1 cm lung cancer tumor with COPD & emphysema: Anxious

Hi, My name is Lisa. I know anxiety can eat you alive and cancer is all you can think of , I used to wake up every morning and the first thing I thought was, I have cancer. I couldn't even say the word without crying. Heck, I even wrote letters for my husband and son to find in case I didn't make it. The best thing you can do is talk and ask questions, someone will always have your answers and let you know you are not alone.
The way everything started for me was that, I race cars on the weekend and crashed into the wall and was flown to the hospital for care, during all the tests you go through, they done a CT of my chest and found a suspicious nodule to be followed up in 6 months it started out as a 1 cm solid pulmonary nodule in the superior left lower lobe, with small adjacent nodules. Bronchial wall thickening. My doctor ordered a PET scan in the 6th month. It was positive, so a biopsy was done,
DIAGNOSIS;
Malignant; non-small cell carcinoma, favor squamous cell carcinoma.
I got in the car and screamed all the way home, then when I had got to a point where I could think, I started searching, asking questions and just felt like I needed to talk to people who have been where I am, and it took away a lot of the panic of where I thought it had to be removed NOW or I'd die, I talk to my doctor who said, look cancer is scary but we have come so far in cancer treatment that this is just a bump in the road. My surgery was done in May of last year, they removed the lower left lobe of my lung and 6 lymph nodes, one of which was positive for malignancy. so it turned out to be a stage IIb, so I had 4 rounds of chemo and my next CT was negative. I have another CT scheduled for April.
Through everything I kept remembering that its just a bump in the road and I'm not alone. So if you have any questions that you want to ask please do. If you want to talk we are here, talking seems to help the most for me.

Hi Vic:

Saddened to read of your experience.
To be fair, my PCP has been very matter of fact about my lung situation. He referred to it as COPD without benefit of PFT. My sense is that he used the radiologists analysis of my Xray. That is the second time I have had a doctor disagree with a radiologists diagnosis. The first was with an orthopedic Doctor.

My sense is that in many situations medicine is as much art as it is science. All of the Docs I have seen since this nodule in my lung appeared speak in generalities. It is their favorite word. I do not blame them or hold it against them or expect more of them. They are human beings. I have many doctor friends and understand their dilemma.

I hope for the best for you.

Frank

Sending hope that this is fine with the VATS. Between now and the surgery walk as much as you can. It will promote faster fuller recovery despite the COPD and the emphysema.

Please let us know how you do.

Hch:
This news makes me so sad.. There are however a lot of things in your favor..I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers of peace..

Frank

Thank you, Frank.
I asked doctor if they will examine if it is caused by genetic mutation. He said they will.
I don’t know yet they would do chemo on me or not, but probably I would need to. I am scared of the complications of side effects. It seems to make the patient suffering more, I know my body has been sensitive to medication. The biopsy doctor told my husband that they were surprised that they only used little bit of anesthesia on me, then I was knocked out.
I also concerned the pains during recovery after surgery.
Helen

Hi Hellen @hch559, There are many toxins in our world. We don't know what causes most cancers, including many types of lung cancer. For those with no risk factors, it's easy for the doctors to blame secondhand smoke, but I don't believe it.
I'm glad to hear that your doctor confirmed that they'll send your tissue for further analysis. The biomarker testing may open up treatment options other than traditional chemo, so it is very important. I have one of the cellular mutation lung cancers, ALK Positive. I'm treated with oral medication. Hopefully they can have that test result back before you start a post-surgical treatment. Keep us posted. Has the surgery been scheduled yet?

Hi Hellen @hch559, There are many toxins in our world. We don't know what causes most cancers, including many types of lung cancer. For those with no risk factors, it's easy for the doctors to blame secondhand smoke, but I don't believe it.
I'm glad to hear that your doctor confirmed that they'll send your tissue for further analysis. The biomarker testing may open up treatment options other than traditional chemo, so it is very important. I have one of the cellular mutation lung cancers, ALK Positive. I'm treated with oral medication. Hopefully they can have that test result back before you start a post-surgical treatment. Keep us posted. Has the surgery been scheduled yet?

My Lovely Visit with A Pulmonologist:

So< I had a pulmonary function test last week and I met with him yesterday. Lovely kind fellow with a pleasant personality. He tells me that my PFT was perfect/normal which means I absolutely do not have COPD as my PCP informed me. He said the emphysema was so mild and used the phrase almost undetectable that after the surgery to resect the 1cm nodule he saw no real need to use an inhaler regularly and suggested I use Symbicort only as needed.

I was sent to this fellow by the surgeon who wanted an opinion from him regarding my expressed situation especially around COPD and emphysema (PROBABLY ASTHMA) which could have effected post operative complications. He, the pulmonologist, informed me I should come through the segmentectomy with flying colors.

So, after all of my catastrophizing in a frenzied anxiety, I receive a dose of relief. I still of course must cope with a nuclear stress test tomorrow and if all goes well the surgery and recovery. This doctor and I spoke for 1 hour and 10 minutes. He asked me a million questions and answered a million from me. We laughed. We strategized and explored possible outcomes to prepare for. It was the finest visit I have ever experienced with a doctor except for when I was younger and living in another city and they were personal friends.

Just thought I would keep you all up to date. As I write I am always consciously hopeful that all of you are well mentally and spiritually.

Frank