Nushka Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 I am female, 59, diagnosed Feb 03. I have since had surgery(upper left lobe and left mediastinal nodes removed), chemo (carboplatin and VP-16) and radiation(34) to the mediastinal area. I feel fairly well and an Oct MRI(brain), CT(chest) and full PET were all negative. In Jan 04 I had chest films that proved negative as well except for some radiation pneumonitis. The radiologist said he thought I had a small fracture of my left #6 rib..anterior. I am sore there. Any comments? I would love to correspond with any of you that are interested. Especially those with similar circumstances. I find myself taking a deep breath and feeling wonderful when I get good news....hoping to keep it that way with help from some of you nice ppl. My diagnosis was originally IIA, but they decided to treat me as IIIA, because a special stain showed some precancerous cells in a mediastinal node. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilyjohn Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 I don't have any advice for you but I do have something to say. In one more day you will be a one year surviver. I hope that is the first of many. Congratulations!!!!!!!!Lillian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.C. Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Like Lily said tomorrow ia an anniversary for you. Time to celebrate that good news. Others will be able to help in a line I can't. Just stay around and they will be here for you. Hugs J.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Hi Nushka, if you had surgery it was probably an open thorocotomy, Do you have the big smile? In order to do that they break a couple of ribs. I have 2 that never really healed well that show on xray. Once in a while one gets out of whack and I think it pinches the muscle , not long ago it was bothering me and I rolled over in bed , heard a crack and the pain went away. O well. The surgery is a good thing, in 2 weeks I celebrate 6 yrs since surgery. Take care Donna G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betplace Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 welcome and I hope you have many more years Blessings Betty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Welcome, Nushka! The ribs? Even if they are not broken for the lobectomy, they are "strained"....imagine sliding something through the side of a Slinky and think of the Slinky rings as the ribs... I know that the lower rib of the cut on me wasn't broken, but it WAS cut to allow it to bend (and when the weather changes, I sure can feel that "pressure" in that spot and radiating down my spine). I find good news to be a double-edged sword...and the pessimist in me always adds a "this time" to the doctor's news of a clean scan/blood panel. I don't think that it's anything strange for people who have a "where-the-hell-did-THAT-come-from" disease to be rather pessimistic in the good news as the original bad news was a horrible surprise...(boy-oh-boy, the longer I live, the more I hate surprises...LOL) Soooooo, right now, I'm hoping my NEXT "wicked" surprise is a party for my 50th birthday - and I'll be looking for birthday wishes from you! More than willing to talk, drop a line sometime! Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanCarl Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Nushka, No advice .. jut a big WELCOME to our little group! Almost one year! I think that is wonderful! Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Welcome and congratuations on your first year of survivorship, with such good reports. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nancy B Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Hi there and congratulations on your one year! February 10 will be four years for me. They took out a piece of one of my ribs (upper left lobectomy) and I still feel it sometimes (especially stretching exercises) but I can live with it. Take care of yourself and keep in touch. Nancy B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe B Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 welcome, and congratulations on 1 year ! We have the same diagnosis, I started this roller coaster ride in September all from a chest xray. I hang out mostly in the spiritual & alternative/ complimentary area's. Hopefully we'll see you there... Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmc Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Hello Nausha; A great big welcome to ya, glad you found us, Very good to be a SURVIVOR today!!! Congrats on your 1 year, very, very important to celebrate these things!! So enjoy!! They took my left lung on 5/2/01 and I still have pain, you'l find that many of us do. Also,I see your top of your treatment, very good, again welcome, glad your here!! God bless and stay well Bobmc- NSCLC- stageIIB- left pneumonectomy- 5/2/01 MRI's taken 12/18/03 - 2 brain mets found- named em Frick & Frack PET taken 1/5 - hot spot in mediastinum May be cancer?? "Absolutely insist on enjoying life today!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddy Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Hello There and Welcome! Congratualations on your one year survivorship! May one year stretch to two..and three.. and four.................and many many more. Paddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nushka Posted February 3, 2004 Author Share Posted February 3, 2004 Dear Fellow Patients and Caregivers, Thank you so much for the responses. I AM celebrating one year and looking forward to the next 3 months....then the roller coaster will start again as I wait for CT results. I was glad to hear that I am not the only one that is still having pain after my thoracotomy. I seem to deal with it ok during the day but by nighttime I am ready for that percocet and a few hours of taking a deep breath. LOL. My husband and I want to travel and see the world but our finances are holding us back until June. Then we hope to go to Italy. We are taking small trips and enjoying eating out when we can. I am still working but not full force. Since I am my own boss I don't give myself much grief over it. I will keep you all in my prayers as I hope you will keep me in yours. Again, thanks for the support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David P Posted February 3, 2004 Share Posted February 3, 2004 Hey Nushka. Happy Anniversary to you, and many more to come. It's not only in mathematics where the product of negatives is positive -- it works with X-Rays and CT Scans as well. They actually took out one of my ribs during my surgery, and told me not to worry, "it'll grow back." And I think it did!! I don't have any empty rib spaces, and it only hurts now when I wipe out on my bike when I'm mountain biking. Italy sounds good. Talk to Bobmc about travelling post surgery -- he's got some great stories. Take care. David P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen335 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Welcome!!! Sorry you have to be here, but glad you found us. Keep up the good scans and say a little prayer for you (as Dionne Warwick would say) each day... Blessings Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimblanchard Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Welcome to a great group of very supportive friends!!! Peg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bucky_a Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Congrat!!! I'am Stage IB to, and on the 11th. will be my year survivor. It has beeing really hard, always scarred.Talking about traveling, you haveto do it. Italy is beautifull. My favorite place is Florence. You have to do it. Last summer My husband & my youngest son went to Mayorca, only one time I felt that I was going to colapse, We were going to a beach with a pretty good hike (I diden't know) and was really hard. We have to live and enjoy every single day & thank to God that we still here. take care, bucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Hi Nushka, I was diagnosed as a IIa about 2 years ago, when I was 58! Those anniversiaries are PRECIOUS! Glad that you had the super-cautious treatement with follow-up chemo and rad. It sounds as if you are doing well, aside from the rib stuff (which I still have, too:shock:). The travelling sounds wonderful...so glad you are able to do that . Enjoying each day we wake up is a state of mind and you seem to be at that point. Congratulations and so glad you've introduced yourself to us. Blessings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Here's to more and more good news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhutch1366 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Nushka, Congratulations on your one year anniversary, May this be but the first of many. Welcome... XOXOX MaryAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carleen Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Welcome Nushka and congratulations on your anniversary. I will pray that you celebrate many more to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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