Thymic Cancer

Hi, it’s really hard when you are first told.  I wasn’t told a life expectancy in that way, and it depends on what stage you are told you are at, but please be aware it’s not an exact science, in terms of staging, or of life expectancy. I had my tumour removed, and had radiotherapy.  What I wasn’t told initially was that the radiotherapy was to ‘mop up’ as the tumour had been ruptured when it was being removed.  After the biopsy results came back I was told I was stage two.  Have to say I was beside myself with worrying, and now in retrospect I can see I was making myself ill with worry. I then went on to have the usual periodic checks in respect of the surgery, every 3 months at first and then an annual scan with a check up with the oncologist. I had counselling and gave myself a talking to and tried to get on with my life.  When all this started, I was searching everywhere for information, and as it was a rare cancer kept getting nowhere, which added to the stress.  I met someone who was attending the same hospital as me, and he was stage four, had had lots of chemo, and was very unwell.  His life expectancy was just a couple of months.  To be honest, I would have liked to be more supportive as he was such a nice guy, but at that stage it really freaked me out.  I hadn’t been in contact with him for almost 3 years when I happened to be at the hospital last year and met him again.  So his prognosis hadn’t been accurate!!!  I can’t pretend he was well, in fact he was quite poorly, but like me had enjoyed seeing his grandchild growing for the past 3 years, so not all bad days.  In the meantime I progressed to annual checks, and all was well until just a week ago, following my most recent scan when they found a nodule which needs monitoring and I will have another scan in 8 weeks.  Obviously I am concerned, but feel reassured that it’s been found, and hopefully will turn out to be nothing of concern.  
Just over a year ago my husband started having problems breathing, and to cut a long story short he was diagnosed 10 months ago with stage 4 Mesothelioma, and given 9 to 12 months to live.  Like your situation to have a terminal prognosis was devastating.  At first he appeared to be dealing with it very well but as time went by, and his pain increased, he really became anxious and depressed.  After some months of fine tuning his pain medication and he is now on antidepressants, he is in a much better place than he was a few weeks ago.  I tell you about him, because again, I am aware from what I know of others with his type of cancer, there seems to be such a huge variation in what actually happens from person to person.  I have done a lot of reading about my cancer, my husbands, and cancer in general, and what the outcomes can be.  My life turned around when I had the counselling, I focused on my then newborn granddaughter, took up new hobbies, and did my best to turn things around in my life. I really believe that the power of positive thinking helped me through. I have every confidence that my oncologist will do everything she can in terms of my recent problems.  
As regards my husbands prognosis, we are having visits from our family doctor, the palliative care nurse, and in regular contact with the hospice nurses.  Next week he starts Immunotherapy, which is scary for us both, and he is of course worried about it, he has been told it will not cure him, it may help him through the rough times ahead.  It’s sooooo difficult with a terminal diagnosis, and although I am a cancer patient I just cannot, and no-one can unless it’s happened to you, understand how that can be for him.  Some days he can hardly do anything, walking, breathing, all a struggle.  He has had some very dark days, but since he has been on the antidepressants, his mood has improved, and he actually said to me yesterday that he is just going to try and get through one day at a time.  We are looking forward to lighter nights, lifting of lockdown so we can see our children and grandchildren. As we have basically seen no-one for the past 3 months as we are shielding. It’s a good thing they have found your partners cancer.  My best friend was ill a couple of months ago, had been in pain for a long time, and didn’t go to the doctor, and in 8 weeks she passed away.  Your partner will have the best of care, and if you can get to a place where you can deal with it you will help her.  She needs you to be there for her, I know you are upset, but like me, you have to concentrate on helping her through it.  Very best wishes.