Newly diagnosed lung cancer

Hi AST21,thank you for your lovely message.Im afraid I'm not very good at sitting still, and living alone  I may have pushed myself a little too far mowing the lawn yesterday.I didn't realise how weak and easily tired I would feel plus I was being bullied by my next door neighbour before I went in hospital and the day after I returned home,the letters have started being pushed through my door again.I feel a little overwhelmed with feelings I'm letting down my doggies because I haven't the energy to walk them and the friend who offered to help is now feeling he deserves more than just friendship....Kinda wish I was still in the safe cocoon of the hospital ward.Unfortunatly I recently moved from Sussex to Dorset have no close family and the cancer diagnosis came before I've had a chance to make friends here.

I will just try and take it a bit easy ,I do have a pouffe I've been threatening to reupholster ,maybe distract myself with a bit of gentle upcycling..lol..

Sorry what a moaning Minnie .....just giving myself a snap out of it slap !!! LoL  what is your story and how are you doing honey ?x

It is so easy to overdo it as soon as you feel that little bit of energy but you will learn to pace yourself and yes lawn mowing was probably pushing it a bit! The fatigue will steadily improve and you will know when to give into it and rest. Try and have at least one proper rest ie lie down at the moment just to keep on top of it. The neighbours and the dog walking friend sound like a bit of a nightmare. Your dogs will just be glad you are home. I am doing ok still and managing to do more and getting back to normal. Results have shown all tumour removed with good margins and nothing in any of the nodes removed so no chemotherapy at the moment which is great. First re scan 3/12 after surgery. Look after yourself. x

Hi Lin , you are a silly ,mowing your lawn !  You need to build yourself up gradually and take a wee rest during the day , I know you said you're not good at sitting doing nothing but at the moment that's what you need , not all day and every day but listen to your body , if it's tired don't push it  . Take your doggies for gentle walks going a wee bit further each time .

As for the neighbours ignore them   they'll soon get fed up if they don't get any reactions from you . I had one like that what a mouthful I got from her and at the time I had my hose in my hand as I was watering my plants and I was so  close to turning the hose on her but I just smiled and ignored her she soon got fed up .

I had my 6 month scan and all is well blighter ( i don't  give it a name incase it thinks I want it to be my new bff ) is still shrinking but it hasn't went for a little walk to any other parts of my body so next scan is 6 months .

Take care x 

Good to hear you're home and safe. The neighbours sound like a royal pain and ignoring them seems like the solution, but we're not all built that way - I certainly have my guilt on a hair trigger and can feel bad for days when I forget to thank the till lady at Tesco so letters through the door would get to me too.

The doggies will forgive you once your wrestling in mud with them again but it's difficult facing pretty much any major event in life when you're alone. I've been struck by just how many of us are in that situation and how emotionally vulnerable that makes us.

The up-cycling sounds great - I spent a while collecting upcycling projects on Freecycle but bit off a lot more than I could chew so kinda gave it up and went back to bed instead :O) If you're stuck in and looking for ideas you might google the WEA who provide a really good range of creative courses on line.

All the best
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Hi Ludlow. 

How are you feeling? Sore, lethargic,  slightly breathless, very anxious.  I'm sure all these sound familiar. I also had VATS right upper lobe on 18th June. I am finding the whole experience tremendously frightening.  I couldn't take strong analgesic as It makes me heave all the time so paracetamol only. My lung hasn't inflated completely either do home with a flutter drain.  I didn't sleep in hospital and was hoping I'd sleep better once home. However,  first night was awful with no sleep at all and in absolute agony by morning- poor family putting up with a few hours of tears. I spoke to the gp who surprisingly px amitriptyline which is not necessarily a pain killer. I cautiously took the first dose last evening and have had the best sleep I've had in months followed by a reasonable day. My breathing I feel us not as good as before discharge, I have a dry cough when talking and find deep breathing exercises difficult due to tightness and soreness- trying to cough properly is impossible.  People keep reminding me, it's only been a week since surgery, to be kind to myself and take it easy. Mental health is shot, I'm hyper sensitive to every change but beginning to say to myself .. its been a massive shock in my life, this was very unexpected. Keep going   this time next month will be easier. 

Hi Lesg , that's the biggest hurdle over getting through the operation now it's time to build yourself up at your own pace , listen to your body and don't overdo things and let the family help you as much as needed .

You mentioned not sleeping , are you propped up or lying down ? I had a backrest plus all my pillows but gradually dropped it till I could sleep easily on just 2 pillows . Hopefully you'll manage to get to sleep at night now whilst on the amitriptyline . If you get your sleep at night it helps you cope during the day .

Take care x 

Thank you for your support and positiveness x

Hi Lesg, oh honey you are doing amazing if your only on paracetamol.I refused morphine as I didn't want to be found wandering the corridors talking to the furniture...but I was given a lovely concoction of oxycoden,ibuprofen,paracetamol  and trammadol given 4 times daily and topped up with extra liquid paracetamol.I came out with a supply of all except the oxycoden but seem to have the perfect regime for me , im comfortable enough that coughing ,deep breathing and now just 8 days on I had my first doggie walk ,slow but comfortable. Maybe you should have a chat to your oncology team nurses ,they have been amazing when I've been worried.I haven't had the worry of family but I do think we can feel we're burdening them which can lower your feeling of self worth..Your family although wanting to support,are not trained therapists but you will have experts at the end of a phone ,again ask your doctor your nursing team or Macmillan in your area or on this site..they again are incredibly supportive and deal with all of our panicky stuff in their sleep.I think we can all be guilty of trying to run before walking,just wanting normal life to resume ,it will happen.Get a good pain management system in place as pain brings fear and stops us exercising which the body needs to do in order to heal in the right way.Make sure you have  the right amount of lung secretion reducing drugs on board so your helping loosen the phlem that will be present after lung resection ,then you can expell that rubbish,your lungs can inflate and before you know it you'd have proved to the world you are a big brave hero and cancer can go do one !!!! X

• Thank you for being to positive.  My gp has just prescribed codeine so fingers crossed it will help. Sounds like you are doing absolutely amazing and I wish you all the best x

No Pain,everything to gain hon.Take good care and keep congratulating yourself for what you can do, ignore what you can't right now,.... it will come.  X