This all started with some upper back pain and chest pain. A doctor recommended a CT scan to check for a blood clot. They found several nodules in my left lung. The largest only being 1.5 cm. There are five altogether. I was sent for a pet scan and it came back positive for malignancy with metastisis to the hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes.
My lung doctor still refused to believe it was lung cancer. I had a bronchoscopy two days ago and I am awaiting the biopsy.
I don't even know why I went for the pet, because the doc believed it is a false positive. Talk about being totally confused and scared.
Trying to get this diagnosis is taking way to long to find out. Each day that goes by I get more and more depressed.
Thanks for listening....I just needed to vent.

Take a deep breathe. . . the unknown and waiting is awful but hopefully you will get the results of your biopsy soon and know what you are facing. Nodules can be a lot of things - let us know how things turn out.

Hi Lisa,
I feel your anxiousness. Both of my parents just died of lung cancer. I asked my dr the next time I had an xray to check especially close to make sure nothing was missed. She scheduled me for a ct scan and to my surprise it came back positive for nodules. I dont know how big or how many. I think I stopped listening when I heard that. I have an appointment with a pulmonary dr. and their was talk of a PET scan. We still havent had the service for my parents and now I have to deal with all this. I hope with all my heart that your biopsy comes back negative. How did they do the biopsy? Make sure you stay in touch. I will be thinking of you.

Becky in Florida

My mom has been dealing with lung cancer for a year now. When they found a second spot-- they wanted to wait and see if it was an infection. We said lets do a PET scan. The doctors said infection looks the same on a PET scan as cancer. The only way to tell is a biopsy. It may be nothing. Hang in there. I know it is hard. Think positive and pray. I will send prayers your way. Kim

Sigh...to make a short story long....

To each of you that is so new here....sadly, some of us have been walking this path for a while and hope we can offer some advice, or if nothing else, a shoulder. My keyboard is always ready and willing....we have found out that although we are separated by distance, here in our cyber-world, we are like a family. I hope you will feel this sense also.

Now, for the dang waiting. ARRRGHHHHHHH!!!! My hubby is a Viet Nam vet...he caught the tail end of the war. He smoked for more than 30 yrs 2-3 packs a day. In the days the Marlboro Man was in, John Wayne was a hero, and Jimmy Dean rolled up his cigs in his T-shirt sleeve. He quit 8 yrs ago (in '98) with the express desire to avoid getting cancer. He is 56. I am 46. We met on and online dating service and I never knew he was a smoker because I needed to date only non-smokers (due to allergies to tobacco smoke I didn't know I even had). We met in April 2003, dated for several months...a year and a half. He worked with horses, healthy as a horse himself. He worked full time for the US Post office, I worked full time at a bank. I started to help him in my spare time clean stalls, shovel feed, shovel sawdust...etc..because of a bad back due to war and eventually work injuries. He would run out of breath especially on hot humid days. He used an inhaler. The VA doc said...you have adult asthma. Puff on this and you'll feel better. His chest hurt. The VA doc said....you pulled a muscle while using the pitchfork in the stall...take Naproxen.....That summer he had a cough that kept on and on...I mentioned he should see the doc again...he waived me off. Stubborn man.
We eventually got married in Oct of 2004. On Thanksgiving Day 2004 he doubled up with chest pains. They continued to the point we were both up at night. Every night. At my insistance, we went back to the VA doc (his only doc) who began working him up for a heart cath scheduled for Dec 04. After all, he was 55, could be heart probs. The angiogram came in January since Evansville received an unexpected 24" of snow in one day...the night before his test. We were supposed to go to Paducah KY for it...3.5 hrs away. All was closed and cancelled. So, 4 weeks later the test. Nothing significant. Heart doc said...hey..it's not his heart. Need to look elsewhere. I looked on the internet, and they said lung disease can cause heart probs. So.....back to VA. In Feb, we saw a pulmonologist who ran a CT...and the dx of Bronchogenic Carcinoma. Yet it looked like in isolated mass, possibly removable. So...we were moved up to the next tier in the VA medical system...St Louis MO. 3.5 hrs away. A CT guided fine needle biopsy in March conclusively showed cancer. It was still operable. Non-small cell lung cancer...stage 3A. As a precaution, they ordered a PET scan at St Louis University. The day we went in early April the machine went down after we had been waiting for hours. We had to reschedule. Late April. The scan came back with Pleural effusion, and mets to the hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes. In a matter of hours, he went from 3A to 3B. Inoperable. Since then...May 2005 he has been undergoing chemo only since there is too much involvement for radio...it would fry his whole chest. You talk about frustration in the waiting. I often...well, shoot, always think that if we had not gone VA, he dx would have come sooner and possibly....the main tumor caught before it went into the lymph nodes. We have since then started useing our private medical insurance and our oncology group is super. They are out of Indy and always on the edge of new things.

Ultimately, medicine can only go so far. The human body can only handle so much. And, us loved ones that try desperately to help, get to a point we cannot stand to see our precious one suffer on and on. It is a slow death for us too. Please KNOW that here you will find folks that totally understand what you are going through. that despite the miles, we can bridge this distance by our keyboards and keep eachother strong and brave.

Sorry to make this a long message...was not my intention. But during this whole process, I have always said that the biggest issue, most frustrating and terrifying time was the constant waiting.

Take care. Love, prayers, healing and peace from So. IN.

Jan

I had nodules that were showing growth in the last 2 CT scans and was referred to a thoracic surgeon last Dec. He told me that a PET scan could produce false negative or positives and that a needle biopsy isn't a very good means for diagnostic. I did agree to have the biopsy done using the VAT's procedure. During that procedure he said they would do a preliminary biopsy while I was out and if needed would remove the lobe or the whole lung. I was relieved to learn that I still had both of my lungs when I woke up. :)

So, neither of the nodules they removed were cancerous. One was scarring from pneumonia/bronchitis and the other is some other lung problem...bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia. Much better than cancer! I still have at least 1 nodule in the opposite lung but am pretty confident that one is surely the same thing. They will continue to watch it anyways.

Wishing you luck that your results turn out to be something as simple.

Thank you very much everyone for responding. The biopsy was done during the brochoscopy. The doc told me first that he thought the nodules were to small to biopsy, but he was able to get to one. A few more days and I will know for sure. I have to get through the weekend and the holiday on Monday.
Since this all began, I feel like my life has just been put on hold. My job would not let me continue to work because of all the time I have needed to have off for tests and such. So, I took a medical leave for now. I also have nodules in my thyroid, which I read is pretty common. I will find out on June 13th if they are cancer. I am in my last sememster in college and I am trying to focus just enough to finish. I graduate in October. But since this all began, all I can think about is the fact that I may have cancer.
I try to remember that I am not the only person going through this and that's when I jump on the computer. These sites have kept me sane.
God Bless to everyone and I will keep everyone posted and please do the same for me.

God Bless you too Lisa. I will keep you close to my heart. You take care. I was halfway finished with my college ed when my hubby took ill. I plan on continuing...when....
When is when God wants it to be and when that time comes, I will need my school to keep me sane and focused. Until then, keep us in mind with your results. I will be thinking of you.

TTFN,
Jan

Lisa,
I just noticed you are from Lakeland. I am as well. Who is your pulmonary doctor and do you like him. I dont know who mine is as my primary dr set the appointment up for me to see him. If I have learned one thing with my parents both going through this is that I will not settle for a doctor that I cant talk to. The worst part is not knowing and if you cant trust your doctor to be open, honest and make you feel like your not bothering him then I will find one that does. Was the bronchoscopy the only alternative that he gave you for biopsy? I have read about others but I know nothing about it. I hope you have a great holiday weekend and I wish you nothing but good news. We are memorializing both my parents this weekend. Fitting I guess.

Becky

Hi Becky...
My pulmonary dr is in Brandon. His name is Dr. Lorch, but I don't care for him that much. Just a feeling I've got. After my bronchoscopy, I asked where he was. I thought the doc always came to talk to you after a procedure.
Anyway, he eventually called me and told me to call his office in 5 to 7 days for the results. I didn't like that either, you might be telling me I have lung cancer over the telephone.
I have an appointment on Friday, June 2nd at Lakeland Regional Cancer Center. I sent them a copy of my CT and PET reports and they called me back to set up an appointment with the medical oncologist.
Please keep my posted about those dreaded nodules. Luckily, it is nothing.
That's what I keep telling myself.

Take Care,


Lisa