#581 ·
nimbletrucker72 said:We went to Jordanovac today but they sent him home—instead, they scheduled the bronchoscopy for June 12th.
Personally, I just don't get it... June 12th? That’s 17 days away. Do you have any idea what a disease like this can do in 17 days?
Horrible things. 😢
Screw Milinović and the healthcare reform 😠—that's exactly why I took my mother out of America. We're trying to fight and save her because with this kind of illness, there's one rule: you don't have time.
nimbletrucker72 said:They're telling us to go elsewhere for a chest and abdomen CT because their equipment is supposedly bad, yet they claim their specialists are top-tier.
The pulmonologist and oncologist from my mom's recent hospitalization outside the US told me... a chest CT isn't strictly necessary, nor are all those other tests. Just have a decent doctor (a pulmonologist) examine him, and if he has any swollen lymph nodes (usually in the groin area), just biopsy the node to find the cancer cells. It's a much less invasive method... plus, chest CTs have their own nasty side effects—air entry, an outdated method that's barely used anymore—and complications can arise (you usually end up in the ICU with a drain in you for 5 days). It's not always essential. 😢
They put my mother through the wringer too... and in the end, after they finally biopsied a lymph node (which they did), they found the exact same cancer cells they would have seen on a chest CT—adenocarcinoma. 😢
nimbletrucker72 said:The doctor just told us not to hope for anything good. What is that supposed to mean? Everyone is wondering why she wasn't admitted.
Well, logic dictates she should have been admitted... but what can I tell you? People were wondering why my mom wasn't admitted either—it's because there was simply no room. There's your answer. 😠
nimbletrucker72 said:He went in for his exam after dealing with headaches for about 20 days—plus chest pain, though he's had that for years. He’s taking Voltaren twice a day to manage it. Can I assume they're hiding the fact that it's near the end, or is there still hope for surgery or other treatments to slow things down? If anyone can offer some insight, please write back. Thanks!
Look, your father needs solid diagnostics first. You have to find out if there's metastasis—lung cancer spreads to the bones, brain, and liver—so you need to see how far it's gone. What stage is it? Get a thorough diagnostic workup to determine the specific type of carcinoma, because treatment isn't one-size-fits-all. Only then should you jump into therapy, and as quickly as possible...
For me, joining support groups like CancerCare helped me finally wrap my head around what my mother was actually facing. As for getting all those tests done, you're going to honestly need:
- Good connections (or even better ones)
- A lot of money (if you're planning on doing all that private testing)
- Pure luck (finding a doctor who actually cares enough to be thorough)
I really hope you don't break under the pressure. Sending you patience, love, and hope...
To you and your family—and I hope your father can start treatment ASAP.
