CancerCompass message board discussion started by Garcia on 1/31/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,20507,0.htm Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ I am 47 yo and was diagnosed with NMCLC in mid December.  The diagnosis came from a test i had due to another illness.  I was asymptomanic - felt fine. So this came as a complete surprise and I handled it quite well -asking the doc questions, not crying, talking to friends in a clinical fashion, etc,I have had the CT tests, the PET- CT test, the bronchoscopy, the blood tests.  Surgery is next week and a procedure called VATS - Video Assisted Thorasic Surgery.- is being used.(Three incisions around the tumor are made:   one for the video, one for the surgeon, one for the drainage tube. Hospital stay approximately 5 days.  Was told by doc this is the best kind of cancer a person can get.  Will probably have to do chemo afterwards (and lose by long curly locks!)  So I was okay with all of this - it is what it is, I reasoned.  But as the surgery date looms closer and I read entries on these on-line forums, I am getting scared. Two weeks ago I was rushed to the hospital with breathing problems and severe chest pains. The doc could not reason what happened. The breathing gets worse every day,  After completing a small activity, my breathing becomes labored and then the chest pain starts (like an elephant sitting on my chest stabbing me with a knife.) The nebulizer medication makes me shake so badly I have stopped using it.Please, if you have the time, could you  please drop a line and let me know if I am being unreasonable in my feelings or does everyone with cancer go through these feelings of fear and nervousness.  I have been sick most of my life with a variety of illnesses and have never been frightened like this.Thank you for sharing and for your time. Garcia Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT just stay strong, I had my upper left lobe taken out in July 2007. Non small cell lung cancer stage 1A NOMO. Trust me I know the fear you have and all the things you are thinking. I never thought I would ever get lung cancer because cancer dosen't run in my family, but boy was I wrong. I don't smoke any more (dumb me ) I should have never started.I know what you are going through is so hard and you feel like you are alone and no one understands, and some don't ,  but as long as you have some one there with you, You will be ok.  keep in touchJust try and be strong.                               Edith edithu Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT In Nov '06 I was diagnosed with nsclc stage IIIA - in early '07 I had concurrent chemo (carboplatin & taxol) and radiation for 6 weeks, followed by VATS, followed by 2 bouts of pneumonia.  My breathing remained strained until a bronchoscopy in Aug '07 which relieved it greatly .  My energy and hope returned until a CT-PT scan in Dec '07 showed more lymph node involvement.  Now I am on Tarceva, an oral chemo targeted pill, for the past 2 months.  I have weathered a few tough side effects, but am able to breath so much better now , and also cough much less .  My stamina is returning and I am able to enjoy more things that I used to do.  I do have to be careful not to overdo, because Fatigue will clobber me soundly.  I am planting a spring garden (small), but am overjoyed to have some of my old life returned.I am 73, living alone; doing lot of reading during my 'down' times.  I lost 35 lbs in this whole process and am trying to regain some of it, and rebuild lost muscle.  Walking is the best exercise, and most days I can walk 1/2 mile without stopping and with only a small increase in breathing - quite a change!   I visit many cancer web sites and magazines and so grateful for the many new treatments that are available, and more to come.  Stay positive and enjoy each and every day.  If you feel rotten, close your eyes and recall those wonderful moments of the past!  It works.  Best wishes to you.  STAYING STRONG is a very viable message!  You may write to me if you wish. RVdreaming Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 1/31/2008 Garcia wrote:I am 47 yo and was diagnosed with NMCLC in mid December.  The diagnosis came from a test i had due to another illness.  I was asymptomanic - felt fine. So this came as a complete surprise and I handled it quite well -asking the doc questions, not crying, talking to friends in a clinical fashion, etc,I have had the CT tests, the PET- CT test, the bronchoscopy, the blood tests.  Surgery is next week and a procedure called VATS - Video Assisted Thorasic Surgery.- is being used.(Three incisions around the tumor are made:   one for the video, one for the surgeon, one for the drainage tube. Hospital stay approximately 5 days.  Was told by doc this is the best kind of cancer a person can get.  Will probably have to do chemo afterwards (and lose by long curly locks!)  So I was okay with all of this - it is what it is, I reasoned.  But as the surgery date looms closer and I read entries on these on-line forums, I am getting scared. Two weeks ago I was rushed to the hospital with breathing problems and severe chest pains. The doc could not reason what happened. The breathing gets worse every day,  After completing a small activity, my breathing becomes labored and then the chest pain starts (like an elephant sitting on my chest stabbing me with a knife.) The nebulizer medication makes me shake so badly I have stopped using it.Please, if you have the time, could you  please drop a line and let me know if I am being unreasonable in my feelings or does everyone with cancer go through these feelings of fear and nervousness.  I have been sick most of my life with a variety of illnesses and have never been frightened like this.Thank you for sharing and for your time.honey all your feelings are validated. it is so scarey, the future is unknown, we are left to wonder, but remember god knew you before you were born and he knows you now, he is real, he is right there, we belong to him. let him carry you thru, we are never alone, when i went thru my cancer treatment i was in philly alone, but i wasn't alone, i had a big picture of jesus i ask him everyday to heal me, confort me ,be with me. my body belongs to him after all and he died for me, so really i am already healed....claim that healing grab it, stay close to god, take each day slowly, if you get afraid just call his name, when i look back, i know i did not humanly go thru this he carried me. and he will carry you, now that he has healed me it is not business as usual in my life, i have a whole new perspective that i could never have learned in any other school. and i still wake each day and ask to let me serve anyway he needs me, after all i belong to him, he gave me my life back, what else is ther. it is a journey, he is right there always.  god bless you   oh yeah i did not have hair for 2 years, and i was a hairdresser for 25 years, how about that slap....god showed me how uninportant that all is. now my hair is long and wild again,i look at it now and laugh.no more fighting those worthless issues, i got better thing to do. i am healed. praise him and i do everyday, thankyou for listening.     jusykitty Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT