Mom has Stage IV with metastasis to the bone

[Tristyn]

Hi All,

I'm not even sure where to begin. My mom went to the ER in June for what she thought was tendonitis in her arm. They gave her pain killers and referred her to an orthopedic doctor. Once she got there they took and x-ray and saw that majority of her humerus bone was missing. She was sent to an ortho oncologist where he told her it was cancer but it was metastasis and they didnt know where it began. After almost a month of testing they found 2 nodules in her lungs. To date she has completed 10 radiation sessions for her arm and as started chemo + immunotherapy in early october. She has completed 3 cycles already with minimal side effects. They plan on continuing treatment every three weeks for as long as her body can tolerate it. Im an only child and it has always been just my mom and I. When I first saw it was stage IV and could not be cured i broke down. My mom has COPD but has never been sick like this. Its overwhelming but i am happy i have found this forum. I needed a place to vent with people who understand how my mother and I are feeling. 

[Tom Galli]

Tristyn,

I am so sorry about your mom’s diagnosis. Unfortunately we know exactly what both of you are dealing with. 

Immunotherapy works and that is a bright light to hang on to. I hope it arrests her cancer, shrinks her tumors, and halts bone mets. 

Knowledge is power in this disease. Look at Lung Cancer 101 at LUNGevity.org.  Read in. Let us know what type of lung cancer your mom has. Treatment, side effects and outcomes vary by type. You’ll likely have questions and this is a good place to ask. 

Stay the course. 

Tom

[Steff]

HI Tristyn,

I too am sorry to hear about your mom's diagnosis.  It's a lot to take in.  We have a lot in common - I too, am an only child, my mom has advanced stage lung cancer (non-small cell adenocarcinoma), and my mom took chemo + immunotherapy (alimta/carbo + Keytruda).  My mom is my dad's caregiver, so when it came time to be my mom's caregiver, I inherited my dad too!  Lung cancer is a tough ride.  But there are some positives in your mom's case - she is a candidate for immunotherapy (which can do amazing things), and she is tolerating the treatment well.  My mom did pretty well with the combo too, but she was only 1 year out of her first lung cancer treatment of chemo and radiation, so the chemo kicked her butt.  But she survived and went on to immunotherapy only.  She completed just over a year of immunotherapy and there is no evidence of disease (that's good!). 

Like Tom said, study up on the information on this site.  Lots of your questions can be answered and you can rely that the information is accurate.  I look forward to hearing more about your mom's journey.

Take Care,

Steff

[Tristyn]

Thank you Steff and Tom. I'm definitely going to look at Lung Cancer 101. There is so much i need to learn. 

Side note, my mom's treatments are being put on hold because she has to have surgery on her arm again. The bone around the metal rod they inserted into her arm is not growing properly and its causing my mom a lot of pain. Surgery for her arm is set for tuesday. Hopefully this will finally stop her arm pain. 

[LaurenH]

Hi, Tristyn,

We're sorry that you and your mom are going through a difficult time, but we're glad that you found us. This community is made up of experienced, empowered people living with lung cancer, caregivers, and advocates who are here to help. Please feel free to explore the forums, ask questions, and join the conversations. Exploring the Lung Cancer 101 site is a very good idea and we're happy to provide clarification. If you'd like, I can also send you information about LUNGevity's patient and caregiver support programs.

We hope that your mom's surgery went well today! Please post an update when you can.

With gratitude,

Lauren
--
Digital Community Manager
LUNGevity Foundation