Prayers Please

[jaminkw]

Prayers, healing thoughts, positive energy, whatever it is you do to help someone who needs it for my sister Dottie. I am surgery illiterate but I think she's having a wedge or section? Whatever, they will be taking a piece of a little something they've been watching in her lung for several years. They believe it has been growing since August. Her daughter is MJ, my neice who has chronic breast cancer. Our family doen't need one more!

Judy in KW

[Bud Baker]

Give her my best wishes, Judy. If there's anyone around who knows that the surgery is very doable, it's us. Let us know how she's doing.

[Annette]

I am praying and hoping for the best.

Annette

[Libby]

Judy,

Prayers and positive thoughts for your sister Dottie. Keep us updated. Life is so unfair! Take care Judy.

[carolhg]

Certainly am praying!

Carol

[RandyW]

prayers for Dottie going up Judy! Glad they have had it on the radar!!!

[recce101]

Positive vibes headed her way, Judy. Aloha,

Ned

[eric byrne]

Judy,I am so sorry to hear about Dottie,she has all my thoughts and prayers for a successful outcome to her surgery.You are so right,one cancer in a family is one too many,youve had more than your share.

[jstdzy]

Judy,

Prayers on the way for Dottie and all your family!

Dana

[Joppette]

You got it Judy. Praying for a successful surgery, and that whatever they find, it will be something very curable and fixable.

God bless.

MI Judy

[Treebywater]

Praying here too!

[Flyman35]

Prayers, prayers and more prayers Judy.

Denise

[Nick C]

Hoping and praying for the best

[laban]

Prayers said Judy. May Dottie and her family have the strength and courage to get through this surgery with minimal discomfort and great faith.

[jaminkw]

Well the news was not the best but not the worst either. It was cancer but it does not appear to have gone anywhere else. They removed the node (and I assume the lobe since Dottie said they told her they would if it was cancer) and we won't know anything else until the report comes back IN TWO WEEKS. We talk a lot here on site about waiting. She's at a big city hospital in Philadelphia. You'd think they could get a biopsy analysis sooner than that.

My feelings are they have been watching this and it took a long time to show any growth. If I'm correct in thinking so, a node is smaller than a tumor? In any event I'm counting on stage 1 or 2 and she will be as successful in survivorship as so many of my friends here with similar situations.

I thank you and Dottie thanked you for your prayers. She was thrilled when I told her I'd asked for them here. I'm not reporting anything on FB so please don't comment there. She has several childreen on FB and it's their place to decide how much to share.

Judy in KW

[Annette]

Judy,

Hopefully since they were watching her fairly closely it will be stage 1. I live in Richmond and they got the results of the tests back on my 4th day in the hospital after they took out lobe and lymph nodes. Two weeks rots - - hopefully she knows she can count on us to do the worrying for her - can't wait to hear the stage results since they caught it so early - hoping for no further action required.

Annette

[chloesmom]

Hi Judy,

I'm guessing that they were removing a nodule. That's what they call an unidentified mass in the lung. I had a solid pulmonary nodule until they did the surgery and found out it was a cancer tumor.

Yes, two weeks does sound like a long time for pathology. I don't get it. When I had surgery, they said that it would be 5 days until my tumor was assessed by pathology and I thought that was a terribly long time. I don't know what the hold up is for this, but I guess once it is out of someone's body, maybe it is just part of a process. Of course, they don't know how agonizing waiting is for the patient.

I am hoping for the best for her.

Cindy

[lilyjohn]

Many prayers will continue and the news I recieved about my cousin who was stage 4 should bolster your positive thoughs, NED and hoping and praying your sister shows the same.

[Janet B]

Judy - you and your sister are in my prayers - peace

[fillise]

Judy,

At least the node was small and appears to be contained. I will continue my prayers for Dottie that thay got it all and she is cured.

Susan

[jaminkw]

Thank again for all your prayers and positive wishes for my sister. I'm holding my breath now since I heard she has to wait for her visit to the onc on the 17th to find out about possible lymph node involvement. Don't know what that's all about.

Judy in KW

[Maryanne]

Right with you Judy! Prayers sent for a good report and no involement with the lymph nodes.

I also do not understand why it is taking so long for the report. Joel was told a week, but his surgeon called him about 5 days later to tell him it did not spread to his lympt nodes.

Maybe, they will find out sooner and let her know. That waiting as you know is so incredibly stressful...

Everything crossed here for good news.

Maryanne

[jaminkw]

It feels like forever since Dottie's surgery. She had her surgery in Phila but her chemo will be local. It took a followup with the surgeon and a meeting with the onc doing the chemo to get the whole picture. She is Stage II Adenocardinoma. She will do a round consisting of Cisplatin, a week later Gemzar and a week after that Gemzar again. She will have a three week break and then repeat the cycle.

Anyone done these treatments? Any info would be appreciated. I might get her to join the site when she gets back to work and she is eager to do so. Her computer at home is too old and slow so she doesn't want the hassle.

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the reality of this: first Dottie's daughter MJ with advanced breast cancer, then me, now Dottie. Oh and my father died of lung cancer in 1972. You can certainly see the genetic component here.

Thanks for all the prayers.

Judy in KW

[ts]

Judy,

After surgery, I had 4 cycles of Cis/Gem. First week both, second week just Gemzar, third week nothing. Doing all the prescribed and recommended anti nausea meds for the Cisplatin was critical. That was also my introduction to Dexamethasone. So the two or three days good followed by a day or two down low. But I haven't heard of any docs that would recommend skipping the steroids for Cisplatin.

On the Gemzar only infusions, we would go out for lunch afterwards - I found these easy. Someone in my group is doing Gemzar only as a second line and they are throwing her for a loop - two transfusions already! So you never know.

I worked part time through the 2nd and 3rd cycles and then gave in and stayed home. I ate okay, did not have trouble with tastes, my hair thinned the month after I was done, but not so that anyone else noticed. I used lots of well scented natural soap and shampoo (unlike some people who can't stomach smells) to wash away the chemo sweat.

Best to you and Dottie.

[chloesmom]

I had cisplatin/gemzar after surgery. Week one was cisplatin and gemzar, week two and three gemzar only. A week off and then start the cycle again.

But, my platelets got low from the gemzar so I had to get an Aransep shot and they wouldn't give me the gemzar till the platelets increased, so the cycles got thrown off some.

I didn't lose my hair with that combo, it got a little thinner, but no one noticed except me. I had a metallic taste in my mouth all of the time which was unpleasant.

I did work through the whole thing though. Had the infusion on Thursday, worked Friday, and then rested most of the weekend. By Monday I was feeling good enough to go back to work.

I feel that I had a hearing loss from the cisplatin, but that's the only lasting side effect I had.

Wishing your sister the best,

Cindy