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Hi I'm new to this group 😊


Cathy Sage

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Welcome to the club Cathy, that no one wanted to join. I am new too, and I have found so many wonderful and kind souls here to confide in and learn from. It has been a blessing for me. I try my best to share as much about my treatment and experience as I can, to maybe help someone else, as they have helped me. Paying it forward, always. I am a member of several othe clubs which no one wanted to join too. I have been with Inspire (hope that's ok to mention) as a cardiac bypass survivor since 2011. I also belong to an abdominal aortic aneurysm club. I am a humpty dumpty six million dollar man I guess. 

My basic story here, is related a bit to yours I think. I was being followed for some lung nodules that were picked up on a scan after I had my aneurysm fixed. They failed to show any growth and then one showed up that was small but irregular at the top of my right lung (apex). A subsequent scan a few months later revealed some growth along with an enlarged lymph node on the opposite side of my chest in my arm pit. So, I was sent to confer with a thoracic surgeon. I saw one who is well known and experienced and he said the lung lesion was something that he could handle with minimal invasive surgery through what is known as VATS (video - assisted thoracic surgery). You might have experienced this yourself. He said he had done this a "zillion times" and he would take a slice of the lung out with the nodule (tumor or lesion) and have it quickly checked there in the hospital and if malignant, remove the upper lobe all together. He added that he was confident that it would result in a cure for me.  But, the lymph node opposite side that needed to be evaluated and if malignant then I would not be getting the lung surgery. And that is what happened, it was a cancer that had migrated (metastisized) from the lung nodule.

Point being, I was hoping to be where you are, but it wasn't meant to be. Although I am in a better place than many others, we all have hope here. The immunological drugs and the newer gene mutational targeting therapies are truly inspiring. I had the Foundation One Gene Panel and it offers some possible benefits for me down the road.  There is always the chance that some new drug will come along that might attack my cancer through one of the identified mutations.  If the Keytruda (Imunotherapy)  is unsuccessful.

My advice to you is to learn all that you can and become your own advocate and never ever give up! Those are the traits of a survivor and a hero. Share all you know because as a patient or as a clinician we have a duty to educate those around us, because we are stronger together.

Someone else can have my soapbox.Pardon me for my poor grammer

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Welcome, Cathy. I’m just recovering from a lower left lobe lobectomy as well. I had been convicted the nodule was benign because there was no PET activity and a bit flabbergasted after surgery to hear it was malignant and my poor little lobe was gone. Surgery can be a complete cure I’m learning but there will be need for surveillance. Let us know how you’re doing!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Cathy Sage,

How is your recovery going?  Do you have any questions for us or any concerns?  I look forward to hearing from you.

Lou

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