Coping
Hi-
I was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma after an incidental finding of a 2.3 cm in my lower left lung on September 19th. I had a lobectomy on October 5th and now I’m cancer free. Found out yesterday I have stage 1a cancer. The surgeon told me I don’t need any more treatment. But an advocate told me I most likely will need four rounds of chemo. I have an appointment with an oncologist next week.
I don’t think I’ve processed the fact that I even had cancer. I’m still recovering from surgery and emotions are all over the place. I’m ecstatic that the cancer didn’t spread. But this was all such a surprise. I’m very sad today. I’m so grateful it was caught so early but still- I had cancer. Anyone have any advice for dealing with the emotions that come with lung cancer?
This is all so new to me.
Thank you
Hello again, Gingergirl, I also had a lobectomy (thoracotomy) for Stage 3b, 22 years ago and that cancer never came back. Last year I had a wedge resection on a lobe in my other lung and was weepy during that recuperation, my feelings were all over the place. I find speaking with other lung cancer patients/survivors helps me a lot. It is a lot to sink in. If you are interested, I am attaching a link below to virtual support groups in case you'd like to register. Attendance is optional as is cameras on or off. I found everyone so supportive and understanding. Hope to see you there! Best, Alisa
https://www.lungevity.org/for-patients-caregivers/support-services/virtual-meetups
Thank you so much Alisa! I’ll check it out.
Hi
. On top of the excellent information provided by here and elsewhere, I just want to share a quote from one of our other contributors, Jeffrey: "It isn't always easy to find the time to cry, to vent emotions, to feel the sadness, and Let It Go. Not everyone is hardwired to release their feelings easily and some are afraid to face them at all. But being sad is not a sign of weakness. Crying does not equate to defeat. In fact, being able to embrace the grief inherent in living with a cancer diagnosis can help to prevent depression and make coping easier in the long run." Know that people here understand and that this community is here for you. Best, Richard (LungCancer.net Team)
Hi Richard-
Thank you for the advice.I appreciate it. I’m a very grateful person. I’m grateful they caught it accidentally. I’m grateful it didn’t spread. I’m grateful it’s EGFR deletion 19. I’m grateful I survived the surgery. I’m super grateful for it all. But all the gratefulness doesn’t erase the fact that I had lung cancer. Didn’t expect that at all. And now I have to worry about it for the rest of my life.
Just don’t know how to show gratefulness but also process all this sadness with family and friends. Everyone keeps saying focus on the positive. It’s a weird place to be.
Thanks for letting me just get this out. Bc family and friends do not understand this. Unless they have had cancer.
Thanks for listening!I know how you feel. I had a lower right lung lobectomy 8 weeks ago. It also was caught by accident. It was stage 1 with no lymph nodes affected, so the Dr. Said I didn’t need any chemo or radiation. In early 2020 I had severe Covid. I was in a coma & on a ventilator for 1 month. That really took a toll on me, then I find out I have cancer…CANCER. Now I’m told it could’ve been from the severe lung injuries I had from Covid. I’ve been crying a lot, and am very depressed over the nerve pain I have. So, I guess we all just have to deal with crap that’s sent our way. I'm sorry for all you went through and are going through. It's only been 8 weeks, I hope with time the nerve pain will lessen. I had two surgeries, one was for Stage 3b, a lobectomy, almost 23 years ago, and I recovered within a few months. The second surgery was done a little over a year ago by vats on my other lung, and it took many more months for me to start feeling a difference in healing and I still have some more healing left. Please feel free to follow up with us and let us know how you are coming along. I am attaching a link below to an article written by our Editorial Team that I hope helps. All the best, Alisa, Lung Cancer Team Patient Leader
https://lungcancer.net/clinical/early-palliative-care-survival
I had a lobectomy and wedge reset 7 years ago. NSC adenocarcinoma 1a.
