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Post by dixiedancer on Feb 3, 2009 22:10:10 GMT -5
I have been having trouble with shortness of breath and a cough that's been hanging on since Thanksgiving. Tests ruled out heart problems, & I was sent to a pulmonary specialist.
After three breathing tests, three chest x-rays & a CT-scan, he told us the lower left lobe of my lung had collapsed. Then he did a bronchoscopy to see what he could see, & to confirm the collapse, & took samples for a biopsy. Today we went in to get the results from that biopsy. I'm afraid it wasn't good news. He told us that it is "Non Small Cell Lung Cancer."
Next plan is to do a full scan to see if it has spread. The scan could not be set up for this week, yet, so we will go ahead with our plan to go to the Fresno Mardi Gras Festival, but come right back instead of staying & visiting our daughter Heidi & family & some friends, & staying out west for the Seaside Festival in Oregon, two weeks later. The scan will be for sometime next week & I will be seeing an oncologist a week from this Friday.
All prayers & good wishes will be much appreciated, & I will try to keep you up to date on my progress.
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thenexttweety
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[glow=purple,1,300]Old birds are hard to pluck.[/glow]
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Post by thenexttweety on Feb 4, 2009 0:19:52 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing this new information with us here at the Station and allowing us to extend comfort and love to you in any way we can.
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Post by Crims on Feb 4, 2009 2:33:45 GMT -5
Awww Dixie. Keep strong in the Faith! My prayers are with you. I can only imagine how fearful this bad news was for you to hear. #bighugs#
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texastazz
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Post by texastazz on Feb 4, 2009 17:39:16 GMT -5
Lots of prayers and thoughts go out to you and your family #hearthug#
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texastazz
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Post by texastazz on Feb 14, 2009 11:46:07 GMT -5
How are you doing now?
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Post by dixiedancer on Feb 15, 2009 1:35:31 GMT -5
Thanks for asking, Tazz. I just put an update in the Chat station last night.
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Post by thatkylady on Feb 22, 2009 11:19:50 GMT -5
Dixie, sorry I haven't been around.. I sure hope and pray that this is good news in the update!!
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Post by dixiedancer on Feb 23, 2009 22:59:52 GMT -5
I noticed you haven't been around, Gradie. I've missed you. Thanks for the prayers.
I'm on the road right now, but should be home tomorrow night. We went to a festival in Seaside, OR as a last fling before starting chemo this Thursday. The oncologist advised going ahead. I will post another update after I see how I react to the chemo.
I'm sure I told in the update on Chat, (though I didn't check before writing here), that the cancer is not lung cancer, but a reoccurence of breast cancer. It is in the lung, but also in lymph nodes in the abdomen, in the neck area, & possibly in the kidney. We are hoping that the chemo will take care of it all, but won't know till they do another PETscan in 6 weeks. They will do three 4hr sessions of chemo, 3 wks apart, then do another scan.
Thanks again to all for your prayers & good wishes.
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rositaema
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Post by rositaema on Mar 7, 2009 21:49:31 GMT -5
Wow - I am seeing this so late! I am sorry! I do pray your treatment is totally successful!
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Post by dixiedancer on Mar 12, 2009 2:20:49 GMT -5
Thank you, Rosi. Things seem to be going pretty well. I have handled the chemo pretty well. None of the nausea so often reported with it. It has affected my digestive system a little, & as of yesterday, most of my hair is now gone. But I have a wig, so not to worry about the hair. It may even come back in curly again. It did the first time. I'll try to post a pic of the "new me" when I get back to my own 'puter.
We were told to go ahead with another trip, (I think I told about it in my update on Chat), so we are now in AZ with some friends, & plan to leave here in the morning for Sacramento to see daughter Heidi & family. Then will leave for home on Mon. 'cause I have my next chemo scheduled for Wed. the 18th.
Thanks again for all prayers in my behalf. #thanks1#
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texastazz
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Post by texastazz on Mar 12, 2009 10:08:17 GMT -5
Thoughts and prayers being sent
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Post by Crims on Apr 4, 2009 2:08:34 GMT -5
I must be out of the loop about the "chat". I have been astray too long, I apologize for that. I hope you are feeling better Dixie and doing well.
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Post by Sunny on Jul 7, 2009 0:25:08 GMT -5
I too have been way out of the loop and cancer is sure no stranger to me. Glad you are tolerting the chemo well, I know some do good on it. Travis only got sick once that I know of. It does work and his tumors was responding to it. God Bless and hope you keep getting good news and I'm very happy you can still travel and enjoy life.
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Post by dixiedancer on Jul 7, 2009 22:56:45 GMT -5
Thank you, Sunny, for your good wishes for me. I'm so happy to have you back with us here on Sunshine Station.
I'm still having some problems, but don't really think they are related to the cancer, but some may be due to the chemo. Once the oncologist gives me the okay, I will probably see some other doctors for the other problems.
For one thing, I'm still very tired & can't seem to find energy to do much of anything. I plan to see the pulmonary specialist again, because I still get short of breath easily.
I had a CTscan last Friday on my right leg & finally got the results of that today when I went in for my 3rd PETscan. Will see the oncologist this Friday for the results of the PET. It will tell me whether the cancer is truly gone. She will have to explain the results of the CT, but the way I read it, it has nothing to do with any cancer, but mostly a great deal of osteoarthritis, with a prominent calcification within the Baker's cyst they found with the ultrasound done in March. It has caused a great deal of pain in the right leg, which has seemed to increase as time goes on. I will probably put another update on "Chat" when I know for sure what will happen next.
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Post by Sunny on Jul 8, 2009 12:17:09 GMT -5
I'm looking forward to hearing good news about your PET scan on Friday. I am also happy you are going to get the other things checked out too. Pain in the leg I can sure understand and the shortness of breath also. They put me on Spiriva about a month ago and it has helped me alot. I overexpossed myself to some cleaning chemicals at work and really messed myself up on my breathing.
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