Diagnosed with SCLC

kelli1843
kelli1843 Member Posts: 72
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
Good morning everyone. My name is Kelli and I live in central NYS.

I was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer this past week. It was found after I had 2 bouts of pneumonia in November and December (one which required a week hospital stay).

I am scheduled to start chemo tomorrow (the 3-day regimen of carboplatinum and etoposide followed by 2 weeks off), for 6 rounds, and start a 30-day schedule of radiation on Wednesday.

My onco doctor is also scheduling brain, abdomen/pelvic scans tomorrow morning.

Ironically, I was found to have breast and lymph node cancer in January 92, for which I spent almost a year doing chemo & radiation. I was 32 at the time and turn 50 next week. Guess January isn't a good month for me, lol.

I'm concerned about the chemo as I've always had a problem with my veins and they suggest I may want to consider having a port. Now, I can handle the needles but the idea of a port in me just scares the heck out of me. So, I'm hoping my vein network holds up for the IV chemo treatments.

I'm glad I found this forum; I have been seaching on-line for several days. I wish you all the best of luck in your treatments and look forward to "meeting" you in these forums.

Thanks for listening.

Comments

  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #2
    Port versus injection
    I did not have a port but there are many others on here who can tell you their experiences with having one. I just want to tell you my experience with having cisplatin through an IV. I only had 3 rounds, twice weekly in 3 week cycles, and my veins started to collapse. I've alway been told by nurses that I had "beautiful" veins (only a nurse would tell you that - LOL) but now they have a hard time whenever they draw blood or hook up an IV.

    This is just my experience and as I said there are many others who have had the port who can tell you the pros and cons.

    Wishing you the best through your journey.

    Stay strong and keep smiling,
    Glenna
  • kelli1843
    kelli1843 Member Posts: 72
    #3
    Glenna M said:

    Port versus injection
    I did not have a port but there are many others on here who can tell you their experiences with having one. I just want to tell you my experience with having cisplatin through an IV. I only had 3 rounds, twice weekly in 3 week cycles, and my veins started to collapse. I've alway been told by nurses that I had "beautiful" veins (only a nurse would tell you that - LOL) but now they have a hard time whenever they draw blood or hook up an IV.

    This is just my experience and as I said there are many others who have had the port who can tell you the pros and cons.

    Wishing you the best through your journey.

    Stay strong and keep smiling,
    Glenna

    Thanks for responding. I
    Thanks for responding. I also have a yellow lab btw.
  • marijune
    marijune Member Posts: 45
    #4
    Hello kelli
    I was diagnoised with nsclc in jan of this year. Five years ago I was diagnoised with breast cancer. Jan seems to be a bad month for me also. I had a lumpectomy and radiation 5 years ago and hoped I would never have to go thru it again but here I am 5 years later with lung cancer. I will be getting carbopatin and taxol plus radiation. I am glad I found this site also. I wish you well with your tests and I hope someone can answer your question on a port.

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