Living with lung cancer - Introduce yourself & come say hi

@merpreb Thank you! This is going to be great to study. I will NOT find it boring. Am getting ready to have the works done at my hair salon--bye bye grey hair and hello very light blond color. I will start working with a woman on Monday who knows a lot about breathing and healing form this sort fo surgery. So, I"m hoping to build up strength, etc. Wish I could rake leaves and all that other stuff, but I have a really bad lower back that will not allow me to do this. So I walk, do stretching exercises. and specific back exercises. I"m 68 years old and feel good for my age. Thank you again for these bis of information about the lungs. Have a wonderful day.

It's my friend and you can not tell him anything 🙁 he thinks he knows it all... won't tell anything but at least he did to the doctor in Jan 🙁 you can imagine my shock but go with the flow... promised his mother (Died Dec 26 2018) and dad (died Jun 28 2018) details of past 2 years in other post on her and In Grief support been a very long 2 year...14 years I be here for him. Me I go till i drop or my body says "sleep" so much to do clean-up etc. and all taking the back seat....

Try just plain walking--for you. Don't try fro any marathons, or such. Walk a little each day even is it is around your back yard. That will help your anxiety. You can always work up to more walking as your health increases. If you don't have a back yard, walk down the street and in crease your steps weekly, or whatever works for you. Good luck with all you are handling.

No he goes alone - its his "thing" He does what he wants and then flops down and sleeps a lot - do not push him. Not been on a bike for years but probably should would be good way to loose weight... not sure if i could even ride one now without killing myself its been 1990/1991 since i been on one - my daughters son left his somewhere/or someone stole it when he was inside a local store - then he took his sisters and again ditto so I never replaced they where 16/18+ at time and no longer interested in bikes

@armstg- I agree, but I'm there with you. I always expect way too much of myself. It leads me to a lot of frustrations to be sure. I'm sure that you can empathize with that! lol. Shoveling, raking, packing are all upper body exercises and will tax your breathing more than lower body. You didn't mention weights or pulmonary rehab. Pulmonary rehab is wonderful, it will teach you how to breath efficiently and get you moving better, although you seem to be doing pretty well in that aspect. I'm also 72. I've had an upper left and lower right lobectomy. I use to power walk 4 miles a day. That is history for me but I still walk, lift weights, etc. Do you think that you might be interested in pul. rehab?

@reibur1951- wowow- do you ride with him? What are his limitations?

@alamogal635 , @armstg- I have been doing some research so that all of us can see what happened inside our lungs before and after lung surgery. I wish that I had done this when I first had lug cancer but today's videos are great.
Please bear with anyone who sounds boring, it's still great info.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kacMYexDgHg
what happens after lung segments are removed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGE57Y_K8bc

Prayers - your expectations is what keeps you going - just do but do not over do. each person is different depending on gender, age, other health issues etc. It is the "person who is ill" that counts and one must remember that others should not push him/her beyond their exceptions of what they can handle etc. but let them do what they want and they will find their limitations but they may not voice them others just have to "read the signs" and be silent, observe and respect the persons and the signs his/her body gives off; notice silently what the person can or will not attempt to do. Above all if they are sleeping that to me is a "Do not disturb" as that is the body's way for some healing time. Rest and nutrition are the most important items beside "quality" medical care and treatment. In the end we all have an appointed amount of time here on earth and when it reaches the end comes reality is that no one can stop it from coming and happening.

@armstg- Good morning and welcome to Mayo Connect. I'm so happy that your recovery went well. You are now 2 years out. Have you gone to pulmonary rehab? It is the best way to regain as much breathing capacity as you can. I am guessing that you had a lobectomy. My first cancer, 22 years ago this October. It was also a 1b, NSCLC. I did not need chemo. As a matter of fact it wasn't recommended. What about you? Unfortunately lungs do nor regenerate but what is left of your lung will fill in. That doesn't mean that it will be like new but you will not have an empty space. Did you have a wedge or a lobectomy? What activities have you re-engaged in? Are you exercising? Are you using an inhaler? As the summer heats up and the humidity rises you might breathe with more difficulty so your pulmonolgist can prescribe one if you need it.
I'd like to share my blog with you that I have written about my long journey. https://my20yearscancer.com/
Please feel free to ask any questions that you might have.

Thanks. I think my expectations may be too high. I do fine with normal activities; water aerobics three days a week and walking 2-4 miles most days. I just struggle with physical exertion such as shoveling snow, raking leaves, or packing things up stairs. I had a left upper lobe lobectomy and will be 72 this year.