lginther Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 I am 57 yrs old diagnosed in Nov 2014 with stage 4 NSCLC, I have it in both lungs. Currently I am on chemo every 3 weeks Alimta and Avastin. The week I take chemo makes me tired, however the other 2 weeks I feel good! My Doctors say I will be on chemo for the rest of my life....is there anyone out there that has my diagnosis and went into remission? My latest PET scan shows stable, my Dr thinks that is good news...me not so much. I would like to see some improvement. I just retired and want to travel! Would love to hear from someone who is in remission! Thank you, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric byrne Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Good Morning Iginther,Welcome to LCSC,I am sorry to read of your dx,since my dx some seven years ago I have had the pleasure to meet up with and communicate with so many lung cancer survivors I have lost count.All the survivors I know,have a wide range of types of lung cancer and staging,many dxd at stage 4,and still here years after their dx.I know its a tough road at the outset of your cancer journey,not one for the faint hearted,but I can assure you with the support of family and friends and the passage of time it does get easier.Your confidence will grow that you will get through this.Looking forward to sharing future posts with you.I am sure you will find the natives here all friendly and supportive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lginther Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 Thank you Eric for the encouraging words! I do look forward to sharing more post, really appreciate the reply. Glad to hear you are doing well, pls keep in touch! Sincerely, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Lginther, I do indeed know a woman who has stage 4 NSCLC and is being administered Avastin every 2 weeks. She has tumors but they have not been active for several years and soon she turns 85 years old. Her doctors describe her disease as chronic but controlled. She also traveled. Even managed an overseas flight with oxygen bottles. Email me on this site if you want me to put you in touch with her. Stay the course. Tom lginther 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric byrne Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Hi Lisa,Thank you for your reply.T o give you a wee bit more encouragement,I would like to share with you something that happened to me following the completion of my treatments in January 2009.I was off work recuperating from my surgery (upper right lobectomy),bored out of my head, home alone worrying about the "what ifs" ie what if the surgery is'nt a complete success, and what if the cancer returns? how will I cope?.These fears and a few others I have since forgotten whizzed around my over active brain,boy do I have such an imaginative brain.Anyway,I decided to look around for lung cancer survivors who are still around following the completion of their treatments.I first tried online,I was'nt very successful,mostly stats of the 5 years survival projections on lung cancer patients,not very encouraging at all.One day I picked up a popular evening paper in Glasgow called the Evening Times,and I chanced on a article about a guy called Robert Lowe who was starting up a lung cancer support group along with a LC nurse called Penny Downer,well I had a quiet chuckle to myself over the irony of a LC support group founded by a Lowe and Downer.However I read on,this Robert was dxd with SCLC in 1993 his doctor projected he had approx 2 months to live.Undeterred,Robert pleaded his case to have the best possible treatments that would give him a fighting chance of life.Robert was offered a extreme form of chemo that would require him to hopitalised for the duration of its administration,during which time he endured such an ordeal with the chemo his medical team had called his family to his bedside on more than one occassion as they believed he would not see the next day.To the astonishment of his medical team,Robert began to respond to his treatments and went on to make a full recovery.He soon returned to the normal life he had prior to his dx.In 2007 Robert was now dxd with NSCLC,again he went though his treatments and made a complete recovery.I was completely enthralled by his experience,I just had to meet up with him,and I did,I joined his LC support group in Stobhill Hospital. My meeting with Robert uncovered further pleasures for me,I discovered he was born and brought up in the same district of Glasgow as myself,we went to the same schools,despite Robert being 10 years my senior,we even shared many of the same teachers.The anecdotes we shared of our past lives,brought us such fun and laughter,lung cancer thoughts just left my mind.I like to say the elephant in the room has now got so small,I cannot even find the little blighter now.Robert became the UKs longest surviving duel LC patient (SCLC and NSCLC) he survived for just short of 20 years. I soon returned to my senior lecturer post in a College of Further Education in Glasgow.I entered my classroom that first day,my 3rd year students were being taught by a stand in colleague of mine,one of the students who first saw my entrance,smiled at me and enquired if I was just in for a visit.No, I replied,I am back to my task of teaching this class,just at that moment the students gave me such a round of applause,I can still hear it today.Still can bring a lump to my throat. Bye for now. bjacksontex 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lginther Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 Eric what an encouraging story' thank you for sharing it and giving me such hope!! I am so happy for you and Robert! To Tom! I would love to touch base with her!!! She sound like an amazing woman!!! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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