New to all this

I'm not sure that I actually have a question at this point - just looking for some support and advice I guess.  I'm actually writing for information about my mom.  She was just diagnosed with lung cancer on Wednesday of this week.  We actually don't know the exact type of lung cancer, what stage she's at, etc., yet becuase pathology reports and testings are not back - we only know that it is definitely malignant.  Doctor also saw some suspicious areas on her stomach and liver on her CT scan, so they also want to do a PET scan to check those areas and see if there are any others.

At this point, they do not know whether she is even a candidate for surgery - waiting on the rsults of pathology reports, PET scan, lung function testings (they also diagnosed her with emphysema), heart testing (she was also diagnosed with AFIB) - but doc said IF she is a candidate for surgery, they will be moving very quickly on this, so we all expect that when they make that decision, she will be in surgery in a matter of days, if not sooner.  Right now she has an appoitnment with doc on Wed afternoon where we are hoping we will get at least some of these answers.

This is all so overwhelming for all of us - my mom is a woman who rarely ever got sick - in fact did not even have a family doctor because she got sick so rarely - well, that and the fact that all the doctors she had called over the past couple of years were not accepting any new Medicare patients (very sad state of affairs I think when the medical profession's first questions now are What is Your Insurance rather than What are your symptoms and how can we help you? - but anyway, that a whole other topic for another time)  The last time she was in a hospital, other than visiting someone, was in 1982 when she had her hysterectomy.  She was a smoker for many, many years, but quit on her own, cold turkey about 5 years ago.  Other than asthma, which she has had for several years, and usually one case of a virus a year, she has been very healthy (or so we all thought)  She had been having trouble with her asthma over the summer and this fall  (as I have been too - I also have asthma and it was a REALLY bad year for allergies here) - and then she caught that bronchitis crud that the rest of the family got around Thanksgiving/Xmas time and never really got to feeling herself again.  Then Monday night, she coughed up a small amount of blood - it wasn't much, and it only was only the one time, but it was enough to scare both her and my dad so he took her to the ER.   It was there that they did a CT scan and first discovered the spots on her lungs - one on each lung.  It was also there that they discovered the AFIB.  The pulmonologist discovered the emphysema - I'm kind of guessing it was when he was doing the biopsies - as it was after that they he first mentioned it.  Her biopsies were done through a bronchoscopy scope - they actually were only able to acccess one of the tumors and it is the one that is located very close to major vessels and her heart - another reason they are not sure she's a candidate for surgery because of it's location.  They were not able to access the tumor that is up closer to her shoulder on the right side through the scope.

I really don't know what I'm asking here or what I'm looking for - I guess just looking for others out there who are either going through this horrible situation themselves or family members of people who are who maybe I can talk to, get some advice from, infromation from once we get more info from the doc, etc.  I want to be as well informed as I can about EVERYTHING about all this so I can be as helpful to my mom and dad as I can - not only in helping them with day to day tasks, etc., - but also in helping them to understand everything.

Also, if anyone can suggest any particular questions that we should ask the pulmonologist and/or surgeon, that would be greatly appreciated.  As I said, we are all just so overwhelmed right now and new to all of this - nobody on either side of the family has ever had to deal with cancer.

Thank you all very much.

[henry124]

as someone that just went through haveing my left lung taken out do to non small cell carcinoma in august 22 of 2011 i know some of what you are feeling. i hope that your mom has the lesser of the cancer as i did. i am back to work and feeling better than i have in years even though i have one lung. i workout and walk on a treadmill now which i something i would never do before. also im 43 years old which may have some to do with recovery verses someone older. as far as advice i say to get all test ran-xray,ct, and pet- because mine did not show on xray alone. im also new to this but i hope it helps----------ps i went to duke university for my surgery, if she can be refurd to dr Damico by her doc i think she would have a better chance. i hope what ive said helps and i hope she finds the best of care.  

[henry124]

as someone that just went through haveing my left lung taken out do to non small cell carcinoma in august 22 of 2011 i know some of what you are feeling. i hope that your mom has the lesser of the cancer as i did. i am back to work and feeling better than i have in years even though i have one lung. i workout and walk on a treadmill now which i something i would never do before. also im 43 years old which may have some to do with recovery verses someone older. as far as advice i say to get all test ran-xray,ct, and pet- because mine did not show on xray alone. im also new to this but i hope it helps----------ps i went to duke university for my surgery, if she can be refurd to dr Damico by her doc i think she would have a better chance. i hope what ive said helps and i hope she finds the best of care.  

[geminigirl1963]

thank you so much for your response.  We don't know yet what type of cancer it is that she has - doc could only say with certainty when he did the biopsies that it definitely WAS malignant.

We most certainly will be getting all tests, scans, etc., to determine if it has spread and if so, where and how much.  The doctor did say he had, on her CT scan, seen a couple of areas on her stomach and liver as well that looked "suspicious".  The only reason we ended up discovering this is because my dad took her to the ER last Monday night because she had started coughing up a small amount of blood.  Our whole family had had that bronchitis crud taht was going around at Xmas time and mom never really go to feeling herself again and then when she began the coughing of blood, dad took her in. It was there in the ER that they did the CT scan and found two spots on her lungs.  I'm not sure if they did a plain chest Xray at the same time or not - but I do know they did one the morning after her biopsies.  I'm very thankful the ER DID do a CT scan rather than just an Xray becuase I do know that cancers are not always detected through a regular Xray (as like in your case)

I'm glad you had a relatively easy recovery from surgery and that you're able to be so active - that's wonderful!  I truly hope if my mom does have surgery, that that will be the case with her also.  We do have some additiona complications, however, that may make it not as easy - for one, she's 74 years old, she has asthma (has had for years and so do I), she has emphysema (just diagnosed also), and she has AFIB (just diagnosed also) - and the location of one of the tumors is very close to major vessels and her heart - so she does have some other strikes against her.  But to her advantage, she has always been very healthy(with the exception of the asthma/allergies), right now she FEELS pretty good (other than getting short of breath and tired sometimes) and she's STUBBORN!!!  That stubbornness, I think, is going to deifnitely be helpful in getting her through whatever treatment they decide on.

Thank you so much for the doctor's name at Duke - that was one place mom had mentioned she would like to check into once we got all of our information about what we are facing, what they suggest, etc. - so having a doctor's name will definitely be of help.  Thank you again.  Mom also wants to check into the Cancer Treatment Centers of America up in Philly  The surgeon that her doctor recommends here locally is supposed to be one of the best - and both the pulmonary doc and the "regular" doc who was seeing her in teh hopsital both said that if it was a member of THEIR family, they would want this surgeon -- but she would like to investigate all options - which I completely agree with.  

Just out of curiosity - how long did it take you to get an appointmetn with this Dr. Damico?  Teh reason I'm asking is that mom's pulmonary doc has said once they get the test results back and they make the determination if she is a candidate for surgery or not, they are going to want to move very quickly - wo we kind of took that that once the decision is made, they want to have her into surgery in a matter of days to a week.  Of course, if it meant a better doctor or surgeon if we had to delay alittle bit, then it might be worth it, but if it woul take a couple o fmonths for mom to be seen at Duke, I'm not sure any of us would be willing to take that time.

Thank you again for all your information and advice - I most certainly will pass along Dr. Damico's name to her - she has an appointment with the pulmonary doc on Wednesday when we're hoping we will have some more answers - and maybe she can ask about a referral to Dr. Damico at that time.

If you think of anything else that may be helpful,. please let me know.  And please take care of yourself - I hope your recovery continues well!

[henry124]

i was told i had cancer on july 7 2012 and had the operation on 8 22 2012.  mine also was so close to the main arteries and vessels that the best was to remove the entire lung. have you thought about something called cyberknife radiation. that is why i got the referel to dr d`amico at  duke. and yes age did help me im sure because i was not unhealthy any way but got luckiest in the type of cancer--it being slow growing-- i also was coughing up massive amounts of blood --- wishing the best for your mom and family      

[henry124]

  july 7 2011 and aug 22 2011 that is . im sorry

[geminigirl1963]

Thank you again - your information is most helpful and reassuring.  It definitely makes me feel better knowing that your cancer also was very near major vessels - not that I want anyone to have to endure this - only because it gives me some hope that they may be able to operate on my mom - and location of the tumors alone probably won't throw her out of the running for that.

I seem to remember hearing about cyberknife radiation somewhere - could have even been on a tv show - but I don't know anything about it - will surely do some research on it now though - thank you.

It also makes me feel better that you were able to get into Duke so quickly to have your surgery - I konw they are definitely one of the best places around for cancer treatment and mom has already mentioned she would be interested in going there (even before I go Dr. Damico's name from you) - but we were worried that it would take a long, long time to get her in.  Knowing you were in and had your surgery in a little over a month, is great.  I'm going to pass along Dr. Damico's name to my mom so that she can take it with her to her dr. appointment on Wednesday.  That way she has it right there if her doc says she is a candidate for surgery, perhaps he can call Dr. Damico's office immediately to see about getting her in.

Again, thank you so much for your help, advice and reassurance.  I continue to wish you the best for your continued recovery.