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Just scared: Cancer and scared leaving my daughter behind
My name is Heather, I am 38 years old. I had surgery/diagnosed on 10/9/24 with NSCLC adenoidcarcinoma EGFR 19. Non smoker. I have had multiple lung nodules for 15 years. We followed them for a few years, but due to how young I was and no smoking history, I was told they were benign, and follow up was stopped, unless I started having symptoms. I had bad chest pain before my surgery, which is how we found the cancer. During my surgery my largest nodule was 2.3cm with Visceral Pleural Invasion. I also had 3 tiny tumors around it, but all considered primary tumors. Therefore stage2b multifocal, I did not have lymph node involvement, no lymphovascular invasion, or airspace invasion. They believe the other nodules that have been stable for 15years are atypical adenomatous Hyperplasia. I am scared beyond belief. I have a 8year old daughter who is beautiful and she is autistic that I am scared of leaving behind. Chemo was not recommended. I went straight to Tagrisso. I don’t know what I am looking for my writing this.
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Congrats on 7 years @arne! I agree with your positive outlook. I've been taking the same targeted therapy (for ALK+ lung cancer) for the past five years, I was told that it may work for three. We aren't statistics, we're all different, and we all react to treatments in different ways. There is great promise in the future of lung cancer treatments and our lives depend on it.
Are you on any continuing treatment at this time?
I had radiation on lymph node in chest Dec 2024 and am watching 3 month pet scans, The next is in Sept. Depending on scan another med could be used. I have been trying several things for diet and exercise and other therapy types I can do at home. I am feeling better this summer than I have in three years. Let me know if you have any questions on specifics. I figured I might as well experiment on myself. Time will tell if the efforts make a difference.
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2 Reactionshttps://ylci.org/
Hi Heather. I can also relate. I am 44 and have 3 children 13 and under. I had surgery for a neuroendocrine lung tumor 2 months ago. I still feel horrible and the fear can be a lot. How are currently doing?
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2 ReactionsI’m so sorry you are going through this! I’m doing okay so far. I got a scan coming up in a couple weeks. Mentally I just can’t get focused 😩.
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1 ReactionI will be praying you get good results
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1 ReactionThank you so much! I will be praying for you as well! Everything okay your way?
I identify with you having an eight year old and being diagnosed with cancer at a young age.
My eldest daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer at age 29 and had children 6 months, 26 months, and 4 years of age.
Of course devastating was to say the least. She has had two long brain cancer surgeries, gone through chemo once.
Her only prayer when she was a young mother of 29 was to see the eldest graduate from high school.
Well she has seen that happen, as well as see him graduate from college, the next two that were 6 mo and 26 months graduate from college this year.
And even though she had chemo, she had THREE more kids...and they are now 17, 15 and 9.
She still has the brain cancer...they monitor it and then operate on it when it grows a bit.
A success story for you to think about.
Stay strong, think positive; give your daughter a strong role model. You can do this.
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3 ReactionswOW that is amazing!!!!
Her last daughter was born in April 2016. The docs discovered the cancer growing again and recommended brain surgery once again. As the baby was only 30 days old, she opted to wait and delay surgery, so she could breast feed the baby at least six months.
The last photo I had of her before the surgery, she was nursing the baby, in her pre-op bed just before that surgery, with her medical crew staff of nurses around her.
Following surgery she recovered again...that was 9 years ago. She now holds a PhD and has raised all those kids.
When devastating things enter our lives, we never know, nor can we know what path it will take.
Continue to live as much as possible like the event is "just a bump in the road" and "this too shall pass".
I know it is easy to say...I wish you fortitude and God's blessings.
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