Patty ann Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Two weeks post surgery today. Originally thought walnut size removal ended up orange size so much more right lung 3/4 removed . Now referred to oncologist next week likely for chemo or radiation . I’m petrified thought worst was behind me . Instead a whole journey ahead. Still weak and depressed and anxious.very scared of chemotherapy. PattyAnn LouT, Tom Galli and Livin Life 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edivebuddy Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 So sorry you're going through this. It had to be a shock hearing your tumor had grown so big. But I know first hand this can be beat. If you look at my profile picture. That glowing on my neck is a 17 cm tumor in my neck. I had many more including the brain. Yet I'm still kicking. Over 4 years later I'm still in complete remission. They will determine the type and extent of treatment you need based on the pathology and further tests. Were the margins clear? They will also need to know the results of genetic testing. What type of mutations you have. These will guide your treatments. You may have to ask for the results of this testing as it doesn't always seem to end up in patient portals. Stay hydrated and follow your surgeons recovery instructions. Take someone with you to the oncologist to take notes. There are going to be a lot of new terms tossed at you in a very short time. I thought I was ready but by the I processed or came to terms with one set of facts they had already moved on to the next subject or two. Luckily the PA printed me the notes. Tom Galli, Livin Life and LouT 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattyAnn Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 Thank you for sharing. I know I’ll need therapy and support groups . I’m depressed and overwhelmed. But one minute at a time .., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 Patty Ann, Welcome here. Unfortunately, many of us (me included) undergo thoracic surgery with the expectation of a tumor removal that results in the loss of a lobe or an entire lung. Scans of soft tissue don't tell the whole story, and the scope of a lung surgery often expands during the surgery. Here are a couple of suggestions. Contact the surgeon's office to ensure the removed tumor is submitted for biomarker testing. Here is information about biomarker testing and why it is important. See the referred medical oncologist because adjuvant chemotherapy may be required to stop or lessen the probability of recurrence. Adjuvant therapy is pretty common post-surgery, and it attracts cancer cells that may be circulating in your blood vessels or lymphatic systems. Here is a handy lung cancer-relevant glossary that might be helpful in the future. You'll get through this. Stay the course. Tom Livin Life and LouT 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen_L Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 @PattyAnn, welcome to the group no one wants to be part of. (I'm stealing all of Lou T's best lines this morning.) It's terrifying to be diagnosed with lung cancer. More than 3 years ago, I had a mild cough, which I thought was asthma, got a chest Xray and voilà! What they thought was pneumonia turned out to be a mass. I wasn't a candidate for surgery because of the location of the tumor and went through chemo-radiation to the tumor and involved lymph nodes. I wasn't too sure what to expect; I was very surprised to find that the radiation was hard, the chemo not so much. People's responses to chemo vary widely, and there are a number of drugs they can use, so there's no predicting what it would be like for you. And, depending on what pathology reports show, chemo may not even be in the cards for you. If you do have chemo, and if you do happen to have side effects, there are all kinds of things the oncology folks can do to make the experience less difficult. For me, learning about this disease has been an important part of coping with all the emotions that have arisen. I recommend that you spend some time with Lungevity's Navigating Your Diagnosis pages. (NOT random results Google brings up.) Try to stay in the moment-- a friend of mine used to say, "Keep your mind where you body is." And try to stay busy with things you love to do. Keep us posted! LouT, Livin Life and Tom Galli 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Livin Life Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 Just want to send support, PattyAnn! I'm glad you're on this site - you're aware now of all the information and warm support here. Hopefully you've explored some other threads you can relate to as well. I agree on getting into therapy for added support and coping while you're going through this- can be very helpful! LouT and Tom Galli 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginny22 Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 Hi Patty Ann, sending you more support! I’m so sorry you had to have such an extensive surgery. BUT…so glad to hear they’ve cut that thing out! If you do end up with chemo, it may not be as bad as you’re imagining. My mom started in July. I was really distressed about it (and about her cancer overall.) But her symptoms have been relatively mild. Everyone is different but she still has all her hair, and her biggest complaint is being tired. I first came here looking for others’ experiences and success stories so I could learn more and not be so afraid. It’s really helped, and I hope it helps ease your (very reasonable) anxieties. Sending you best wishes for a fast and successful recovery! Tom Galli, LouT and Livin Life 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgetO Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 Hi Patty Ann and welcome here! It must have been a huge shock to find out your tumor was much bigger than expected. No wonder you're weak, depressed and anxious. My lung cancer was small, stage 1a. But prior to that, I had an advanced (Stage 3) and aggressive gynecologic cancer. For that one, I had a BIG surgery., followed by concurrent chemo and radiation and then more chemo alone. The chemo was unpleasant (to say the least), but I got through it. And the treatment worked. I've had no recurrences of that cancer. Hang in there-- you can do this! After my gyn cancer I got into a live support group which was really essential to me at that time. With the lung cancer, I couldn't find a local group, and these Lungevity Forums served that purpose for me. I've also used the cancer counseling center at my hospital when I needed more. I hope we can be helpful to you. Ask us any questions you have and tell us how we can support you.That's what we're here for. BridgetO LouT, Tom Galli and Livin Life 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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