Mom Had Surgery today!

05-16-2005, 10:05 PM

My mother was diagnosed with nsclc in December.. They did many many tests.. She is 67.. She had two Pet scans, a lung function test, Pulminary test, several cat scans etc.. They put her on Chemo for several months due to the size of the tumor. Today, at 7am the surgeon at the hospital said, I am not going to promise anything.. It the cancer is touching the heart or the spine, or has spread, I am going to close her up..He said if all goes ok it will be a 2 to 2.5 hour operation.. Well, it took 4 hours.. The tumor was removed and the lymph glad was against her esophogus... He was able to remove this as well.. Now she is in "intensive care"... Anyone know the outlook for the chances of recurance....

05-17-2005, 10:04 AM

I had my surgery one year ago April. I had a 9cm tumor and my surgeon did a pneumenectomy. I didn't have chem to shrink the tumor before surgery because I had an overwhelming systemic infection. I was in the hospital 3 weeks just getting well from the infection and strong enough for surgery. My surgeon removed 15 lymph nodes and 5 were malignant. I had no symptoms of lung cancer except for a rare syndrome called hypertrophic pulmanary osteoarthropathy. The tumor secreted a hormone that caused severe rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. I was treated for 6 months by a GP for that and he finally sent me to a rheumatologist who ordered a chest x-ray. Two weeks ago I had bronchitis and couldn't breath without severe pain in my remaining lung. I was hospitalized for 5 days on IV antibiotics, they did a bone scan, bronchoscopy with 2 biopsys, wich the pulmanologist didn't think look malignant. Anyway, the point is I am well past the 1 year mark and am doing well. I'm sure your mother will do fine also. Just let her know that things with only one lung are a different than with two. BTW I had Stage IIIa lc.

Prayers and peace..............Becky

05-17-2005, 02:04 PM

My Mother had surgery two years ago, they removed half of the lung. She is 69 years old. She was clear of cancer, but my Mother chose to smoke again, now the cancer returned with two very large turmours, cancer has grown to chest wall and trachea. She has had 38 radiation treatments to try and stop them from growing, and relieve the pain. Nothing has worked. I feel your Mother will be okay, my Mom was cancer free, totally, but she could not resist the cigerettes

The smoking caused the cancer to return. My Mother had a secound chance. Now this time around with lung cancer, it is unoperable. I am my Mothers caregiver, I cherish each day with her, because reality is, she will be gone someday, and I will miss her terribly. Anyone that smokes, Please stop.

05-17-2005, 03:08 PM

Dear dfb, how great that your mom could be operated! my father's situation was very similar, was diagnosed right around the same time and also was to be operated, but unfortunately, as you said, his tumor was too close to the heart, so he is now on chemo and will begin radiation. i dont know the stats/chances of reccurrence, but from what we understood when they were still planning to operate, they kept telling us that if lung cancer can be operated, which is not often, it is the best possible scenario. unfortunately lung cancer is one of the toughest cancers out there, and people respond and react to it so differently, but the fact that she was able to have surgery is great news! i will keep you in my thoughts, all my best, ~a

05-18-2005, 05:58 AM

Yesterday was the first day after the surgery.. They had her get up and walk around the icu floor..She sat up all day and watched t.v.. She had many visitors. She gave up smoking when she was diagnosed and she said she will never smoke again. I also quit then. They had her off the "ventilator" and breathing on her own before they brought her to ICU.. The info I have seen said that less than 25% of lung cancer can be operated. My mom feels very luck to have been able to get the surgery. The surgeon was very negative however. He said "we got it all, but as far a "microscopic cells" he did not know. He said that the rest is now up to her oncologist as far as more chemo.. Lung cancer does not respond well to chemo he said...But her cough should be gone, hopefully....She loved her cigarettes as well as myself.. But any product that is that hard to give up should be banned...

05-18-2005, 08:38 AM

Dear dfb, good news about your Mom, she is going to recover well. You are so right about the ban on smoking.

05-18-2005, 09:17 AM

we will all pray for the best for you and your mother......you are in my thoughts and prayers

05-18-2005, 08:37 PM

Thanks all for the prayers and optimism.. We saw her today and she is her spunky self... She looks great and she does not have that cough anylonger. She also can eat without getting full very quickly. She is now back on solid food. She was moved out of ICU today and into a regular hospital room. All is o.k. so far.. Hope she will get Chemo and have blood tests and PET scans to see if it returns. I bought some vitamin D to have her start taking as well.. Time will tell....

Mom Had Surgery today!

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