Small Cell Lung Cancer

Hi everyone, I am new to this site myself and know that sharing with other that are in the same place as me and my family is very impotant. We just found out that my mom has small cell lung cancer, I think she is still in shock as for me, I have cryied so much that nothing comes out anymore. I have read so many positive stories and want to thank everyone for sharing. I beleive that God has a plan and some times its not what we want or think should happen, but he never wants us to lose hope and reading these stories has gave me that. The next few days seem like they will be one of the hardest, doctor needs to determine what stage and the game plan. thanks to you guys that have openend your hearts with info, so those of us that are a newbie won't fill in the dark

Hi everyone-I am so happy to have found this website, because I too am new at this, I am my husband's caregiver, and it is not an easy task even though we will be celebrating out 26 year wedding anniversary this upcomong June and have been together since we were 16 from high school, we are both 50 years young, and my husband "HAD QUIT" smoking about three months prior to the diagnosis (go figiure!) Doing the right thing, then hit with this terrible disease, so angy, so scared so upset, I wish they would just STOP manufacturing cigarettes!! The government can't because they would lose out on billions, especially here in NEW YORK, packs are over $10.00...The US Government is keeping everyone "addicted"....but besides that, it is terrible.  I have seen him deteriorate before my eyes within one months time from the diagnosis!  The weekend before  Easter he was having bad heartburn and nausea, tried everything, nothing worked, ironically, I called our Physician who called in a script for ZOFRAN (the anti-nausea meds given to Chemo Patients) it helped a little, but not great, so we went to the ER that Tuesday, they did the blood work, ask a million questions, he was alwasy complaing of bad back pain under the "wing" shoulder blade, continually and his side as well......(Where the liver is)......hence, e was told he had phneuomonia and they saw a mass...... w were then told he had lung cancer, blew us away!! Our whole world, crumbled down right then and there.......We could not understand as to why everyone gave him a "clean-Bill-of health" pior because he has QUiT, all blood work and cardiologist reports were all good!!!  Go figure

But the bottom line was, he had a belly sono and the cancer went there as well as to the brain, for which he has received 14 rounds of Radiation to his brain, (last one was yesterday, 4/28/13), had his 3 consecutive days of the chemo (VP16 and Cisplatin) HARD and AGGRESSIVE......the only way to treat the DEVIL of Cancer......he is off for 21 days now till the NEXT round of Chemo, for those with low sodium issues, there is a MIRACLE Drug called SAMSCA (I call it the GOLD!) I have a $2,000.00 Co-Pay for a one month supply (once a day), seems to be the ONLY thing that help it stay at the proper levels, because the tumors secrete a horman that depletes the sodium, causing the person to be dilusional, has a chance to have seizures, brain bleed, leasons, etc.....My husbands had gone down to 107 and you have to be hospitalized (Normal level is 125-135).....they introduced the drug while he was hospitalized.....   We have two insurances as weel, if we had no insurance it would have cost $9,000.00 fr 15MG and $18,000.00 for the 30 MG pill!!!! LUDICROUS!!!!! Adam has been weak, so fatigued it is unbeleiveable but TOTALLY normal.  He is dead weight, I have to lift him up off the recliner, mind you, this man is a BIKER dude and was big and Buff, he has to be strong and he is, he is determined to FIGHT this monster inside!

All I can say is, keep the faith, and if you are a cargiver like me, I can totally relate to all you are feeling, it is tough!!!! Me and my husband have been together forever......and I intend to keep it that way!!!  STAY STRONG AND FIGHTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!  God Bless everyone battling and dealing with a loved one with this horiffic disease and please stop smoking if you have not done so already.........this is CANCER IS THE Devil's advocate from cigarette smoking, thanks a bunch Philip Morris, the manufacturers of MARLBORO LIGHTS 100's!  If anyone has any questions, or advice for me as a newby, please feel free to contact me.....God Bless xoxoxoxoxo

LadyJ1963 said:

My husband newly diagnosed with SCLC week before Easter 2013

Hi everyone-I am so happy to have found this website, because I too am new at this, I am my husband's caregiver, and it is not an easy task even though we will be celebrating out 26 year wedding anniversary this upcomong June and have been together since we were 16 from high school, we are both 50 years young, and my husband "HAD QUIT" smoking about three months prior to the diagnosis (go figiure!) Doing the right thing, then hit with this terrible disease, so angy, so scared so upset, I wish they would just STOP manufacturing cigarettes!! The government can't because they would lose out on billions, especially here in NEW YORK, packs are over $10.00...The US Government is keeping everyone "addicted"....but besides that, it is terrible.  I have seen him deteriorate before my eyes within one months time from the diagnosis!  The weekend before  Easter he was having bad heartburn and nausea, tried everything, nothing worked, ironically, I called our Physician who called in a script for ZOFRAN (the anti-nausea meds given to Chemo Patients) it helped a little, but not great, so we went to the ER that Tuesday, they did the blood work, ask a million questions, he was alwasy complaing of bad back pain under the "wing" shoulder blade, continually and his side as well......(Where the liver is)......hence, e was told he had phneuomonia and they saw a mass...... w were then told he had lung cancer, blew us away!! Our whole world, crumbled down right then and there.......We could not understand as to why everyone gave him a "clean-Bill-of health" pior because he has QUiT, all blood work and cardiologist reports were all good!!!  Go figure

But the bottom line was, he had a belly sono and the cancer went there as well as to the brain, for which he has received 14 rounds of Radiation to his brain, (last one was yesterday, 4/28/13), had his 3 consecutive days of the chemo (VP16 and Cisplatin) HARD and AGGRESSIVE......the only way to treat the DEVIL of Cancer......he is off for 21 days now till the NEXT round of Chemo, for those with low sodium issues, there is a MIRACLE Drug called SAMSCA (I call it the GOLD!) I have a $2,000.00 Co-Pay for a one month supply (once a day), seems to be the ONLY thing that help it stay at the proper levels, because the tumors secrete a horman that depletes the sodium, causing the person to be dilusional, has a chance to have seizures, brain bleed, leasons, etc.....My husbands had gone down to 107 and you have to be hospitalized (Normal level is 125-135).....they introduced the drug while he was hospitalized.....   We have two insurances as weel, if we had no insurance it would have cost $9,000.00 fr 15MG and $18,000.00 for the 30 MG pill!!!! LUDICROUS!!!!! Adam has been weak, so fatigued it is unbeleiveable but TOTALLY normal.  He is dead weight, I have to lift him up off the recliner, mind you, this man is a BIKER dude and was big and Buff, he has to be strong and he is, he is determined to FIGHT this monster inside!

All I can say is, keep the faith, and if you are a cargiver like me, I can totally relate to all you are feeling, it is tough!!!! Me and my husband have been together forever......and I intend to keep it that way!!!  STAY STRONG AND FIGHTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!  God Bless everyone battling and dealing with a loved one with this horiffic disease and please stop smoking if you have not done so already.........this is CANCER IS THE Devil's advocate from cigarette smoking, thanks a bunch Philip Morris, the manufacturers of MARLBORO LIGHTS 100's!  If anyone has any questions, or advice for me as a newby, please feel free to contact me.....God Bless xoxoxoxoxo

I am new here. I was diagnosed in February 2013 with stage 3 small cell lung cancer. I just finished chemo and radiation. Now we wait for 3 weeks for a CT-scan to see if it is truly gone. So far they say the cancer did not metastizise anywhere else. No mention has been made for brain radiation as a preventative to me. Now I am not certain if I trust the people who are treating me! I am very afraid and sure need counciling but I have no health insurance so I feel like a second class citizen and just maybe not getting all the care I need to beat this due to my lack of finances. I live in a small rural area with limited resources to help people like me. The only reason I am still sane (I think I am still sane!) is my family. And my belief that God is in charge here, but I am still way depressed and was looking for people who have survived this horrible disease to give me hope that I can beat this too. Thanks for listening to me!

Karirenee said:

small cell lung cancer

I am new here. I was diagnosed in February 2013 with stage 3 small cell lung cancer. I just finished chemo and radiation. Now we wait for 3 weeks for a CT-scan to see if it is truly gone. So far they say the cancer did not metastizise anywhere else. No mention has been made for brain radiation as a preventative to me. Now I am not certain if I trust the people who are treating me! I am very afraid and sure need counciling but I have no health insurance so I feel like a second class citizen and just maybe not getting all the care I need to beat this due to my lack of finances. I live in a small rural area with limited resources to help people like me. The only reason I am still sane (I think I am still sane!) is my family. And my belief that God is in charge here, but I am still way depressed and was looking for people who have survived this horrible disease to give me hope that I can beat this too. Thanks for listening to me!

Hi to several of you,

I was diagnosed 5 years ago with NSC adenocarcinoma; had removal of my right upper lobe, some 50 nodes (3 positive) and exploration of my mediastinum (negative). Then 3 months of standard 2 drug chemo. 1 1/2 years after completing that, the cancer recurred in 2 areas on my left lung. Had another course of chemo---3 drugs, although I couldn't tolerate one of them---and made some major lifestyle and dietary changes and began using alternative medicines. I'm cancer-free and just returned from a week of scuba diving in the S. Pacific. I'm happy to supply anyone with my regimen, conventional and not conventional, but cannot see how to attach it to this document so please e-mail me at george@senecacenter.org. 

It's very scary but I think that alternative medicine and dietary changes can have a huge effect. I was able to tolerate Taxol without significant neuropathy but others have had real difficulty with it. My neighbor's neuropathy has improved and he can now play guitar again----he was totally unable to for 2 years. 

George

nipcat said:

hi
hi dont be scared i have sclc for the last 6 months is going god is good

Just been diagnosed with stage 2A nsclc. Trying to get insurance for more tests and surgery. I am petrified.need a pet scan and i think an mri.

Karirenee said:

small cell lung cancer

I am new here. I was diagnosed in February 2013 with stage 3 small cell lung cancer. I just finished chemo and radiation. Now we wait for 3 weeks for a CT-scan to see if it is truly gone. So far they say the cancer did not metastizise anywhere else. No mention has been made for brain radiation as a preventative to me. Now I am not certain if I trust the people who are treating me! I am very afraid and sure need counciling but I have no health insurance so I feel like a second class citizen and just maybe not getting all the care I need to beat this due to my lack of finances. I live in a small rural area with limited resources to help people like me. The only reason I am still sane (I think I am still sane!) is my family. And my belief that God is in charge here, but I am still way depressed and was looking for people who have survived this horrible disease to give me hope that I can beat this too. Thanks for listening to me!

Everything I have read indicates that full brain radiation should be done as a prophylactic treatment. sclc can spread so quickly and the brain is one of the areas first affected. My mom was diagnosed with sclc and has underwent 20 full brain, 30 lung and a full treatment of chemo. She just began a new round of chemo and has to see the radiation Dr. to find out options for new tumors on her spine. I would question my Dr. about the brain radiation just to be safe. My mom underwent both at the same time but some do radiation after chemo. I hope this helps you.

leeann52 said:

nsclc

Just been diagnosed with stage 2A nsclc. Trying to get insurance for more tests and surgery. I am petrified.need a pet scan and i think an mri.

Contact the social worker in the oncology department of your hospital.  They have programs that help qualify you for special funds they set aside.  If no luck there look into Medicare.  

Positive attitude, most important... dont fear. I found out on 10/26/2015 left lung 8.5cm x 4.4cm upper left lung. I am in Dunedin Fla. so I flew to Cleveland Clinic for a biopsy on November 5th then Returned to the sunshine state and began 6 regimens of chemo on November 16th. Radiation was added on January 11th. daily for 6 weeks. (From discovery until the end of treatments March 12th. 2016 a total of 143 days.) I feel great. My Doctor is upbeat that my stage 3b cancer is being defeated. And calls me a Wonder.

I was always nauseated and low energy, no appetite and smells affected me at the time I was diagnosed. once into Chemo nausea and other symptoms went away. i did not burn during radiation. I am 62 years old and came through it all in good condition. My worst moment was during a night after start of chemo when I threw up a lot of blood. ( Good thing) It cleared out my lungs and I slept like a baby. and I have breathed easier since I no longer cough etc. I believe my worst is behind me. My husband removes all negativity from my sight. Including any family (Children and grandchildren problems) they resolve anyway. We laugh alot and without a doubt this is the best prescription for beating stage 3 cancer. " Will know through CT scan on on April 7th True results.

My husband has to make the difficult decision whether or not to get Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation (PCI).   We were told that he would have a new "normal" and probably wouldn't be able to continue his job as an engineer due to cognitive problems afterward.   Anyone out there have this done and how did it affect you?

You truly are an inspiration. Keep going ahead