Recently diagnosed with lung cancer and my surgery is in 3 days.

Rreffner
Rreffner Member Posts: 6
in Lung Cancer #1

In February 2014 I was suffering with stomach pain and went to urgent care. The thought was I might be having pancreatitis. A CAT scan was ordered and showed no evidence of pancreatitis. Evidently something had caused severe stomach cramping. I was treated and immediately began to feel better.

As the story goes, when the abdominal CAT scan was done, the scan picked up a portion of my lung and showed a caveating mass. Subsequent CAT scans showed minimal growth so the lung doctor suggested a needle biopsy. That was done November 20th.

 

On my December 4th visit I got the bad news; adenocarcinoma right lower lung! The lung doctor suggested a PET scan to see if anything else showed up. The PET scan was done December 8th and fortunately did not reveal anything else. Surgery was recommended and is scheduled for this Friday. Right lower lobectomy - we think . . .

 

What they do is sample as many lymph nodes as they can from the trachea/bronchus and lung lining and if no cancer shows up they go ahead with the procedure. If something shows up they abort the procedure and treat with chemo and radiation. We are hoping of course nothing else shows up.

 

Friday is our 28th wedding anniversary and if the procedure is done I will be in the hospital over Christmas. Figure 4-6 months of relative inactivity. CAT scans every 6 months thereafter.

 

Interestingly, I have no symptoms and as far as I can tell, have no lung problems whatsoever. I take solace in that only by chance of circumstance I became aware of the issue. Early detection is a plus and we are hoping the end result following surgery will show stage 1, which is a good thing.

 

Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I wish everyone have a Merry Christmas and that the New Year bring blessings to all.

Rich

 

Comments

  • Rreffner
    Rreffner Member Posts: 6
    #2
    Pre-op today

    As a side note I have been on a Z-pack for the past 4 days. Last dose tomorrow. Taking for congestion & cough. Hope I'l still okay for my procedure tomorrow.

  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #3
    Rreffner said:

    Pre-op today

    As a side note I have been on a Z-pack for the past 4 days. Last dose tomorrow. Taking for congestion & cough. Hope I'l still okay for my procedure tomorrow.

    Rreffner

    Hello, Sorry you had to find us.  I am so glad that they found the cancer early, very important.  Mine was found early also as I was being scanned for follow up of another cancer.  I had my lower right lobe removed via VATS on 9-23-10 and so far so good.  I am at yearly scans now and my last 1 was 11-4-14.  I had squamous cell which is probably related to my 35 years of smoking along with the other cancer I had.  I quit smoking 5-4-09 and so far so good on that.

    I wish you well and I hope that its just the lower right lobe and that will be all the treatment you need.  Lori

     

  • Rreffner
    Rreffner Member Posts: 6
    #4
    z said:

    Rreffner

    Hello, Sorry you had to find us.  I am so glad that they found the cancer early, very important.  Mine was found early also as I was being scanned for follow up of another cancer.  I had my lower right lobe removed via VATS on 9-23-10 and so far so good.  I am at yearly scans now and my last 1 was 11-4-14.  I had squamous cell which is probably related to my 35 years of smoking along with the other cancer I had.  I quit smoking 5-4-09 and so far so good on that.

    I wish you well and I hope that its just the lower right lobe and that will be all the treatment you need.  Lori

     

    Thanks Lori. I had to

    Thanks Lori. I had to postpone surgery until 12/29 because of a sinus infection and severe cough. Hope all is well with you and hope you have a blessed and Merry Christmas. Rich

  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #5
    Rreffner said:

    Thanks Lori. I had to

    Thanks Lori. I had to postpone surgery until 12/29 because of a sinus infection and severe cough. Hope all is well with you and hope you have a blessed and Merry Christmas. Rich

    Rich

    That gives you time to enjoy the holidays and heal up so your post surgery will be easier on you.  Keep us updated.

     I also visit the Inspire web site, there is a lot of traffic there, this is a good site as well but not as many posters.  Merry Christmas.

  • Rreffner
    Rreffner Member Posts: 6
    #6
    z said:

    Rich

    That gives you time to enjoy the holidays and heal up so your post surgery will be easier on you.  Keep us updated.

     I also visit the Inspire web site, there is a lot of traffic there, this is a good site as well but not as many posters.  Merry Christmas.

    Thank you and Merry

    Thank you and Merry Christmas.

  • Rreffner
    Rreffner Member Posts: 6
    #7
    Rreffner said:

    Thank you and Merry

    Thank you and Merry Christmas.

    What a day!

    Two IV lines, one arterial line, catheter, put under general anesthesia and a Mediastinoscopy with biopsy performed. Surgeon gets informed during surgery of a cardiac surgery patient this morning having issues and probably needs to be taken back to the OR. Doc can't do both. Decision time for the Doc . . . continue with me . . . or close and address the heart patient?

    IMHO my Doc made the correct decision . . . abort my procedure, reschedule and address the cardiac patient's issues. A decision I would have made given a similar situation.

    I don't know the cardiac patient's name, but God does. Please keep the patient in prayers for a speedy recovery and God bless Dr. Hurt and the surgical team.

    Tomorrow I call the surgeon to reschedule my lobeectomy. 

     

    "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you." Psalm 32.8

  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #8
    Rreffner said:

    What a day!

    Two IV lines, one arterial line, catheter, put under general anesthesia and a Mediastinoscopy with biopsy performed. Surgeon gets informed during surgery of a cardiac surgery patient this morning having issues and probably needs to be taken back to the OR. Doc can't do both. Decision time for the Doc . . . continue with me . . . or close and address the heart patient?

    IMHO my Doc made the correct decision . . . abort my procedure, reschedule and address the cardiac patient's issues. A decision I would have made given a similar situation.

    I don't know the cardiac patient's name, but God does. Please keep the patient in prayers for a speedy recovery and God bless Dr. Hurt and the surgical team.

    Tomorrow I call the surgeon to reschedule my lobeectomy. 

     

    "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you." Psalm 32.8

    Rreffner

    You are a good person to realize that the cardiac patient needed the surgery asap.  I hope your surgery will be performed soon and you will be on your way to recovery.  Lori

  • Rreffner
    Rreffner Member Posts: 6
    #9
    z said:

    Rreffner

    You are a good person to realize that the cardiac patient needed the surgery asap.  I hope your surgery will be performed soon and you will be on your way to recovery.  Lori

    Thanks Lori. My pre-op is

    Thanks Lori. My pre-op is tomorrow and surgery is scheduled for this Thursday, January 8, 2014.

  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #10
    Rreffner said:

    Thanks Lori. My pre-op is

    Thanks Lori. My pre-op is tomorrow and surgery is scheduled for this Thursday, January 8, 2014.

    Rreffner

    Very Good, let me know how you are when you are able.  I wish you well.

  • melinda68
    melinda68 Member Posts: 22
    #11
    adenocarcinoma

    i found a nodule from reading an abdominal report questioned the doctor which sent me to pulmonologist to check it out after monitoring for a couple yrs watching it slowly grow from .5mm to 1 cm when he wanted to keep watching i got 2nd opinion who did pet scan which showed negative but since it was growing i was sent to cleveland clinic for eval who initially said carcinoid tumor most likely benign but wanted to do wedge resection but when they got in there turned out to be adenocarcinoma and cancerous ended up doing lower right lobectomy removed 40% now i am onoxygen i wasn't offered chemo because the tumor was small but i found out recently if chemo was offered it would reduce the chances of reoccurrance from 30% to 15% but the national standards says it doesn't have to be offered

     

     

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