Secondary lung cancer from no symptoms!

Most of us get diagnosed at stage 4. I also had no symptoms apart from one Sunday I felt a little short of breath and as I had a doctor's appointment on the Tuesday I mentioned that I thought I may be getting asthmatic. They acted really fast a d the following week I was diagnosed with stage 4 non small cell lung cancer. Absolutely unbelievable and I was in total shock. This was at the end of July this year.  What I have learned through all this is that it isn't curable but it is treatable. Its an awful shock at first but hopefully your mum will soon be receiving treatment and things won't seem as bad. Wishing you all lots of luck.

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like its one of the nasty cancers that presents no symptoms until its too late!

At least they had a bit more urgency with your diagnosis and treatment which is where my anger is sitting with the NHS. Yes, they're incredibly busy, but its already spread....and she's waited so long for appointments. Still....its not like it could have been cured a few weeks ago. 

I hope you're doing well and have found a treatment that is helping you. It really changes the lenses of life and reality, doesn't it! 

Best of luck for you too.

Xx

Hi...I was 'lucky' to get diagnosed so quickly but it was purely by chance. My doctor sent me to hospital as she couldnt hear breathing sounds in my left lung. When I arrived at hospital they gave me an x-ray and saw that my left lung was half filled with fluid. All my blood tests showed normal but they stuck a huge needle between my ribs and drew of 30 Mls of fluid which went of for biopsy. The following week I had CT scan and they'd already got the results back which showed cancer cells in the fluid. My treatment (immunotherapy) starter about ,2 weeks later. As I said, even though it's not curable it is treatable. I have read stories of people living with it for over 10 years and considering how many new medical breakthroughs there are, with a bit of luck people will be able to live even longer. It's as scary as hell but once you get your head around the initial diagnosis and treatment starts, things don't seem to be as bad as they first did. Xx

Thank you, that's actually reassuring. As much as I know that this constant heartache and constant tears won't last forever, it still feels like it could when I can't pick myself up at all.

Thank goodness yours was found by chance or who knows how long it would have taken to get your diagnosis!  Has the treatment been making you feel better in yourself? That's such an important part as normality is helpful.

Hi...I feel absolutely fine. My effusion has now dried up, I had my 3rd immunotherapy on Friday, and I'm looking forward to Christmas. I've started walking daily...I was doing 10,000 steps (about  4 1/2 miles) but since the clocks went back I've reduced it to 7500 as I don't want to be walking in the dark. (I don't do it all at once, I was doing 2 walks a day and now I just do 1).

I was also a smoker, I loved smoking...I'd smoked since I was a teen. I gave up a month before I was diagnosed as my dad got cancer and I felt guilty and stupid still smoking. 

The first month after diagnosis I cried and cried, my head whirled, I thought life had come to an end, and I was even considering sorting out my wardrobe so my husband didnt have too!

Now I'm thinking, sod this, I'm going to be as healthy as I can be, for as long as I can be, and I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that treatment works and new treatment will emerge that means we can just live with these dodgy cells!

Im always here if you want to chat...my real name is Gill, I came up with the name Elsie Slayer (L.C standing for lung cancer).  Even though the name make me smile it also makes me.sound about 95! :-)