New here - folks!

Hi Liveinthenow welcome to the group, but sorry you find yourself here. You are going through a terrifying time at the moment, not knowing what this shadow will be. I can understand your anxiety about the blood test, especially as you have had problems in the past. The hospital that I attend have used a near- infrared light wand to help find veins, I don’t know if this is something they have tried for you before ? Also make sure you drink lots of water before the test to pump your veins up, but no tea or coffee which do the opposite. 

Wishing you all the best for the 11th. Please let us know how you get on. 

Thanks. I'v completed 2 pre  biopsy phone calls so all systems go for the biopsy. As I had one or breast cancer 12 years ago I expect it to be similar. I was treared privtely  under a works insurance then and I had nothing but praise for the surgeon but I have to say they seemed to deal with it a lot more thoroughly this time so far. I'm going to the Alex at  Redditch which is where I met the lung surgeon so know it is easy to get there and parking is OK and last time I spoke to the MacMillan rep there who gave me a free car park pass which was unexpected but helps buck you up and was appreciated. I have the pre biopsy blood test and MSRA test tomorrow at Kidderminster. I've warned them I don't give up blood easily They brushed it off but we will see.

Thanks for telling me about the near infrared light. I've had them use ultrasound to find the veins in Worcester Royal.

It is hard to take in what is going on when I currently feel fine, no symptoms,  but it was similar with the breast cancer. I remember apologising to my breast when I had the biopsy especially when I found I needed the breast removed. I felt I had put it through unneccessary suffering but of course it was needed. At that time I took to singin ' Three wheels on my waggon and I'm still rolling along' a song from my childhood. I guess it is now Two wheels on my waggon!

I have heard from the lung nurse that the PET scan showed light around the shadow so again pointing to cancer but also around the thorax so now I will have a thorax ultrasound scan and some sort of brain scan. I am still waiting for the letters for those. My husband qustioned the brain scan saying,' Why, we know there is nothing there except sawdust' . (I know he is making me laugh about it). (Both my parent were lost to Alzheimers so that is more likely what they will find. I told them they should include the brain before but now of course they will be looking for signs of canc.er there).

Monday will be soon come and gone. Maybe I will take myself on  a virtual garden tour whilst they get the sample from me. I with my husband do gardening and garden tours at the local NT property where we volunteer, so I think I can give myself a virtual tour. Next week I will just go and enjoy the property as I can't do physical work for  week or so they say.

Just to say I had the pre biopsy blood test today and all went well. I put one of those heat pads on the back of my hand and the nurse said it had helped so she got all the blood they needed in a timely and fairly pain free way,  I am told it will take 2 weeks to get the results.But now besides my biopsy on the 11th I have another appointment in Worcester on the 14th this time with theThoracic Medical Services team lead. What is this all about? I don't know as they won't have the biopsy results by then. Is this meeting normal? Is this yet another team getting involved? I have heard nothing more about the thyroid light up on the PET scan or about the proposed brain scan . I plan to contact my lung nurse on Tuesday to see if she knows what this is for (as I will be busy with the biopsy Monday)

It may be the surgical team, I'm not 100percent, but both times I had the cancer and petscan etc I had letter to go discuss surgery, but I'm in Scotland I don't know where u live.i had all.these appointments within days of each other everything moved that quick .is that the same hospital u already attend? X

Have the spoken about surgery to you ? X

I thought I was being dealt with by a Dr Lal in Redditch and he would tell me what would happen next. Redditch comes under Worcester who are now dealing with Emergencies and Vascular problems leaving the rest to Redditch and Kidderminster, Kidderminster is where I had my x-ray original CT scanand blood test done.The PET scan was done at the QE Birmingham. This new team are in Worcester Royal led by Miss A. Menon.

No but I expected Dr Lal would do that after receiving the biopsy results and having their multi team meeting but that may not be until round the 25th September. Being optimistic I booked myself and husband a weeks coach trip to the Hebrides next May!

Live for the moment,something to look forward to and good on you for thinking positive, x

Thanks. When I went through Chemo for breast cancer I thought of it as a train journey aith stops at every new treatment followed by the tunnel of the bad days and the good scenery of the good days and before the next treatment we arranged a trop or something special to look forward to.That worked for me so tomoorow a magical musical mystery tour to Liverpool is planned, the day before the biopsy.

Your an inspiration ️ I pray all goes  smoothly  , iv had lung cancer twice had surgery twice was very lucky,I thot I was strong .but  you are living in the now ️ enjoy your murder mystery x