Hi new to this site and looking for support!

[Guest pamelalow]

Hi Everyone, Glad I found this site. My mom was dx with stage IIIA NSCLC with lymp involvement last June. She went through chemo I think Taxol and something else as well as radiation. She is a breast cancer survivor of 6 years! She went without a chest xray for a year and then had one last June when they found it. She had 4 super chemos in Oct. not sure what was in them but it knocked her for a loop. She is 74 yrs old. As far as the tumor being operable we could never get a straight answer from her or her Dr. I imagine it is not. She missed her last chemo due to emergency surgery on her abdomen due to a blood clot in her colon. Major surgey, removed 11/2 foot of colon. She is in assisted living right now in hopes of getting strong and coming home. She had a PET today have not heard the results. Hoping the cancer is under control and manageable for now. She lives in Fla. I live in Mass. Hope to move her up here much to her shagrin but enough is enough. Just needed to get this off my chest! Thanks for listening. [/b]

[SandraL]

Hi there. I am glad you found this site too. Sorry to hear about your mom and all she has been through. It is a tough haul getting through all those treatments and side effects, never mind the other complications she has had. Prayers for PET results that indicate her cancer is under control. I look forward to hearing your update.

Sandra

[jaminkw]

Pamela, Welcome. Sorry you needed to find us but you will get a great deal of info and support from this group. The results of that PET should give you a better picture of what needs to be done or can be done relative to your Mom's cancer. It must be tough being so far away when she is sick but how long has she lived in Florida? Does she have a network of friends there? Was she there when she had breat cancer and if so, how did she handle treatment? I'm asking these questions to encourage you to think it through before you consider moving her up to Mass. I've been in FL for twenty-two years and wild horses couldn't move me back North. The cold alone would probably kill me at this stage in life. I can tell you love your Mom and are very worried about her but if moving is not her choice, it may not ultimately be in her best interest.

Judy in Key West

[Bruce u]

Hi Pamela

Welcome to this great site. You will find lots of support and encouragement here. If you have any questions, just ask them here. Members here are very knowledgeable and are only too happy to share their experiences. Waiting to hear the great results of your Mom's PET. Take care.

[recce101]

Hi, Pamela. I can't add much to what's already been said. The PET scan should give a good indication of your mom's situation and hopefully confirm that whatever cancer is still active (if any) is still confined to her chest. The first priority, of course, is for her to recover from the abdominal surgery.

Do you have siblings in Florida or elsewhere who can share some of the burden? Best wishes and Aloha,

Ned

[Donna G]

Welcome , I also am so glad you found us. For some reason clots are a real complication of lung cancer. Lodging in the bowel not so common. Many Stage IIIA become operable after chemo and radiation. I had chemo and radiation first and when they took out the tumor it was only scar tissue! Has to be really hard to have your Mom so far away. Keep us posted.

Donna G

[Barb73]

Welcome to you Pamela, and as the others have said, you have come to a very informative and supportive site.

There isn't one thing that I could add to the wonderful input.

Looking forward to seeing you here and updating us on your Mom, and you.

Barbara