I want to make sure I understand your question correctly, Alicia. Are you considering stopping active treatment and opting for palliative care? Or have you requested a treatment that your care team advised against?
I want to make sure I understand your question correctly, Alicia. Are you considering stopping active treatment and opting for palliative care? Or have you requested a treatment that your care team advised against?
I hope you are not considering stopping any treatment. If you have something that is treatable, keep it up. My lung cancer is not treatable. I have two kinds. One on right lung is plain old lung cancer: Right lung is mesothelioma, which is not treatable. If treatment is available do take it. I am 83 years old and just this year diagnosis with this disease. If there was a treatment available I would do it. Nancy. /..................................................
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I want to make sure I understand your question correctly, Alicia. Are you considering stopping active treatment and opting for palliative care? Or have you requested a treatment that your care team advised against?
Age is just a number and attitude is everything. I am a 8 year 9 month non small cell lung cancer survivor and I have had the amazing opportunity to meet other lung cancer survivors on my journey. I have a friend who was diagnosed with mesothelioma whose doctors told him the would not live 4 months. Both of us Never Smoked!
I literally drug him to Mayo Clinic where doctors decided his mesothelioma was operable. He lived another 6 years after lung surgery. His "quality of life" afforded him the opportunity to get back on cross country skies and ski another 5 years. I also recommended that he take a class about Paced Breathing, taught by Dr Amit Sood. Excellent!!! He felt his life had changed and he was grateful.
Keep up your great work you are the voice of this disease.
Alicia, please dont give up..i have been inspired by so many stories of hope on here.. The treatments are alot better and more toleable than they used to be..If treatable is available ..then you owe it to yourself to fight...Please give the treatments a try...keep/ in touch..We are all here to support each other and positive thinking is a good place to start..... Merilee
Dear Alicia:
You are so right about the improvements in treatments. These would not be possible without the brilliant minds of research teams and doctors and our brave patients. 9 years ago when I was diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer and a 3cm amor in my upper left lung lobe, it was difficult to find the proper diagnosis and proper treatment. Without Mayo Clinic I would not be here today breathing, running and climbing higher to help others become aware of the amazing treatments that give us the best quality of life. So, Never Ever Give Up! is my motto. Keeping our attitude on the up side is equally important. So, love, laugh and sing and take time out to quiet your body mind and spirit 2x's a day. I am grateful for Mayo Connect it will help us all as we come together is this wonderful community. Thank you. Linda Wortman
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Nov 8, 2016
Thank you for all the replies of encouragement for Alica. However, I want to point out the making the decision to stop active treatment does not necessarily mean "giving up". As an example, I offer my father's colorectal cancer story. My father was stage IV, and was offered palliative care with or without chemotherapy. The cancer at this point was no longer curable, thus that was not the goal of treatment. Palliative care with chemo could prolong his survival by 12 months rather than 6 without. He chose palliative + chemo. However, after 2 treatments, the side effects were unbearable. He choose to stop treatment, enjoyed another lovely 8 months with fewer symptoms. With minimal pain management he had a better quality of life. We were all comfortable and supportive of his choice, and it is a time that we continue to cherish.
I share this story only to say that choices are individual. @alicantina1, I hope you'll share your decision point with us so we can support you in the way you need to be supported at this time.
Dear Alicia:
You are so right about the improvements in treatments. These would not be possible without the brilliant minds of research teams and doctors and our brave patients. 9 years ago when I was diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer and a 3cm amor in my upper left lung lobe, it was difficult to find the proper diagnosis and proper treatment. Without Mayo Clinic I would not be here today breathing, running and climbing higher to help others become aware of the amazing treatments that give us the best quality of life. So, Never Ever Give Up! is my motto. Keeping our attitude on the up side is equally important. So, love, laugh and sing and take time out to quiet your body mind and spirit 2x's a day. I am grateful for Mayo Connect it will help us all as we come together is this wonderful community. Thank you. Linda Wortman
I was diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer 3 years and 3 months ago. When I hear from people like you, I am lifted right out of any temporary depression and realize that I should always expect the best, rather than the worst. Getting a second opinion and treatment at Mayo was the best decision that I've made. I wish you the best.
Many thanks to you all for your commentaries. At this point molecular tests are being done to see about eligibility for targeted treatment. Awaiting results to see if ALK is positive or not. Definitely aware of the power of positive outlook and optimism towards possible treatment! Quality of life very important factor when looking at treatments and their adverse effects, as in the example given by the moderator.
I want to make sure I understand your question correctly, Alicia. Are you considering stopping active treatment and opting for palliative care? Or have you requested a treatment that your care team advised against?
Right now my husband has received one dose of Zometa, which hit him really hard. He hasn't had anymore and we await to see if he is ALK positive. You really answered my question with the experience your father had. Neither my husband nor I would like to do therapy that only offers a few months of bad side efects. Thank you so much.
Dear Alicia:
You are so right about the improvements in treatments. These would not be possible without the brilliant minds of research teams and doctors and our brave patients. 9 years ago when I was diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer and a 3cm amor in my upper left lung lobe, it was difficult to find the proper diagnosis and proper treatment. Without Mayo Clinic I would not be here today breathing, running and climbing higher to help others become aware of the amazing treatments that give us the best quality of life. So, Never Ever Give Up! is my motto. Keeping our attitude on the up side is equally important. So, love, laugh and sing and take time out to quiet your body mind and spirit 2x's a day. I am grateful for Mayo Connect it will help us all as we come together is this wonderful community. Thank you. Linda Wortman
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Welcome to Connect, Alicia.
I'd like to introduce you to other members of Connect who are living with or caring for someone with lung cancer. Please meet @merilee @alvinw @llwortman @shortshot80 @mryzuch @amws and @burrkay.
I want to make sure I understand your question correctly, Alicia. Are you considering stopping active treatment and opting for palliative care? Or have you requested a treatment that your care team advised against?
I hope you are not considering stopping any treatment. If you have something that is treatable, keep it up. My lung cancer is not treatable. I have two kinds. One on right lung is plain old lung cancer: Right lung is mesothelioma, which is not treatable. If treatment is available do take it. I am 83 years old and just this year diagnosis with this disease. If there was a treatment available I would do it. Nancy. /..................................................
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Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionAge is just a number and attitude is everything. I am a 8 year 9 month non small cell lung cancer survivor and I have had the amazing opportunity to meet other lung cancer survivors on my journey. I have a friend who was diagnosed with mesothelioma whose doctors told him the would not live 4 months. Both of us Never Smoked!
I literally drug him to Mayo Clinic where doctors decided his mesothelioma was operable. He lived another 6 years after lung surgery. His "quality of life" afforded him the opportunity to get back on cross country skies and ski another 5 years. I also recommended that he take a class about Paced Breathing, taught by Dr Amit Sood. Excellent!!! He felt his life had changed and he was grateful.
Keep up your great work you are the voice of this disease.
Kind regards,
Linda
Alicia, please dont give up..i have been inspired by so many stories of hope on here.. The treatments are alot better and more toleable than they used to be..If treatable is available ..then you owe it to yourself to fight...Please give the treatments a try...keep/ in touch..We are all here to support each other and positive thinking is a good place to start..... Merilee
Dear Alicia:
You are so right about the improvements in treatments. These would not be possible without the brilliant minds of research teams and doctors and our brave patients. 9 years ago when I was diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer and a 3cm amor in my upper left lung lobe, it was difficult to find the proper diagnosis and proper treatment. Without Mayo Clinic I would not be here today breathing, running and climbing higher to help others become aware of the amazing treatments that give us the best quality of life. So, Never Ever Give Up! is my motto. Keeping our attitude on the up side is equally important. So, love, laugh and sing and take time out to quiet your body mind and spirit 2x's a day. I am grateful for Mayo Connect it will help us all as we come together is this wonderful community. Thank you. Linda Wortman
Thank you for all the replies of encouragement for Alica. However, I want to point out the making the decision to stop active treatment does not necessarily mean "giving up". As an example, I offer my father's colorectal cancer story. My father was stage IV, and was offered palliative care with or without chemotherapy. The cancer at this point was no longer curable, thus that was not the goal of treatment. Palliative care with chemo could prolong his survival by 12 months rather than 6 without. He chose palliative + chemo. However, after 2 treatments, the side effects were unbearable. He choose to stop treatment, enjoyed another lovely 8 months with fewer symptoms. With minimal pain management he had a better quality of life. We were all comfortable and supportive of his choice, and it is a time that we continue to cherish.
I share this story only to say that choices are individual. @alicantina1, I hope you'll share your decision point with us so we can support you in the way you need to be supported at this time.
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Hug
2 ReactionsI was diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer 3 years and 3 months ago. When I hear from people like you, I am lifted right out of any temporary depression and realize that I should always expect the best, rather than the worst. Getting a second opinion and treatment at Mayo was the best decision that I've made. I wish you the best.
Gerry
Many thanks to you all for your commentaries. At this point molecular tests are being done to see about eligibility for targeted treatment. Awaiting results to see if ALK is positive or not. Definitely aware of the power of positive outlook and optimism towards possible treatment! Quality of life very important factor when looking at treatments and their adverse effects, as in the example given by the moderator.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsRight now my husband has received one dose of Zometa, which hit him really hard. He hasn't had anymore and we await to see if he is ALK positive. You really answered my question with the experience your father had. Neither my husband nor I would like to do therapy that only offers a few months of bad side efects. Thank you so much.
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionHi Gerry,
@merilee @alicantina1 @llwortman @shortshot80 and @burrkay will you join me in welcoming Gerry to Connect?
Gerry, we look forward to getting to know more about you. What treatment have you had? How are you doing today?