Positive stories about lung cancer??

[ihateha]

My dad has a lung nodule that has grown and so the doctors want to take it out along with part of his lung.

Does anyone have any positive stories to calm me down?
I think it is quite small and as far as we know there is not spread, and I guess the fact that they are operating means they think it's curable...

[MRS STRESS ED]

Trust me that is positive the fact they will operate on him, my dad never got that opportunity so take it as a positive sign hope for a good outcome stay strong xx


best wishes xx

[NancyW]

My coworker had lung cancer, completed her chemo and radiation, all that's legtvis scar tissue. :-)

[panic_down_under]

My dad has a lung nodule that has grown and so the doctors want to take it out along with part of his lung.

Does anyone have any positive stories to calm me down?

I went through this 14 years ago. Found a small nodule around 12mm/0.5" in diameter in the upper lobe of the left lung. Had the lobe removed and so far had no recurrence. No chemo or radiation was needed.


I think it is quite small and as far as we know there is not spread, and I guess the fact that they are operating means they think it's curable...

I don't know what protocols apply in the UK, but here you need to pass several tests before they will operate. Firstly, they check to see if there is enough lung capacity to support removal of a lobe. This is followed by a full body CT+PET scan with radioactive dye to check whether the cancer has metastasized elsewhere in the body, or perhaps originated from a tumour elsewhere. That takes nearly 40 minutes in the linked scanners. The last hurdle occurs at the beginning of the operation with them checking lymph nodes around the lungs for cancerous cells. If found the surgery may still be discontinued at that point.

The surgery is regarded as one of the most painful, so much so they sew a thin catheter into the wound to apply local anaesthetic continuously with a PainBuster (https://www.bbraun.com/en/products/b1/on-q-painbuster.html) for the first few days. I also got generous quantities of opiates automatically pumped into me. That proved the most uncomfortable part of the whole procedure as opiates make me very nauseous.

It took me about 6 weeks to fully get back on my feet despite being pretty fit before hand and it has left its mark because I still run out of puff fairly quickly. But it's better than the alternative.

Best wishes to your dad

Ian

[glassgirlw]

My grandmother had the lower 1/3 of her left lobe removed about 30 years ago - long before the more advanced procedures we have today. She just turned 89 this month and is still with us. :hugs:

[Flapj]

There have been many advances in the treatment of lung cancer lately. Also, I agree with the others. If the docs are recommending surgery to remove a lesion, that is very encouraging. Many people do well.

[ForestGirl]

Walter White did pretty good