Shocked
Last updated: January 2018
In July 2017 a fist size mass was found in upper right lobe of my lung. The shock was that I never had any symptoms that would have sent me to the doctor until July when while camping in Billings, MT. I started coughing up some blood. A visit to the ER, CT scan and the journey began. We returned to Virginia, biopsy confirmed what we already knew and we met with our team of doctors. I am 71 years young and in very good shape, the team opted for an aggressive treatment plan, radiation 5 days a week for 5 weeks, at the same time chemo 7 days in a row, 10 days off, then 7 more days. Dehydration, potassium and magnesium levels were hard to maintain and had to be supplemented through IV, I also lost 35 lbs, but the mass all but disappeared. Surgery was performed 3 weeks later and the lobe was removed, none of the lymph nodes were compromised and I am now cancer free. Thank goodness for the medical staff at the University of Virginia hospital/cancer center (voted the #1 cancer hospital in Virginia) and my wife who was the most important part of my team, her support was phenomenal, she drove me everywhere, UVA was a 50 mile round trip from home and sometimes we were 12 hours receiving treatment. I hope everyone going through any major medical situation is blessed with someone as caring and understanding as my wife.

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