They found a mass: How do you cope with anxiety and all the tests etc?

Posted by loula @loula, Feb 3, 2021

I was told last Wednesday I have a mass on right lung, going to doctor today for consult and I can not stop shaking what can you do for the anxiety level with this. not sure what a consult is or what is next all I can think of is this the last day of my normal life.

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@loula

Yes I will call the Nurse Donna Monday and check with her about food to eat, do you have a port ? does it take 3 to 4 hrs also for your infusions? have you noticed after having the chemo that you have a metal taste and everything taste like metal, I will be thinking about you Wednesday I will be sending good spirits your way. have you had treatments before or is this your first one also?

Keep in touch good luck angels will be with us Wednesday.
Cynde

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@loula. I’ve been having these infusions every month for 6 months. My infusions are to try to control some lesions in my brain caused by an autoimmune disease. I get 3 days of steroid infusions and 1 day of chemo infusion. The chemo takes about 5 hours. And, no, I don’t have a port. The nurses are great at starting IVs. Yes, I do get a metallic taste but it never lasts long, thank heavens.
You sound like a strong woman so I know you’ll do fine. Are you old enough to remember the Pac Man video games? PacMan (chemo) goes around eating up all the bad guys (cancer cells)! Just keep that image in your mind! Becky

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@becsbuddy

@loula. I’ve been having these infusions every month for 6 months. My infusions are to try to control some lesions in my brain caused by an autoimmune disease. I get 3 days of steroid infusions and 1 day of chemo infusion. The chemo takes about 5 hours. And, no, I don’t have a port. The nurses are great at starting IVs. Yes, I do get a metallic taste but it never lasts long, thank heavens.
You sound like a strong woman so I know you’ll do fine. Are you old enough to remember the Pac Man video games? PacMan (chemo) goes around eating up all the bad guys (cancer cells)! Just keep that image in your mind! Becky

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@Becky. I haven’t ever heard anybody else mention Pac-Man! Back in 2004 when my myeloma was diagnosed and we decided on a watch and wait plan, I used Pac-Man imagery every day. I believe in the power of imagery, and the interaction between mind and body, so who knows if that did or did not help me. However, it wasn’t until 2016 that the myeloma progressed to the point I needed treatment.
Twelve years, folks.
Peace, Nancy

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@becsbuddy

@loula. I’ve been having these infusions every month for 6 months. My infusions are to try to control some lesions in my brain caused by an autoimmune disease. I get 3 days of steroid infusions and 1 day of chemo infusion. The chemo takes about 5 hours. And, no, I don’t have a port. The nurses are great at starting IVs. Yes, I do get a metallic taste but it never lasts long, thank heavens.
You sound like a strong woman so I know you’ll do fine. Are you old enough to remember the Pac Man video games? PacMan (chemo) goes around eating up all the bad guys (cancer cells)! Just keep that image in your mind! Becky

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yes I remember pac man sounds good to me pac man goes around eating up the cancel cells, hope that these infusions are working good for you and is there any chance of getting rid of the autoimmune disease? I will be thinking of you Wednesday. This morning I woke up and coughed up blood so I had to call my sister and she came and drove me to er, did not cough anymore up at er so doc said something about a broken vein or a minor hemoptysis, now I am scared to cough at all, I am ready to get the chemo before things start going more south. it sure is beautiful outside today took advantage of that. does the steroids keep you awake at night ?

Cynde

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@merpreb

@loula- Good afternoon Cynde. It's sunny and bright here in Southern New England. It looks as if spring might actually develop this year. I am feeling better. Thank you for asking. One of the first things that I panicked over when I found out that I would have Chemo was throwing up. What a baby I am. A friend who was an immersion nurse suggested that I get an RX for anti-nausea med and take it as soon as I got home, no matter what. I worried more about that than my cancer! It worked for me.

The chemo that I had was very tough stuff. I ate what tasted better for me and that included spicy things too! I feel this way about diet and cancer and chemo: eat what you can and as healthy as you can. Make sure that you drink a lot of water. I drank 8 glasses of water every single day. Chemo night I about camped out in the bathroom.

Don't be afraid to order in too, as a treat.

Most likely you will get a numbing shot before they insert the needle for the biopsy. This is the best way to determine what is best!

Bring some books or a portable DVD machine, or your computer. Find out if they will be bringing in lunch. You might also like some snacks. Grapes and crackers worked for me.

I will be here to hear you when you come back after your first day. I hope that your sister will stay with you, at least for the first night.

My best to you. You are stronger than you think!

Merry

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You are so caring big hug from me to you, your so right I worry more about being sick from chemo than this darn disease, had to go to er this morning I woke up and was coughing up dime size blood doctor at er said minor hemoptysis did not cough anymore blood up now I am scared to cough! it is getting nice here in the Midwest I came home and done some outdoor cleaning it keeps your mind off of stressful stuff so nice to see 60 plus weather we had a hard winter this year. thanks for heads up on snacks, well looks like Iam off to the er again as I am coughing more blood up.

Stay Safe
Cynde

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@loula

yes I remember pac man sounds good to me pac man goes around eating up the cancel cells, hope that these infusions are working good for you and is there any chance of getting rid of the autoimmune disease? I will be thinking of you Wednesday. This morning I woke up and coughed up blood so I had to call my sister and she came and drove me to er, did not cough anymore up at er so doc said something about a broken vein or a minor hemoptysis, now I am scared to cough at all, I am ready to get the chemo before things start going more south. it sure is beautiful outside today took advantage of that. does the steroids keep you awake at night ?

Cynde

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Hi, Cynde. I’m glad someone else recognizes PacMan. You and @1nan have great memories! Unfortunately, the autoimmune disease is here to stay. The neurologist is just trying to find something that will put me into remission. Very few people have this so I’m a guinea pig. My older sister also has an autoimmune disease but hers doesn’t affect her brain. Steroids are part of the treatment protocol. They keep me up for 1 whole night. 😖
You are going to do fine with the chemo. Just think positive! And oncology nurses are very kind and helpful. I know because I was one!
Let me know how your infusions go! Becky

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@loula

You are so caring big hug from me to you, your so right I worry more about being sick from chemo than this darn disease, had to go to er this morning I woke up and was coughing up dime size blood doctor at er said minor hemoptysis did not cough anymore blood up now I am scared to cough! it is getting nice here in the Midwest I came home and done some outdoor cleaning it keeps your mind off of stressful stuff so nice to see 60 plus weather we had a hard winter this year. thanks for heads up on snacks, well looks like Iam off to the er again as I am coughing more blood up.

Stay Safe
Cynde

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@loula- I coughed up blood before my first lung cancer Cynde. It's so scary, I get your fear. What are the ER doctors doing for it when you go?

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@loula

You are so caring big hug from me to you, your so right I worry more about being sick from chemo than this darn disease, had to go to er this morning I woke up and was coughing up dime size blood doctor at er said minor hemoptysis did not cough anymore blood up now I am scared to cough! it is getting nice here in the Midwest I came home and done some outdoor cleaning it keeps your mind off of stressful stuff so nice to see 60 plus weather we had a hard winter this year. thanks for heads up on snacks, well looks like Iam off to the er again as I am coughing more blood up.

Stay Safe
Cynde

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@loula- Cynde I remember coughing up blood and how scary it was. The seriousness of this depends on the amount of blood and the length of time the blood is being coughed up. The blood you cough up may come from your nose, throat, upper airways, or lungs. The medical term for coughing up blood is hemoptysis.

I never went to the ER for it. What did the doctors do for you?

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Hello Merry
No one at the doctors office ever told me anything about coughing up blood that it has something to do with the lung cancer, 1st time at ER they did nothing just told me it was a minor hemoptysis. said if it happens again to just call on call nurse and come back, so later that evening it started again nurse said go back so this time I made sure they done a CT or X-ray, doctor this time said yes this is caused by the lung cancer and if I cough up more than a cup! that is serious they said the X-ray came back fine just need to make it to my appt. for chemo on Wednesday he said it could take a couple chemo treatments for this to stop the coughing and blood. don't you think my oncologist should of advised me of this it scared the crap out of me. going to be a sunny day today this weekend it gets colder 49 but daylight savings starts, do you have that where you live?

Stay Healthy
Cynde

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@becsbuddy

Hi, Cynde. I’m glad someone else recognizes PacMan. You and @1nan have great memories! Unfortunately, the autoimmune disease is here to stay. The neurologist is just trying to find something that will put me into remission. Very few people have this so I’m a guinea pig. My older sister also has an autoimmune disease but hers doesn’t affect her brain. Steroids are part of the treatment protocol. They keep me up for 1 whole night. 😖
You are going to do fine with the chemo. Just think positive! And oncology nurses are very kind and helpful. I know because I was one!
Let me know how your infusions go! Becky

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Hello Becky
sounds like a rare disease you have, is this something hereditary. praying for a remission drug. The oncologist told me that I am at a incurable stage but doing different drugs to keep me going for as long as they work said that this will be what takes my life at some point so heck I just think of myself as the timex watch take a licking but keep on kickin! I do take sleep aides at night so I hope that the steroids don't keep me up all night.

Stay Healthy
Cynde

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@loula

Hello Merry
No one at the doctors office ever told me anything about coughing up blood that it has something to do with the lung cancer, 1st time at ER they did nothing just told me it was a minor hemoptysis. said if it happens again to just call on call nurse and come back, so later that evening it started again nurse said go back so this time I made sure they done a CT or X-ray, doctor this time said yes this is caused by the lung cancer and if I cough up more than a cup! that is serious they said the X-ray came back fine just need to make it to my appt. for chemo on Wednesday he said it could take a couple chemo treatments for this to stop the coughing and blood. don't you think my oncologist should of advised me of this it scared the crap out of me. going to be a sunny day today this weekend it gets colder 49 but daylight savings starts, do you have that where you live?

Stay Healthy
Cynde

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@loula- I understand how you feel about the doctor not telling you that you might cough up blood. Last year I had a situation close to this. I expected one thing in the growth of my lesions and my doctors never cleared it up for me. When I found out I had a fit. But that involved only me and doctors can't tell every patient what they might expect because they just don't know. With my first cancer which was very fast-growing, I did cough up blood, as I said. It was very small too. So it really depends on the person.

Have I suggested that you research your type of lung cancer to see what you might expect and then with your chemo to come?

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