Bugger

Hi Catdad

i am sorry that you’ve been given this news. It’s stressful,. ,frightening and a lot to process.

Take some time for you to take in what’s been said and talk here if it helps. 
I found telling my children the hardest thing especially as my youngest bursts into tears, she feels that emotion needs to be let out and she’s a therapist I on the other hand feel I am making her cry. So I know where you’re coming from 

You could just take a little time to find out from your team their plan. 
The recent scans maybe nodule that’s harmless. I’ve had bowel cancer then a call back for lung. I had two primaries. Bowel then Lung so it’s not always a spread 

I am hoping that you have some positive news from your medics. Keep chatting here if it helps

Best wishes

Hi Catdad 

Really sorry to hear that .

I think it might come down to volume of disease ! Lung mets can be very slow growing . It took seven years after the primary being removed for my mum’s to be identified and they had been watching them for two years . You might find out as this is pretty common practice that they had seen something in earlier scans but it’s too soon to say if it’s disease or not . It gives them a feel for the rate of growth . My mum’s been stage 4 from diagnosis but her lung mets grow at a completely different rate to her liver mets . 

Once you know more about volume of disease etc you will be able to weigh up your options . My mum had three lung nodules but only one was cancer . This was removed via vats and home two days later . Others like Marianne26  used radio frequency ablation which is less invasive and as Artsie said my mum’s surgeon also state they don’t always know what it is . Has your CEA risen ?

14 years after diagnosis she has a lung spread ! So late in the day but it’s still responding to a biological agent only which keeps her quality of life without doing chemotherapy . 

I think if it is a spread it’s about stabilising the disease and finding a way in a maintenance setting to control it as a chronic condition .

In terms of the disease done to your heart and operations . They are inclined to work in partnership with cardiologists and anaesthetists and decide if it’s viable . They thoroughly investigate the possibilities . 

It’s a shift for sure and it’s also more intervention of some sort and who wants that but for some it’s controlled. 

In terms of telling family . I would keep them involved . I have always known mum’s prognosis even when she did not want to but I view it as a chronic condition and can assure you many that showed her pity over the years she is now in a better physical condition than .  So you just never know .

They had to do a pet scan to eliminate the cancer from benign nodules .

Also clinicians view thing differently . I thought my mum’s two cm lung nodule was big and she has lymph nodes around the same size but she classed this as small . On reading up I think lung nodules are often bigger before they even become a problem . Now it’s shrunk to half its size it’s not causes many issues in her lung .

You will get more information and a better feel for it as the scans come in but framing it as a chronic condition works for me as family . 
take care ,

Court 

Hi Catdad

Regarding your question about telling people, I wondered if breaking the matter down into smaller parts may help you make the decision that is right for.

For example:

• What support would you like from the family?
• What family dependencies on you are there?
• Could you be stronger together?
• What do you fear by not telling them?
• etc

There is no right or wrong choice. It is your world, your health and your information to share only as you wish.

Hope your next tests and consultant review help give your a more reasuring pathway.

Sending a virtual hug