Surgery Questions

Is removing a lung a huge surgery?

And I would say Hell yes!  A lung resection, well, maybe not so, but a whole lung, I would say so. 

Just my two pennies worth. 

I'm sure you've seen my other post and know how my heart feels for your latest news. 

Tru

   Your tenacity is inspriing.  Last night I let this get the better of me for about 5 minutes and punched the inside of the garage door.  Now I've got about $500 or so in repairs needing done.  I was told this would be a rollercoaster and today was the bottom of a dip.  We went to a park called water world. I decided up front I wasn't going to go in the water or get on any rides only because I don't know when I would have to do number 2  and or if something bad would happen.  I ended up staying at our little camp while my wife and her sister took the little ones on the rides.  The  night before I was bleeding a little and I could see it was getting progressively worse.  Add to that I can't really tell when it's just gas versus the other.  Consequently I run to the bathroom a lot.

  While holding down the fort it got really bad.  I went a couple times and I thought I was dying from the amount of blood that was coming out.  I cut short our trip because of it. I ended up yelling that we have to leave NOW! and go straight to the hospital.  I could only imagine the looks on some of the other people's faces when I said something about bleeding internally.

 I called KP in a panic as we were driving back and at first I got someone on the phone who obviously had no clue.  I told him I was just diagnosed with colon cancer blah blah and was bleeding rather heavily.  Guess what his first question was?  From where?  At that I lost my temper and told him to get someone on the phone that knows what colon cancer is.  A nurse got on the line and I explained the issue to her.  Thinking she was going to tell me to get to the ER right away she instead asked me if I was constipated.  "Well,... yes".  Then a couple more questions.  Turns out,  that little alien inside me bleeds very easily and it doesn't take much to provoke it.  I never knew that.   They told me to get some laxative and a jug of fiber.          

  The thing of it is, do we really have the know how to make the right decisions. Case in point. What I thought was a life threatening situation turned out to be a minor inconvenience.  With it being cancer, and without a medical degree, it's tough to go with anything other than what the doctors say beyond looking for treatments demonstrating better outcomes.  I know enough to know I don't know.  I couldn't trust my own opinion because I'd be flailing around in the dark knowledge wise and probably end up dead a lot sooner than I should. 

  I'd ask the doctors to be completely blunt and not sugar coat anything.  When the time comes for them to ask me anything as far as which way to go.  My answer is going to be very simple. Which ever way has the best chance of being cured.   From what I know they may present several options depending on our lifestyle and so forth.   I'm not one to sacrifice potential death for sake of convenience.  As long as we're up and about there is always hope.  I'm praying for you. 

JanJan63 said:

I think that was initial plan

I think that was initial plan a year and half ago when I saw the pulmonary guy. The whole thing. The spots are spread thrpughout the lung. Two at the top where it joins the trachea, one down at the bottom below that and the last one pretty much in the middle. I feel like if they'd have taken it out at that time I'd be doing okay now. Now I'm scared that if they do decide to take it out it be too late and it's already spread cancer 'seeds' elsewhere. 

I need some options or I'm hooped. They're growing quickly and I have very little they can do about it. I refuse to just sit here waiting to die. Dammit, I wish we had more options here in Canada. Maybe the ablation would work. Or something else we don't have. I'm thinking I'd better just check out some of the additional things that people do like the circumen and things like that. Things that aren't crazy expensive but might possible help. We need to start saving to bury me, too.

Jan 

Have no personal experience, but I have a friend who had a rare carcinoid (usually GI tumor) in her lung.  She had nearly all of one lung removed.  Had some coughing for 6-8 weeks, but has since been fine.  This was around 8 years ago.

Jan - Thinking of you as you go through this.  Hoping that you hear that there may be another option for you.  I live in Canada - Ontario.  I often hear of immunotherapy that is being done for a specific kind of lung cancer in Michigan (not sure if Canada is) and I don't know if your lung tumours fit that category.  But I am praying that your Onco will tell you that there is some other chemo or radiation option, and that the Radiologist appt brings some better news.

Many years ago for lung cancer from smoking and had a good portion of his lung taken out (2 lobes).  He had a big scar and I remember that being the worst part for him in that it itched.  This is decades ago.  I had a lung resection 8 months ago.  Had a 12 cm x 4 cm x 2cm section taken out.  Was out of the hospital in 36 hours and walking 3 miles a day a couple of days later.  That being said, I agree lung removal sounds like, and is, major surgery, but even 30 years ago it was somewhat an easy go for my dad.

All that being said, PLEASE look for more opinions and doctors.   There are places that may do a remote second or third opinion  based on scans and reports.  There may be other options, such as ablations.  Maybe try calling some of the places like MD Anderson, Cleveland Clinic and Memorial Sloane Kettering in the U.S.  Cleveland Clinic I think will review things.  Doctors may refuse things, including performong surgery, for a variety of reasons, including being scared of having poor results/survival rates.  Get your answers JJ.  Thoughts and hugs for you.

jan,

i may not be on this site very often but i continue to pray for you every day.