Surgery Questions

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  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #22
    PamRav said:

    JanJan

    so sorry to hear that your news was not what we had all hoped for.   Maybe you could gather your thoughts write down all your questoons and talk to your oncologist on the phone?   I think you have said previously that your doctor is a long distance from you.  I know nothing about your health system but a second opinion seems warranted.   Try to stay positive you need to be the best advocate you can for yourself   Ask lots of questions and demand lots of answers   If you don't understand, or it doesn't make sense ask again and again.  

    Wishing you all the best

    P

    .  

    Apparently they're going to

    Apparently they're going to do some radiation in the meantime to slow things down or sytop it for a bit. Thank you Pam!

    Jan

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #23
    ron50 said:

    Hi Jan

    Yes it is a big deal having a lung out but surgery still remains the best curative outcome for cancer. We sometimes forget how big a deal having cancer is. In my opinion It probably should have been done sooner than later.  I am in a situation now where any major operation will probably kill me. My nephrologist has already told me I will not be having any hip or knee replacements. With the immuno suppressants I have to take to keeep my kidneys functioning he said I would have little or no chance of fighting off infection or renal failure. Good luck whatever you decide Jan ,Hugs Ron.

    THanks Ron! yeah, s**t's

    THanks Ron! yeah, s**t's getting real at this point. I have to make some tough decisions and no more pussyfooting around hoping for the best. I had a really bad week and a good scare the other day. I'll elaborate in a new topic. 

    Hugs back at you Ron!

    Jan

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #24
    Bellen said:

    Sending hope and best wishes

    Jan - Thinking of you as you go through this.  Hoping that you hear that there may be another option for you.  I live in Canada - Ontario.  I often hear of immunotherapy that is being done for a specific kind of lung cancer in Michigan (not sure if Canada is) and I don't know if your lung tumours fit that category.  But I am praying that your Onco will tell you that there is some other chemo or radiation option, and that the Radiologist appt brings some better news.

    Thank you!

    Thank you!

    Jan

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #25
    beaumontdave said:

    I get your frustration Jan

    I get your frustration Jan and I wish I had direct answers to your questions[it's that guy"want to fix it" thing in me]. The one thing that popped in my head, was that way back in 2013, I remember writing about the fact that at diagnosis, I had no insurance. MediCal[ the Cali. ins. for low income folk] was my only option, and it came with a $5000 a month co-pay. Well after four months or so I was out of cash and casting about for anything to keep the chemo going. I found the Desert Cancer foundation in Palm Springs. I qualified for help, as long as I was treated down in the Coachella Valley, they would make the co-pay, which they did. I wondered at the time if they had such groups elsewhere, or whether I was just lucky to live near a wealthy group of desert citys/people. Does Canada have such a thing or does universal care there preclude that kind of charitable group? Have you looked for that sort of thing, grants, aid, to help you pursue another surgical opinion. I hate to see money limit your choices. Just a thought..................................................Dave

    Thanks for the suggestions

    Thanks for the suggestions Dave. From what I see the only means of getting additonal funding for anything elswhere is to do one of those things where you get a bunch of strangers to help you. Go fund me? That type of thing. And that's pretty much been used up and abused by so many people that it's not likely an option. I'm going to check into some things. And when I finally get unemployment I'm going to start a few things like curcamin or things like that to see if I can't at least help things along. Have to be so careful financially. I can't waste money on silly things but this is getting serious.

    Take care Dave, I always appreciate your words!

    Jan 

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #26
    NewHere said:

    My Dad Had Lung SUrgery

    Many years ago for lung cancer from smoking and had a good portion of his lung taken out (2 lobes).  He had a big scar and I remember that being the worst part for him in that it itched.  This is decades ago.  I had a lung resection 8 months ago.  Had a 12 cm x 4 cm x 2cm section taken out.  Was out of the hospital in 36 hours and walking 3 miles a day a couple of days later.  That being said, I agree lung removal sounds like, and is, major surgery, but even 30 years ago it was somewhat an easy go for my dad.

    All that being said, PLEASE look for more opinions and doctors.   There are places that may do a remote second or third opinion  based on scans and reports.  There may be other options, such as ablations.  Maybe try calling some of the places like MD Anderson, Cleveland Clinic and Memorial Sloane Kettering in the U.S.  Cleveland Clinic I think will review things.  Doctors may refuse things, including performong surgery, for a variety of reasons, including being scared of having poor results/survival rates.  Get your answers JJ.  Thoughts and hugs for you.

    Thank you. We're in Canada so

    Thank you. We're in Canada so nothing done anywhere else would be covered and we wouldn't even have the funds to be able to send me anywhere on a plane to even be seen. I am going to hit this hard although I'm crappy at finding information. My daughter is trying to help me with this, she's much better at it. I've been off the computer for a week and in the hospital the past few days so I'm running behind at this point.

    Jan

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #27
    gsmith53 said:

    CBD

    I know that we've talked about this before, and there is no REAL studies. But, canabadiol, the non-high producing part of canabis, just might help. It's on the can't hurt list.

    Thanks. It's one of the

    Thanks. It's one of the things I'm probably going to implement just in case it does help. We're in the process of getting me a green card which enables me to get access to those things. I'm getting desperate here.

    Jan

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #28
    mokomapa said:

    Pray

    jan,

    i may not be on this site very often but i continue to pray for you every day.

    Thanks Tom, your prayers are

    Thanks Tom, your prayers are appreciated, as always. I got your emails and will read them after. I've been off line for a week. I'm sure they'll make me smile! My daughter just switched out the carb in her '77 Z28 that she finally finsihed building and what a difference it made! She went from an Edelbrock to a Holley and it's shocking! She'd been planning to replace the engine to get more horsepower and now she's just going to leave it. I got to go to a car show with her a few weeks ago and it was so cool to see these guys talking about the fabulous paint job and her standing there being able to say she did it.   

    Take care Tom!

    Jan

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,427 Member
    #29
    JanJan63 said:

    Thank you. We're in Canada so

    Thank you. We're in Canada so nothing done anywhere else would be covered and we wouldn't even have the funds to be able to send me anywhere on a plane to even be seen. I am going to hit this hard although I'm crappy at finding information. My daughter is trying to help me with this, she's much better at it. I've been off the computer for a week and in the hospital the past few days so I'm running behind at this point.

    Jan

    Yup

    I have a lot of family in Canada and know the drill with health care pretty well unfortunately :( 

    I have some links below for you.  Has some contact informaiton, though may not be quite on point. With all the things you have going on and the questions/concerns, perhaps there are answers to be passed onto back to your doctors.  Not sure the costs, but guessing the costs I found for Cleveland Clinic may be in line.  Worth at least a call or two as a start?

     

    ################################

     

    Here is a link of Cleveland Clinic second opinion services.  $565/$745 

    https://my.clevelandclinic.org/patients/international/second-opinions

     

    A form for Mayo Clinic

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/documents/mc2434-pdf/DOC-20078991

    John Hopkins (Breast Cancer, but sure they can refer)

    http://pathology.jhu.edu/breast/second-opinion.php

    MD Anderson

    https://www.mdanderson.org/for-physicians/refer-a-patient/second-opinion-pathology.html

    Here is a list of US centers

    https://www.cancer.gov/research/nci-role/cancer-centers/find

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #30
    NewHere said:

    Yup

    I have a lot of family in Canada and know the drill with health care pretty well unfortunately :( 

    I have some links below for you.  Has some contact informaiton, though may not be quite on point. With all the things you have going on and the questions/concerns, perhaps there are answers to be passed onto back to your doctors.  Not sure the costs, but guessing the costs I found for Cleveland Clinic may be in line.  Worth at least a call or two as a start?

     

    ################################

     

    Here is a link of Cleveland Clinic second opinion services.  $565/$745 

    https://my.clevelandclinic.org/patients/international/second-opinions

     

    A form for Mayo Clinic

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/documents/mc2434-pdf/DOC-20078991

    John Hopkins (Breast Cancer, but sure they can refer)

    http://pathology.jhu.edu/breast/second-opinion.php

    MD Anderson

    https://www.mdanderson.org/for-physicians/refer-a-patient/second-opinion-pathology.html

    Here is a list of US centers

    https://www.cancer.gov/research/nci-role/cancer-centers/find

    Thank you!!!!

    Thank you!!!!

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