Well it is about time i could get on here. I need updated from all.

I have missed so much and I am going to read and catch up.

Love and miss everyone, I will write tomorrow and catch you all up.

Love and kisses, Cindy

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[size=10:07600f51db]'I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me' (and He does!)

I am a 50 yo (DOB 10/13/56), wife, mom of 3, ER nurse (semi-retired).
I was 44 and diagnosed 2/2001 SCLC Extensive R Lung, mediastinal area, vessels of the heart, and L adrenal gland, Cisplatin and Camptosar (Irenotecan) x 9 mos.
Remission 1 yr.
June 2002-youngest got her drivers lis. OH NO! 1st Milestone.
Relapsed in 2/2003, tumor in L lung-6 wks radiation and chemo- carboplatin, VP-16 for 6 mos. also in Feb. 2003 I fell and broke R leg-surgically repaired.
Last chemo treatment Aug. 2003.
Sept 2003 son got married! Another milestone met!
March 2004 pericardial effusion.
Dec. 2004 pericardial effusion still present but smaller and stable
Feb. 2005-I made it--4 years!!!!( since the day I was diagnosed, YEAH!)
Remission TWO YEARS (Aug. 2005)!!!!!!!!!! This time
August 1, 2005 CT scan shows NED and MRI confirms I am still empty headed!
Nov. 2005-all scans STILL NED!!
FEB. 2006- 5 YEARS SINCE DIAGNOSIS!!!
March 2006-All scans still NED
July 2006-All scans NED
Aug. 2006-3 years no chemo-oh yeah!
Dec 2 2006 Middle daughter was married!! Another milestone!
Oct. 2006-All scans NED
Feb 2007-All still NED !!6 YEARS since orig diagnosis!!
June 2007-NED NED NED!!
June 2007 Youngest daughter turned 21!! She was 14 at my diag!
August 2007-4 years since last chemo!!
April 2008-still clean, almost 5 yrs since last chemo, Praise God!

Pic- CindyRN and KatieB at the 2007 Bash
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Cindy!
I've been thinking about you. I am so glad to see your smiling face back here.
Rochelle

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Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
John Lennon

"Never, never, never give up." Winston Churchill

"I rang for ice, but this is ridiculous." -Madeline Talmadge-Astor, as she was being helped off the Titanic

"Losing love is like a window in your heart, everybody sees you're blown apart, everybody sees the wind blow". Paul Simon

Husband John has NSCLC-Vena Cava Syndrome Stage 3B, Dx 6/02
Carbo/Taxol,Radiation
Taxotere
Gemzar
Iressa started 3/03
10/03 Stable CT scan
1/04 CT Still stable.
3/04 PET Scan, Still stable.
7/04 Still stable
1/05 Still stable
1/30/05 Iressa discontinued Started Tarceva, still stable 7/05
1/06 Slight increase in tumor, stopping Tarceva.
1/27/06 Started Alimta
5/5/06 Avastin added to Alimta
6/14/06 Stable, continue w/ Avastin
1/29/07 Shrinkage! Continue w/ Avasin.
7/07- Something new on the CT scan, doing a bronc 7/25/07 to see what it is. 8/21/07 begins brachytherapy. Next treatment postponed until 9/6/7 due to an infection which is making him too ill for the procedure. 9/13/07 Diagnosed with Aspergillus. Has brachytherapy 9/20/07. Developed a pericardial effusion, 10/30/07 has a pericardial window to drain the fluid. Procedure goes well but he passes away 10/31/07 due to a pulmonary hemorrhage.
Pic is me and daughter Jillian aka The Jillinator.
Visit Walk the Walk:
www.michiganlungcancerwalk.org

This was a wonderful surprise So good to have
Cindy back in the house

_________________
Debbie

Husband Alan 58 dx small cell LC
1/10/05 chest x-ray shows 7 x 7 cm mass right hilar region
1/12/05 broncscopy confirms small cell L.c w/ superior vena cava syndrome
1/12/5 1st radiation treatment
1/18/05 meet with medical oncologist
1/20/05 1st chemo treatment cisplatin-CPT 11
1/21/05 brain, bone, adomen scans all clear
1/27/05 2nd chemo treatment CPT-11
1/31/05 Alan admitted to hospital,high fever,
infections
2/5/05 released from hospital
2/13/05 Alan admitted to hospital in a sever
altered state, cause unknown, brain scan clear
2/15/05 Alan returns to reality
2/17-18-19 new chemo given in hospital
Cisplatin VPT 16. this would turn out to be
Alan's last chemo treatment
2/20 released from hospital
2/23 re-admitted due to recurrance of altered
state. dx organic psycosis caused by Decadron
2/26/05 platlette transfusion then released
from hospital
3/1/05 follow up appointment with oncologist,
something not right Alan rushed across the
street re-admitted back into the hospital
11:00am Bilateral pneumonia
3/1/05 7:00pm Alan condition declining. 10
liter oxygen, BP very low, heart rate too high
Alan now taken to ICU I am asked what life
saving measures I want hospital to take
3/2/05 Alan made it through the night.
3/5/05 6:00am hospital calls me at home,
Alan crashing again, need to get there
asap.may have to go on vent.
3/5/05 emergancey broncoscopy to remove
fluid from Alan's lungs, keeps him off vent still not out of the woods
3/11/05 confirmed Alan has a blood infection.
now VRE infectous disease specialist called in
3/12/05 2 pints of blood
3/16/05 blood clot found behing alan's left knee
3/17/05 chest tube put in
3/18/05 Alan misses his daughter's wedding
3/19/05 Alan's birthday, finally out of ICU and
transfered to cancer ward
3/22/05 Chest CT 4 new spots in left lung
3/24/05 broncoscopy to biopsy new spots
3/31/05 Alan finally home on oxygen 24/7
4/18/05 Alan's case brought before tumor board
4/22/05 follow up chest CT no changes in new spots
4/27/05 appointment with oncologist Alan still
too weak to try chemo. discontinued at this time. Tumor is shrinking
5/9/05 Alan starts 35 chest radiation treatments
6/3/05 tumor still shrinking blood work getting better
6/28/05 last radiation treatment oxygen only at night now
6/30/05 appt with med onc, Alan having
headaches brain MRI ordered
7/7/05 Brain MRI completed
7/12/05 confirmed Brain mets. 3.0 x 3.5cm
tumor in the right cerebellar hempisphere
w/sever edema crushing brain stem
7/12/05 start WBR Alan unable to take decadron
7/14/05 Alan in emergancy room dehydrated
from vomiting caused by brain swelling
8/1/05 I decide to take FML and spend time with Alan
8/15/05 Alan makes remarkable recovery and
we leave for 3 week vacation
9/1/05 last radiation treatment to brain tumor
9/28/05 follow up brain MRI no sign of tumor!!!!
11/11/05 Chest CT 1 spot has increased from
1.3cm back to 3.0cm watch and wait
1/10/06 made it 1 year, Brain MRI
show no further cancer
3/10/06 CT Scan Lungs Stable
6/20/06 CT Scan Lungs new 3cm mass
6/22/06 PET Scan negative. watch and wait.
7/18/06 Needle biopsy done, waiting results
7/21/06 get the call NED
1/02/07 confirmed cancer in the right supraclavicular lymph node
1/03/07 Start Radiation treatments
2/27/07 Last Radiation treatment!!
6/4/07 NED once again!!!
12/20/07 cancer back in several lymph nodes. Chemo to start 12/26/07
01/18/08 Blood counts low, check into hospital for transfusion. Chemo delayed until counts come back up
02/08/08 Another blood transfusion
02/15/08 Blood counts back up continue chemo
02/29/08 Overnight stay in hospital for another blood transfusion
03/12/08 Thoracentesis 600cc of fluid drained from right lung.
03/22/08 Admitted to hospital for another blood transfusion
04/18/08 Admitted for 5th blood transfusion since Jan.
06/28/08 4:00pm Alan goes home to God.

Cindy,
I don't know that we've met yet, but I just read your history!!!! I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Just that little bit of story has made my day! What a SURVIVOR you are!!

My Mom was told, after a CT scan that it was 99% likely that she has lung cancer. It's been really tough so far, and we don't even have a proper staged and typed diagnosis yet! However, she just had a bone scan come back negative, and the results of her biopsy came back negative also!
So now we're in this strange limbo, where we're back to not knowing if it's even cancer at this point....craziness...an absolute rollercoaster!

Just seeing your history gives me more hope, so I'm VERY glad that you are back, and I hope to get to know you better

(((Cindy)))
Linda

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My amazing Mom, Ruth, age 64, lifelong smoker

- Early March, 08 chest x-ray shows shadow in upper left lung.
-March 19th- CT scan- 4x3 cm mass in left hilar region, 3 mm spiculated pulmonary mass in periphery of upper left lobe. Right lung shows 1 cm pulmonary mass in azygo-esophageal recess, centered on the major fissure, multiple small pulmonary nodules no more than 2-3 mm scattered within right middle lobe and periphery of left lower lobe.
Next- Lung specialist appt. Mar. 31st - Done- went well.
April 1st '08- Biopsy by bronchoscopy - smooth sailing, Mom's feeling tired, but pretty good. Voice a little croaky, feels like she's getting a cold, but generally good :)
-April 4th '08- Bone scan- went well- now we wait for biopsy and bone scan results...scary time, but Mom is feeling good and is in surprisingly good spirits "Don't borrow trouble" she says :)
April 14 08- Appt with reg doc- Mom goes to see Dr. Sulz to see if he has results yet. He tells her bone scan is NEGATIVE!!! He also says biopsy is NEGATIVE!! I am completely aflutter, confused, hopeful etc.. Up next, Appt with lung specialist Apr. 23rd to see what comes next.
April 23rd 08- Appt with internist to discuss results Doc said that bleeding and low oxygen caused him to stop biopsy early, but the 4 samples he did get were negative. Next up - Wang Needle biopsy April 29th, trying to get chunk of tumor itself. Then, more waiting. Getting very anxious for diagnosis. Doc said cryptococcus unlikely.
April 29th, 08- Second Biopsy - Second bronch went well too. Mom recovered well, and is feeling good. Doc said he got what he wanted this time. We've now been waiting ANOTHER 9 days. Appt on May 12th, hopefully will get results then. This waiting is TORTURE, but Mom is feeling good, and is apparently not afraid! Can't decide if that is denial, or her eternal hope, which is ever present!
May 12th '08. Biopsy results- Second biopsy NEGATIVE! Mom now has 3 options #1- PET scan in Vancouver. #2- Mediastinoscopy. #3- Wait and see till September, then Re-CT at 6 months from first CT. Mom is leaning toward wait and see, since she feels good. I am apprehensive, and looking for advice. Also going to look into natural alternatives. July 9th, '08 PET scan in Vancouver...results following week
July 16th, '08 PET results Only one tumor seems to register on PET as cancer. Hilar region of left lung (largest one). registers at 8.8 SUV max.
The other "stuff" from her CT scan appears to be either too small for uptake, or resolving inflammation.
Mom has been feeling great lately, working hard in the garden and spending tons of time with the kids...it's all so strange. She will now be referred to an Onc in Victoria...even though we don't have a type yet.
Doc guesses her to be a stage 2b, or 3a due to the tumor being very close to pulmonary artery. Possibly a candidate for radiation only. It's nice to have an answer, but scared of what comes next!
Aug 27th, 08 Mom is to start 4 weeks of daily radiation in Victoria, home on weekends. STAGE corrected to T1-N0-M0 or STAGE 1
Oct 10th, 08 Mom has finished radiation, and has been home now for a few weeks. She had some awful pain in her chest/esophagus at first. BUT she is now feeling FANTASTIC, better than she has in over a year! Scan in November to see what butt kicking the radiation has done...hopefully it will be good news!
The bad news- We found out yesterday, that Mom's closest sister, ALSO has lung cancer, and most likely a later stage than Mom...bittersweet...
November 14 '08 Results of follow up (Radiation) chest x-ray- STABLE!! Thank you God!
CT scan in 3 months.
February 4th, '09 Results of CT scan say that main (only) tumor is scar tissue and any other concerning spots are gone.....I might be able to call this NED for now!!! Elated :) Thank You God, for more time with my Mommy!!!
August 4th, '09
Results of new CT show NED for cancer!!! Obvious emphysema and several spots to watch, but ALL looks good. Doc is thrilled, and so are we!!! 6 months till next scan. We all need to BELIEVE like my Mama does..she just knows!
May 18th, 2010
Mommy is NED!!!! Given the go ahead for a 1 year wait till next scan. This makes me nervous but I am SO thrilled!