Afew questions if anyone can answer them

Hi ManchesterLady

So very sorry that you have cause to on here.

Like all of us on here, I have no medical training so can only try to help via my own lung cancer experience.

During my pre-treatment plan testing, one CT scan highlighted a suspicious area on my liver. I was convinced that it would turn out to be spread from the lung cancer. A subsequent ultra sound scan showed it to be a cluster of blood vessels (the liver is packed with blood vessels). So from the details on the second page of the letter, they are not sure what the suspicious area is hence the further investigation.  Unfortunately with cancer, there are lots of hoops to jump through before the medical team can get a full picture, so please try not to pre-empt the outcomes.  The further scans and biopsy will determine if it is lung cancer and what type.

Also you need to look after your own well-being. Just two months after having a baby, your hormones will still be all over the place. Do not be reluctant to seek help from family/friends and/or your GP/Midwife if things start to get a bit overwhelming.

Hope this helps.

Kegsy x

It’s a tough time I have a great support network with friends & my partner I just feel so helpless for my mum going through this ‘alone’ she’s a very strong woman who’s reluctant to ask for help or support so between us as a family we’ve rallied around her she’s literally our entire world and it’s crushed us all together

Im sorry to hear your going through this aswell but thank you so very much for sharing part of your journey with me.. I’m just trying to gather as many things and to try and understand what’s going on and how to brace myself for the next steps of what’s going to happen I need to be strong for my mum now, she has a pet scan next week and then in 2 weeks time goes for a biopsy which she’s told me she’s dreading, she has scarring on her lungs from previous pulmonary embolisms and she’s had covid is also an ex smoker with copd the X-ray has highlighted mild emphysema and bronchiectasis.

I think I’m clutching at straws in a hope so of the things found are some of those (she’s had this happen years ago and found to be a false diagnosis although I know this isn’t the case something sinister is definitely at work) kind of have that feeling that I’m dreading next week/but also need to know what’s what ASAP 

Hi

It is good that you have a strong support network at this time.

I was diagnosed and treated for lung cancer back in 2011. To date my cancer has remained stable i.e no sign of any active cancer cells.  There are many of  us on here who are surviving lung cancer, so never give up hope.

Kegsy x

That’s amazing to hear! 
Think that’s what I’m running off at the minute the power of hope! 

Thank you for your replies it means the world to me to hear something positive x

Hi Manchester lady, I’m so sorry to hear about your poor mum and her diagnosis. It’s all the waiting for the test results to come back . Everything seems to take 2 weeks in my experience ! ! It’s my mum who was diagnosed in March with lung cancer and My brother and I are her main support . I’ve a little girl, so I understand how hard it can be to try snd juggle both sides and try snd ge there for everyone . It’s exhausting and I find it’s worse trying to get to sleep at night when everything can be totally overwhelming . Then being tired the next day. Having a little baby is exhausting in itself . 
mince you get the diagnosis snd get to speak to the oncologist it makes things a lot clearer and get some sort of plan makes things a little easier. 
i still have nightmares about the prognosis ( mums is ? Not curable but ?? Treatable ) but then I get confused as to what does that actually mean. I guess everyone is different and responds to treatments differently. I try not to think too far ahead . 
I’m sorry , I probably haven’t been much help at all , but if you have any specific questions about anything or just want to chat I will try and help. Sending you big hugs snd lots of love . X

Fi x

It definitely does seem that way.. I’ve 3 children a newborn a toddler and a preteen me & my siblings are her support network aswell as her brother 

She’s unwilling to even let me go with her to her biopsy my uncle is taking her to the pet scan 
I just feel so helpless for her, she’s struggling to eat and has already lost a lot of weight 
I don’t understand how they can say they can’t “cure” it yet they don’t actually know yet what it is they’re treating, as I’ve said above it says suspicious on one page then “single liver met” on the next.. so which is it, is it suspicious or is it not
Im struggling to sleep and eat with it all I’m trying to juggle my babies with being there for my mum running errands shopping/Bill paying it’s not too bad with being on maternity leave but god knows what I’ll do when I’m back at work!
I hate seeing her so down but she won’t really speak about it I’ve tested the water and asked questions which she’s answered I’ve read her summary but I don’t want to directly ask her x/y/z I don’t want to cause her anymore upset then what she’s already going through.. she’s even started searching up prepaid funeral plans it’s literally breaking my heart (she doesn’t know I’ve seen that)

Praying to the stars that there’s some hope and things aren’t as bad as they seem 

Oh I really feel for you . I completely understand . She probably doesn’t want to give you more things to do ( my mum is always saying that she is taking me away from my family when I drive her to radiotherapy appts !!) I would do anything for her.... my mum is perhaps like your mum, strong snd independent and possibly hates to feel like they are being a burden, so used to being strong in the past . I think once you get all the test results back snd she gets a meeting with the oncologist with a plan , you will feel much better . Let me know how she / you get on . 
take care , 

Fi x

Hi Manchester lady so sorry to hear about your mum, it’s so awful going through this,

my mum has recently been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, Adrencarnomia in left corner of lung a small growth , but unfortunately spotting on the adrenal gland which straight away takes her to stage 4. As the cells have left the primary location, 

I found waiting a round for all the tests was the worse it’s the unknown, but once they confirm and they have a treatment plan in place you will feel a little bit better, 

my mum had a scan on the 6th April this year followed biopsies / pet scans / blood tests / breathing tests / 

 she starts her first round of chemo and immunotherapy next Tuesday, (1st June ) so it is a waiting game, 

my mum had no symptoms at all she went to the doctors for a routine Colestral blood test. They did a full

blood count and white blood cells come up higher and here we are now all these weeks later,

The reason they take a while  for the tests is they need to be 100% certain of the type of cancer , when we say lung cancer there are 2 types non small cell and small cell and then in those cancers there’s more different cancers, 

the biopsies take a while as they are treating them aswell to see if different therapies have a positive result to determine the best medicines, 

there’s so many people that live with lung cancer and have a normal life and medication to keep the cancer at bay, 

There’s people that have the cancer removed and it never comes back, medicine has come such a long way and there’s so much they can do, 

so many different therapies, 

try and be positive for your mum, as the mind is such a powerful tool,

this is such a hard journey for anyone to be on, 

the sleep part ,, I’ve not slept properly since April, I also have a 5 year old and work full time,  so I won’t lie about the sleep,

I’m sorry for the long reply but want to be honest,just  remember there’s so many people living with LC and live normal Healthy lives,  xxx lots of love to you and your mum xx

Thank you so much for your reply

My mums started with having a tooth out which wouldn’t heal.. she had a lot of problems with it and then just after my youngest was born (8w ago now) she started with a chest infection rang for another lot of her rescue meds and they sent her for a scan.. she had the scan may 8th and then had to have an X-ray the Friday after then the following Monday she was admitted with shortness of breath and chest pain.. 

On the bottom of the letter it says if histologically correct it is non small cell lung cancer 

I never knew that’s what biopsy’s where for.. 
My mums so breathless going up and downstairs it just kills me seeing her this way.. she’s such an independent woman she’s worked all her life (2 jobs) she’s not long paid her mortgage off she’s only 57 and now this!
How do you all stay so strong? I think I’ve contemplated downing bottles of wine (I haven’t that will solve naff all apart from having a sore head in the morning) 

We lost are dad to lung cancer 6m ago everything is so raw and fresh still 

Hi Manchester lady

im So sorry you lost your dad to LC this is an evil Disease, I to have lost my dad but he died suddenly of a blood clot through his heart he was only 46, I was 19 at the time, and believe  me this cancer journey is harder than that,

so with the biopsies they will take a while to come back but it’s to determine weather your mum’s cancer will have. A positive effect with different treatments, they wilL see if there are specific genes in the cancer which will work well with targeted therapy, there’s different treatments depending on the cancer,  with my mum because there is spotting on the adrenal gland they want to give her chemo as this will hopefully kill any cancer cells that maybe floating around the body, and the the immunotherapy will hopeful keep the cancer at bay/ shrink. It / make it go to sleep, and in some cases some peopel will be ok this medication and the cancer will Show NED no evidence of disease, , 

I cried all the time for the past 2 months hun, my mum would face time me and I be out with my daughter and I would start crying, I be at work and writing future dates down and I’m my head I will be thinking wonder if my I’m will still be around,  

What LG did your dad have ? Did he have any treatment? 

if you search on here there’s so many lovely amazing strong people battling LC. And all types of cancer, 

but the LG stories they are very positive and people are still on maintenance drugs, 

i will Be honest my mum Is only small, and she has lost about a stone in half she now 7.5 stone ,  she can’t sleep, and she not a pig with food , she never has been,  so what I would say about helping your mum focus on the things you can control, like making sure she eating well, make sure she eats all her meals and snacks and fruits inbetween, cuz depending on the treatment plan you want her to be strong and healthy , so this we can control,  getting more fruit and veg into her as much as possibly now before treatment, 

What I have learnt when reading and researching, shortness of breath on some people have treatment this goes away, 

my mum had no cough no nothing,  she had no symptoms or anything, 

I think in your mums case they will

get all the test results biopsies scan, device a plan, and treatment, 

As

awful as this sounds they know from the scans straight away if there’s not much they can do, I’ve had friends parents who have had small Cell cancer and have only had palliative care :(  

got to be positive for your mum, but as soon as u leave your mum you can cry and scream as much as you want, 

if you have children take the kids to your mums, this wil help as my mum loves seeing my daughter , xx 

remember the mind is a powerful tool , get your mum in to a positive mind, 

tell her mum there’s so much they can do these days, treatments and therapies,

we start the chemo journey next Tuesday, I am so scared , because then it’s another worry , will treatment work how ill Will my mum be,  but we got to go through we got to be strong for our mums, 

I wish I could offer better advice and I am here if you’re any to message about anything. Xxxxx