Five years! - 1261502

ElroyJ
Posts:10

I was diagnosed December 30, 2008. I'm working, taking care of an elderly mother and taking a college course. The only snag here is that my latest scan in November showed "new 5 mm and less nodules" which are indeterminate, and which the surgeon is interpreting as inflammation or infection. I had pneumonia twice in an eighteen month span, but the last time was April of last year. I've had other suspicious findings over the years which amounted to nothing, but they were all in the middle lobe; this one is in the superior posterior lower lobe. Could be just another false alarm; I don't like being exposed to all that radiation if that's the case!

To sum it up: the past five years have been very interesting and challenging and rewarding. I've seen more changes in my life in these five years than probably in the previous twenty.

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Reply # - January 12, 2014, 11:41 AM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

Elroy,

Congratulations on getting to 5 years. As you've learned from your surgeon and perhaps other sources, including here, there are plenty of non-cancer reasons for lung nodules.

I would say that the risks from radiation are really very minimal and less than the risks of leaving potential cancer unmonitored or untreated. It's absolutely true that the nodules could be something or nothing, but you won't know that until you see if/how your scan changes over time.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

Reply # - January 12, 2014, 04:01 PM

catdander
Posts:

Congratulations Elroy! So good to know you're still doing well. We like your kind around here. :)
Here's to continued success and the disappearance of those pesky nodules.
Janine

Reply # - January 17, 2014, 08:19 PM

JimC
Posts: 2753

Wow! Great news, Elroy! Thanks for sharing.

JimC
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Reply # - January 19, 2014, 10:17 AM

ElroyJ
Posts: 10

I don't want this to look like good news/bad news. I read the surgeon's office visit report the other day for the first time; he says there is "no compelling reason" to believe that this is cancer. After I had the lobectomy, the middle lobe reoriented in such a way that part of it collapsed. The doctor says, in light of two bouts of pneumonia so close together, that I might be prone to infections now. There is still a cavitated lesion that hasn't changed in three years, and some blebs as well. He puts the nodules down to infection or inflammation. It's a pain - a "new normal" - but I did make it to five years, presumably cancer-free, so it does happen.

Reply # - April 27, 2014, 12:09 PM

ElroyJ
Posts: 10

Nothing! The surgeon says everything's stable or resolving. He still worries about infections, but he did come out and say that the cancer I was treated for in 2009 is cured. He wants to continue to monitor for new cancers about every year or so.

Reply # - April 27, 2014, 07:47 PM

cards7up
Posts: 636

Congrats to you! Here's to your continued success. Happy Dance time!
Take care, Judy

Reply # - April 27, 2014, 08:53 PM

bobradinsky
Posts: 144

Elroy

It's wonderful to hear how well you are doing after 5 years. Time to celebrate. Bob

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