new to this... and pretty freaked out

andreagwen

hi, i am new to the board and not fighting my own battle but fighting hard for my Mom.  She was diagnosed with stage 111c uterine cancer in October 2009 and had surgery including lymph node removal - there was cancer found in 3 of the 30 taken.  She went through 6 rounds of chemo in 2010 and we waited with fingers crossed. she had a CT scan last week and we just got a call on friday saying there are "spots" on her lungs (i have no idea how many or how big or anything really) and that she will be having a biopsy on the 27th of May.  I am freaking out, i know all of you on here have an enormous amount on your plates but I don't know where to go or what to do.  We lost my brother 4 years ago in an accident and i think i will lose my mind if I lose my Mother as well.  I am trying to gather as much info as I can to ask her doctor and this board has been so helpful for that - is there any hope for us??? 

Kathy G.

Hi! My name is Kathy and I am

Hi! My name is Kathy and I am fairly new to the board having just joined last November. I was blessed with an early diagnosis so I do not have the information or experience to share some of the other ladies on this board do.

However, I sympathize with how you are feelings. It is very scary when a loved one has this disease!  I will tell you there are many members with your mom's diagnosis who report doing well and living well even while undergoing treatment. So try to slow down and take things one day at a time and not jump to conclusions.  Even if it is cancer there is always that waiting game before you know learn where things stand and what options there are.Best of luck. I am sure the other ladies will be along soon to give you some good advice.

Kathy

HellieC

Take a deep breath...

Hi.  Firstly, I am sorry that you and your Mum are having to deal with this.  The waiting is the worst time and I don't think anyone yet has found a way to put it to one side and stop worrying, so I won't tell you to do that.  All I can say, is just take one day at a time.  It is good that you have a biopsy date scheduled.  The spots on the lungs could be caused by things other than cancer, so a recurrence is not a forgone conclusion - hold on to that thought.

However, if it does prove to be a recurrence, then recurrences are treatable and manageable.  The are several ladies on this board (including me!) who have had multiple recurrences and are leading full lives in bewteen treatment.  There are a number of treatment options available - sometimes surgery is possible on some lung nodules.  Or there is targetted radiotherapy, chemo again (there is more than one type of chemo drug that can be tried) or hormone therapy, which is used to deprive any tumours of the hormones they need to grow. 

So please hang on in there and take baby steps.  The first stage is to determine exactly what is going on in your Mum's lungs and from there, if it is a recurrence, then to determine the treatment plan that best suits your Mum's individual situation. 

And remember - we're all here whenever you need to ask a question, talk or just generally rant!

Kindest wishes
Helen

andreagwen

thank you

thank you both for your thoughts... i am working hard at staying positive and being a source of strength for my Mum - she needs all we have right now and i will not let her down.  I am trying hard not to focus on the 100 metre dash and focus on the marathon!!  not easy as you know!  The knowledge i have gained from this board alone has been incredible.

SUNGRANNY

Sending healing thoughta

Dear Andreagwen,

Sorry to hear of your mother's reoccurrence. I don't have much to add to what others have shared about options for treatments and second opinions.

Your mother is fortunate to have such a loving, supportive daughter. Get support and help for you as her daughter to help you through this journey - hospitals and cancer centers often have services.

With healing thoughts,

SG

andreagwen

well... the results came back

well... the results came back and it is indeed cancer that has spred to her lungs.  She has 3 visible spots (one in one lung, two in the other) and the largest is about 1cm in diameter.  i spent about 2 weeks just crying and mourning as if she had died on the spot - not healthy for any of us. 

We met with her oncologist - a new one as the last one was so awful that we refused to see him again.  The new doctor was amazing - so kind, respectful and paitient - we were there for about an hour and he answered everything we could possibly want to ask.

He has recommended that she start hormone therapy and is on Provera 200g daily with the hope that it shrinks the existing tumors and prevents further growth.  She will have another CT Scan in 8-12 weeks to see what is happening and further decisions about treatments will be made.

does anyone have experience with this treatment?  i would love to hear what has worked, length of time it worked etc... i am really, really hopeful that is is our answer to keeping her here and in the good health she is in for a loooooong time.  She is currently not exhibiting any symptoms and is in really good shape overall so i am positive that this will be our key!

sunflash

andreagwen said:

well... the results came back

well... the results came back and it is indeed cancer that has spred to her lungs.  She has 3 visible spots (one in one lung, two in the other) and the largest is about 1cm in diameter.  i spent about 2 weeks just crying and mourning as if she had died on the spot - not healthy for any of us. 

We met with her oncologist - a new one as the last one was so awful that we refused to see him again.  The new doctor was amazing - so kind, respectful and paitient - we were there for about an hour and he answered everything we could possibly want to ask.

He has recommended that she start hormone therapy and is on Provera 200g daily with the hope that it shrinks the existing tumors and prevents further growth.  She will have another CT Scan in 8-12 weeks to see what is happening and further decisions about treatments will be made.

does anyone have experience with this treatment?  i would love to hear what has worked, length of time it worked etc... i am really, really hopeful that is is our answer to keeping her here and in the good health she is in for a loooooong time.  She is currently not exhibiting any symptoms and is in really good shape overall so i am positive that this will be our key!

I haven't had this treatment

I haven't had this treatment but wanted to commend you on your support of your mom and on your fighting spirit.

We've all gone through the mourning process.......impossible not to as you see the illusion of great health leave and grasp onto the new normal......life with cancer.

But we're all fighters and are getting through this one day at a time.

You must mourn, but then put on your fighting shoes, as you have.

Glad you've found a good doctor which is key to getting through this. I've heard that hormone therapy is very effective.

Sending big cyber hugs........and welcome to the board!

You and your mom can do this!!

HellieC

andreagwen said:

well... the results came back

well... the results came back and it is indeed cancer that has spred to her lungs.  She has 3 visible spots (one in one lung, two in the other) and the largest is about 1cm in diameter.  i spent about 2 weeks just crying and mourning as if she had died on the spot - not healthy for any of us. 

We met with her oncologist - a new one as the last one was so awful that we refused to see him again.  The new doctor was amazing - so kind, respectful and paitient - we were there for about an hour and he answered everything we could possibly want to ask.

He has recommended that she start hormone therapy and is on Provera 200g daily with the hope that it shrinks the existing tumors and prevents further growth.  She will have another CT Scan in 8-12 weeks to see what is happening and further decisions about treatments will be made.

does anyone have experience with this treatment?  i would love to hear what has worked, length of time it worked etc... i am really, really hopeful that is is our answer to keeping her here and in the good health she is in for a loooooong time.  She is currently not exhibiting any symptoms and is in really good shape overall so i am positive that this will be our key!

hormone treatment can be very effective

Hi.  Firstly - I am sorry you are going through this with your Mum. 

There are a number of ladies on this board (including me) who are on hormone therapy and doing well on it.  Although I am not sure if there is anyone on this exact prescription.  A couple of ladies are on Megace and I am on Femara.  However, they all work to the same end - depriving the tumours of the hormones that that they use to grow.

In my case. I was offered hormone therapy to deal with my third recurrence which is in my pelvis.  I started in June 2012 and it shrunk the tumours so one disappeared on the scans and the other was much smaller - they have remained stable since then.  My oncologist reckons she has ladies who have stayed stable for years with this type of treatment.  Sometimes the tumours "become tolerant" to the treatment and it stops working - but the good news is that if a tumour has responded to one type of hormone, the odds are good that it will respond to a different one.  So they can swap over and give something different if that happens.  

I hope your Mum responds to the Provera. 

Kindest wishes
Helen

Ro10

andreagwen said:

well... the results came back

well... the results came back and it is indeed cancer that has spred to her lungs.  She has 3 visible spots (one in one lung, two in the other) and the largest is about 1cm in diameter.  i spent about 2 weeks just crying and mourning as if she had died on the spot - not healthy for any of us. 

We met with her oncologist - a new one as the last one was so awful that we refused to see him again.  The new doctor was amazing - so kind, respectful and paitient - we were there for about an hour and he answered everything we could possibly want to ask.

He has recommended that she start hormone therapy and is on Provera 200g daily with the hope that it shrinks the existing tumors and prevents further growth.  She will have another CT Scan in 8-12 weeks to see what is happening and further decisions about treatments will be made.

does anyone have experience with this treatment?  i would love to hear what has worked, length of time it worked etc... i am really, really hopeful that is is our answer to keeping her here and in the good health she is in for a loooooong time.  She is currently not exhibiting any symptoms and is in really good shape overall so i am positive that this will be our key!

Andreagwen

I too was diagnosed withUPSC Stage 3-C.  I started on Aromasin 7/12 for a third recurrence.  It has slowed the rise in my CA 125.  I will have a CAT scan in July to see if the lymph nodes are increasing slowly In size,too.   It has been 13 months since my last chemo.  I am hoping to remain in observation after the CAT scan.  my recurrences have both been in increasing size of lymph nodes.  I had 5/25 positive nodes at diagnosis.   I hope the hormone therapy works for your Mom.  Keep positive thoughts.  In peace and caring.

andreagwen

Thank you for sharing HellieC and Ro10

you have given me so much positive energy and belief that there is hope!  i am so thankful to have access to such strong women who while even in the face of their own fight are so willing to reach out and support others and share what they have learned and lived!  Many positive thoughts and engeries sent your way.

andreagwen

Thank you for sharing HellieC and Ro10

you have given me so much positive energy and belief that there is hope!  i am so thankful to have access to such strong women who while even in the face of their own fight are so willing to reach out and support others and share what they have learned and lived!  Many positive thoughts and engeries sent your way.

MicheleHope

andreagwen said:

Thank you for sharing HellieC and Ro10

you have given me so much positive energy and belief that there is hope!  i am so thankful to have access to such strong women who while even in the face of their own fight are so willing to reach out and support others and share what they have learned and lived!  Many positive thoughts and engeries sent your way.

In the same boat!

All of you courageous women are so inspiring!  I too was diagnosed with Endometrial cancer (stage 3) and got through the surgery, chemo and radiation treatments, and then found out I have mets to the lungs.  I have just started on Megace (160 mg per day.). It gives me strength just knowing there are others fighting the same battle.  Thanks for being there!!

ConnieSW

MicheleHope said:

In the same boat!

All of you courageous women are so inspiring!  I too was diagnosed with Endometrial cancer (stage 3) and got through the surgery, chemo and radiation treatments, and then found out I have mets to the lungs.  I have just started on Megace (160 mg per day.). It gives me strength just knowing there are others fighting the same battle.  Thanks for being there!!

Welcome, Michelle

That always seems such a strange thing to say, under the circumstances.  I am glad you found us.  I read your CSN space and wanted to tell you how much I identify with your statement about the resilience and strength of your body as it fights this disease.  I have alwaysappreciated how well my body has served me, even when I don't nourish and exercise it as well as I should.  It has dealt with cancer, surgery, chemo, brachytherapy and still bounces back.  I am trying hard to do better by it.