Hello, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer which had spread to my abdomen two and a half years ago. Never smoked so it came as a complete shock. I was started on Osimertinib which, after initial problems, settled and I have been consistently told that the tumours have shrunk. Until my last CT when I was told that they are barely measurable but nothing else. This is great news and I am very thankful but I don't know what happens next and I still find myself worrying about the future, my family and finances. I wondered if there was anyone that has also experienced this and maybe how they are coping.
Hi psyche, welcome to the group but sorry you have had to join us here.
That is wonderful to hear that the tumours are now unmeasurable, but I can understand your feeling of uncertainty. My treatment was different to yours, but my tumours are now very small and have been stable for 10 years! The first year of treatment was extremely scary, with a respiratory doctor initially telling me I had 6 months to live, straight to surgery, then radiotherapy and then finally hormone treatment. That first year was rough, but I have continued on my hormone therapy and have remained stable.
You can read my journey if you click on my profile picture it will take you to my profile page.
So what happens now? You will continue to be monitored, which is great because that is your safety blanket, they will pick up and small changes. But the hard part for you will be trying to get back to normal. It will be very hard to try and live your life as it was pre cancer, because it will always be there in your mind. Every new pain you get your brain races to the thought that it is the cancer, that is only natural. But you now must try to live your life, enjoy every day, try not to think that it will come back, because nobody knows if or when that will happen, so don’t waste time thinking of that! I get yearly scans now, and when that time approaches of course the fear returns, but we must try to enjoy life, and living a long life alongside cancer is possible !
