Good to have useful focus

[walking5050]

I have been in turmoil progressing towards a possible lung cancer diagnosis

connecting with this group has given me a connectivity today and a real lift

🙃

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

Hello walking5050,

Welcome to our forum, I am pleased to hear that the information that you have found here has been useful. The time of diagnosis can be a very stressful time, it is a huge leap into unfamiliar territory and understandably this will be a very stressful time for you and your family. We have lots of information on our website I have added the link below

roycastle.org/app/uploads/2...

There are lots of information on line but best to avoid Dr Google as often information can be out of date and inaccurate, stick to websites such as

roycastle.org/help-and-supp...

macmillan.org.uk/

cancerresearchuk.org/

If there is anything else you would like to discuss you can email ask the nurse at [e-mail] or call our free phone nurse led helpline number on 0800 358 7200 Monday to Thursday 0900-1700 and Friday 0900-1600

All the best

The Roy Castle Support Team

[JanetteR57]

glad you no longer feel so alone - hope the turmoil is being replaced by a little more rational thought... personally I found learning more about what lay in store at different times helped but some prefer to let the experience unfold - I just remember having to learn to be a lot more patient in waiting for results or more tests than I was used to in everyday life.... take care.

[walking5050 in reply to JanetteR57]

Thank you ….. me too for me it’s better to know and connect with others who are battling too 💙

[JanetteR57]

not battling it - diagnosed January 2011 - 7cm tumour removed surgically with half my lung - and back at work/swimming a few months after open surgery.... but still remember it all like it was yesterday but grateful for every day... life is unpredictable - have to make the most of it whilst we can... even it turns out to be quite different from the one we might have imagined for ourselves.

[walking5050]

That’s really good to hear and has given me hope x

[JanetteR57 in reply to walking5050]

I became involved in lung research in 2013 and met fellow lung cancer patients who had survived anything up to 18years without the new treatments that didn't exist when they were diagnosed. One I know is 33 years out since his treatment. Every treatment mode has changed even since my diagnosis - even the open surgery I had is now done via keyhole and combinations of treatments are commonly used to give people better quality of life. Sadly lost a few colleagues during the pandemic but not from their lung cancer - one was 18 years out and had set up the Danish lung cancer society, attended a cancer conference in Holland, and caught Covid - others died of other conditions - another was 24 years out from his diagnosis....

it's easy at the start to believe there is only one outcome but that's not the case at all - even advanced cancer patients with the right treatments often achieve far more than they might have imagined. as the treatments are new, it's still hard to predict who will respond to what... but new treatments are in research and being introduced all the time so don't give up....

live your life as best you can - don't put it on hold even if you're anxious about tests/results .... it's too short . take care

[mishamilo53]

hi there , I missed your original post but just wondered how you are doing ? Elly x

[walking5050 in reply to mishamilo53]

My diagnosis pathway took 8 weeks .... (every test you can think of )it was one of the hardest times of my life NHS was amazing .... I got the all clear after the mass at the bottom of my left lung turned out to be infection left over from covid 19 which was slowly improving .... 😀

[mishamilo53 in reply to walking5050]

wow that’s amazing news , I’m so happy for you xxx