1. < Lung Cancer
Moderator

Living with lung cancer - Introduce yourself & come say hi

Posted by Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung, Mar 2, 2017

Welcome to the Lung Cancer group on Mayo Clinic Connect.
This is a welcoming, safe place where you can meet people living with lung cancer or caring for someone with lung cancer. Let's learn from each other and share stories about living well with cancer, coping with the challenges and offering tips.

I'm Colleen, and I'm the moderator of this group, and Community Director of Connect. Chances are you'll to be greeted by volunteer patient Mentors and fellow members when you post to this group. Learn more about Moderators and Mentors on Connect.

We look forward to welcoming you and introducing you to other members. Feel free to browse the topics or start a new one.
Let's chat. Why not start by introducing yourself?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Lung Cancer Support Group.

benny124 | @benny124 | Jul 21, 2022

Thank you Vic! This is the kind of info I need right now. I don't know what to expect. I have appointments with my Cardiologist over the phone because of Covid. Now this surgeon wants to see me in person first for 15 minutes. It takes 3 hours to travel to Loma Linda and back total to do in-person appointments? Geesh and then I guess I will need to get more testing and Xrays. I also have CAD and am on Plavix, so I'll probably bleed for a week. My blood pressure has been Stage 3 and 4 since my husband died. I'm a mess. I want to get the Foundation set up before I join my husband. Everything is happening at once. How fast does Cancer take over before it takes a life? Sounds like I'm panicked, doesn't it. I am.

Thank you so much for your input. I really appreciate it.

Elizabeth

REPLY
1 reply
Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jul 23, 2022
In reply to @benny124 "Good Morning Merry. Thank you for your reply. Regarding moving, our situation is different here in..." + (show)
@benny124

Good Morning Merry. Thank you for your reply.

Regarding moving, our situation is different here in the desert. I live in the Joshua Tree Monument National Park area. Investors from Beverly Hills have decided that the desert is the perfect place for them to make money. Residents are NOT happy about it. It will ruin our eco-system. We are being inundated with Air BNBs. I constantly have realtors trying to get me to sell my home. Sounds like I could make a profit? Yes, indeed. However they won't pay me for the land, just the house. So ... why should I give them $4-8 million and I get $500,000? Not very good business. Many people have sold. The people that live in these communities are not rich ... mainly elderly. So, if I sold the house, where would I move to? Prices for homes are outrageous. And I would have to pay much higher property taxes.

My task is going to be finding a reliable (that isn't ADHD)) driver who doesn't charge a fortune.

I am 79 years old August 8. If I have no treatment at all and just let things go and pray for the best, how rapid does cancer spread? It probably depends on a lot of factors I'm sure. Which is worse pain pain?

I have so much legal work to do before I go to meet God and my husband. I still have things to sell and give away. I still have all the taxes to do, patient's charts to purge, and a corporation to close out. I have wall to wall boxes in my home from our now closed office that need attention. It will take me at least a year or two to complete all this paperwork. If I go through this medical process will I be able to take care of business?

I want to set up a Foundation in my husband's name for kids to go to college. I would use the proceeds of the sale of the house (after I am gone) to start it. But ... in the meantime I want to live in this house. This will take a while to set up. So, I am looking for legal input on how to do all this. In the meantime, I am living off Social Security. It all can be done, but do I have enough time? Or do I have to come up with plan B to get these kids who live here a college education.

In addition, moving would still entail everything already on my plate plus moving to another house that would cost all my proceeds from the sale of this house and I wouldn't be able to set up the Foundation.

I know pure gg stands for pure ground glass, of which I have in my right lung. What is it and what does it mean? Is it dangerous?

Thank you again Merry for being kind. I truly appreciate it and will include you in my prayers.

Elizabeth

Jump to this post

Good morning Elizabeth. No one can tell you a timeline for when things happen with cancer. As it has no bias it also doesn't give up the most important questions that we want to know. Pure GG is only a description of what the cells look like.
"Pure ground-glass nodules (pGGNs), which are defined by opposition to part-solid nodules by the absence of a solid component on CT. Some are benign or very slow growing. Partly solid GG indicates that there has been a change and more likely is cancerous.

Where do you stand now for treatment? Don't you have tests coming up?

I know how hard this is for you Elizabeth. I'm afraid that I can't help with your legal and financial dilemmas but I'm here for you to rant and help in any other way.

REPLY
vic83 | @vic83 | Jul 23, 2022
In reply to @benny124 "Thank you Vic! This is the kind of info I need right now. I don't know..." + (show)
@benny124

Thank you Vic! This is the kind of info I need right now. I don't know what to expect. I have appointments with my Cardiologist over the phone because of Covid. Now this surgeon wants to see me in person first for 15 minutes. It takes 3 hours to travel to Loma Linda and back total to do in-person appointments? Geesh and then I guess I will need to get more testing and Xrays. I also have CAD and am on Plavix, so I'll probably bleed for a week. My blood pressure has been Stage 3 and 4 since my husband died. I'm a mess. I want to get the Foundation set up before I join my husband. Everything is happening at once. How fast does Cancer take over before it takes a life? Sounds like I'm panicked, doesn't it. I am.

Thank you so much for your input. I really appreciate it.

Elizabeth

Jump to this post

Hi Elizabeth, glad to share my experience with you. It is easy to give advice and older people like to do it.... but given new challenges, I find the trick is to try to focus on what needs to get done first....I make myself long lists in a spreadsheet. It makes me feel more in control.
How long have you been on Plavix?

REPLY
1 reply
benny124 | @benny124 | Jul 23, 2022
In reply to @vic83 "Hi Elizabeth, glad to share my experience with you. It is easy to give advice and..." + (show)
@vic83

Hi Elizabeth, glad to share my experience with you. It is easy to give advice and older people like to do it.... but given new challenges, I find the trick is to try to focus on what needs to get done first....I make myself long lists in a spreadsheet. It makes me feel more in control.
How long have you been on Plavix?

Jump to this post

Hi Vic:

Yes, I am using our office scheduling and prioritize action items for each day. It works out really well. The problem is the list keeps growing. I have to study for my drivers license renewal. I think this is going to be the last time I renew it. California has what started out to be a pamphlet drivers manual to well over 120 pages now. Why do things have to be so danged verbose? 🙂 Computer is supposed to save time, etc. and now it is the exact opposite. I am totally frustrated. I just can't seem to calm down my anxieties.

I have been on Plavix about 1-1/2 years now. It is definitely helping me. I feel so much better on it. Yes, I bleed easily, but that's the price. My arteries have
severe calcification.

I just want to get all this done and finally retire to my gardens. I love to garden. I did manage to get some tomatoes, peppers, onions planted and have seeds for much, much more.

My Cardiologist has called in another Loma Linda doctor, a Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery with Mayo Clinic background. I have yet to see him, but have an in-person appointment on August 16.

I don't know what to expect. I don't know this field at all so people talk to me using their vernacular and none of it makes sense to me. The young folks talk so darn fast, I can't understand them, so I miss a lot of what they are trying to say. I ask them to slow down and to speak clearly, and they get insulted. I can't win. I feel like people just want to get rid of us old folks.

I try to research on the net to find answers to some of my questions. There is one type of cancers therapy that seems to draw a lot of attention ... chemo. What is it? Why is it bad? Why should I avoid it at all costs?

Vic, are you a moderator? How are you feeling? How long since you've been diagnosed? What are your issues?

Thank you for spending time with me. I truly appreciate it.

Elizabeth

REPLY
2 replies
vic83 | @vic83 | Jul 23, 2022
In reply to @benny124 "Hi Vic: Yes, I am using our office scheduling and prioritize action items for each day...." + (show)
@benny124

Hi Vic:

Yes, I am using our office scheduling and prioritize action items for each day. It works out really well. The problem is the list keeps growing. I have to study for my drivers license renewal. I think this is going to be the last time I renew it. California has what started out to be a pamphlet drivers manual to well over 120 pages now. Why do things have to be so danged verbose? 🙂 Computer is supposed to save time, etc. and now it is the exact opposite. I am totally frustrated. I just can't seem to calm down my anxieties.

I have been on Plavix about 1-1/2 years now. It is definitely helping me. I feel so much better on it. Yes, I bleed easily, but that's the price. My arteries have
severe calcification.

I just want to get all this done and finally retire to my gardens. I love to garden. I did manage to get some tomatoes, peppers, onions planted and have seeds for much, much more.

My Cardiologist has called in another Loma Linda doctor, a Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery with Mayo Clinic background. I have yet to see him, but have an in-person appointment on August 16.

I don't know what to expect. I don't know this field at all so people talk to me using their vernacular and none of it makes sense to me. The young folks talk so darn fast, I can't understand them, so I miss a lot of what they are trying to say. I ask them to slow down and to speak clearly, and they get insulted. I can't win. I feel like people just want to get rid of us old folks.

I try to research on the net to find answers to some of my questions. There is one type of cancers therapy that seems to draw a lot of attention ... chemo. What is it? Why is it bad? Why should I avoid it at all costs?

Vic, are you a moderator? How are you feeling? How long since you've been diagnosed? What are your issues?

Thank you for spending time with me. I truly appreciate it.

Elizabeth

Jump to this post

Hi again Elizabeth. When it comes to knowing anything, we all start out not knowing. Knowledge is built up over time by working at it. You will become accustomed to the terminology. 1) Looking at CT scan reports, one finds a lot of good terminology to google. I am a big proponent of doing that. 2)When it comes to treatment, it will depend on the kind of cancer one has and if it is a primary lung cancer - that is the cancer originated in the lung not somewhere else. 3) Another factor in treatment is how best to preserve lung tissue for quality of life. 4) Treatment ranges from surgery to targeted radiation to immunotherapy to chemotherapy. Merry knows a lot about radiation. If they remove a cancer, they can do gene analysis and then possibly apply a drug therapy. Chemotherapy is what everyone hears about as it has been around a long time. I read that it is more for when cancer is also suspected outside the lung, but I am no expert.
So far, I have only had surgery for the largest mass. They cut it out wedge resection (smaller piece removed) and they did not take the whole lobe-lungs have total five lobes) and I did not need any other treatment since the cancer was stage 1b, lymph nodes negative, and cancer only in the lung (my PET scan did not show any activity outside my lungs). That was almost 7 months ago. I have at least four other part solid nodules/ground glass, so I am doing CT scans every three months. Surgery is a potential option for the next nodule, but I will need to finish my Plavix therapy for my stent first (duration of at least 6 months). On the last scan things were stable. I also could choose radiation. Even the doctors have to think about whether to be aggressive or not with multifocal lung cancer. It is a complex cancer. I don't get too excited as long as it can be managed. They did not do radiation yet, because I would need to have a needle biopsy of the targeted nodule. It was not worth the risk of a collapsed lung.
I don't feel sick, I do have limits on exertion as my blood oxygen levels go below 88 at a certain point.
I think if you are doing gardening and working a lot on the computer that the doctors will be pleased. Physical and mental exercise is the key to staying fit. Don't be impressed with fast-talking people - it is not a sign of knowledge. Just keep digging and it all eventually will mean something to you. I feel like I am in medical school sometimes. P.S. I love my computer - I have found so many things to do with it. It is so efficient.

REPLY
vic83 | @vic83 | Jul 23, 2022
In reply to @benny124 "Hi Vic: Yes, I am using our office scheduling and prioritize action items for each day...." + (show)
@benny124

Hi Vic:

Yes, I am using our office scheduling and prioritize action items for each day. It works out really well. The problem is the list keeps growing. I have to study for my drivers license renewal. I think this is going to be the last time I renew it. California has what started out to be a pamphlet drivers manual to well over 120 pages now. Why do things have to be so danged verbose? 🙂 Computer is supposed to save time, etc. and now it is the exact opposite. I am totally frustrated. I just can't seem to calm down my anxieties.

I have been on Plavix about 1-1/2 years now. It is definitely helping me. I feel so much better on it. Yes, I bleed easily, but that's the price. My arteries have
severe calcification.

I just want to get all this done and finally retire to my gardens. I love to garden. I did manage to get some tomatoes, peppers, onions planted and have seeds for much, much more.

My Cardiologist has called in another Loma Linda doctor, a Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery with Mayo Clinic background. I have yet to see him, but have an in-person appointment on August 16.

I don't know what to expect. I don't know this field at all so people talk to me using their vernacular and none of it makes sense to me. The young folks talk so darn fast, I can't understand them, so I miss a lot of what they are trying to say. I ask them to slow down and to speak clearly, and they get insulted. I can't win. I feel like people just want to get rid of us old folks.

I try to research on the net to find answers to some of my questions. There is one type of cancers therapy that seems to draw a lot of attention ... chemo. What is it? Why is it bad? Why should I avoid it at all costs?

Vic, are you a moderator? How are you feeling? How long since you've been diagnosed? What are your issues?

Thank you for spending time with me. I truly appreciate it.

Elizabeth

Jump to this post

About your driver's license. I went through that 2 years ago when I moved back to Minnesota. Thank God for multiple choice questions! Before, I was living in Florida for ten years and they actually let you renew online with no exam. They used the same picture from the earlier license so one is a lot younger in the picture if one is stopped by the Police!!!!

REPLY
1 reply
benny124 | @benny124 | Jul 23, 2022
In reply to @vic83 "About your driver's license. I went through that 2 years ago when I moved back to..." + (show)
@vic83

About your driver's license. I went through that 2 years ago when I moved back to Minnesota. Thank God for multiple choice questions! Before, I was living in Florida for ten years and they actually let you renew online with no exam. They used the same picture from the earlier license so one is a lot younger in the picture if one is stopped by the Police!!!!

Jump to this post

Yes, we can renew online too. However, I had eye surgery and now I am 20/20 so I have an affidavit from doctor saying so. So, I have to go into the DMV office to give it to them. Another thing to do. I try to do errands, etc. in the mornings as I am exhausted by 2:00 p.m. and need a nap. Do you take naps? I never did before my husband died. Oh, how I miss him. I need a grief group. (sigh)

Are you a native from Minneso?

Does Vic stand for Victor or Victoria?

Elizabeth

REPLY
1 reply
vic83 | @vic83 | Jul 23, 2022
In reply to @benny124 "Yes, we can renew online too. However, I had eye surgery and now I am 20/20..." + (show)
@benny124

Yes, we can renew online too. However, I had eye surgery and now I am 20/20 so I have an affidavit from doctor saying so. So, I have to go into the DMV office to give it to them. Another thing to do. I try to do errands, etc. in the mornings as I am exhausted by 2:00 p.m. and need a nap. Do you take naps? I never did before my husband died. Oh, how I miss him. I need a grief group. (sigh)

Are you a native from Minneso?

Does Vic stand for Victor or Victoria?

Elizabeth

Jump to this post

I am Victoria and a native of Minnesota but have lived 30 years outside of Minnesota and wow, other people don't have winters like we do! I don't take naps.

REPLY
1 reply
benny124 | @benny124 | Jul 23, 2022
In reply to @vic83 "I am Victoria and a native of Minnesota but have lived 30 years outside of Minnesota..." + (show)
@vic83

I am Victoria and a native of Minnesota but have lived 30 years outside of Minnesota and wow, other people don't have winters like we do! I don't take naps.

Jump to this post

Vctoria, thank you for helping me with my anxieties. I am a native New Yorker, born in 1943 in the Brooklyn Naval Hospital which is no longer, raised in Long Island, moved to California in 1962. I miss the theaters of NYC.

Thanksw, again. Have a good night.

REPLY
aswan2022 | @aswan2022 | Aug 9, 2022

Ground glass opacities severe cough
Lung cancer diagnosis

REPLY
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