Upper right lobectomy for stage 1 adeno 1.8 x 1.3 x 1.3 cm anyone?

Had my right upper lobe removed in April 2023 at Mayo in Phoenix. Surgeon used Davinci. Makes recovery much easier. I still have some fullness and numbness on the right side but it’s very tolerable. Just happy it could be surgically removed. Good luck!!!

Hi there! I had adenocarcinoma in my Left upper lung. About the same size as yours. I also have other nodules but they are, so far, just nodules. I had my VATS at Mayo in Phoenix on May 24, 2023. I was also so very scared! I didn’t have a clue about how I would be when I woke up. Would I be able to breath? Would I have to be on oxygen the rest of my life? Etc. All normal worries! I woke up just fine. A little tiny bit hoarse but could still talk just fine. That was from the breathing tube during surgery. I did have the chest tube and catheter. I will tell you that I had a bad pain that would go down the back of my arm and we figured out that the chest tube was causing it. That just required adjusting the position I was laying in to help that. When Sitting up or walking it didn’t bother me. Anyway, I was starving! But couldn’t have anything but liquids the entire day. The BEST thing to me was waking up to my husband and grown Son being there. Then realizing I could breathe and then talking and every little thing after. I walked and walked as much as they would let me. Went home on the 3rd day. I had things already bought and set up before I left for the surgery. A table to go over my bed, to eat on. I actually already had an adjustable bed, so that was AWESOME because it is a little difficult to get out of bed and trying not to put pressure on your chest and arms. You can always just use LOTS of pillows! They gave me Tramadol and Lyrica to take at home for pain. The Tramadol I only took twice a day for a week and cut down and off of after the second week, and the Lyrica was two times a day then cut down to 1 a day for another week and then just Tylenol or ibuprofen. Now, EVERY ONE IS DIFFERENT! Some have pain longer but I feel I was lucky. Always check with your Doctor on what you feel you want or need to do! I also forced myself to walk, and walk a lot. We have stairs in my house and I did those too. Slowly, of course, but it gets easy pretty quickly. I was walking a mile within the first week. If you’re doing something and you feel pain, stop doing it or do it slower. Not a race to get better. But whatever you do, try to walk as much as possible afterwards. I am now at just close to 8 months post op and I just bought an in home, cheap exercise bike and have been riding it for 30 minutes a day which works out to about 5 miles a day, plus my mile walk at night and working full time. I still have the tingly feeling in the nerve at the front bottom of my ribs, but only when I touch it. I did not have to have Chemotherapy or radiation or anything after or before surgery. Hoping this helps and hoping the best for your surgery and the speediest of recovery for you! Just know that being scared is normal! Talking about it and talking with people on this group helped tremendously!
All the best to you!
Cindy

As my friend Scarlett would say, “I’m just pea green with envy” 😁
I had lower left lobectomy May 25th. I’m doing well but don’t really know if ’back to normal’ is something I should expect. I have residual rib & diaphragm pain and exertional shortness of breath. If that improves I will be happy!! If not, I can live with it.

I really hope that it improves for you and yeah, I can relate 🙂

Mine is going to be with Davinci too, I have watched all the videos on you tube and wow that is amazing 🙂 I'm super stoked that it can be dealt with too!! Thanks!

Silvergirl29- My Pulmonologist’s advice to me was to double my walking distance Before surgery. Also I bought one of those little lung exercisers that swimmers use and did that before surgery too. If you can get your hands on a Voldyne 2500 it’s good to use before and after surgery for breathing exercises. They’ll probably give you one to take home from the Hospital, but if you can use one before surgery, even better. Build those lungs! I added a picture of one. Good Luck! God Bless!

Best of luck to you. Having the cancer removed is the gold standard for treatment.

@whahoo- Excellent! You might experience numbness along your scar for months, or even muscular spasms. But they fade. What do you mean by fullness?

@pb50- You bring up a great point! Normalcy doesn't happen after cancer. It's life challenging, emotionally draining, and changing. I don't know one person who hasn't reviewed their life and changed in even a small way. I certainly did.

Physically you will change too. Your breathing will change and your chest wall's topography will have been changed. You might breathe easier too.

The most important thing is to get out and visit the world after you feel good. You didn't go through all of the pain and emotional toil and fear, not to change your life, right?

Was your rib broken? Mine were spread and then I broke a rin picking up a Thanksgiving Turkey to carry into the house. He was not walking through my yard! And that was very painful.

Can you move your arms without pain?

Fullness inside the lung cavity n the right side.