We have INCREDIBLE NEWS!!!!! Mom’s lung cancer is officially in regression. Everything has finally stopped! It means the chemo is actually working. Her Oncologist was absolutely floored because the very first cycle already showed such massive results!!!! I am sending nothing but good vibes and great news to everyone out there. Hang in there.
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Posts by Olivia Cook48
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My friends, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone for the insights, advice, and explanations you've shared. It has truly helped us grasp the gravity of this situation. We have an immense amount of work ahead of us. The lessons you've imparted through your own experiences will be our compass as we navigate everything that lies in wait.
There are moments of weeping and profound sadness, where we find ourselves fighting these internal battles alone.
It all feels incredibly senseless, but illness doesn't care about fairness or logic.
My mother is 48 years old. She has three daughters, a son, and three grandchildren... she has every reason to live... but how the Almighty has mapped out her path, well, only time will tell.
We will check back in—perhaps with more questions, or perhaps just to say hello. Thank you all, truly, thank you!
There are moments of weeping and profound sadness, where we find ourselves fighting these internal battles alone.
It all feels incredibly senseless, but illness doesn't care about fairness or logic.
My mother is 48 years old. She has three daughters, a son, and three grandchildren... she has every reason to live... but how the Almighty has mapped out her path, well, only time will tell.
We will check back in—perhaps with more questions, or perhaps just to say hello. Thank you all, truly, thank you!
hollowridge88 said:Yeah... honestly, that was the best news we’ve heard so far.
My sister forgot to mention that she has these lumps all over her body. They feel fixed when you touch them—weird, irregular shapes. We were told they’re just signs that the tumor has started spreading, essentially breaking out through her... but what does that actually imply? Just how dangerous are those lumps?
By the way, hollowridge88 is my sister. She completely blanked on mentioning those lumps.
Casey Phillips18 said:Olivia Cook48, I am so incredibly sorry. I know exactly what you're going through. 😢 In a situation like this, the only options left on the table are chemotherapy and radiation. Because of the metastasis found in the bones and adrenal glands according to the discharge papers, the tumor is considered inoperable. That hemangioma on the liver isn't something to worry about since it's benign. When dealing with diseases like this, bone pain usually points toward metastasis, which they typically treat with radiation. It is absolutely critical to know how your mom is holding up—is she still losing weight? Is the pain getting worse?
She is experiencing bone pain. Specifically, her femur and a rib, based on what we've observed. So, does that basically confirm there are metastases in the bones!?
She was only 53 kg when they admitted her to the hospital. In my opinion, her general condition is poor. She can't sit for long, she can't walk, she can't even lie down... though the oncologist concluded during the pre-chemo exam that her general state was fine.
Now we are just waiting for the next round of chemo. The oncologist informed us that the next one will be a "long" one. I don't think he's talking about the duration. The first one lasted 4 hours, the second was 1 hour, and now apparently it's a "long" one.
On Tuesday, we are heading to the outpatient pain management clinic. I've already scheduled an appointment for her there.
Linda Ortiz49 said:Olivia Cook48, I don't know anything about the specific diagnosis, but I'm sure someone who actually understands this will chime in soon. Unless I misunderstood you—if you mean that bone metastasis means having only six months left—well, I personally know two women with bone metastases. One has been living with it for four years now, and the other has been dealing with it for nearly a decade since her diagnosis. In both cases, it started as breast cancer, but they've managed to keep it under control and they're doing just fine...
Thanks, Linda Ortiz49. I really hope my mom gets many more years, too. She’s already planning out the weddings for her three grandkids (the oldest is 4 and the youngest is only 8 months old).
That "six months" figure came straight from the hospital staff... and she is absolutely terrified of the idea of "it spreading to the bones." That's exactly why we decided to keep that part from her. She has her own way of looking at things. Once she finishes chemo, she goes in for surgery, and we're aiming for everything to turn out okay.
Back in the spring, she felt a lump in her breast and went straight for a mammogram and a biopsy. They told her it was just a cyst. Now, whether that's where this all started or not? We have no clue.
All I know is how fast this whole thing spiraled. It’s terrifying. Just a month ago, she was struggling with nothing more than a cough, and now look at her... it's devastating.
Linda Patel21 said:Dear Olivia Cook48, I am so sorry you have to deal with all of this. Things aren't looking great right now, but I know people who have successfully fought this diagnosis. I don't know much about it myself, but maybe you should seek out a second opinion from another doctor,
. I know Dr. Cepulic is excellent. He runs a private practice, so it isn't cheap, but if you can swing it... I hope you find someone who specializes specifically in this type of carcinoma. Good luck!
Thanks for the support.
It’s clear things are grim. My sister and I were just discussing how we’ve completely redefined what "good news" means over the last two weeks. Suddenly, "good news" meant her white blood cell counts improved enough to start chemotherapy...
The very first night after we got the diagnosis, I actually thought to myself, *what if I just won the lottery?* What good would that money even do me? This is an incurable disease.
Everything always comes back to money; it seems like those with deep pockets are the only ones who can truly fight the illness.
I'll try to get an appointment with that specialist to get his take. I don't have any connections—no family doctors or anything—but you always have to try everything you can.
Just writing the first sentence of this post, and the tears have already started flowing...
After finally letting myself cry, I want to say THANK YOU to all of you for sharing your struggles with others who are stuck in the exact same unbearable situation.
I’ve been scrolling through your posts, finding hope on one page only to be met with crushing disappointment on the next... but pages follow pages, and I suppose my post will just be one more in a long line of them, unfortunately.
I am looking for your advice, guidance, or anything at all that might help my mom and me.
Two weeks ago, we got the diagnosis: lung cancer.
Mom is 65. Until now, she was a perfectly healthy woman.
Discharge papers:
Right lung carcinoma (adenocarcinoma)
Adrenal gland metastasis
Bone metastasis
From the report:
Chest and heart imaging: left infrahyaloid infiltrative shadowing.
Abdominal ultrasound: two lesions up to 7mm in the left hepatic lobe, corresponding to hemangiomas. Left adrenal gland is enlarged. Tumor markers: CA 13.0, CYFRA21-14.0, NSE 6.8.
Thoracic CT shows a mass measuring 4.5x3.4x4.2cm in the upper segment of the lower lung lobe, which completely obstructs the bronchus for the right lung's lower lobe. No signs of mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Visualized skeletal parts show no signs of osteolysis. Liver shows no focal lesions. Both adrenal glands are enlarged and, based on CT characteristics, likely represent metastases.
Bone scintigraphy: increased metabolic activity in the posterior aspect of the left rib, the area of the left acetabulum, and the adjacent part of the left ischium; etiology remains unclear. There is a spot of slightly increased metabolic activity in the distal part of the left femur shaft (near the medial contour). Increased metabolic activity in the right knee appears to be degenerative in nature.
Started the first cycle of PKT.
Please don't try to interpret the medical jargon for me; just identify the most critical parts. I am not a medical professional and I have never dealt with findings like this before.
It all started with pain in her leg and "in her lungs," as Mom would put it. Her primary care doctor treated her for pneumonia for three months. In those three months, she lost 12 pounds (she's down to 117 lbs now). It wasn't until we pushed persistently that she finally got a referral to a pulmonologist. They sent her straight for a bronchoscopy, and that's how I finally reached the truth.
The doctor at the hospital told me immediately that this was strictly for chemotherapy and that we should prepare for the worst—anywhere from two months to two years. They were vague about the bone findings—at least, that's what she told me. But the disease is such that it can be characterized as metastatic. (That doesn't make sense to me—shouldn't they be doing more tests to confirm that???)
She started chemo just four days after the diagnosis. She handled the first round terribly. The second had to be delayed because of low white blood cell counts, but she finally received it yesterday.
Yesterday, I finally sat down with her oncologist. He said something to me that I just cannot shake. I'm gathering all the paperwork and we are going to go get a private opinion to verify everything. Looking at the results, he suggested that if the knee issue is a metastasis, it isn't large. So, what do you even do then? Surgery? Nothing makes sense.
Honestly, the doctors are just so disinterested and cold; they leave you feeling totally distrustful... it's awful. Every day I was at the hospital asking questions, digging through the internet just so I'd know what to ask, and the answers were always: "wait," "we don't know," "results haven't arrived yet," "don't get your hopes up..." And now Mom has been discharged home, and we haven't told her that it might be in her bones. She's terrified of that because she knows that once it hits the bone, you're looking at six months.
What do I do now, people!? Am I grasping at straws or...
We bought her beta glucan, Zofran, aloe vera... everything I could find online that might help... she’s also been given some nutritional shakes (those high-calorie drinks).
Please, please write back...
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
After finally letting myself cry, I want to say THANK YOU to all of you for sharing your struggles with others who are stuck in the exact same unbearable situation.
I’ve been scrolling through your posts, finding hope on one page only to be met with crushing disappointment on the next... but pages follow pages, and I suppose my post will just be one more in a long line of them, unfortunately.
I am looking for your advice, guidance, or anything at all that might help my mom and me.
Two weeks ago, we got the diagnosis: lung cancer.
Mom is 65. Until now, she was a perfectly healthy woman.
Discharge papers:
Right lung carcinoma (adenocarcinoma)
Adrenal gland metastasis
Bone metastasis
From the report:
Chest and heart imaging: left infrahyaloid infiltrative shadowing.
Abdominal ultrasound: two lesions up to 7mm in the left hepatic lobe, corresponding to hemangiomas. Left adrenal gland is enlarged. Tumor markers: CA 13.0, CYFRA21-14.0, NSE 6.8.
Thoracic CT shows a mass measuring 4.5x3.4x4.2cm in the upper segment of the lower lung lobe, which completely obstructs the bronchus for the right lung's lower lobe. No signs of mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Visualized skeletal parts show no signs of osteolysis. Liver shows no focal lesions. Both adrenal glands are enlarged and, based on CT characteristics, likely represent metastases.
Bone scintigraphy: increased metabolic activity in the posterior aspect of the left rib, the area of the left acetabulum, and the adjacent part of the left ischium; etiology remains unclear. There is a spot of slightly increased metabolic activity in the distal part of the left femur shaft (near the medial contour). Increased metabolic activity in the right knee appears to be degenerative in nature.
Started the first cycle of PKT.
Please don't try to interpret the medical jargon for me; just identify the most critical parts. I am not a medical professional and I have never dealt with findings like this before.
It all started with pain in her leg and "in her lungs," as Mom would put it. Her primary care doctor treated her for pneumonia for three months. In those three months, she lost 12 pounds (she's down to 117 lbs now). It wasn't until we pushed persistently that she finally got a referral to a pulmonologist. They sent her straight for a bronchoscopy, and that's how I finally reached the truth.
The doctor at the hospital told me immediately that this was strictly for chemotherapy and that we should prepare for the worst—anywhere from two months to two years. They were vague about the bone findings—at least, that's what she told me. But the disease is such that it can be characterized as metastatic. (That doesn't make sense to me—shouldn't they be doing more tests to confirm that???)
She started chemo just four days after the diagnosis. She handled the first round terribly. The second had to be delayed because of low white blood cell counts, but she finally received it yesterday.
Yesterday, I finally sat down with her oncologist. He said something to me that I just cannot shake. I'm gathering all the paperwork and we are going to go get a private opinion to verify everything. Looking at the results, he suggested that if the knee issue is a metastasis, it isn't large. So, what do you even do then? Surgery? Nothing makes sense.
Honestly, the doctors are just so disinterested and cold; they leave you feeling totally distrustful... it's awful. Every day I was at the hospital asking questions, digging through the internet just so I'd know what to ask, and the answers were always: "wait," "we don't know," "results haven't arrived yet," "don't get your hopes up..." And now Mom has been discharged home, and we haven't told her that it might be in her bones. She's terrified of that because she knows that once it hits the bone, you're looking at six months.
What do I do now, people!? Am I grasping at straws or...
We bought her beta glucan, Zofran, aloe vera... everything I could find online that might help... she’s also been given some nutritional shakes (those high-calorie drinks).
Please, please write back...
Thank you, thank you, thank you.