How I feel with my diagnosis of lung cancer

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Hello all I’m Donna 

here is my story soo far I called my GP with a croaky voice she referred me to a ENT specialist and sent me for a X-ray on my Chest I was very confused by this anyway I had my X-ray on 21 sept 20 on the 22nd I got a call saying my go wanted to talk to me I was so scared she called and said they had seen a mass on my left lung then it started I had CT scan MRI scan and a BIOPSY on my lung I got called from the lung clinic to say could I come in next day I was omg this is it anyway he told me I had inoperable lung cancer and would be referred to a oncologist I see him on the 2 nov 20 he showed me a picture of my cancer and we decided on a plan I was to have radiotherapy for 4 weeks plus chemotherapy at the same time for 6 weeks he told it would be tough but I’m only 53 and otherwise fit so I was due to start on 16 nov 20 on 3rd nov he called and said that my treatment was gonna be a week after now as I had not had a PETSCAN yet which was due on 14 nov so off I went for the pet scan so right up to date on Wednesday just gone his secretary called and said doctor wanted to see me before my preaccessment which was on Thursday could I come in at 9am next day I FELL TO PEICES I never slept all night cryed in my husbands arms told him this was going to be bad news my son picked us up off we went to see the ontology he told us the worth thing we could have heard I have we then had to tell my son 33 and his wife and babies 15 13 11 9.  It’s them my heart is breaking for  we have decided to live everyday to its fullest and make the most of what time we do have    My husband and my family are my everything it’s them I feel I’m letting down   I am started a weeks radiotherapy tomorrow to ease som symptoms then we will see what the next step is    

My heart Two hearts is broken but I’m gonna try and be strong for my wonderful husband and son and grandkids don5 want them to ever see me sad if I can help my husband can be the one whose shoulder I cry on thank you Huggingr listening Hugging

  • Hey Donna

    Deeply sorry to hear about your diagnosis and journey to date but welcome to our little community - you may also benefit from joining the incurables as we ALL know what's what there (click one the mug icon next to my username SiT and scroll down - you will see the groups then click on "Living with Incurable Cancer" and join up. We prefer to be known as "The Incorrigibles"...)

    Whilst your diagnosis is not something anyone in their right mind ever wants to hear, it doesn't necessarily mean that all hope is lost...

    We are very definitely in the "Golden Age" of cancer treatment with new options coming along at some pace - consider my own situation; I was given 2-4 weeks at diagnosis and that was in April! My Clinical Oncologist has just booked my 9 monthly scans for January so if he is looking ahead the least I can do is get on board too!!!!

    Both this section and the incorrigibles are populated with many kind souls who have much experience in this wicked disease and will gladly give anyone who asks the benefit of their knowledge so please try not to lose heart...

    Stay Strong

    SiT

    Stay Strong

    SiT

  • Hi Donna 

    Sorry to hear your news.Its a awful time at first to get your head around,and it’s so unfair.I hope you get your treatment sorted soon then you can move on.Waiting is the worst.

    I know how you feel about telling your family it’s the hardest part.I have a call tomorrow about my treatment to find out what’s next.I think it’s not going to be good as the chemo didn’t work.I just keep trying to put it at the back of my mind but I know I have to face it.I will be fine when Its done.

    Good luck with your treatment I’ll send you a hug Hibiscus

    Each day a blessing stay strong 

  • Thank you so much this means a lot to me Heart eyes

  • Thank you for your words means a lot to know people are here to chat to and know how I feel Heart eyes

  • Hi Donna, welcome to the group, but sorry you find yourself here. The early days of diagnoses are so scary. Telling my children was the worst thing I have ever had to do. My youngest was 13, and she literally ran away from me. Remembering now, 6 years on is still painful. I had radiotherapy, and it really did help with my symptoms. At the time my breathing was so difficult, as I had a main tumour at the top of my right lung, that had broken through into the bronchial airway. I initially had that removed from my airway (they put a tube down my throat and took it out that way) but 2 weeks later the tumour in the lung dropped through the hole into my airway again. That was painful, and I was struggling to breath, and ended up in hospital on oxygen. They could of operated again, but decided to try radiotherapy. Within 2 days of starting the treatment my breathing had improved, and by the end of the week I was discharged from hospital. There are of course side effects with radiotherapy which the hospital will discuss with you, but for me it is something I would do again if I needed too. 

    Good luck, keep us posted x 

    Chelle 

    Try to be a rainbow,in somebody else's cloud
    Maya Angelou

    Community Champion badge
  • I’m on day 3 today not been too bad only 3 to go I’m hoping it helps with symptoms for me too like you telling my son and grandkids was hard first I was going to get better now I’m not my son is in Huggingeces and so are his children we will all learn to live with it as is still only less than a week so it’s all so raw I’m glad I came here it’s better to talk with people that know thank soo much Hugging

  • One step at a time. So you are already half way through the radiotherapy.  Radiotherapy continues to work for quite a few weeks after the treatment has finished. For me it was about 12 weeks. I had a sore esophagus so eating became uncomfortable, and I was also very tired. The best description is, it’s like having sunburn on your insides. I also had a sunburn mark on my back and on my chest, a perfect square. Because it continues to work, and do it’s magic, for some time, they probably won’t scan you for a few weeks, they will wait until they can see the full benefit. Radiotherapy alone shrunk my tumours by 50%. I too was told I was incurable, but I don’t say that. I say I am living with cancer, and I have been for 6 years now.  

    I was thinking about your grandchildren. As I said before my daughter was around their age, and she actually had some counselling which was arranged through my Macmillan nurse, but we also made her welfare officer at her school aware, and they offered her counselling and support there too if she needed it. 

    Chelle 

    Try to be a rainbow,in somebody else's cloud
    Maya Angelou

    Community Champion badge
  • ok my near path and journey starts now 4 sessions of chemo and immunotherapy starts 17 dec 20 onwards to the place it takes me i will not let it win is too early for leave 

  • Good luck for the start of your treatment on Friday. Hope it all goes well for you. 

    Chelle 

    Try to be a rainbow,in somebody else's cloud
    Maya Angelou

    Community Champion badge
  • Hi D

    Do you know what the drugs are?

    I too am a Thursday boy altho' my next infusion is Xmas Eve.

    With me, initially the 3 drugs took 7-8 hours with flushes before, in between & after, then after the second infusion they halved the the time for the last two sessions and then only one hour when I went on to just the Atezo and two infusions after that down to just 30 minutes!!! I'm in, out & fully dusted in about 40-45 mins including flushes now... Not the day out it used to be, barely time for a cuppa... (hahahaha - C19 humour!!)

    When I look at all the other patients in the treatment centre who can be there for hours & hours or even days on end, I feel like a bit of a fraud even though at the beginning I was only a few days from dying... Odd that, isn't it?

    Stay Strong

    SiT

    Stay Strong

    SiT