Hello everyone, I've never blogged before so excuse me if I rant on a bit, I'm going to start from the beginning and hope things don't get too boring, so I will keep it as brief as I possibly can.
I'm a 42 year old male diagnosed with advanced lung cancer - adenocarcioma.
My dilemma started in June of last year with swelling joints and joint pain flitting around my body, my doctor arranged a rushed consultation at the Mineral Hospital in Bath. On consultation day the doctor examined me, and arranged for blood test's and explained the road I would probably have to go down for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis, he sent me for an x ray before I left as he noticed restricted breathing. After the radiologist had taken the x rays, she asked me to wait and she'll be back. On her return she sent me back to the doctor, who admitted me with pleural effusion. While in hospital the swelling and joint pain took over my entire body and I thought that I was going to end up crippled. The hospital sent me for a CT scan at the RUH in Bath and also to have some fluid drained (aspiration)? The scan showed nodes or nodules and my rheumatologist explained they could be rheumatoid nodules and they will scan and blood test me periodically to check for change and until they could determine the cause of the nodules they can't treat me with RA drugs.
September 2009 I was put on prednisolone (steroids) and almost immediately noticed a real difference in my pain and thought it either a coincidence or that I had actually been suffering from some virus and that virus had now passed.
After more CT Scans, blood test's and consultations I was made aware of the possibility my condition could now be lymphoma and they were referring me to see the haematologist in the RUH Bath. The haematologist told me he could put money on it that I wasn't suffering from lymphoma, which came as a great relief to me but he said he would send me for another CT Scan as it was worth while keeping tracks on my chest nodules. I returned to the heamatology unit for the results of the scan and was told of changes and new nodules/nodes appearing and he was going to refer me to the respitory clinic in Bath.
Two weeks later I had the appointment with the respitory specialist who made an appointment for me to have a bronchoscopy which didn't identify any cause for change within my lungs and arrangements were made for me to see a thoracic surgeon and a biopsy taken (mediastinotomy).
I had complications following the biopsy and was in severe pain and 13 days later ended up back in hospital where I was opened up again to remove a blood clot or hemothorax? Thankfully so far so good and the only pain I have is from the operation and a recurring pain in my left shoulder that has been plaguing me since April this year, my doctor told me it was muscle pain and to take paracetamol.
An appointment was made for me to get my biopsy results on 15th September when I was told the outcome and that basically they can't operate and the only treatment would be palliative chemotherapy, obviously I was shocked but it still doesn't seem to have sunk in yet. Apart from my shoulder pain and sometimes feeling tired I feel fine. I seen the oncologist last week and she informs me that chemo should commence in three weeks time and should I be interested I can take part in clinical trials of Fragmatin.
I have left out quite a bit of in-between bits in my story because I don't want to bore you nice people anymore than I have already.
I know the best people to speak to would be my GP, the specialist or the lung cancer nurse specialist but i do find it awkward to ask questions face to face. I did ask the prognosis and the specialist said it's not going to be days and days but it won't be years and years either and what I really would like to know is what's going to happen towards the end? I want to know if I will be in pain or feel ill, will I deteriorate quickly as I said before, I don't feel terminally ill but I don't feel 24 again either. Does anyone have any experiences with my condition and sorry if it hurts you to bring it up but I would like to know what's likely to happen to me down the line and I'd appreciate any help from anyone.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Richard
