On 2/24/2008 JRG2011 wrote:
hello my grandma has stage 3 or 4 small cell lung caner. We found out the day after christmas in 2007.
I just broke down.. here i am with my 55 year old grandma and were all in her hospital room after the bronchoscapy.. we have been talked to by the doctor.. but she hasnt. The hard thing was to keep my self from crying. We asked her if the doctor has talked to you.. she said no. So my grandpa says well.. you have a spot on your broncial tube going into your lungs.. its in the wrong place to do surgery, and it's cancer. All of us were afraid of seein her exsperession.. surprisingly she took it well.. she said.. I know i thought i did because them darn ciggaretts!
Then we had more tests done to see if it has spread.. test results: POSITIVE in the back, but no where else. She had her first chemo treatment the last part of january and she jsut had another one last week.. the first time wasnt any problem.. just sick for a couple days then fine. This last time was the horrible! She cant eat.. sleep.. shes weak.. and shes in alot of pain. she gets out of breath easy or its hard to breathe.. i cant tell.. but its really sad.. Any sugetions?.. Anyone know how long she has? Im so scared!! HELP!!PLEASE!!
Hello, I just read your story, like all stories here, it's so sad and my heart goes out to you. When I found out that my cancer had returned and was now in my liver, the one thing I NEVER did, nor ever will, was ask How long? Noone really knows and I dont' want a date hanging over my head. I don't want to go to bed everynight thinking, 3 more weeks. It's hard not to ask or wonder, but it's something to think about, do you really want to know that?
And don't give up. The first thing I did, before I ever even broke down, cried and screamed, was send out the news to everyone I knew, had them put me on their prayer list and to call everyone they knew and put me on those lists as well, and I'm not a religious person at all.
The next thing I did was begin searching. That's all I did for weeks. Search, read, go out get in the car and SCREAM at the top of my lungs, and then go back to searching. The best hospital, the specialist in Kidney cancer, the latest medicines, the newest trials.
There is SO MUCH out there. So many new things everyday. The last thing you want to do is give up. Let her give up. She is way to young to be ready to let go now. Not if there is any possibility whatsoever of anything that can be done.
My cancer doctor made me feel like, after he got the results of my biopsy, he had decided that my stage 4 RCC was to advanced, and he pretty much figured I was dead. I wasn't about to accept that.
Get copies of her medical records, find doctors out there that deal with lung cancer, send the records and beg. Ask questions, lots of questions. Ask about NEW drugs. MY chemo has very little side effects. Find survivors of the same situation as your grandmother is going thru, find out what they did, who helped them. Get family and friends to help in your search if possible.
That's what I did, and a Kidney Specialist that actually was part of the Torisel Clinic Trials before it was approved, personally called me after he recieved my letter, begging for him to save me, and he talked to me on the phone for over a half an hour. I went in and met with him. And him and his team began working on plans for... if this don't work... we'll try this... if this don't work... there is this.
The centers of my cancer tissues are dead now, and the tumors are shrinking. First of April we will know for certain, but as of now, it looks as if, for now, we have beat the cancer that pretty much had covered my liver 4 months ago. The largest being 11 cm was now only 10.3 a couple weeks ago at my last scan. Hopefully, it will be a lot less at the next scan.
The best 2, neither of which have I went to, yet anyway, are suppose to be John's Hopkins and the hospital in Houston TX. If either of them are close for you.
My heart just really goes out to you. I want so badly to see your grandmother beat this. If there's anything I can do, I'll try.
I wish you and your family the best of luck in this part of your life's journey. Remember every once in while to just Breath, smile and let your mind wonder to another place for awhile. Most importantly... Take care of you.
Lisa
Lisa