I am new to all this & feel completely alone & devastated that my husband has been diagnosed this week with lung cancer, he also has it in lymph node 2 so will need an operation to remove it then more treatments presumably chemo. To add to this he has Smouldering myeloma & a few other minor issues.
Its all so frightening & as my husband is the one that’s always been there to support me with my numerous ((not cancer) health problems I don’t know how we will cope. He was fit & very healthy before all this was found after a routine x Ray when he went to the GP with a chest infection.
Its early days as he was diagnosed on Friday after CT & PET scans, bronchoscopy, biopsy, blood tests etc. I’m terrified & would appreciate any help, advice & support this community can offer. All the forthcoming appointments & treatments have overwhelmed us . Thanks to anyone who replies
Hi Kernowp, Welcome to our group you will find a lot of help here, First of all you will feel better once they give you a plan , I was diagnosed last August , I had a lobectomy right bottom lobe, which all went well, I was lucky that they deemed me fit enough for the operation even though I had lost a lot of weight , I did however have to have 4 rounds of chemotherapy , and I won't lie it was quite hard .I was very anxious , It's a very scary time , but I got through it ,It was a year last month since my operation I had a ct scan and everything looks clear . Your husband is very lucky to have you to look after him, so stay strong ,it's just as hard for those doing the caring ,as my husband will testify. I hope this helps , take care. Ellen.
Hi Ellen, thank you so much for your reply. It’s very kind of you to take the time & I really appreciate it. So pleased that your latest scan looked clear, must be a huge relief for you.
A couple of questions how long were you in hospital for after the operation & how long did it take to recover before the chemotherapy started. I realise everyone is different but this is something that’s worrying me.
Im trying to stay strong for my husband but it’s hard as one thing I suffer from is acute anxiety! He’s looked after me for a number of years & I worry I won’t be strong enough to care for him through gruelling treatments.
best wishes to you Helen
hi helen. when was diagnosed i was at stage 3. told could not operate but was treatable still here over 3 yr later. lots of new stuff out now making life spans longer. wish you and your husband all the best take care. if you click on names it takes you to profiles were you can read about most of us.
Thank you Derek, I really appreciate you replying. Do hope you continue to get good treatment . It’s comforting to hear from people like yourself as I feel so worried & anxious about my husband .
As im so new to all this & never been on a forum before can you tell me where I find the names you mentions? Sorry to ask.
Hi Helen, I went into hospital 16th october I was in for 3 nights, it was Bristol Hospital and they were brilliant, It takes a few weeks to recover , cant do anything the first week , then the next week walking a little on the flat , and gradually building up from there , my first chemo started on 27th November and I finished end of February, please ask any questions and I will try and help. Let me know how he gets on best wishes Ellen.
the names helen are above our posts, TC darlo clicking on it will take you to there profiles if they have filled it in.
Hi Ellen, thanks so much, it just gives me an inkling into what’s ahead. I’m sure I will have more questions to ask as we go along. My husband has now caught a really horrible cold & the GP has put him on antibiotics to try to prevent it going on his chest. There’s just so much to worry about since the diagnosis. He’s also got Smouldering Myeloma, & May need a sigmoidoscopy as they’re not sure whether the scan shows diverticulosis or if it’s more cancer! I can’t believe he’s gone from perfectly healthy to this in a matter of weeks.
Best wishes & good luck for continuing progress. Helen
Hi Kernowp
Welcome to us but sorry to hear of your husbands diagnosis.
It is really good that they are talking about surgery for it and lots of treatment options.
I know it seems like it's all coming at once but please do not get too caught up on it and how quickly it has come. Often people do not get symptoms for quite sometime, so when they do discover something and start looking into it, it is common that it seems to go from I felt fine a few weeks ago to this. It likely has been there for sometime and now they are doing all the tests, they are being thorough.
I had a sigmoidoscopy too after diagnoses due to something showing on the PET. It was a polyp and they removed it during a subsequent colonoscopy and it didn't affect anything.
Please speak to your GP about your concerns about taking care of you and your husband. He should be able to put you in touch with any support you may need.
I hope things settle a little for you once the full image becomes clearer and keep asking the questions as you go through. One of us at least likely had the same question or worry at one point and will be happy to see if we can help.
Hi Gina, Thank you for your reply & the advice. It’s very kind of you & I really appreciate it. I’ve spoken to my GP & she’s been very helpful. I’m also going to see the Macmillan team when my husband has his next hospital appointment.
Hes now gone down with a horrible cold which we’re keeping everything crossed that it doesn’t go to his chest!
With all good wishes to you, Helen
Hi Gina, my husbands just had a very vague admin clerk on the phone telling him he’s got the sigmoidoscopy on Sunday. As he’s had nothing in the post he’s got no information on the need for prep & whether it’s sedation in which case we will need to get a driver!
Can you tell me what you had? I know it may be different here but with my anxieties once more in overdrive any information would be appreciated.
Best wishes Helen
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