My Beautiful Mother at 54

GrannyT62 said:

Stage 4 small cell lung cancer fighter

Hope this will help you some. I personally was a smoker for 30 years. I stopped smoking in May of 2012, because like your mother I had a cough that would not go away and the doctors kept treating me with antibiotics and telling me that I had bronchitis as well as whooping cough one time. No x ray was every taken or even suggested. I continued to have the cough even though I had stopped smoking but all the information showed you could have a cough for up to a year after sensation of smoking.

In November, I landed in the hospital with Pneumonia.  I demanded a CT scan after 15 days of IV antibiotic fluids and I was no better. It showed I had a mass in my left lung 6.6 x 4.2 cm and it was connected to my heart and blood vessels, the bottom half of left lung had collapsed.  I was told no operation would be possible by my local medical doctor. I left the office feeling pretty low and depressed, felt my life was over at 50.

Within a few weeks I was coughing up blood (lots of it). I was scared and it was the holidays and getting in to see doctors is hard enough without it being the holidays.  Living in Wyoming with only a few Oncologists in the state is not fun. I saw my first set of doctors on December 6th. Out of the first set of doctors I picked one to be on my team. (All the research I had done said to pick a team of doctors you felt like you could trust or felt comfortable with). I then went in for my biopsy and PET scan. That told me that I had small cell stage four lung cancer it was also on my arm and two areas on my pelvis. The doctor told me it was not operable but it was treatable and the goal was to get it in a non-active state. With Chemo and Radiation hopefully would stop the growth, shrink what I had and put it in a non-active state.

I then traveled to another town and met with the medical oncologist I chose. The first treatment center I looked at was very busy and the housing was not that great so I looked at another location and I was amazed at the difference in the treatment center, the staff and the housing.  I was lucky the both of the Oncologists I chose worked out of this treatment center.  So I currently receive treatment 100 miles from my home in Wyoming the facility is a couple hundred miles from Denver and they are tied into the Denver Cancer Center for support.

Currently I have completed four rounds of Chemo and six weeks of radiation on my lung, 19 treatments on my arm. I have a cough but it is not nothing like it used to be, the blood stopped after the second round of chemo and my tumor has gone from original size to almost nothing on my lung. I do have some radiation burns. I feel so much better.

It is scary and challenging and I have not completed my treatment yet but I feel so much better than the day I walked out of that doctor’s office and was told it could not be surgically removed. Sometimes, I feel like I could run a race. I am looking forward completing my treatment and seeing what the PET scan shows. They have recommended that if the PET scan is clear then I should complete three weeks of low dose radiation on my brain.  (a little nervous about that but it will be okay) 

I have also tried to have a positive attitude, stay busy, decrease my stress and watch what I eat, exercise and continue to live my life.  I’m looking forward to going back to work (I hope in August).  I hope your mother does well with treatment and the family can help by putting a happy face on and being positive because she herself is probably got all kinds of things going on in her mind that she will never voice.  (I did, do and still do)  Hang in there and be supportive.  Keep us posted. 

GrannyT62, you are truly amazing. Thank you for sharing your story and journey with me. I also need to thank Dennycee as well. I hope I spelled that right. I simply cannot imagine what any of you are going through. All I can really say is that I do share the same feelings that your loved ones have experienced as all of this is so scary. My brother and I have turned to those in our lives who have members of the family with cancer. You have inspired me even more to keep moving forth and deal with this one day at a time. I made a promise to my mom, that any changes she has to make "even simple ones" that I will make those changes with her. First I'd like to mention that I am Canadian. I live in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. What makes that part even greater, is we live in a city that has one of the most recognized Cancer Institutions in Western North America. The Cross Cancer Institute also deals with the University of Alberta. Maybe if you have some time, I would love for you to google The Cross Cancer Institute Edmonton Alberta. Having them on our side, and warriors such as yourselves, gives me more strength today than yesterday, that my mom and family are going to pull through this and she will be ok. I know and have heard that the very beginning of a battle such as this is very overwhelming, and scary, and there will always be good and bad news, but to keep positive and stay strong as this is the worlds best medicine. As for now, I am keeping smiles on my moms face. We are encouraging her to fight like she's never fought before, and to release all negative energy out of her body. To stay focused on everything she has to fight and live for because she is far from done. She goes in next Wednesday for a biopsy, and then her journey will start from there. I don't have enough information with any medical terms as of yet, but as we get further I will keep you all posted on her journey. Thank you again for your inspiring story. In fact, I will print it and let her read it. She needs all the encouragement she can get. My love, prayers, and best wishes go out to each and every one of you. God Bless and again.... thank you so much for listening and being there. I need this more than you know.