Pneumonectomy remorse

GGF

InFebruary of this year, a large (approximately 6.5 cm) tumor was discovered in my left upper chest. A biopsy performed by Hospital A showed it to be Squamous cell cancer (NSCLC). The surgeon at Hospital A described it as operable, a difficult operation but one he could do. To make surgery easier, it was recommended I receivechemo/immunotherapy to shrink and possibly kill the tumor. Afterabout three rounds of treatment, I decided to seek a second opinionat a hospital known for cancer care, Hospital B. The surgeon atHospital B, was not so optimistic and said he might have to removethe lung but he would not know for sure until “he got in there.” I received four rounds of chemo/immunotherapy but I decided to gowith Hospital B for the remainder of my cancer treatment, due totheir reputation and professionalism. I believed surgery was the“gold standard” for cancer treatment and offered the best chance for long term survival. The team at Hospital B also recommended surgery over other treatment options. Going into surgery I secretly hoped the lung could be spared but instead, I received a pneumectomy. This was an indisputable medically sound decision. The tumor wasfound to have been completely killed by the chemo/immuno therapytreatment and the lymph nodes were not cancerous. The procedure wasconsidered a success and I was deemed “cancer free”. Now I face a permanent reduction in pulmonary capacity and fatigue which I didnot have before. I am told the fatigue will improve with time. Ihave to be extremely protective of my remaining lung, wear masks whenaround others, stay up to date on all vaccinations, and face thepossibility that any respiratory illness would be extremelydangerous, if not fatal. Though a moot point now, I am bothered by“what if” questions. For instance, what if I elected to endtreatment with the chemo/immuno therapy? At 72 years old and withthe average life span being 76, did I really gain enough to offsetthe trauma of surgery and diminished quality of life? Given theirdesire to have “clear margins”, I know the pneumonectomy wasmedically justifiable without a doubt, however was it the rightdecision for me? I would appreciate the opinion of others.

lizfromdownunder

Hi GGF

so sorry to hear about the fatigue and lung capacity issues you’re going through. I’m 66 years old and in June I had two tumors (and two thirds of my lung) removed from my right lung. Although I’m now also free of active cancer, recovery has been more difficult than I expected, especially with fatigue, ongoing nerve pain and numbness from the surgery and being short of breath on exertion.

But taking the surgical path may have gained you more time than you think. Life expectancy is a strange thing, in that the older age you survive to, the higher is the average time you have left. Check out the official Actuarial Life Expectancy table link here

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/table4c6.html

having survived to the age of 72, on average you can expect to survive nearly another 13 years for men and higher for women. Your average life expectancy is higher now than when you were younger, because you’ve avoided so many of the causes of death to already reach 72.

If you can get on top of the fatigue maybe those extra years will be worth it.
A few things that are helping me are: cutting out highly processed food and eating more fruits, vegetables and high fibre food (and not eating after 6pm). Short spurts of exercise spread across the day (eg at least 4 x 10-15 minute walks that are brisk enough to make me puff). Also forcing myself to socialise by joining a few social group activities (playing board and card games and a movie group).
Im also trying to find some moments of joy in every day. For me that includes watching the birds (here in Australia that includes parrots and cockatoos, but even the sparrows are fascinating when I take the time to watch), going outside to watch the sunrise or sunset.

I really hope things improve for you and I’d like to stay in touch if you’d like.
All the best

Liz

GGF

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1725474#Comment_1725474

Thanks for your response. I am probably a little more pessimistic than I need to be. Though I also think a complete lung removal is a little different than having a portion removed. The pneumonectomy eliminated my scuba diving hobby though I was scaling things back already. I exercised before, especially my lat muscles which were cut up with the surgery. In recovery, the nurses couldn't make the connection between my dropping blood pressure and a rise in blood in the collection bottle from my chest tube. After some frantic calls to the attending physician it was realized I was bleeding out and was given medication to raise my blood pressure so I could be returned to surgery and repair the bleeder. I was given 5 units of blood plus a unit of plasma. I basically agree with you, if I live another 10 or so years, then it was all worth it. Thanks, stay in touch.

lizfromdownunder

yes you’re right - our situations aren’t identical. The aggressive type of adenocarcinoma I have has a much worse prognosis than squamous cell. But I’m trying to treasure every day I have, and be healthy for as long as I can. Hopefully you’ll be able to find a way to enjoy life post-scuba diving. 😃