September 2014
It all started with a pair white sandals that had a (three inch) wedged heel. It was a Labor Day sale and I just had to have those shoes. While wearing the shoes one day, I got out of the car and stepped incorrectly. This resulted in twisting my foot. A few days later, my back started to hurt and it got worse over time. I went to the doctors for a back X-ray and everything turned out fine. While I was there, the doctor wanted to take advantage of my presence and complete my yearly exams. One of these tests included a chest X-ray.
My X-ray showed shadowing on my upper left lung that was not there last year. Due to the fact that I was recently sick, the doctor was not too concerned but wanted to follow up with a CT scan. Especially since I showed him my red cherry finger tips, I thought I had an allergic reaction to finger nail polish remover. I found out later it was a sign of lung distress. At my follow up appointment, the CT showed a mass on my upper left lung. This led to a PET scan and the golf ball sized mass glowed, indicating that the mass in my lung was more than likely cancer.
My appointment to the Pulmonologist was a week away. In the meantime, I started experiencing panic attacks and severe chest pain. I ended up in the hospital for a week where I underwent a biopsy of the mass. This was when it was confirmed that at the age of 50 I had stage 2 lung cancer.
After discharge, the chest pain continued. This landed me back in the hospital where I had a cardiac catheterization done. It was determined that a tiny capillary in my heart was constricting during my panic attacks.
My treatment plan was radiation twice a day, five days a week for six weeks, chemo the first and last week of radiation. I handled it pretty well except I lost my beautiful curls.
July 2016
I thought I was in the clear, it has been two years and all the follow up PET scans were good, and my Dr. said that there was nothing left but scar tissue. That was until my scan a few weeks ago. I glowed. It was in the same area about the size of a dime. I had my biopsy yesterday and I will not get the results until Thursday….
Ugh, went for the biopsy results, my lung Dr. was not in so I saw the nurse practitioner. She said that the tissue biopsy came back negative but the scraping did not, it showed cancer cells. The area is about the size of a dime and is in the exact same spot as the original cancer. I really do not think she read my report or chart before she came in because she did not know I had lung cancer before. I asked her if she thought it was operational and she said she would confer with a Dr. and come right back. She then came back and told me it was inoperable because of the location. I see my chemo Dr on Monday so I should have a better answer regarding treatment.
July 25, 2016
I went to see my chemo Dr. today. He wants to send me to the surgeon. He seems to think they can remove it. If not possibly chemo but he said I more than likely would not be able to have radiation to that area again. The other option would be immunotherapy treatment.
Aug 10, 2016
Went to see the surgeon, it did not go to well. He said that he wanted me to go to the Moffitt Cancer center in Tampa because they would have more experience in my case. Something about it being close to my airways and with all the scar tissue he was unsure that surgery could be done.
Aug 18, 2016
Went to see my Radiologist to pick his brain, glad I did to make a long story short, he seems to think because bacteria showed up on the biopsy that maybe it is a false positive. He put me on steroids and antibiotics. He wants me to have another PET scan next week. If I glow then he wants me to go to Mayo for a surgical consult, He seems to think it is operable. Aug 2016 I glowed…..Now to find another Surgeon that will take my insurance. September 2016 UF Orlando has a cancer center! Formally known as MD Anderson. I made an appointment to see the thoracic surgeon.
October 2016
Saw the thoracic surgeon and he said that he could operate! He wants to remove my upper left lobe, but there could be a possibility that he would have to remove my whole lung..sigh. Wow that is hard to digest. I really like him and trust him. The surgery is scheduled for November 4th.
November 4, 2016
I woke up from surgery feeling my left side move when I breathe! Good news right? That means he only had to remove my upper lobe. NOPE! He got in there and the scar tissue from radiation was so bad and on some of my heart vessels he decided that it was too dangerous to continue with the surgery. Boy was I pissed! Not at him but in general. I had it all in my head that I may lose a lung. I have an incision about six inches long from the middle of my armpit straight down, and a hole from the drainage tube.
November 2016
I went to my surgery follow up, or should I say failed follow up. I am healing nicely but still in some pain. I cried because I was so upset, but he said there are options. I also had an appointment with the oncologist there after I saw the surgeon. She is very nice. I will be starting chemo on Dec 13th. This time it should not be so bad. Once every three weeks then after the forth infusion I will go for a PET scan to see if shrunk or better yet KILLED the tumor. Chemo cocktail is different this time; I will be getting Pemetrexed (Alimta) and Carboplatin. And this time she said I will not lose my hair! I wish I would have known about this place two years ago.
I am wondering why my original oncologist and radiologist did not radiate and chemo my mass to where it was operational.
March 7, 2017
I had my follow up PET scan....I was so scared. Two days of being a basket case, I went in for my results. I am glad my Mom and Dan were with me because I felt like I was going to pass out on the floor. My tumor has shrunk by 50% WHOOT WHOOT!
So now I will be on maintenance chemo, so instead of two chemo cocktails I am only getting one. This one is less harsh on the body. AND one more good thing I have not lost my hair and I should not. I did make a decision and had a port put in last week. No more pin cushion for me!
June 1, 2016
Got my test results back today, you won’t believe this! There was nothing to measure! But because the mass was under the scar tissue my Dr. does not want to say that it is completely gone until we do a PET scan in a few months. She changed my chemo, I am having treatment today , one in three weeks and then she is changing it to every four weeks until she makes sure that she gets every tiny little microscopic cancer cells! God has answered my prayers he is so good to me. I can’t wait for my Dr. to tell me this cancer is gone completely!
December 20, 2017
Another CT scan....still nothing there!!!! That was done on Nov 30th. After I went to see the Dr, I had to go for treatment. OMG! When the nurse went to flush me before chemo, I had so much pain! They kept trying until I could not handle it anymore. They sent me for a x-ray, the Dr. thought my port might be clogged, the x-ray did not show anything. So, no treatment that day. I went back the next day, still the same thing. PAIN! So, they sent me for a test that they had to inject dye into the port. In the mean time I went to get chemo, but they used a vein in my hand (after sticking me several times). I received a phone call on the way home, I was told my port had a kink in it and would need to be replaced. So on December 14th I had it done. It is on the same side, but the cath runs up my neck, ugh! It has been almost a week and it is still sore. But still I am NED!!!
August 18, 2019
Wow, it has been so long since I updated.
I had my annual PET scan on Thursday. During the past two years I always glowed well the Dr. called it flickering, because she thought it was just from previous radiation, she never worried about it untill now! This time I glowed brighter and slightly bigger. UGH! This is different test than a CT scan. Sooooo.... she is confering with the tumor board and surgen to see what they think. If it is big enough to biopsy or not. If it is from previous radiation and is glowing brighter because if scar tissue receding this is good, but if it is active cancer cells she will discuss Immunotherapy, which to me is also good, I guess. At least I will know why I flicker or glow. My Dr. said that if it is cancer cells it is the same cancer in the same spot and we got this! I am glad she says WE, because I do not know how much more my metal state can take!
March 15,2020
Well it was cancer and my Dr put me on Tecentriq (immunotherapy). I had about 6 rounds and the cancer grew. So now I am going back on chemo. Carboplatin & Abraxane. Once a week for two weeks then one week off, for a total of 12 weeks. The cancer is about a dime size and she wants to “KILL” it. Hopefully it will. I will loose my hair again and probably feel like shit again.
