Joppette Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Hi There! I am brand new here, and am going to look around and try to get a feel for this place. I was a member at Quitsmokingjournals.com for many years. But I've been quit for over five years now, and have become a lung cancer survivor, so I went looking for a new forum, and I found you! I was diagnosed with non-small cell adeno-carcinoma 3 years ago. My Mom, her sister and brother all died of stage 4 small cell carcinoma, and when the aunt got sick, she urged me to go get a CT scan. I had been quit smoking for quite a while, but with the family history, her oncologist encouraged me to get the scan. 3 hours later, I was told that I had lung cancer. 48 hours later, my left upper lobe was removed, and I was pacing the hospital halls with a Epidural in my spine and lots and lots of tubes. Two and a half weeks later I was discharged, after some complications, and then the tough stuff started with the chemo therapy. Like all of the rest of you, I have a story, and it's a good one. I'm so thankful to be alive today, three years after diagnosis. This is an amazing thing for me. And I just want to get to know some of you that have also been down this road, and maybe provide support for new folks just going down this road. I am a member/volunteer at Gilda's Club in W. Michigan. I am one of the founders of the Gilda's Club of Lowell Michigan. I love this organization. They truly are angels that help those of us with this disease to survive, and learn how to live with cancer. So with that, I'll sign off, but looking so forward to getting to know you folks. Take care, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recce101 Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Hi, welcome to LCSC! Glad you found us — it's a terrific group. Aloha, Ned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyW Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Sorry we have to be here and meet like this but am glad we did under the circumstances! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Welcome Joppette. Yes some of us do survive. Thanks goodness you went and got that CT. You evidently, like most, had no symptoms. There is no policy to screen for lung cancer---- so many, if not most, are diagnosed late. Thanks for joining us to help those newly diagnosed, as we all know that is a rough time . Donna G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treebywater Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Welcome, Joppette! I've always admired Gilda's club. I love that you're so involved with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaminkw Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Joppette, welcome on the site and aboard the USS NED. We'll look forward to hearing your story. We do appreciate new members who understand the importance of offering support to the newly diagnosed and survivors as we face the dread anxiety as our scans cycle around. I thought Gilda's club was breast cancer? I know it's named after Gilda Radnor but can't remember what kind of cancer she had. We'll look forward to your posts. Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet B Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Welcome Joppette! I am so glad you found us! peace - janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric byrne Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Hi Joppette, Gosh,thats a remarkable story you have described leading up to your dx,and the speed with which you had gone from scan to surgery is absolutely amazing.Great to have a new member to our international family,least that how I feel about being here,the support here and the friendliness is second to none,and its on tap 24/7.It will be a pleasure in getting to know you. Best Wishes, Eric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LovesLife Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Welcome to this wonderful group of people. What an encouraging story you have and it will help so many - thank you. Congratulations on 3 years - wishing you many, many more!!! Judy - I think Gilda had ovarian cancer, but I could be wrong. I think Gilda's Club is for all cancer survivors - I could be mistaken though - I don't believe they have that here in Canada. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about the organization though (Dr. West also speaks very highly of it). Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ts Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Yes, welcome! Judy, Gilda's Club serves anyone touched by cancer - survivors, caregivers, families. I've attended seminars, including one with Dr. West (of CancerGRACE), received pampering on look better, feel better days (massage, haircut, crafts, even a free shawl from Eileen Fisher!) I've also borrowed books from their library. I attend Qi Gong classes there presently. Here's a link to South Florida for Judy - looks like a nice place! http://www.gildasclubsouthflorida.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatlemike Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 Hello and welcome Joppette! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joppette Posted April 4, 2010 Author Share Posted April 4, 2010 as I said in my last post, I don't know my way around here. I saw lots of notes to my post (thank you), but not sure how to respond to them? (help me here) I also saw lots of people with my same diagnosis, and some of their prognosis are not that great. Others had good ones. I am not one to stick my head in the sand, I'm not! But, what I read tonight told me that I am very much still at risk. At the same time, I acknowledge that. I know. My Mom died of lung cancer. My Dad and sister died of brain cancer. And my Mom and two Aunts also had breast cancer. So my attitude has always been that it won't be if I get cancer, but when..... Saying that, I have to say, I remain positive that something told me to get a CT scan, and as a result of that I found out that I had lung cancer in it's early stage. That is a blessing. If someone could help me figure out how to navigate around this place, I'd greatly appreciate that. I'd like to be a positive influence here, but don't quit understand the protocol just yet. Thank you for your guidance, and help. Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 It's late and I'm tired. Wanted to say this to you now, tho. Lots of us who were diagnosed early have had wonderful outcomes. In June, I'll be a seven year survivor. What do you need to know to "navigate?" Not sure what you are looking for. Muriel Also, I used to live in Portage, MI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaminkw Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 Judy, start with the main page--Message Board. You can then click on any forum that interests you, like My Story, LC Survivors, Early Stage, etc. Once in a forum, pick a topic that interests you. Click the little page icon to the right of a sign on name to read a topic. If you click the name, it will take you to that person's profile. If you want to post, pick from the Message Board, then Forum, then "New Topic" to open a page. If you are reading and want to add a post, you'll find that option at the bottom of the page. Hope my directions are correct. Don't want to offer too much at once, but I always click "view messages since last visit" when I first come on site and it gives me all the new posts. Ned is our tech man as well as others who are site savy so ask away. Many of us needed help in the beginning. Since both our names are Judy, I will go back to my original signature "Judy in Key West" to differentiate our posts for readers. I kind of missed it when I gave it up lol. Judy in Key West Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recce101 Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 It's nice to have two Judys again, one of my favorite names. Causes me to think "bright, perky, positive," and that's you two. Key West Judy hit most of the high points on using this forum. The only thing I might add for now is how to add a "profile," which is the info you see at the bottom (below the short horizontal line) on the messages of most of our members. One thing you should consider having in your profile is a link to your history/story, preferably somewhat chronological and updated periodically. Most of these reside in the My Story forum, and really about all you need to do is start a new topic there, copy-paste most of what you already have in your introductory post, and update it periodically. Then the link to that message (which you can get by hovering your mouse over the tiny page icon to the left of "Posted..." and right-clicking "Copy link location" or "Copy shortcut") can be pasted into your profile. Here's how to create the profile: Click on Profile above, scroll down to the Signature block, enter/update your information, scroll down further, ensure Always attach my signature is marked Yes, and click Submit at the very bottom. From now on, your profile will attach to every message you send. If you also want to attach it to messages you've already sent, go back to EACH of them, click the Edit button (which appears with all of YOUR messages), scroll down and check Attach signature, then Submit. Aloha, Ned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaminkw Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Uh, oh yeh, Judy, funny I forgot the profile. Ned taught me how to do it and it took me forever to do it lol. Guess you're feeling o.k. Ned? Hope so. Judy in Key West Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recce101 Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Feeling pretty good, much better than I anticipated. Took the big padded bandages off today (getting all that surgical tape off has been the most painful thing so far) and now all that's left are the steri-strips holding together the two incisions. I told my wife, hey, they're right on my bikini line, just like yours! I've only needed the 600mg ibuprofen (about every 6 hours) and could probably get by with less. The Percoset is untouched and will remain so. Should I try to sell it on the street? Mainly I've been reading (on my Sony Pocket Reader) and napping. Not a bad life. Ned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstdzy Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Welcome aboard! Glad you found us! Dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud Baker Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Welcome, Judy! Glad you're here. My story is similar: single nodule found by accident, upper left lobectomy, stage II so I had chemo. I returned to my long distance cycling and have been cancer free for over two years. It's great to see that yours is a big success story so far, too. Again, welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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