Lung Cancer.

I was diagnosed with lung cancer in October of 2010.  I felt pain behind my right rib cage which seemed to be worse almost daily. At my doctor’s suggestion I had a chest x-ray and found a large growth about the size of a soft ball.  Again a my doctor’s request, I also had the first of several MRI’s which eventually identified the growth as a large cell cancerous growth on my right lung which was causing the pain.  At this point my regular doctor referred me to a team of cancer specialists who are now treating me.  

Several other tests, including 2 PET Scans determined that the cancer was confined to the right lung.  The surgeon determined that at 74 I was able to undergo surgery but I fear such an operation would leave me on a venerator for the rest of my life because I have COPD which was diagnosed in 2002. A stroke in 2004, which came close to ending my life, was also part of the reason why I chose not to have the surgery. (Surgery is the only way to completely remove the cancer, but you can kill it with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy.)

Part of my team has since determined that both radiation treatments and chemotherapy should not be given together so I am now taking 5 weeks of

Concentrated radiation.  I presume that chemotherapy comes next. 

I’m scared to say the least, but having listened to all sides of the issue before I  made the decision to follow this path. I feel that I will survive with the best chance of having a quality from living that I would not otherwise have.

I’m not sure that everyone that my life touches agrees with me, but they have left it up to me as I think they should. 

I stopped smoking in 2002 after I was diagnosed with COPD.  At that time an x-ray showed that I did not have cancer.  Should have never started again but loosing all of my teeth to COPD was a bit more than I wanted to handle.  Guess that even less than ½ a pack a day is too much!!

It’s been 5 weeks of radiation now and I feel cooked inside.  I hope they give me a few days off before they start chemotherapy.