my wife with Stage IV...

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tomyo10
tomyo10 Member Posts: 1
edited May 2013 in Lung Cancer #1

My wife (50) was diagnosed March 14th with lung cancer (squamous).

She sneezed and felt a pain in her chest like she tore a muscle or something. She put up with the pain for a month until she told me and we went to the emergency room. They took X-Rays and an CT scan and found a mass a little larger than a golf ball on top of her lung.

We went to a doctor who took 10 biopsies. Unfortunately, he grabbed them from the middle of the tumor, which was dead. We went to another doctor and I informed him she was slurring her words a bit. He ordered an MRI which showed a brain tumor, approximately half the size of the lung mass as well as 2 smaller tumors.

She has completed two weeks of whole head radiation and moves on to 4 days of chest rads and one long chemo day next week for 8 weeks. No surgery in in cards.

She has a great support system with myself, her parents and brothers and her son. We were asked if we want to know a prognosis, and we told the doc to go ahead and do what the Cancer Center does best and the prognosis with be a good one.

I have done my best to instill in my wife the belief that everything will be fine and every thought, every word and every action is positive. For the most part, she has done that. She still cries occasionally and I tell her that's OK. She needs to cry.

I find myself after two months sometimes getting depressed; thinking about what I'm going to do if something happens both financially and emotionally. But I have to always keep that positive attitude outwardly for her. Sometimes it's tough.

Thanks for letting me tell my story so far. I don't know what I expect out of this, but it felt good to put in on paper, so to speak.

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  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #2
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    tomyo

    Hello, So sorry for your wife and your family.  I hope you will also visit the Inspire web site as there are very many stage IV survivors who post there.  This site is good too, but more survivors post on Inspire.  There is always hope and there are new treatments coming out everyday.

    I am a stage II anal cancer survivor, and a stage 1a lung cancer survivor.

    I wish you well. Lori

     

  • DCZROSE
    DCZROSE Member Posts: 3
    #3
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    Hello from someone living the same nightmare

    My husband has been diagnosed with basically the same thing your wife has. He has elected to stop all treatments. Its an emotional ride for sure. Keep your chin up and we will get through it somehow. God Bless

  • dennycee
    dennycee Member Posts: 857 Member
    #4
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    Welcome.

    Welcome. I am a stage 4 survivor, 2 years and 8 months out from diagnosis.  Glad that you weren't given a number as there are some terrific results for squamous and spindle cell nsclc patients in the anti PD1 trials.  Those numbers they post here and elsewhere don't take these new targeted therapies into account.  

    A great support system is very important and so is attitude.  You should both, please consider anti depressants.  There is no harm or foul for taking them.  She's had THE SCARIEST diagnosis ever and any tool that helps fight is fair game.  As cancer is a family disease, you should consider taking one as well.  Your hospital should have a caregiver and survivors group. Also see if there is a Gilda's Club or Cancer Support Center As they have groups as well.  It helps to meet other families and patients going through the same thing.  Also financial workshops and much more.  

    Best regards for a strong recovery.  And do visit Inspire as well.  

     

     

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