Lyfe Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 It is my 69 year old dad. Four years ago he was found a 'nodule' in his right/upper lobe, and had a VATS to cut off that 'nodule'. The doctors decided that 'nodule' was not a tumor during the operation, so they did not cut the whole lobe. We were happy then. He was diagnosed lung cancer IIIB (PET-CT) in 2021 February in a revisit. No symptom, just a check-up. This time, they found a tumor in the same right lung, upper lobe, and several in lymph node in the left lung (3A zone?). He had a VATS lobectomy for the right/upper lobe immediately. They confirmed lung adenocarcinoma. Unfortunately, they did not find any useful gene mutations, and he is insensitive to PD-L1. Few days ago he finished his first chemo ( I don't know the exact chemicals yet, but he had serious hypersensitivity to one of the chemicals). Other than slight stomach upset he is fine since the first chemo. He was a long-time smoker. He said he is ready for the inevitable, and I know he is not. What should we expect? How can we better prepare, physically and mentally, for this journey, hopefully a long one? I could not sleep well since his diagnosis. I still remember he held me in a blanket when I was 4-5 and walked miles to see doctor in a cold midnight in China in mid-1980s. Time flies and it is my turn to take care of him. PS: He is in China, so pardon me if my terms aren't accurate. Any benefits to have him receive treatment in the US? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexieCat Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Hi, Lyfe, and welcome. Sorry about your dad's diagnosis. I'm not at all familiar with cancer treatment in China, so I can't say whether from a medical standpoint treatment here would be more beneficial. In addition to the treatment itself, of course, it's important to consider where he's most comfortable while he's being treated. I've got a similar diagnosis, though I'm Stage IV due to a very small (7 mm) bone metastasis on my sacrum. The chemo and immunotherapy have worked very well for me--I don't have any actionable mutations, either. Have you had a chance to talk to your dad's doctors, yourself? That might be helpful in terms of getting more information about his diagnosis and treatment. It's got to be hard to support a parent so far away. Glad you found us--this is a great place for information and support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouT Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Lyfe, Like Lexie I cannot compare medical treatment in the US to China. But, as a caregiver to your father there may be some information on filling that role that can help you. It can be found here at the Caregiver Resource Center. Please keep us updated on your father's condition and I'm sure you'll be hearing from more folks who have had chemo and survived dire diagnosis. Lou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy N Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 Sorry to hear about your Dad's diagnosis. There is one thing I'd like to say to him....and to you. There is no "inevitable" when it comes to survival of lung cancer. There are definitely folks whose disease had progressed to the point that it is only a matter of time. But for the most part, it is no longer always the "one foot in the grave" disease that it used to be. Is it serious? Is it chronic? Yes. But people are blessed with not only quantity, but quality, of life nowadays and that's thanks to the new treatments that keep coming out all the time. Keep on hanging out on this forum and you are going to meet a bunch of long-term survivors. Please take heart and know that as long as he is alive, there is always hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyfe Posted March 22, 2021 Author Share Posted March 22, 2021 Many thanks for all your warm supports. I will try my best to help my dad. Bless you all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy N Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 2 hours ago, Lyfe said: Many thanks for all your warm supports. I will try my best to help my dad. Bless you all! Be kind to yourself as well. Do nice things for yourself. Being a support system and caretaker (as needed) is in and of itself extremely stressful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 Hi Lyfe, My mom had a similar situation when she was initially diagnosed at the age of 61 - there was a nodule in her right, upper lobe. She didn't have the luxury of a VATS surgery, she had the regular 'ol big invasive procedure. Once the surgeon removed her right, upper lobe, he saw that several lymphnodes were involved. Unfortunately, he was unable to remove all of the involved lymphnodes. So chemo and radiation were necessary as a follow up. Do you know if the surgeon was successful in removing most or all of your dad's cancer that they could see? Initially, my mom was given the choice for chemo as a follow up to treatment just to be safe - to clean up any lingering cancer cells, but after the surgeon wasn't able to remove all of the cancer, radiation and chemo were necessary. I understand the concern and stress you are feeling about your dad. When cancer hits our family, we automatically wish for more quality time. The good news is that at least in the US, lung cancer has much more positive outcomes than it did 5 years ago when my mom was initially diagnosed. At the time, she only had a 34% chance of living for 5 years post diagnosis and here she is living her life in spite of cancer. We just spent the weekend together and took an online paint class. We laughed and made fun of one another. You can make those same memories with your dad. Yes, lung cancer has changed our life, but it doesn't define who we are. If I can make one suggestion to you in this situation, I suggest to arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can. LUNGevity's main website is a great place to start. Learn as much as possible about the type of lung cancer your dad has and the current treatment he is receiving. Your advocacy is needed, whether he is in China or the US. We are not our own best advocates when we are feeling sick or down or with chemo brain. It is very helpful to have someone who can attend doctor visits along with your dad so that the proper questions can be asked and to relay any needed information about side effects, etc. If you are unable to attend in person, find someone who can or request that you participate remotely. I'm not sure if any of this helps, but do know there is HOPE. We cannot predict our futures and how long we can live, but we can affect how we live today. Take Care, Steff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyfe Posted March 24, 2021 Author Share Posted March 24, 2021 Thank you Sandy and Steff for the encouraging comments! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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