PET scan Feb 2014...

My husband Jim had a PET scan today. He was told last month that his NSCLC Lung Cancer had returned. This time the cancer is in his right lung. His left pneumonectomy was February 2013. We will not have the results of this PET scan or CT scan until next week. They will check the rate of growth of the "new" cancer; then they will give Jim his options so that Jim can make a new plan of action. Please keep Jim and my family in your thoughts and your prayers. 

Cancer has returned...

22Jan14: One year ago, on 22Jan13, I announced on FaceBook that Jim had cancer. Exactly one year later, I was on FaceBook once again to let friends and family know that my husband Jim’s cancer had returned.

Jim had a doctor appointment 22Jan13 and we did not receive the news we had hoped for. Jim’s bone scan was good, as expected. The CT scan showed nothing new in the brain, which is great news. The CT scan showed the previous 6mm mass in the lower right lobe is stable, unchanged, which is good because it has not changed. But, the CT scan did show a new 5mm abnormal mass in the middle lobe of the right lung. This is not good news.

The plan is to repeat the CT scan and blood work in six weeks to see the rate of change. There will also be a PET scan in six weeks because the PET will give more detailed information regarding the status of the 5mm mass in the middle lobe, and search for any other new cancers. Jim and I will meet with the oncologist after these tests to review the results and make a plan.

Jim’s attitude and spirits are both good. Of course, we are still processing the information. I’m sure we will have ups and downs. We are thankful for the good news that we received today. We will accept the bad news and deal with it head on as we explore our options. We still move forward with the phrases “it is what it is” and we will “play the cards that are dealt to us”.

We are thankful for our friends and family that has stood with us through this journey. Your love and support are very important to us.

We are thankful for those of you that follow us and give us moral support, your LIKES and words mean the world to us. This journey has been manageable because of the encouragement we have received from you.

Thank you, you know who you are… and we know who you are not. Yes, sadly, we know who who made their choice not there for Jim. 

New year 2014...

Just like many other people, I have set some goals for 2014. One of my goals... more frequent blog posts. I guess time will tell! 

My family is doing well. My husband Jim's NSCLC cancer is currently in "guarded optimism" as we wait to see if the chemo and radiation therapies were successful or not. Jim has more tests in the next few months. 

We will soon be facing more challenges as the new year rolls in. I will expand on those issues on another day. 

I am currently enjoying my canning-food hobby. I am trying new things. Since I am relatively new to canning, most everything I try is new! Ha! I would like to revive my sewing hobby this year. I would also enjoy taking the dog for walks again. 

Good news...

22Oct2013 Jim’s appt, short answer: GOOD NEWS! Long answer: My husband Jim had his consultation today regarding his Lung Cancer status. We did not receive any bad news today. Jim’s most recent CT and PET did NOT show any worrisome activity. Jim’s pericardium and pulmonary vein looked good. There is a small area on the right lung that will be closely monitored, but we are not alarmed. The doctor feels, and we agree, that they have done all the chemotherapy and radiation that they can do at this point. The doctor would not say “remission”, we did ask him directly. The doctor did say “guarded optimism”. The doctor stated directly to Jim that he “expects the cancer to come back within two years”. This timeline falls in line with the information that we received at the time of Jim’s pneumonectomy. *Stage 4 NSCLC that has invaded the heart has its own set of parameters. During this phase we will have a “wait and see policy” with Jim having serial CTs and PETs. We are pleased with this update. This news is good news.

This status post comes just nine short months (to the day!) after I announced on my facebook that Jim had cancer. It is just ten short months (to the day!) from Jim’s very first appointment that began this journey. We had no idea at that time that it was cancer. Our lives have certainly changed during 2013. 

Waiting...

My husband, Jim, is still waiting for tests and test results to see if his stage 4 lung cancer is still active. These results will let us know if the cancer treatments were successful or not. Once we have the information, Jim can make a plan and move forward. The weeks of waiting are stressful. Hopefully, we will have information by the end of this month.