Coping with Asysmptoatic Metastssis NSCLC

[Gregoryy]

By the title it may seem like a misnomer, more particular, the words “Coping with Asymptomatic……”. When I started the journey over four and a half years ago, I was  diagnosed  with Stage 4 NSCLS Adenocarcinoma, it was an incidental discovery then being without symptoms as I remain today, although now with some rib pain as it has spread to the bone and brain, which was treated successfully. Up to this point my illness almost seemed academic, you go to the Cancer Center, blood work, see the Doctor and then go for chemo, week in and week out until scans. Over time I began to feel that I have a disease that tells me that I don’t have a disease. I was diagnosed with a catastrophic disease that came with a big question mark. I had no symptoms, just grainy black and white computer images from CtScans that described my illness. As an example, if you fell and broke your arm, you would go see a doctor, an X-ray, a treatment plan with a description of some sort of conclusion, you would have a beginning, a middle and an end point, you would have pain that you could put your finger on, treatment that you can feel yourself improving and some sort of timeline that you could return to work.  I feel in my case that cancer is both physiological and psychological, but because I remain asymptomatic, i feel as though it is 100 % psychological, its a full time job. Exploring the internet for answers is a waste of time, you can drill down all you want and not find the answers you are looking for. I realize this mindset is rhetorical, I know the answers to my questions and that although we all have cancer, there isa myriad    of variables between us. I went the Oncologist the other day following a CtScan last week, the cancer has spread to bone ( the eighth rib ) and while it has progressed in the lungs, the rate of progression has increased, ie, if in the past it took 6 mo’s for this to progress 20 %, it now takes three months to increase 20 %. I have been blessed to remain without symptoms this long, don’t get me wrong. I have sought help in changing my mindset and it is working, but it is frustrating in both living it with that mindset and explaining it, I am work in progress !! Thank You all and stay well !

[LouT]

Hi Gregory,

Welcome to our forum.  You'll find folks here who were diagnosed at all stages and are early on or well past their treatment protocols, so there will be a great amount of experiences for them to share with you.

You really are dealing with a lot and I would really like to move your post to the "Introduce Yourself" section as most of our members start their daily browsing there.  As a newcomer to the site more people will see you and you'll get more responses.  

For my part my LC was diagnosed as Stage 1a in February 2019 and I too was asymptomatic.  I had kidney stones and a CT Scan showed a nodule in my lower right lobe.  Well, after a lot of testing I had a lobectomy and have recovered and remain NED (No Evidence of Disease) until today.  There are many folks here diagnosed at Stages 3 and 4 and you will be hearing from them soon. 

Please consider either copying your post to "Introduce Yourself" or giving me permission to move it there.  You're not alone anymore once you connect here.  You can vent, seek information, ask questions and just share in general.  People will be asking questions here and there (e.g., any biomarkers?) in order to better provide input for you.  Once again, welcome.

Lou