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bucky_a Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Hola Jay, yo tambien soy de Buenos Aires, que te trajo a Mejico?. Hi dave, I being thinking about you all the time. Iread about you when you were Stage I and I follow until this new stage. We will be Ok. I think we all can fight this enemy. greetings, and prayfor a better year to came. bucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.