1 cm lung cancer tumor with COPD & emphysema: Anxious

Oh that's just great. I am so happy for you. I wasn't able to have a biopsie for some reason so surgery will determine whether it is cance or not. I hope not but I am just thrilled for you. I have no cough or symptoms. I speak with a pulmonologist on monday then a nuclear stress test on Wednesday and if that goes well the surgery the following Tuesday.

In the meantime I am walking, exercising and reading and loving everyone I know as much as I can.

Just thrilled for you

Hi, My name is Lisa. I know anxiety can eat you alive and cancer is all you can think of , I used to wake up every morning and the first thing I thought was, I have cancer. I couldn't even say the word without crying. Heck, I even wrote letters for my husband and son to find in case I didn't make it. The best thing you can do is talk and ask questions, someone will always have your answers and let you know you are not alone.
The way everything started for me was that, I race cars on the weekend and crashed into the wall and was flown to the hospital for care, during all the tests you go through, they done a CT of my chest and found a suspicious nodule to be followed up in 6 months it started out as a 1 cm solid pulmonary nodule in the superior left lower lobe, with small adjacent nodules. Bronchial wall thickening. My doctor ordered a PET scan in the 6th month. It was positive, so a biopsy was done,
DIAGNOSIS;
Malignant; non-small cell carcinoma, favor squamous cell carcinoma.
I got in the car and screamed all the way home, then when I had got to a point where I could think, I started searching, asking questions and just felt like I needed to talk to people who have been where I am, and it took away a lot of the panic of where I thought it had to be removed NOW or I'd die, I talk to my doctor who said, look cancer is scary but we have come so far in cancer treatment that this is just a bump in the road. My surgery was done in May of last year, they removed the lower left lobe of my lung and 6 lymph nodes, one of which was positive for malignancy. so it turned out to be a stage IIb, so I had 4 rounds of chemo and my next CT was negative. I have another CT scheduled for April.
Through everything I kept remembering that its just a bump in the road and I'm not alone. So if you have any questions that you want to ask please do. If you want to talk we are here, talking seems to help the most for me.

Hi Lisa:

So sweet of you to take the time to write.

All of my doctors and friends have said the same thing. My point of view is whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I have lived through a great deal in 75 years. What always seemed like the end always, and I mean always, was a rebirth.
I am kind of obsessive and tend to depression. Maybe not depression but sadness based in some regret of something I said or did or didn't do. I have lived all this time in that way. I have laughed and cried, mourned and celebrated. I have known sorrow and great moments of joy. This is the way of life.

Thank you again and I am so pleased for your healing.

Frank

Welcome @linr, I'm glad they didn't find cancer cells. That's good news, but those lung nodules can be made up of many other scary things too. AFB, acid-fast bacteria, could be tuberculosis (TB) or another mycobacterial infection, correct? Would they treat that with an antibiotic?
How did the surgeon appointment go? Are they still talking surgery after seeing the result of the biopsy?

Hi @lisam3x50, Welcome to Mayo Connect. You have quite an inspirational story and outlook! I agree cancer is scary, but there's never been a better time to have that diagnosis. Research has led to advances in lung cancer treatment in the past 10 years. There's still a long way to go, but it's all progress! I'm glad that you're feeling well and hope your scans continue to be clear.

Hi thank you my surgeon appointment is tomorrow morning. Unless he has a good reason to have surgery I don’t want it. I feel fine no cough no chest congestion I have emphysema but I don’t even use a nebulizer. Thank you so much. The negative test for cancer later showed positive for AFB so I saw an infectious disease doctor who explained that further testing is needed to confirm and if it is than yes antibiotics. A lot. I can’t even produce enough from a cough which I don’t have to be tested. tomorrow will be 2 weeks since I’ve seen that Doctor.
Sorry for going on about me.
Thank you.

Thank you. A surgeon appointment tomorrow but I’m just going to listen not schedule anything.
Thank you so much

My Lovely Visit with A Pulmonologist:

So< I had a pulmonary function test last week and I met with him yesterday. Lovely kind fellow with a pleasant personality. He tells me that my PFT was perfect/normal which means I absolutely do not have COPD as my PCP informed me. He said the emphysema was so mild and used the phrase almost undetectable that after the surgery to resect the 1cm nodule he saw no real need to use an inhaler regularly and suggested I use Symbicort only as needed.

I was sent to this fellow by the surgeon who wanted an opinion from him regarding my expressed situation especially around COPD and emphysema (PROBABLY ASTHMA) which could have effected post operative complications. He, the pulmonologist, informed me I should come through the segmentectomy with flying colors.

So, after all of my catastrophizing in a frenzied anxiety, I receive a dose of relief. I still of course must cope with a nuclear stress test tomorrow and if all goes well the surgery and recovery. This doctor and I spoke for 1 hour and 10 minutes. He asked me a million questions and answered a million from me. We laughed. We strategized and explored possible outcomes to prepare for. It was the finest visit I have ever experienced with a doctor except for when I was younger and living in another city and they were personal friends.

Just thought I would keep you all up to date. As I write I am always consciously hopeful that all of you are well mentally and spiritually.

Frank

"He tells me that my PFT was perfect/normal which means I absolutely do not have COPD as my PCP informed me. "
That is a good example of why one needs the right doctor with the right Specialty. I had a similar experience. I did local pulmonary function test and the local generic pulmonologist said it was COPD - that diagnosis has been following me around (combining medical records from various institutions) and causing confusion on my real diagnosis. Two weeks ago I had to go to local Urgent Care and they made it the focal point of my clinical picture and not mentioning I have lung cancer and restrictive lung even though I explained to them I have a restrictive lung disorder with 5 additional PFTs at Mayo to demonstrate it. I had to submit written request to get records changed. COPD is what they are familiar with so they just put that in but health records need to be accurate

Hi Vic:

Saddened to read of your experience.
To be fair, my PCP has been very matter of fact about my lung situation. He referred to it as COPD without benefit of PFT. My sense is that he used the radiologists analysis of my Xray. That is the second time I have had a doctor disagree with a radiologists diagnosis. The first was with an orthopedic Doctor.

My sense is that in many situations medicine is as much art as it is science. All of the Docs I have seen since this nodule in my lung appeared speak in generalities. It is their favorite word. I do not blame them or hold it against them or expect more of them. They are human beings. I have many doctor friends and understand their dilemma.

I hope for the best for you.

Frank