Julie in SoCal Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 Greetings New Friends, I'm so glad to have found this board. I'm a Melanoma survivor and am have found these forums indispensable for both support and understanding this crazy, weird cancer world. THANKS!!!! My story: I have Stage 4 Melanoma, and a year ago in the course of routine melanoma scans and whatnots, we discovered two lung nodules. At first, we, (myself and my Rock Star oncology team) decided to watch them and see what they would do. They were small (6mm), very slow growing and possibly harmless. Also we figured that they were probably melanoma mets, if they were mets, the mel treatment I was on should deal with them. Mel treatment did nothing for them and in the course of a year, one of them doubled in size (to a 15mm x17mm a spiculated mass) and lit up a PET scan (SUV 7.5). I also now have "ground glass opacity" around the lit up nodule. This got our attention. My Rock Star Doc team thinks this lung cancer, not melanoma. So tomorrow I will be talking with a thoracic surgeon about removing my mystery lung critter. This is not my first rodeo with cancer, but there's a lot to learn about LC. All wisdom and sage advice welcomed! Thanks friends, Shalom, Julie Mally 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgetO Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 Hi Julie, I'm not a newcomer to cancer either. I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cervical cancer in 2011. My routing surveillance CTs turned up a slow-growing thing in my lung that didn't look like a met, but they couldn't tell for sure without a biopsy. Due to its location, they had to take out my lower right lobe, which was done last November. Sure enough, it was an adenocarinoma. I recovered pretty fast from surgery (VATS- laparoscopic, which is much easier than open surgery.) I also had breast cancer in 2008. So I've ben around the cancer block a few times.As I've said on this site before, I think cancers should be one to a customer- or better yet, NONE! You're right that there's a lot to learn about lung cancer. I've found this site to be a good source of information and support. Hang in there! Bridget Julie in SoCal, Mally and LindaD 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaurenH Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Hi, Julie, Welcome to LCSC. Please keep us posted! I hope you get some answers from your appointment today. With gratitude, Lauren -- Digital Community Manager LUNGevity Foundation Mally and Julie in SoCal 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Julie, Welcome here. Given your description of apparent progression you've found the right place. This will be an abbreviated response because I'm thumbing it on my phone. Can't seem to make my thumbs hit letters! I'm sure you now realize there are vast differences to treatment approaches between melanoma and lung cancer. At Lungevity.org, we have a section called Lung Cancer 101 in case you haven't found it. I hope your time on the typing and staging trail is brief. Stay the course. Tom Julie in SoCal and Mally 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in SoCal Posted April 12, 2017 Author Share Posted April 12, 2017 Hi All, Thanks for the welcome. I saw the lung surgeon on Monday and he would like a biopsy. Seems the operations are different if the my mystery lung critter is melanoma or lung cancer. If it's melanoma, then I'll have a wedge resection, but if it's primary lung cancer, then I'll have the lobe and lymph nodes removed. It makes sense to know we're doing before we go in and operate, but I'm not looking forward to the needle biopsy tomorrow morning. And then of course there's the waiting. Anyone know how long it normally takes to get biopsy results? I know I'm just whining, but I just want to be done with treatment. I've been fighting melanoma since 2008, and the thought of opening another front in this cancer war just makes me tired. Thanks for being here, Julie Mally 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 Julie, Cancer patients and survivors have an unfettered right to whine here! Both melanoma and any form of lung cancer are nasty in the extreme and well deserving of a good whine. How long do biopsy results take? In my biopsy, the surgeon was very concerned about progression to the lymph nodes because I had a very large tumor that normally progressed. So I was on the table for about 3 hours while he snipped lymph nodes and sent them to a pathologist. He got preliminary reports in real time -- no progression to lymph nodes and Squamous cell carcinoma. But, in those days, doctors were reluctant to share preliminary reports with patients, so it took about 5 days to generate a written report signed by the pathologist. Apparently, there was also a protocol that these visual examinations are checked by a second pathologist to confirm findings. I didn't find out till my consultation with the surgeon about 8 days after surgery. Maybe things are faster these days. As for the whining, one cancer is bad enough. Two is truly whine worthy. Stay the course. Tom Mally 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in SoCal Posted April 14, 2017 Author Share Posted April 14, 2017 HI all! Yesterday I had a needle biopsy of the hypermetabolic critter that is in my left lung. I will admit, I was a bit scared and worried. The thought of someone (even a really highly trained someone) sticking a really long needle into my lung gave me the willies. But it wasn't bad. Being on my stomach on the CT and having to raise my left arm above my head wasn't comfortable, but that was about it. Oh yea, there was one time (when the dr entered my lung?) that hurt, but that didn't last very long. Not bad at all. Now I'm just waiting for the results. UGH! Should know something early next week. Will let you know. Shalom! Julie Mally 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaurenH Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Hi, Julie, That sounds like it was quite an ordeal! I'm glad it's over and done with. Please keep us posted on the results. Lauren -- Digital Community Manager LUNGevity Foundation Mally 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieB Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Hi Julie! How are you doing? Thinking of you, KatieB Mally 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in SoCal Posted May 11, 2017 Author Share Posted May 11, 2017 Hey Katie, thanks for your post! I'm doing well. I just got home yesterday afternoon from the hospital. It's tiring to be at home with the kids and chaos, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Nurses bringing you everything you need is wonderful, just not reality. My VATs Lobectomy went well. No problems or complications and the doc said that the lobe and lymph nodes looked good. Of course I'm still waiting for the path report to know for sure. I should find out sometime next week. So I'm just hanging in there - using my friend the incentive spirometer, coughing, and taking walks. Thanks again! Julie KatieB and Tom Galli 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Julie, I forgot to inform you of every lung surgery patient's favorite device, the spirometer. That and the extreme coaching I received are now well remembered. Make that ball dance. Stay the course. Tom Julie in SoCal 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaurenH Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 Hi, Julie, I'm glad to hear your surgery went well! I'm happy you're recovering at home. Please continue to post updates when you can and know that we're thinking of you! With gratitude, Lauren -- Digital Community Manager LUNGevity Foundation KatieB and Julie in SoCal 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieB Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 Good to see your update Julie. My best hopes for your swift recovery. We continue to be here for you! KatieB Julie in SoCal 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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