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Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (16)
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Replies to "Hello @kmcbride77, and welcome to the NETs support group on Mayo Connect. It looks like you..."
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@hopeful33250
In the Spring of 2023 I had issues with bronchitis which initially seemed to improve with antibiotics. However, as time went by, I experienced increasing issues with what felt like asthma. I also began to have panic attacks especially at night. I continued to get chest xrays and more rounds of antibiotics plus an inhaler. Nothing really helped, and by early October I was so out of breath that I could no longer sing in the church choir, lie flat, or bend over to do gardening. I went to the ER. Another xray and was told I had pneumonia but asked for a CT scan which had been suggested (finally) by my primary care facility and was immediately afterward told I had lung cancer and admitted for biopsy. By the time I started chemo in late October I felt like I was suffocating - had a 5cm primary mass, 7cm largest involved lymph node, a partially collapsed lung due to blockage, narrowed pulmonary arteries, etc. "Coincidentally" this was my right lung - same side that received radiation for breast cancer 20 years prior. Never smoker. Age 45 breast cancer treatment ACT plus surgery plus rads - 3 nodes "dirty". Age 65 lung cancer stage 3B inoperable extensive node involvement, etoposide/carboplatin and more rads. Now age 67. I cannot find any information or advice from doctors on how to stay in remission. All I know to do is to try to stay as healthy as possible. My lung is of course damaged and I have an O2 concentrator to use at night. I can sing, walk as far as I want, and do my gardening again. I don't take breathing for granted now, so it's very easy to be grateful even though I don't have the stamina I had before. I just do what I can and modify my activities as needed. I stay positive until it gets close to scan time - every 6 months. It's almost "that time" again...