survivors of Terminal Stage 4 lung cancer

mfarner said:

Lung Cancer is survivable
Feb 12, 2012 will be my ten year anniversary surviving Small Cell Lung Cancer that spread to my stomach lymph nodes. Every time I would inhale I'd get a really sharp pain in my rib. I thought I cracked a rib screwing around on the floor with my son the night before. I went in to be checked because my wife (a Radiation/Oncology R.N. at the time) insisted. They told me I had muscle pain and tried to send me home. My wife insisted they give me an X-Ray. They found a mass in my right lung. I was given a CT Scan the very next day and a needle biopsy the day after that. The insensitive clods called me at work on my birthday Feb 12, 2002 to inform me over the phone that I had terminal small cell lung cancer. I was 37 with a 12 year old and a 15 year old boys at home. I was devastated.

The fear is the worse part. To make a long story short, after many chemo and radiation treatments they told me that my cancer was not responding anymore and to go home and spend time with my boys. From the beginning the fear sucker punched me. Then I started praying and the fear went away. I asked God to let me live long enough to see my sons graduate from High School so my wife wouldn't have to raise two teenage boys alone. Every single time I was asked I'd say God is going to let me live. Well he did. I have never been in remission or told NED. Every single CT Scan shows masses in my right lung and stomach nodes. They just stopped growing. They just sit there and don't spread anymore. I watched my youngest graduate from High School a long time ago. I also attended the Graduation Ceremony for my oldest graduating from Purdue University with his B.A. I haven't had a cancer treatment since Oct 2002.

Hope this give someone hope. When I was first diagnosed I had to stop reading the net about Small Cell and its horrible outcomes. I was told last month I am a two percent survivor. You can be too. You can reach me here or my email rush@yahoo.com if you need me. Mark

msdixie56 said:

watching the pain
Dear Seanslove,
I'm so sorry that you are having to watch your husband go thru this horrible ordeal. I can completly understand because my daughter was diagnosed in Aug. of '09 with stage 3b lung cancer. The doctors told her at that time she had probably had it for about 8 months which it means that while she was pregnant she had gotten this cancer. She was first mis diagnosed with pnuemonia until her 3rd visit back to the dr. when he sent her to a plumanary dr. She had 2 thorasentesis & then the news of cancer. From there she was put in the hospital to get a chest tube cause she could'nt breath cause of all the fluid she had. While in the hospital she had a lung biopsy & a few days later she had a talc prodedure done which was suppose to inflate in lung & stop the fluid from building. Well her lung inflated but she still has the fluid. Now she had a plurex catherer put in which she will always keep unless the fluid stops building on its own & we have to drain her lung every night. The dr. put her on Tarceva. She started having back pain and now has a large mass on her tailbone which she had radation for. We had to rush her back to the hospital 3 weeks ago because of severe diarreah & a stabbing pain in her bell. Well she now has a few "spots" on her liver & brain. She spent 2 1/2 weeks in the hospital cause she lost so much weight & was very week. While in the hospital she had a seizure & thats when they discovered the brain cancer. She is having radation on her brain & after she is a strong enough she will start chemo. Before she got sick again she had been excepted to Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York but that has to be put off till she is strong enough to travel. We are hoping to go soon as we feel NY might have the magic bullet.All I can tell you is keep the faith & question everything & make suggestions.If your dr. gets pissed find a new one.I kept pushing on Jennifer's dr. to put her on TPN, which is a feeding full of calories & vitamins & nutrients to help put the weight on, well he finally put her on this and she gained everything she lost plus.I also pushed them into putting a pick line in. Jennifer's veins were virtually non-exsisent so this makes it better for IV's & blood draws, she would have needed one for the chemo anyway. Her pain is being controlled with heavy doses of morphine. She is on a 12hr pill of 60mg plus she has a 30mg morphine which she takes for her break thru pain. This seems to be working well for now. I know the anguish you are going thru & also your husband. Having to stand by & watch & being helpless is very difficult. I'll include you & your huband in my prayers.Just remember you almost have to be your own health advocate. Don't be shy about asking your doctor anything or keep pushing them on his pain meds. He should'nt have to be in pain. We also had to push for the thing we thought our daughter needed. Jennifer has 2 young girls ages 5 months & 3 years. We have now moved in with her & Her husband to help take care of the house & kids. Ask for help. You'll find they are more than willing to help. GOOD LUCK!
Keeping you in our Prayers
Sharon

PeterJr said:

Stage 4 Lung Cancer
My father age 85 was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in July 2009. He was told he had 6 months to live. Well my father has always been one that will decide his destiny. Here is what I and several of my family member did.

1) We put him on a diet of cancer fighting foods
2) We cut his sugar intake as much as possible. He has been a diabetic for 30 years anyway.
3) No carbonized sodas
4) Plenty of water
5) We Prayed
6) Keep stress away and try to keep his spirits high.
7) We Talked about the Cancer

He immediately started Chemo. After all the treatments as cat scan was performed. He was told by the Doctors that his stage 4 Cancer is now Stage 2 Cancer. It was decided to give his radiation. He went through all the treatments except the last two and was told to go home and he would be examined in about a month. Two weeks ago my father went back for his cat scan from head to toe. The Doctors could not find the cancer!

I do not know what the future holds for my Dad and Cancer. All I do know is that he is healthy now!

I hope this helps with Caring for your Grandma!

wisezer@verizon.net said:

UPDATE
I finished 6 rounds of the Chemo in December. I had radiation to the brain in Oct. for the brain mets. The PET scan in Dec showed the lung tumor and nearby lymph nodes had shrunk The MRI showed no lesions on the brain. I had 28 rounds of radiation on my lung that finished the end of January. I feel good. I am back to work full time and waiting for my next PET SCAN and MRI in a few weeks. I only have some stiffness when I sit too long. I keep a positive attitude and work keeps me distracted.

narwal46 said:

Update
How is your father doing?

daughter82 said:

Surviving Stage 4 Lung Cancer
My father was diagnosed with Stage IV NSLC in April 2004. He had mets to his femur, spine and scalp. He started chemo and radiation in May 2004. He is in his seventh year since diagnosis and we keep praying for more. The lessons I have learned from being his advocate all these years is pray, treat everything and never give up!! What I mean is the minute he starts running a fever we treat agressively, it's the little things that make a difference! I have spent too much time on the oncology floor listening to doctors talk about hospice. We feel our life span is in G-d's hands and we are required to do everything in our power. At the moment he is too weak from infections to do chemo right now, but I tell every doctor we wish to treat what is treatable. It's our hope he will get strong enough to resume treatment. In the meantime we are planning a father's day BBQ which will include his great grandson whom he would have never known had we given up when they started pushing hospice in 2005. I wish you the best of luck and much success in your battle.

nubis said:

survivor?
My husband is facing small cell lung cancer. He is only 33 years old. He is stage IV. I don't know if this is terminal, some days my husband looks healthy, somedays he is very sick, future is uncertain. Present is to fight. Of course you think in death, for me is very difficult, when my husband is on pain I think the worst, but then next day he feels better and you just know you need to keep fighting.
We do what we need to do. Rigth now, I just call for clinical trials, to see if my husband can be a candidate. We are trying all the options we have. Of course sometimes I feel sad, very very sad. I cry in the shower, so my husband doesn't see me, because I need to let my feeling get out. I need to be healthy for him. But after that, I keeping searching, keep praying, keep doing what we need to do.

Good luck.

Stardust1 said:

Please reply any Stage 4 survivors
Dear Members,
Soccerfreaks,mentioned there were survivors to Lung Cancer Stage 4,please reply.


Stardust1

tropicgirl2780 said:

I'm a mom too
Hey I have a little girl, 2 and a son, 7. I was diagnosed in Nov. 2009 with stage 4 NSCLC. I immediately did a clinical trial with carboplatin, pemetrexed and avastin. After 12 weeks of that I went to pemetrexed and avastin. IN July of 2010 I started having a bad reaction to the pemetrexed. I have been on Avastin since then, every 21 days. After the first 12 weeks of chemo the tumor was almost non existent and all the lymph nodes were back to normal size. I just had CT results today and infusion. The Dr's said they have no idea how I haven't had a reoccurance AT ALL. I am going on 18 months and most typically occur at 3 months they said. They have now said they are thinking outside the box and would like me to consider letting them go in microscopically and remove the very tiny bit of tumor left in my lung to further test it and basically get it out of my body. I am leaning towards yes, why not try right? In the mean time I have divorced an abusive husband, moved into an apt with my kids and am loving and living every minute. I feel great and I am anxious to see results of PET scan next friday and brain MRI. Keep fighting, you have 2 reasons to give it your all. I really believe that attitude and being surrounded by loved ones helps.