Don’t know how to deal with diagnosis

Hi SueD 

Welcome to our commuity, I hope you find it both informative and supportive.

I am Steve one of the community champions and my expereince of cancer is via my wife who has Leiomyosarcoma - though hers is now secondary in her lungs.

New to the Community forum is a bit like the welcome mat here where most of the community groups focus on individual cancer types or various experiences. You might like to look at and join our Lung cancer forum and perhaps your family might be interested in our Family and friends forum 

Just about everyone on the community will recognize the time from "we found something" to getting to discussing treatment options as being very difficult. Understanding next steps can be helpful and it might help to look at our pages on lung cancer to understand how it is diagnosed and treated.

Something I found quite helpful was looking at your emotions when someone has cancer as being able to recognize those emotions and accept them as part of our new normal helped me feel less overwhelmed.

<<hugs>>

Steve

Hi Steve thank you so much for the understanding and information. My head just now is mashed it’s like all my plans for the future are wiped out, will I see my grandchildren grow up all the emotions are so overwhelming especially as I feel absolutely fine.   I’ll take a look at the links thank you x

Hello SueD, and a warm welcome to the Macmillan community from me, although I am also sorry that you have the need to be here. 

You are at what many of us would say is probably the worst point of your so far short journey. A scan has shown something that shouldn't be there but you don't know exactly what it is. Most of us naturally jump straight to same conclusion, just as I did nearly 12 years ago, and assume the worst possible result. 

My journey started when I coughed up blood, which is quite alarming itself, and the short story is that yes, I did unfortunately have lung cancer but I remain alive, kicking, fully functioning, travelling the world in my retirement and doing more of less everything I want to.

Our lung cancer forum has many members and as Steve (src60 ) suggests I'd encourage you to join us. If you cut and paste your post as it stands and put it on there you'll find plenty of our friendly members to tell you of their experiences and help out as best they can.

I wish you the very best for now, do let us know if there is anything more you'd like to ask for now.

Derek.

Lung cancer forum 

Derek thank you so much it is a horrible experience and I find the waiting so frustrating. My gp has given me diazepam for night time and during the day I am still trying to work as a business advisor as normal.  I will now join the lung cancer forum.  Warm regards Susan 

I know exactly how you feel. I leant quite heavily on my job, using it as a distraction which worked for me most of the time. I only told one trusted colleague at first to ensure nobody else mentioned it to keep work a medical free zone if that makes sense.

Try to keep your chin up for now, the wait for information will soon be over and you start attacking it with all your might.

Thank Derek I’m also busy today getting our house in order one of those jobs you think you’ll do another time printing off insurance certificates house car appliance.  Household bills. It was the report my gp gave me with the words 6.5cm mass significant intrapulmonary mass lesion stage T2b whatever that means that scares the hell out of me. I feel absolutely fit and well apart from a tickly cough.  Appreciate you listening.