New and very depressed!

[Debyoung]

    I  am 60 years old Seemed to be doing so good found out in Dec.   SCLC wrapped around vena cava.  They jumped right in had 4 rounds  of chemo just had pet scan and mri it has reduced in size. I am now starting Immunotherapy and radiation begins on April 11th but for some reason I feel as if I have hit rock bottom when I should be happy with those results. I just feel down. I hope to fine some positive words and encouragement from this community thank you for letting me join.

[Justin1970]

Hi and welcome, these are horrible times in the beginning I felt exactly the same as you after my 3 months scan very deflated because even though it had shrunk it was still there, everyone was so happy the oncologist said it was fantastic news but I couldn't accept that it was I did get over the disappointment and feel a bit more positive about it with the help of my family and encouragement from my cancer nurses, 5 weeks ago I had a seizure and they found 2 small brain mets which I had to have gamma knife radiosurgery done on 2 weeks ago this news put me straight back to where I was in the very beginning I got severely down and depressed but after a couple of weeks and antidepressants I have got through it and feel much more like fighting this, it will get better please stay positive and strong I wish you all the very best 

Take care Justin x 

[Tom Galli]

Deb,

Sorry I missed seeing your post. We've had a rash of internet outages that complicated me viewing this forum.

I completely understand why one with SCLC wrapped around the vena cava would feel down. I was downright depressed after my diagnosis and brutally depressed after nearly 4 years of constant treatment. I'd say you are an inspiration if you're only feeling down!

Immunotherapy has really moved the marker with small cell, and of course my favorite treatment, precision radiation, is a proven treatment. In my case, a variety called SBRT (stereotactic body radiation therapy) saved my life. So I put a lot of stock in the benefits of medical radiation. Here is insight from our LUNGevity Knowledge Base (Lung Cancer 101) on the types and methods of medical radiation used in treating lung cancer.

Let's hope treatment eliminates your lung cancer.

Stay the course.

Tom

 

[Karen_L]

Hi Deb,

I believe you when you say you feel you should be happy with the results after round one of treatment, but I really relate to you saying how down you feel. 

From my observations, lung cancer is often more like a long slog than a series of definitive advances.  You finished one part of treatment, got some positive results, but not enough to claim you've vanquished the illness, and now you're slogging on to the next parts of treatment. Maybe a better analogy is to say that lung cancer is a marathon and not a sprint. 

It's taken me more than a year to feel anything but disbelief that I even have lung cancer. The first months I was frozen in grief and fear and being overwhelmed with all that I didn't know or understand. I was angry too. And I cried a fair amount. Truth be told, I guess it was more like anguished sobbing. 

No one here is going to tell you what you should or shouldn't feel. Frankly, I don't think I'd feel happy about the results, either, if I were you. I think I secretly would have hoped the chemo would make the whole thing go away, and when it didn't, the difficult reality would sink in just a little more. 

I've been seeing a counselor every week from the start of my cancer. It has helped me feel like I have a place I can go and be completely truthful. I think it has helped me make a little peace with the circumstances. Perhaps a counselor might help you feel less...terrible? Your cancer team may be able to refer you to someone. 

You can do this. None of us want to, but we are a tough bunch, as it turns out. 

Keep us posted. 

Karen