Update

[Jenco]

Hi Everyone. I have been out of the loop for a bit ,coping with radiotherapy. I was diagnosed with stage 2 nsclc lung cancer at the beginning of October which was originally thought to be operable but further tests showed that the tumour had infiltrated my trachea making it inoperable. That was a shock and the staging changed from 2 to 4 - a big jump. I started a combination of chemoradiotherapy at the end of October. I was to have two sessions of chemo three weeks apart and thirty three sessions of radiotherapy to run concurrently. I managed the first lot of chemotherapy but it made me so ill (I was in hospital for ten days) that it was decided that the second dose would be too risky for me - I wasn't sad. I completed the radiotherapy about four weeks ago. It seemed a long haul but friends sorted out a timetable and different people taking me made it less of a slog. I brought my radiotherapy mask home as a souvenir. The consultant and staff at St James in Leeds have been terrific - informative, kind and supportive and have sorted out problems almost before they occurred. I realise how lucky I am when I read some of the post here.

Almost as soon as I had finished the radiotherapy my cough returned with a vengeance. An xray showed a shadow on my good lung and for the moment it is being treated as an infection. Fingers crossed that it is all it is. I'm just about to start my third course of antibiotics as my GP this morning told me that my good lung didn't sound good!!! Hey ho!! I have another xray next week and then we'll know a bit more then. It's a horrible disease that creeps in under the radar - I had no symptoms at all before I went down with a bad bout of pneumonia - and it hasn't followed a straightforward path. The only thing that is predictable is it's unpredictability . My husband has been my absolute rock through all of this - it's been a joint venture we hadn't planned. Sorry if I've rambled a bit but it's made me feel better.

[jillygirl]

Hi Jenco, well you certainly have been through the mill. I do hope your x ray proves to be an infection. St. James Leeds is a fantastic hospital thats where I was for my pneumonectomy. Like you I couldnt tolerate the chemo, too risky, but the staff there were superb.

Good luck for the future.

[LorraineD Partner Roy Castle]

Jen,

A tricky few months for you....Sorry to hear your chemo was so rough and radiotherapy has been demanding. It sounds like you have a great team around you, both on the medical side and the personal one. It might not make things easy but at least you know you are not doing this on your own.

Fingers crossed that the antibiotics sort out your infection and that things look a bit brighter.

Feel free to keep ranting, writing and letting us know how you are,

best wishes

Lorraine

on behalf of the Information & Support team