scared

leetx · September 2004

i am not sure wether or not i have lung cancer, i am in a very low risk group. have had x-rays,ct and pet, all show a nodule of about 12mm but so far all signs show it to be benign. have had blood work done as well and it shows no increase in anything that would indicate any kind of cancer. the lung doc said that she wants to remove the nodule just in case and have it sent for test. there are no other nodules anywhere in the lungs,lymph nodes are not affected and the only sympton i am having is some minor shortness of breath which has been preliminary diagnosed as possible asthma. there has been some weight loss but for me that is nothing new when i get ill. my appetite has not been affected and i believe most of the time period when i was not eating was being done because of mental fears of it causing some more shortness of breath which was probably due more to an asmtha attack. all signs are indicating that this thing is not cancer and the lung doc says that if we remove it now,even if it is malignant, that should be the end of it as it has not spread anywhere else in the lungs,there is one other nodule of 5mm on the liver but it to has been determined to be benign.
i guess i am more worried about the surgery than anything right now and i just would like some comforting thoughts from those who know so that i can share those with my wife and kids,one of which is really scared that i might die. i am hoping that the lord has not chosen for me to leave yet as i have so much left to due and my children are everything to me, i am hoping that this is a wake up call for some reason. i am not a smoker or exposed to any kind of carcinigen. i am hoping that i am just having mental problems with this and that all will turn out for the best as it appears that it will. thanks

Gary49 · September 2004

leetx, my best advice would be to get another opinion from an oncologist. If they concur with your first physician, then I would suggest you proceed with the removal. Surgery is never pleasant, but take it from me, cancer is nothing to guess at or take lightly. When dealing with cancer, you can never be to cautious. Best of luck during this trial, and may God bless you and your family.

Plymouthean · October 2004

Hi Leetx,
I'm Ernie, a three year survivor of lung cancer.
Of course you're scared. It's the nature of cancer to be a terrifying illness.
But I have to concur with Gary49. Get that second opinion from an oncologist, and, if necessary, go with the surgery. Surgical removal of a nodule is much easier than removal of a 3 inch x 4 inch x 2 inch tumor. And that isn't even considering chemotherapy and radiation, which will be sure things if indeed it is cancer and you allow it to get ahead of the doctors.
We can't stress enough, that early detection is the key.
Another very important benefit of acting now is the mental anguish that you will save yourself and your family. If you're stressed out over this, imagine how your loved ones feel, especially the young ones.!
Act now. Whatever it is, you can't wish it away. Believe me. I tried that. Best of luck, and you will be in my prayers.

emgogirl · October 2004

I am a lung cancer survivor. I had a tumor the size of a golf ball in my lower right lobe. I had it removed and then it tested positive for cancer. Surgery is not fun but I got through it and today I have live a normal lifestyle... Hope this helps... !

zora37 · October 2004

Hi leetx, It is ok to be scared. We all have had felt that. Try to learn more about this disease. ACS provides a great source for such purpose. I find a site iaround.org also very helpful. They
believe they guide to the best lung cancer resources.

Be strong,
zora

dolphinsnora · October 2004

I also had lung cancer, but it ended up the whole left lung had to be removed. Today I am back at work and am feeling okay. Yes, sared is not quite descriptive enough of a word. I know exactly how you feel. But I too would go with the second oppinion from an oncologist and personally I would much rather have those nodes removed. Good luck.

nelss06 · October 2004

I agree with PLYMOUTHEAN you need to confer with an oncologist (cancer doctor). I had the surgery where one lobe of my right lung was removed..the cancer was caught quite early so after surgery I did not need chemo or radiation..It has now been 2 years and I am still clean..The surgery is nothing compared to what I've heard about the chemo and radiation from people that have been thru it. Please get another opinion from the oncologist and if they agree go with the surgery and the sooner the better. I was back on my feet, home and taking care of myself (I live alone) within 10 days..My breathing is fine, you'd never know I was missing part of a lung...I do everything I did before and more..Good luck to you and let us know what you decide..

gin51 · October 2004

It sounds as if you're one of the lucky people who even if you should have cancer caught it early enough to get rid of it by surgery. Regardless of what any doctor tells you, they cannot be sure of anything until they do the biopsy. Can't they do a needle biopsy before subjecting you to surgery? If I were you I would consult an oncologist before having surgery. I went to a lung specialist first who also recommended surgery and then I got a second opinion from an oncologist who did a needle biopsy which showed that surgery would have not helped me because of the type of lung cancer I have. Anyway, if you haven't done so, get copies of your tests results from the lung specialist and call and set up an appointment with an oncologist and show him/her the results before you opt for surgery. It sounds as if you're okay because the doctors can usually recognize cancer just from the scans. What they can't tell is what kind it is which determines the type of treatment it is. Anyway, it's probably nothing but just get a couple of opinions before doing anything. You're in my thoughts and prayers.

MadelynJoe · May 2005

nelss06 said:
I agree with PLYMOUTHEAN you need to confer with an oncologist (cancer doctor). I had the surgery where one lobe of my right lung was removed..the cancer was caught quite early so after surgery I did not need chemo or radiation..It has now been 2 years and I am still clean..The surgery is nothing compared to what I've heard about the chemo and radiation from people that have been thru it. Please get another opinion from the oncologist and if they agree go with the surgery and the sooner the better. I was back on my feet, home and taking care of myself (I live alone) within 10 days..My breathing is fine, you'd never know I was missing part of a lung...I do everything I did before and more..Good luck to you and let us know what you decide..

To Nelss06: A 2.3 cm round nodule was discovered in my routine x-ray on 5/9/05. The nodule was not there in 9/04. I subsequently had a CAT scan which was inconclusive. Drs. don't know what it is at this point. I will have a wedge resection to the lower right lung on June 1st. My surgeon performs a new type of surgery which is minimally invasive with about a 2-3" incision.

I am a 55-year old female, former smoker, with no other health problems.

Would you be willing to share any information on your experience with surgery and recuperation? You may e-mail me direct if you would like: MadelynTreasures@aol.com Many Thanks! Madelyn

MadelynJoe · June 2005

Leetx: Just wanted to update you on my case. I had surgery on 6/6/05 to remove what turned out to be a 2.8cm nodule from my R lung. They took the entire bottom lobe of the R lung. GOOD NEWS was that I had no mets to lymphs or anywhere else! I will, however, consult with an oncologist in the next few weeks to ensure that no precautionary followup treatment is needed at this time. I feel very blessed right now. God be with you. Madelyn

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