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Sister just diagnosed with Lung cancer

Lung Cancer | Last Active: Jan 6, 2021 | Replies (23)

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@kiastar

First of all Merry thank you very much for talking to me about this. My sister has three adult girls and their father died of cancer a few years ago. Her middle daughter seems to be the one who has taken on the responsibility of everything. My sisters name is Sandy though she likes to be called Sandra and she also has four grandkids which she just adores. Of course she’s the kind of girl that would do anything for anybody. She comes to me a lot when she is down or having problems and me and her do a lot of talking. She has been diagnosed with non-small cell adenocarcinoma it has metastasized to her lymph and brain. Today The radiation oncologist said the brain tumors are tiny which is good, small deposits of cancer cells ,there is no swelling or inflammation. She does go for her pet scan next week to see if it’s any place else the doctor is thinking she had this cancer a good 8 to 9 years. I talked to her a couple times today we do FaceTime I think it helps in she can see who she’s talking to and her speech is getting better than it was still a hard time finding words but you can understand basically what she’s saying she’s start speech therapy soon and she’ll be going three days a week for that. They’re going to do radiation and chemo they’re not sure if the chemo will be pill form yet or IV. This is so surreal I just don’t believe this is happening and you know what really really makes it harder is that she started having symptoms in October and she even had an x-ray that showed a mass on her long and they still didn’t do anything a month of antibiotics. She had her blood test that showed her white blood cells were low and her ANA test was positive. But it took a stroke and a trip to the emergency room to finally get the ball rolling to see what was going on and now she said stage four. We’re not giving up hope we’re going to pray more than pray the doctors do what they need to do to give her quality of life for as long as possible. We are setting up Alexa monitors and everyone’s home so it’ll be easier for her to call family since she can’t really use her telephone anymore I’m hoping that’ll help her to feel a bit more independent. Yes she has her husband at home. Myself and our mom live 2 Hours away. We plan on going to see her in January I will stay a day or two but my mom is going to stay down there with her. We also have a retired nurse of over 35 years in the family and she’s very helpful. She told me she took a shower today. And while we were talking she did stand up from the couch and take a couple stops before we hung up.

So 23+ years are you in remission or are you still fighting. My sister has a lifelong friend and she’s been fighting cancer for 30+ years would be wonderful if we could toast my sister after 23 years. Can I ask you did you have lung cancer and what is it metastasize? Where are you treated at Mayo clinic. I truly hope you have a long and happy life. Take care of yourself

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Replies to "First of all Merry thank you very much for talking to me about this. My sister..."

Good morning, This diagnosis is always devastating. My heart breaks you your family. There are many different types of non small cell adenocarcinoma. Do you know if her doctor has ordered a biomarker test? That can be done through a tissue biopsy or a blood test, and helps to identify gene mutations. Knowing if the cancer is caused by a gene mutation can help direct treatment plans.
There is real science based hope in lung cancer treatments. Research is advancing every year.
I have a genetic mutation called ALK, and while there is no cure, YET!, my targeted therapy treatment has given me a terrific quality of life.
Take care!, Lisa

@kiastar- Good morning. Sandra sounds as if she has a wonderful support system. Has she been told yet that she has cancer? What does she think is wrong?

Given the wisdom that I see with you, I think that your niece will benefit greatly from your guidance.

My type of cancer is also an NSCLC. It's called Multifocal adenocarcinoma.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/multifocal-adenocarcinoma-of-the-lung-continual-recurrences/?utm_campaign=search

These lesions are considered primary, but there are a lot of them. I'm considered "stable" for now. I live in New England and use Mass General. My surgeon has treated me since my first tumor!

I hope that you will stay in touch. Do you think that your niece would like to touch base with COnnect? Since she is her mother's main caregiver we have a wonderful group that would support her.

https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/caregivers/

Please know that I am here if I can be of further help. Stay safe and well. It's been very nice meeting you.