Any treatment

Hi Glenys  I am so sorry you have had this devastating news. I hope you have family or friends to support you at this time. 
Everyone is entitled to a 2nd opinion. You can ask your oncologist to arrange this for you, and don’t be worried about doing this, they are used to people asking for this and will arrange this for you. You could also ask your GP about this, but that will take more time as he will have to contact your oncologist by letter to ask, and we know how long these things take. 

Best option is to phone your oncologist’s secretary or the lung nurse if you have been assigned one, and just state you would like a 2nd opinion. No need to go into any more detail other than that, and they will arrange it for you. 

Good luck, let us know how you get on. 

But how do I get phone numbers, the hospital website is useless.

Hi Glenys

I'm sorry to read your predicament, it is very similar to mine. In November 2 I was diagnosed with a 1.3cm lung cancer in my left side. Only tiny staged at 1B. Pet scan report said it was Avid, Chest Consultant said "Red Hot" and Oncologist said agressive.

Due to a complicated medical history, chemotherapy is not an option. Where Larry (the Lunglump) is makes radiotherapy not possible, nor could I have a biopsy as Larry the Lunglump is in a precarious position and finally, SABR Radiotherapy was bandied about but the MDT (and I) ruled it out due to my inability to lie still. 

I know I am a medical nightmare so I went home and wrote a bucket list. My list was almost complete when pain took over and my back wouldn't let me drive the last leg of my journey to see friends and family, I was so close but my friends and I came to the same conclusion, this thing isn't in my lungs alone. Once home my palliative care nurse and consultant got me into the hospice for pain control and scans. In my case, Larry had moved his cousins, all down my spine and I'm currently awaiting delivery of a spinal brace for an unstable fracture. 

Why am I going into detail? Because I am a worst case scenario, I put on my big girl pants and made a list, and as soon as palliative care nurse and GP both said OK, I got in my campervan and went on a farewell tour. So now, as I sit in the hospice, I'm at peace with cancer, it is spreading, my spine is fully loaded and we are waiting to see if lymph nodes and other bones.

Take your diagnosis  and if you can, show it whose boss. Write a bucket list, mine was almost all travelling the experience was great, I called it the Fibi's farewell tour. And it was great, friends in Somerset held a living wake, which was such fun. I arranged my burial down to the last blade of grass and I have found it really cathartic.

We all have to find our own path through this illness, everyone I know with lung cancer has had it very differently and felt various emotions. I'm in the hospice waiting to hear how far Larry has travelled, he's a bugger but I'm going to change tactics,  no more bucket list, now it's paint flowers in the hospice's woodland walk, which is small but beautiful. 

If Doctors/Consultants say some treatments are not possible, ask about options and alternatives, they will have thought hard about your individual case, and will do whatever is possible for you.

2 weeks ago I put a post on here, worried, the support from everyone made things easier, especially when I had bad news. They're a good bunch. Sorry I wrote so much, it's probably not even going to make sense, I'm sure my mind is exhausted.  I hope you find the answers you need, they will never be answers you'd like. I hope you get some peace, my lovely, I found peace for a while, I've got to deal with a fractured spine right now, then I'll try again. Take care, and be wonderful xxx

Thank you, I think why I cried out was their reports seem to contradict each other, and I'm the piggie in the middle: not much spread, but too far to do anything just feels wrong.  

And coming from a line of long livers on both sides, I feel robbed - yes, I know it doesn't work like that!

They claim I'm frail, but when I check, I'm not.  That, before I gave up smoking 35 years ago, I was a heavy smoker, I wasn't.  It's as if theyr'e referring to someone else's notes, it doesn't make sense.  That I had bunion ops in my 40s doesn't sound relevant, where's the connection, for heaven's sake?  I felt damned before I walked through his door.

 Glenys I don’t know if your hospital will work in the same way as mine, but you should be able to ring the main hospital switch board and ask to be put through to the secretary of the Oncoligist you saw. Do you have a letter with his or her name on it? My appointment letters have my oncologist name and the hospital main phone number on there. 

Ill try it, thank you.  It's just I get disheartened with so much happening out of control.

Hello Glenys, sorry its a late reply been busy keeping on top of the home  needs while I had a clear week.  You mention a couple  of things that crossed my mind when being told the diagnosis and treatment for myself which raised feelings like you had. I am not frail but  have one or two minor issues that make life less easy. I felt like they were not seeing me the patient too, My notes still do not show the full facts but apparently I am average fitness so am to try the treatment proposed. My ADLS as called are still being over looked , I have around ten assisted living gadgets in my home plus disabled  adaptations I have paid for myself. Some people would not even know what ADLS were I guess. No one should be judged too quickly and totally agree whats the bunion op got to do with it ? I have a lung condition amongst other things but they are still going to treat. They do seem to pick on the minor  issues and overlook the most relevent. But I guess that depends on the doctor who sees you. I reminded my nurses  they needed to  keep records correct but they need to be relevant as you suggest. When it comes to managing alone its amazing how soon you can be come very able. On the side of the doctors they did not train to be pen pushers did they ? I wish you every best wish  take care and speak out if you have too to get a good outcome.