Lung Biopsy

Options
mixleader
mixleader Member Posts: 267 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
My cancer started in my right parotid gland and apparently it decided it needed some more real estate, so some of the little bastards are starting a condo in my lungs. So, on Wednesday of next week, I get to have a needle shoved into me to get a sample of whatever is in there to see if it is the same as the original cancer. Hopefully, that will give the doctors an idea of how to serve the eviction notice to these squatters in my lungs. I find all of this to be intensely scary and I am very worried about the outcome. I know there are people on this site who have been worse off than this and pulled through, so I am trying to draw strength from that.

Roger

Comments

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #2
    Options
    Damn
    Seems to be something in the water.....

    Hang in there buddy, you know the drill....

    Thoughts and prayers heading your way....

    John
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #3
    Options
    Skiffin16 said:

    Damn
    Seems to be something in the water.....

    Hang in there buddy, you know the drill....

    Thoughts and prayers heading your way....

    John

    Hi Roger

    We will be here for you my friend, take care and let us know how you do after the test. I too am starting to have a few problems with my lungs but believe it is from the Diamox I am taking, either way I am not sure if I want to get it check.

    Praying for you
    Hondo
  • Hal61
    Hal61 Member Posts: 655
    #4
    Options
    Thoughts are with you
    I'm thinking of you Roger. I've followed your posts and look forward to following you back to health.

    Hal
  • Kaylee-parotid
    Kaylee-parotid Member Posts: 16
    #5
    Options
    Hi. I had my left parotid
    Hi. I had my left parotid removed two and ahalf years ago. I hang about a bit on a forum for parotid tumour patients, and one of our girls has just completed cyberknife treatment for lung mets. It was only 9 treatments, paid for by her insurance in the US. We're waiting to hear back from her how it went. What type of cancer did you have? Hope the biopsy goes well.
  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #6
    Options
    Will keep you in my
    Will keep you in my prayers!!

    Hope the doctors can evict these squatters soon and you are back on your feet in no time.

    My best,
    Glenna
  • Jan Trinks
    Jan Trinks Member Posts: 477
    #7
    Options
    You're in my prayers
    Roger:

    Hang in there and you're in my prayers. I love your description of what's going on! Keep that sense of humor going. That's so important too! God Bless!

    Jan (Basketcase)
  • timreichhart
    timreichhart Member Posts: 194
    #8
    Options
    Jan Trinks said:

    You're in my prayers
    Roger:

    Hang in there and you're in my prayers. I love your description of what's going on! Keep that sense of humor going. That's so important too! God Bless!

    Jan (Basketcase)

    About the lungs
    Well my ENT doctor didnt like the green and bloody/dried up blood in mucus so that is why he ordered a Bronchoscopy to see if there is anything or any damage caused by this cancer treatments.

    So in about 4 1/2 weeks from now I have to get that Bronchoscopy done.
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #9
    Options
    "I seen the needle and the damage done"
    (Neil Young reference)

    Roger, maybe they have already determined they can get to their spot with a needle? They tried that method with me, using the CT Scanner, having me lie in awkward positions, and just could not get past a particular rib. Now, my node was very small (4mm) so that had something to do with it, I suspect, and there was only one. Hopefully the needle biopsy will work for you.

    Ultimately, they used a VATS procedure (Visually Aided something or other Surgery) which is less invasive than the good old rib-breaking method, to get to the node (albeit a heck of a lot more invasive than a needle, for which the biggest concern, as I understand it is deflation of the lung, no small matter itself). I was told that if the node was mets from the head/neck cancer, they would not operate, considering that the cancer had spread and they could not know to what extent. If, on the other hand, they could establish it was new cancer, they would do a lobectomy. All of this was assuming it WAS cancer, of course.

    Odd what we wish for with cancer: I hoped to wake up missing my right lower lobe.

    Turns out it WAS squamous cell carcinoma, but they couldn't decide, or didn't want to decide, whether it was mets, because it was 'too small', they said. So they did the lobectomy.

    I am 5+ yrs out from head/neck cancer, and 3.5+ years out from lung cancer: NED.

    Best of luck!

    Take care,

    Joe
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #10
    Options
    Hal61 said:

    Thoughts are with you
    I'm thinking of you Roger. I've followed your posts and look forward to following you back to health.

    Hal

    Hal, lookin good!
    The raging river levels have begun to drop, and in the next few weeks the weather will begin to cool off. How about a Saturday lunch at our aforementioned rendezvous place in Yosemite, some time in September or October? I will promise not to climb over any guard rails if you promise, too.

    Deb
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #11
    Options
    Roger
    Holding you in my thoughts. Stay strong. It's just a bump in the road... a really nasty bump in the road. You can get through this.

    Deb
  • Kimba1505
    Kimba1505 Member Posts: 557
    #12
    Options
    D Lewis said:

    Roger
    Holding you in my thoughts. Stay strong. It's just a bump in the road... a really nasty bump in the road. You can get through this.

    Deb

    Kick 'em to the curb.
    Roger, how could you not feel fear or worry? And again the waiting makes it so much worse...the not knowing. Remember, whatever information you get back, there will be a plan. When there is a plan, we feel more in control. The anxiety we feel anticipating the unknown can be unbearable. The unknown will become known, and you will kick into gear and you will have a team behind you to take on whatever comes (a team right there with you, and a team here).
    Best, best, wishes for what comes this week.
    Kim
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #13
    Options
    POSITIVE ENERGY
    Hi Roger, I have no experience with a possible reocurrance yet, so all I can off is a prayer and a positve thought from my family to yours. You are correct in saying there are other members on the site who have taken on beaten much worse, and I know you will do the same.

    Stay strong!!

    Best!!!

    Mike
  • mixleader
    mixleader Member Posts: 267 Member
    #14
    Options
    soccerfreaks said:

    "I seen the needle and the damage done"
    (Neil Young reference)

    Roger, maybe they have already determined they can get to their spot with a needle? They tried that method with me, using the CT Scanner, having me lie in awkward positions, and just could not get past a particular rib. Now, my node was very small (4mm) so that had something to do with it, I suspect, and there was only one. Hopefully the needle biopsy will work for you.

    Ultimately, they used a VATS procedure (Visually Aided something or other Surgery) which is less invasive than the good old rib-breaking method, to get to the node (albeit a heck of a lot more invasive than a needle, for which the biggest concern, as I understand it is deflation of the lung, no small matter itself). I was told that if the node was mets from the head/neck cancer, they would not operate, considering that the cancer had spread and they could not know to what extent. If, on the other hand, they could establish it was new cancer, they would do a lobectomy. All of this was assuming it WAS cancer, of course.

    Odd what we wish for with cancer: I hoped to wake up missing my right lower lobe.

    Turns out it WAS squamous cell carcinoma, but they couldn't decide, or didn't want to decide, whether it was mets, because it was 'too small', they said. So they did the lobectomy.

    I am 5+ yrs out from head/neck cancer, and 3.5+ years out from lung cancer: NED.

    Best of luck!

    Take care,

    Joe

    Biopsy
    Thanks Joe. I love your musical references and in this case, it is surely spot on. I love that old song from the 'Harvest" album. Most of my favorite music in the world is sixties classics and 50's Doo Wop, although I also love classic country and many other types as well. Thanks also to everyone for their support in this very trying time. My doctors think they can reach this thing with a needle. My biggest prayer is that the PET was wrong and that this is just a false positive, but that doesn't sound likely. All of the bad things going on just don't seem so bad today while sitting on my deck on a beautiful day while listening to some great music and drinking a premium beer. I don't know how much longer I can enjoy a good beer, so it is especially good today.

    Roger

    "Take another little piece of my lung now, baby"....Janice Joplin...Or, was that "heart"?

Discussion Boards