Just found out I have cancer

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  • cool49
    cool49 Member Posts: 27
    #22
    cabbott said:

    Hope
    When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I remember being paralyzed with fear that just didn't stop. It wasn't anything like the fear one gets from scary movies or a ride at the fair. This fear didn't quit when day was done. It went on for days and days. Other folks told me that I was handling it well. They didn't see what I was feeling like on the inside.

    Several things helped. Getting a treatment plan helped me the most. Then I knew what was going to happen, at least for the next week or so at a time. Meeting survivors and hearing their stories helped a lot too. All I used to know about cancer is that you can die from it. I didn't know that it is something most folks live with. They are keeping 20 year stats now on breast cancer survivors and folks with other kinds of cancer are living longer too. Anything you hear or read that happened two years ago is already way way way outdated. Cancer research is changing that fast. By the way, it takes two years to get a book in print. So even this year's books are old in terms of what can be done for cancer patients now. Learning more about cancer and its treatment so that I knew how bad it could be helped a lot (though it gave me nightmares if I read just before bedtime!). I admit it, I was a pessimist and was certain I would be gone within a year or so. I was first diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2002. In 2004 they thought (mistakenly) that I had ovarian cancer. Then I got hit with an unrelated lung cancer dx in 2006. Currently I have some spots on my lungs that the doctor considers too small and too stable to operate on at this time. So I'm playing the waiting game too.

    It seems better, though, this time around. I have a treatment plan, I know more about what I'm dealing with now and how it is likely to proceed. I know I don't have forever on this planet, but how long I have and what happens after that is all in God's hands. Daily exercise helps and knowing who to call if I get in a jam helps too. When I can't make myself plan something that seems too far in the future (planning for retirement in 5-10 years or even planning a summer vacation is rough!), I make myself plan for something that week or that day. Accomplishing something as small as cleaning a counter off sometimes is enough to ward off the molasses swamp of depression. Do something you enjoy every day no matter what the doctor has planned in terms of treatment. My trips to the doctor are also my days to eat out, go shopping, or read magazines I never get time for on "normal" days.

    So do what you can and find out what works for you to help you through the day. Medication to take the edge off the blues is a good way to go too. Just add it to all of the above ideas to make a plan that works for you. My dad used to say that life is too short to be miserable. So ask for help when you need it.

    C. Abbott

    PS They discovered my lung cancer after I had bronchitis that just wouldn't respond to antibiotics too. I was sure I had pneumonia and they just weren't treating it correctly. The PET/CAT scan showed I was right about the pneumonia, but the problem was lung cancer, not inferior antibiotics. Go figure!

    hi
    i know what you mean u have to have hope ,faith and trust in god because he is the one with the plan.i also thought i had brocitise and they give me med.then my doctor want me to have a chest e/ray i had been hurting in my right breast pain unbelive.so when the x ray came back i had all kinds of spots all over both lungs.Then he sent me to a lung doctor i was told i had lung cancer in both lungs their was so many of then i looked at the ct scan.the doctor set me up to have a biopsy i had 4 tumors some in right lung and some in left lung.i was terifiedabout it all.they told me i had basal cell carcinoma that went to my lungs.they told me 9 11 2009 and what it was skin cancer that went to the lungs that never ever happens but mine did.There has only been 300 hundred case in thw world since 1895.theirs know treatment yet so mine is in gods hands and he has a plan for all of us,yes i get scared but i try to be brave because of my family.ive been coughing alot i als have two blood clots and i get tried easy.so keep me in youre prays and if you know anyone that has this type of cancer please let me know thanks for listening may god be with u and youre family always keep the faith we are living with cancer we have already beat the odds now i will be glad when the have a plan for mine.god bless u shirley
  • Cari05
    Cari05 Member Posts: 2
    #23
    hartmann said:

    Best if luck with your
    Best if luck with your surgery. I will say a prayer for you!! Talk to you soon.

    New diagnosis of lung cancer and quitting smoking
    I was diagnosed with lung cancer on Wednesday. I had been losing weight with no known cause. Pulminologist did CScan last November and thought the lesion on my lung that I have had for years might be cancerous. He had me have another CScan of my brain, this time, and a petscan. Nothing showed up on either so he sent me to my regular doc and to a stomach doc. My regular doc gave me all sorts of tests and a sonagram. Nothing. I had a colonoscopy and a endoscopy and nothing there. I put off going back to my pulmo because I thought that all was well. When I went back, he suggested testing my thyroid. Nothing. The endochronologist also tested me for diabetes and tested my adrenal gland. Still nothing. He also did another CScan and found the lesion had grown so he did a biopsy, which confirmed the presence of cancer. He had talked to the oncologist he was sending me to and that doctor indicated he would do a combination of radiation and chemo. I have COPD so they cannot do surgery. The lesion is about 1 centimeter and has not spread. The oncologist has given me a 30 to 40% chance of a cure. I am determined to be one of the 30 to 40% who are cured.

    Have any of you had to quit smoking because of the cancer? I had quit for 3 1/2 years and then started again a year and a half ago. The way I quit was being hospitalized for 11 days. It seems impossible to quit without that kind of help (not being able to smoke for 11 days). Can any of you identify with this?
  • congoody
    congoody Member Posts: 73
    #24
    Cari05 said:

    New diagnosis of lung cancer and quitting smoking
    I was diagnosed with lung cancer on Wednesday. I had been losing weight with no known cause. Pulminologist did CScan last November and thought the lesion on my lung that I have had for years might be cancerous. He had me have another CScan of my brain, this time, and a petscan. Nothing showed up on either so he sent me to my regular doc and to a stomach doc. My regular doc gave me all sorts of tests and a sonagram. Nothing. I had a colonoscopy and a endoscopy and nothing there. I put off going back to my pulmo because I thought that all was well. When I went back, he suggested testing my thyroid. Nothing. The endochronologist also tested me for diabetes and tested my adrenal gland. Still nothing. He also did another CScan and found the lesion had grown so he did a biopsy, which confirmed the presence of cancer. He had talked to the oncologist he was sending me to and that doctor indicated he would do a combination of radiation and chemo. I have COPD so they cannot do surgery. The lesion is about 1 centimeter and has not spread. The oncologist has given me a 30 to 40% chance of a cure. I am determined to be one of the 30 to 40% who are cured.

    Have any of you had to quit smoking because of the cancer? I had quit for 3 1/2 years and then started again a year and a half ago. The way I quit was being hospitalized for 11 days. It seems impossible to quit without that kind of help (not being able to smoke for 11 days). Can any of you identify with this?

    Yes I quit when I was diagnosed
    On the day I was diagnosed I just could not even look at a cigarette - believing that tobacco addiction had most likely gotten me into this I just could not continue to smoke - that is not to say that the addiction was easy to break, it was not, but anything I could do to help myself was welcome at a time when I felt so helpless - a recent study from the British Medical Journal confirms that it is never too late - they found 5 year survival rates doubled in early stage lung cancer patients who quit smoking versus those who continued to smoke - I know how difficult it is but you can help your recovery if you quit.
  • stayingcalm
    stayingcalm Member Posts: 650 Member
    #25
    Cari05 said:

    New diagnosis of lung cancer and quitting smoking
    I was diagnosed with lung cancer on Wednesday. I had been losing weight with no known cause. Pulminologist did CScan last November and thought the lesion on my lung that I have had for years might be cancerous. He had me have another CScan of my brain, this time, and a petscan. Nothing showed up on either so he sent me to my regular doc and to a stomach doc. My regular doc gave me all sorts of tests and a sonagram. Nothing. I had a colonoscopy and a endoscopy and nothing there. I put off going back to my pulmo because I thought that all was well. When I went back, he suggested testing my thyroid. Nothing. The endochronologist also tested me for diabetes and tested my adrenal gland. Still nothing. He also did another CScan and found the lesion had grown so he did a biopsy, which confirmed the presence of cancer. He had talked to the oncologist he was sending me to and that doctor indicated he would do a combination of radiation and chemo. I have COPD so they cannot do surgery. The lesion is about 1 centimeter and has not spread. The oncologist has given me a 30 to 40% chance of a cure. I am determined to be one of the 30 to 40% who are cured.

    Have any of you had to quit smoking because of the cancer? I had quit for 3 1/2 years and then started again a year and a half ago. The way I quit was being hospitalized for 11 days. It seems impossible to quit without that kind of help (not being able to smoke for 11 days). Can any of you identify with this?

    Quitting
    I quit because of my COPD - i was getting more and more short of breath and having panic attacks and finally decided I really had to quit. I used the patch, gave up a couple of times, and on my third try I finally managed to quit. In hindsight, I should have had a doctor prescribe me Xanax while I was quitting, because I fell into a black hole of depression - after all, I was saying goodbye to something that had helped me through many trying times, starting when I was about 14. I did manage to climb out, and haven't smoked since.

    So, try the patch, and see if your doctor will prescribe something to help you keep your emotional balance if you think you need it. As congoody said, quitting will help you immensely :)

    Deb
  • Cari05
    Cari05 Member Posts: 2
    #26
    stayingcalm said:

    Quitting
    I quit because of my COPD - i was getting more and more short of breath and having panic attacks and finally decided I really had to quit. I used the patch, gave up a couple of times, and on my third try I finally managed to quit. In hindsight, I should have had a doctor prescribe me Xanax while I was quitting, because I fell into a black hole of depression - after all, I was saying goodbye to something that had helped me through many trying times, starting when I was about 14. I did manage to climb out, and haven't smoked since.

    So, try the patch, and see if your doctor will prescribe something to help you keep your emotional balance if you think you need it. As congoody said, quitting will help you immensely :)

    Deb

    I have a question about
    I have a question about treatment. I will be having chemo and radiation. Will I need someone to take me to treatment and take me home?
  • mamacita5
    mamacita5 Member Posts: 254 Member
    #27
    Cari05 said:

    I have a question about
    I have a question about treatment. I will be having chemo and radiation. Will I need someone to take me to treatment and take me home?

    My doctor says to have someone with me...
    When I met with the oncologist on Monday he advised me to plan to have some assistance with driving to and from my chemo treatments. I will take a chemo class this Saturday that is put on by the chemo nurses, so I am sure they will give me the real picture of what to plan for. I will let you know what I find out. I am sure others will let you know what they have experienced since they will have already gone through it, and we are "newbies". Good luck to you!
  • hartmann
    hartmann Member Posts: 26
    #28
    Cari05 said:

    New diagnosis of lung cancer and quitting smoking
    I was diagnosed with lung cancer on Wednesday. I had been losing weight with no known cause. Pulminologist did CScan last November and thought the lesion on my lung that I have had for years might be cancerous. He had me have another CScan of my brain, this time, and a petscan. Nothing showed up on either so he sent me to my regular doc and to a stomach doc. My regular doc gave me all sorts of tests and a sonagram. Nothing. I had a colonoscopy and a endoscopy and nothing there. I put off going back to my pulmo because I thought that all was well. When I went back, he suggested testing my thyroid. Nothing. The endochronologist also tested me for diabetes and tested my adrenal gland. Still nothing. He also did another CScan and found the lesion had grown so he did a biopsy, which confirmed the presence of cancer. He had talked to the oncologist he was sending me to and that doctor indicated he would do a combination of radiation and chemo. I have COPD so they cannot do surgery. The lesion is about 1 centimeter and has not spread. The oncologist has given me a 30 to 40% chance of a cure. I am determined to be one of the 30 to 40% who are cured.

    Have any of you had to quit smoking because of the cancer? I had quit for 3 1/2 years and then started again a year and a half ago. The way I quit was being hospitalized for 11 days. It seems impossible to quit without that kind of help (not being able to smoke for 11 days). Can any of you identify with this?

    Hi,
    I quit smoking about 8
    Hi,

    I quit smoking about 8 months prior to being diagnosed. I had smoked for over 20 years. Not sure if chantix can be taken with chemo but that is what worked for me. Also I would have someone drive you to and from chemo at least until you know how it affects you. They give you other drugs (benadryl) that make you kinda goofy. Hope this helps
  • merpreb
    merpreb Member Posts: 5
    #29
    Cari05 said:

    New diagnosis of lung cancer and quitting smoking
    I was diagnosed with lung cancer on Wednesday. I had been losing weight with no known cause. Pulminologist did CScan last November and thought the lesion on my lung that I have had for years might be cancerous. He had me have another CScan of my brain, this time, and a petscan. Nothing showed up on either so he sent me to my regular doc and to a stomach doc. My regular doc gave me all sorts of tests and a sonagram. Nothing. I had a colonoscopy and a endoscopy and nothing there. I put off going back to my pulmo because I thought that all was well. When I went back, he suggested testing my thyroid. Nothing. The endochronologist also tested me for diabetes and tested my adrenal gland. Still nothing. He also did another CScan and found the lesion had grown so he did a biopsy, which confirmed the presence of cancer. He had talked to the oncologist he was sending me to and that doctor indicated he would do a combination of radiation and chemo. I have COPD so they cannot do surgery. The lesion is about 1 centimeter and has not spread. The oncologist has given me a 30 to 40% chance of a cure. I am determined to be one of the 30 to 40% who are cured.

    Have any of you had to quit smoking because of the cancer? I had quit for 3 1/2 years and then started again a year and a half ago. The way I quit was being hospitalized for 11 days. It seems impossible to quit without that kind of help (not being able to smoke for 11 days). Can any of you identify with this?

    Quitting Smoking
    When I had my first lung surgery almost 14 years ago I didn't quit until the week before my surgery with help from the patch. What helped me was that I was so afraid that I couldn't quit that I scared myself into it I think. When I got home after 3 1/2 days int he hospital (right lower lobe removed) I was no longer on the patch and had to keep saying to myself, "If you want to live you can't smoke". And after a while it became easier and easier. But I do know how it feels to want to smoke and can't. After a while you no longer want to smoke.
  • catcon49
    catcon49 Member Posts: 398
    #30
    merpreb said:

    Quitting Smoking
    When I had my first lung surgery almost 14 years ago I didn't quit until the week before my surgery with help from the patch. What helped me was that I was so afraid that I couldn't quit that I scared myself into it I think. When I got home after 3 1/2 days int he hospital (right lower lobe removed) I was no longer on the patch and had to keep saying to myself, "If you want to live you can't smoke". And after a while it became easier and easier. But I do know how it feels to want to smoke and can't. After a while you no longer want to smoke.

    Merpreb
    What kind of cancer did you have? I would be interested in knowing more. I also had lower right lobe removed.
  • barryd2
    barryd2 Member Posts: 5 Member
    #31
    Cari05 said:

    New diagnosis of lung cancer and quitting smoking
    I was diagnosed with lung cancer on Wednesday. I had been losing weight with no known cause. Pulminologist did CScan last November and thought the lesion on my lung that I have had for years might be cancerous. He had me have another CScan of my brain, this time, and a petscan. Nothing showed up on either so he sent me to my regular doc and to a stomach doc. My regular doc gave me all sorts of tests and a sonagram. Nothing. I had a colonoscopy and a endoscopy and nothing there. I put off going back to my pulmo because I thought that all was well. When I went back, he suggested testing my thyroid. Nothing. The endochronologist also tested me for diabetes and tested my adrenal gland. Still nothing. He also did another CScan and found the lesion had grown so he did a biopsy, which confirmed the presence of cancer. He had talked to the oncologist he was sending me to and that doctor indicated he would do a combination of radiation and chemo. I have COPD so they cannot do surgery. The lesion is about 1 centimeter and has not spread. The oncologist has given me a 30 to 40% chance of a cure. I am determined to be one of the 30 to 40% who are cured.

    Have any of you had to quit smoking because of the cancer? I had quit for 3 1/2 years and then started again a year and a half ago. The way I quit was being hospitalized for 11 days. It seems impossible to quit without that kind of help (not being able to smoke for 11 days). Can any of you identify with this?

    Hi Cari... I decided to quit
    Hi Cari... I decided to quit smoking the day I was diagnosed with Stage III NSCLC... not that I smoked very much... only three packs a day for 45 years... :) No one thought I'd be able to do it... I used Chantix, and consider it to be a miracle drug... I quit 2 1/2 years ago and haven't had even one puff since then. I don't know what's more amazing... beating cancer or quitting smoking... both are pretty good! I was able to tolerate chemo while using Chantix just fine... All my doctors said that if I quit smoking, I had a much better chance of beating cancer... I don't know if they were right or not, but beat it I did...

    By the way, I, too, had COPD, and was able to have surgery after my tumor had shrunk considerably from chemo... I had a lobectomy (one lobe removed), and recovered pretty well... Why is your doctor saying that with COPD you can't have surgery? I bet the doctor who said that wasn't a surgeon... I strongly recommend you have a consult with non-cardiac thoracic surgeon and see what he says...

    Best of luck...

    Barry
  • stayingcalm
    stayingcalm Member Posts: 650 Member
    #32
    barryd2 said:

    Hi Cari... I decided to quit
    Hi Cari... I decided to quit smoking the day I was diagnosed with Stage III NSCLC... not that I smoked very much... only three packs a day for 45 years... :) No one thought I'd be able to do it... I used Chantix, and consider it to be a miracle drug... I quit 2 1/2 years ago and haven't had even one puff since then. I don't know what's more amazing... beating cancer or quitting smoking... both are pretty good! I was able to tolerate chemo while using Chantix just fine... All my doctors said that if I quit smoking, I had a much better chance of beating cancer... I don't know if they were right or not, but beat it I did...

    By the way, I, too, had COPD, and was able to have surgery after my tumor had shrunk considerably from chemo... I had a lobectomy (one lobe removed), and recovered pretty well... Why is your doctor saying that with COPD you can't have surgery? I bet the doctor who said that wasn't a surgeon... I strongly recommend you have a consult with non-cardiac thoracic surgeon and see what he says...

    Best of luck...

    Barry

    COPD and surgery
    Barry, it all depends on the severity of the COPD and how badly the lungs are scarred. I, too was unable to have surgery, and it was a top thoracic surgeon who made that determination after taking a look inside. I was all prepared to wake up missing a lobe or two and was surprised to find I wasn't! I have extensive scarring from pneumonia, which was the biggest reason, and my lungs have several "blebs" (the real word, believe it or not), and thin spots, that make surgery too risky.
  • seriouslythanks
    seriouslythanks Member Posts: 1
    #33
    Thank you all for your posts. Although I do not have lung cancer myself (and cancer does not run in my family) I have been a smoker for about 12 years now off-and-on. I am now 30 years old and I am thinking about someday having kids. I decided to quit smoking and today is my "quit day". I came to this website in hopes of giving myself tons of reasons to quit (horror stories). Instead, I found some of the most interesting and upbeat people I've met in a long time. I am sure you all have your private sorrows that you might not even share here but, each of you is incredibly inspiring and I wish you all nothing but the best. Thank you.
  • PBJ Austin
    PBJ Austin Member Posts: 347 Member
    #34
    seriouslythanks said:

    Thank you all for your posts. Although I do not have lung cancer myself (and cancer does not run in my family) I have been a smoker for about 12 years now off-and-on. I am now 30 years old and I am thinking about someday having kids. I decided to quit smoking and today is my "quit day". I came to this website in hopes of giving myself tons of reasons to quit (horror stories). Instead, I found some of the most interesting and upbeat people I've met in a long time. I am sure you all have your private sorrows that you might not even share here but, each of you is incredibly inspiring and I wish you all nothing but the best. Thank you.

    Happy Quit Day!!
    I hadn't thought of this until I read your post but today is the 39th anniversary of my dad's Quit Day. It was June 1, 1971 when my dad decided once and for all he would quit. He smoked his last cigarette and never looked back. It was one of the hardest things he ever did but he was so glad, as well as the rest of the family. Good luck in your efforts to quit, you can do this!!
  • joyzee
    joyzee Member Posts: 33
    #35
    seriouslythanks said:

    Thank you all for your posts. Although I do not have lung cancer myself (and cancer does not run in my family) I have been a smoker for about 12 years now off-and-on. I am now 30 years old and I am thinking about someday having kids. I decided to quit smoking and today is my "quit day". I came to this website in hopes of giving myself tons of reasons to quit (horror stories). Instead, I found some of the most interesting and upbeat people I've met in a long time. I am sure you all have your private sorrows that you might not even share here but, each of you is incredibly inspiring and I wish you all nothing but the best. Thank you.

    Thanks.
    Thanks. Good luck on ur quit. eventhough i ended up with lung cancer, it is still a struggle 2 stay quit, 1 yr later.

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