Upcoming surgery resection or lobectomy?

@skm101, I'm glad that you were able to get the information that you needed to make a decision to schedule the surgery. That's a big step, be proud of yourself. It's normal to feel scared, as this is a big step, but try to remember what led you to the decision and remind yourself of that when you are nervous about what's to come. Hugs!

I have read that pet scans can light up in areas where you have inflammation, it’s not only cancer that does this…I truly understand how you are feeling, It’s frightening and confusing making you feel like there’s no control here. I want to assure you that it will get better, everything takes time and for people going through it a nightmare. They are going to do a biopsy and if’s cancer they will remove the lobe. It sounds like they have a good plan for you and will be taken care of. I had a upper left lobe removed in 2020 and two years later I had a wedge section removed from my lower right lobe. I’ve read many stories about this and every one is different but at the end of the day it all works out, all the best wishes for you.

I had a VATs wedge resection of my left lower lobe at Mayo, Rochester recently with Dr. Reisenauer and her fabulous Thoracic Surgical team. I have 3 small incisions that quickly healed.

My GGO (ground glass opacity) was diagnosed in 2020 and slowly grew with each annual CT scan. My lymph nodes enlarged on my scan in Sept 2023 and the GGO developed a semi-solid component. My PET scan from head to toe only lit up the semi-solid 8 mm portion in 19 mm GGO.

I decided not to do the bronchoscopy and biopsies first. I opted for the wedge resection with lymph node sampling during surgery with Pathology in the room to do the diagnosis. The semi-solid component was stage 1A adenocarcinoma. The lymph nodes were negative and my margins were clean. I was admitted in the morning, had surgery, and was discharged at noon the following day. I spent two days at a local hotel and flew home using Delta's wheelchair service to get me through the airport without any complications.

I am doing well recovering at home. It is a painful process to heal, but I take my pain medication and I try to resume normal daily activities without lifting, and rest.

I started training myself in my home before surgery by walking 3-5 miles in my house, stretching, light hand weights sitting in a chair, and leg strengthening exercises, under the guidance of Physical Therapy. This really helped with my recovery. I am starting my third week of recovery and I can drive a short distance to the store, do lightweight household chores, and garden for short periods. The pain across my chest is what bothers me the most right now.

I am also following the cancer fighting food suggestions in Dr William Li's book "Eat to Beat Disease".

Best of luck to you with your surgery. I have a friend who is a retired college football coach and he had 3 lobes of his lungs removed at different times. He is still going strong 5 years later.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Oh that fear of the unknown that's so scary & anticipating it all. I was watched for 3 months for an 8mm nodule on my right lower lobe. After 3 months & a PET scan that lit up , they attempted to do a biopsy, but it was aborted due to bleeding & wouldn't attempt another one. Considering my age 69, a life long smoker, cancer in my family (but not lung), my option was a lobectomy. I went for it. I had no lymph node involvement & was stage 1A. The recovery has been hard for me since January. I have bad back pain & after 3 months, chest still hurts. It's hard to do certain things like lifting, bending, even coughing still hurts, but I'm fine. Had my 3 month CT yesterday & all is good. I walk every day with my dog & pace myself. I do have mild COPD. You'll do what's right, trust your doctors. I had a robotic surgery, it was scary, but you'll do fine. I just figured, 'gitter done'. Best of luck to you!!

@skm101, by now you've probably had your lobectomy. A lobotomy is a COMPLETELY different surgery, done for different reasons. 🙂 I had an upper right lobectomy in 2018, and I have a hard time even finding one of the scars today.

I've been through a diagnosis a few times now. In my public Lung Cancer Awareness and Prescreening talk, I call that time "The Whirlwind". Your doctor knows you have cancer, which is fundamentally a group of fast-growing cells, so they want to remove it ASAP. And we're not Oncologists ourselves, so we always feel overwhelmed. Your feelings are natural.

Medicine is not an exact science. When they say the biopsy could be inconclusive, it means they're not confident in getting the right cells. None of our current scans are good enough to give an accurate 3D reconstruction of the target. And, as was already said, a PET scan lights up for inflammation, infection, and metastasis. That's why the instructions include 'no strong exertion for 24 hours before the scan'.

In answer to your last question, it probably depends on where the lymph nodes are. If they're in or near the lobe they are resecting, then they will come out. At least, that's what happened to me. However, I'm not an M.D.

The great news is that once the surgery is over, your doctors will have the cancer! They will be able to send it to a lab and find out what type it is. Make a note to ask. Lung cancer research has finally progressed by leaps and bounds in these last 10 to 15 years. Today, we have targeted therapies like the Osimertinib (Tagrisso) that I'm on. One daily pill, and I get on with my life. I'm 3.5 years with Stage 4 lung cancer and still working full-time supporting NASA, walking my dog, building and planting gardens, and having fun with my wife. I'm one of the minority that says, "Go Big Pharma!" lol

All the best to you. You found a good group. There are a lot of sympathetic survivors here who are happy to listen to your story and share theirs. If you want more, then check out go2.org and their monthly "Raising Hope" online session. When you have the time, let us know how you're doing.

I hope all is well after the surgery. I had a lower left lobectomy in 2023. I have stage 3 lung cancer (ALK). Just do whatever your body is telling you to do- It knows what it needs.

Yes, they are very different. I'm sorry I didn't spell it correctly. You made me smile!

Me too, I had Dr. Reisenauer. In my case locally the Radiologist refused to do a needle biopsy. He said it was too dangerous and he couldn't get enough sample. I sent my scans to Mayo and a few weeks later had surgery there. They told me 80% chance it was cancer, and I had sampling and VAT surgery wedge resection for removal in one sitting. Much more convenient. I was driving my car in one week. It was a stage 1b cancer.

@vic83,
Thank you for sharing. I'm glad your surgery was successful. When was your surgery?

I am attempting to wean myself off of Tylenol 3 weeks after surgery because I have chronic kidney disease that is stable and I don't want to further damage my kidneys. It is hard because I have pain across my chest. Do you still have pain after your surgery?

I am doing the gentle exercises that the Mayo Thoracic Surgery messaged me. They are really helping me regain my range of motion in my shoulders and arms.

Did you have biomaker testing done on the tumor? Are you on any other therapy?

My first VAT was Dec 2021. Of course I was careful how I moved until fully healed. The numbness (like a tight bra) lasted four months and then went away...weird more than painful. They did the Mayo complete solid tumor panel which is hard to understand.