Thank you for allowing me to join this group

[Sue BB]

I was diagnosed with stage 3b lung cancer in late January. I have completed treatment and seem to be responding well to the radiation and chemo. I am doing immunotherapy at the moment and trying to do what I do which is garden, farmers markets, write, take care of grandkids and take line dancing class. After completing treatment I decided it was time to write about my experience at a blog site I started a few years back at www.indychildren.blog. I have researched and written four books on the German Russian food and farms with focus on women. I do not have much of a support group in particular relating to lung cancer. It’s all breast cancer so I decided I could use a few friends.

[LouT]

Sue,

Welcome to Lungevity.  I'm glad you found us.  You'll find a very diverse group of survivors here.  Collectively there is little that we haven't seen or experienced.  I hope you'll find your time here worthwhile.  You seem to have managed a very active lifestyle and (as many of our members will tell you) that is really a great thing.  Keep it up.  

You've already racked up some pretty good experiences of your own but I would still like to share a couple of things with you.

1.  This was written by a fellow survivor who was originally diagnosed at Stage 3 then it moved to Stage 4.  That was 19 years ago and he is still with us and active on this forum.  It is titles "10 Steps to Surviving Lung Cancer; From a Survivor" and it can be found here.
2. One of the best things we can do with this disease it to learn all we can and our section titled "Lung Cancer 101" located on this page.
3. Since you are getting immunotherapy I thought you'd be interested in checking our our "Immunotherapy" section.  There may be information there you could find valuable along your own journey.

I look forward to learning more about you and your journey as you become part of our family.

Lou

[RJN]

Welcome Sue! 
Sounds like you are living a great life, but plenty of people on here to share the ups and downs of lung cancer.

Cheers, Rikke

[Sue BB]

Thank you so much, I am so grateful to have found this group. No one seems to understand that even if I look okay on the outside, that doesn’t mean I don’t think about what’s going on inside my lungs. I am on ‘Empenzi  and so far, very little side effects. I will take a look at those links - I already feel more hopeful about my situation.

[Chuck K]

Hi Sue

Welcome to this group

[Sue BB]

I have a correction, it was Stage 3C lung cancer...  

[Tom Galli]

Welcome, Sue!

Don't worry about corrections. Anyone who suffers from this disease gets an automatic bye on mistakes. Lung cancer is complicated.

You are right. Outsiders don't understand our disease. We don't display symptoms until late-stage disease and then we're out of circulation in an ICU or home hospice.

Come February, good Lord willing, I'll be fortunate to celebrate my twentieth year since diagnosis. My treatment mayhem is over, but memories are carved deep in my soul. Like all of us, I am one scan away from bad news. Having said that, my calendar reminds me of an October 27 annual CT scan prior to my visit to my medical oncologist. Hopefully, the scan will show no evidence of disease (NED) and I can enjoy the Fall holiday festivities.

Stay the course.

Tom