Hi, my name is Sassiehc and I am brand new to this site. I stumbled on Cancer Chat yesterday when I was researching the pros and cons of prophyltic low dose radiation to my head. I had beed taking about finding a link on line to talk with people who have cancer or have recovered from the disease.

I was diagnosed on Febrary 9, 2016 with LD Small Cell Lung Cancer. I had gone to my internist for a pre-op exam and the x-ray showed a mass in the lower lobe of my left lung. When he phoned me that evening to give me the information my immidiate reaction was to say: "Let's get moving on it! Two days later I was having a CT/with contrast. A few more days and I was with an Oncologist who sent me for an MRI and to meet the man who would become my surgeon and another man who would be my radiation oncologist.

On February 25, 2016 I underwent a broncoscopy. Eighteen lymph nodes were removed and they were all clear!   Oh Happy Day!  During this surgery my surgeon was finally able to see the mass. He planned to remove it after I healed from this surgery, within a short time. By March 21st I was having surgery to remove "the mass." I was told that he was going to do a lobectomy and remove the mass. When I came to I was told that he didn't have to do a lobectomy, he did a wedgectomy. He removed 95% of the cancer. The mass had been attached to 2 vertebra and 3 ribs. He said he scraped those areas until he could no longer see where the mass had been attached. I was to see my oncologist and radiologist to get started on my chemo and radiation protocols. Chemo and radiation began on April 11, 2016. I'd go to chemo early in the motning and to radiation at 2:30pm every day. Chemo was Monday thru Friday plus Monday then I was off 3 weeks then I'd go back for the same things. I was on Cisplatin and etoposide. They also gave me an antinausea medication (IV drip) Days 1 and 8: emend, decadra, Alexi, and on days 3, 4, and 5: Kytril. I also was hydrated via IV drip. I was very blessed because I tolerated Chemo and Radiation and the shot, Neulasta, which I got after each round of Carboplatine. I was taken off of Cisplatin becuse my labs showed that it was effecting my kidneys. My creatinine was climbing above what is in the normal range. My doctor stopped chemo. Cisplatin, hydrated me then after 3 weeks I started Carboplatin.This drug can make you very anemic so I had to get a transfusion. I went thru 2 rounds of carbo 3 days on and 3 weeks off wirh a shot of Neulasta after each round. My daily radiation treatments continued non stop and ended on May 27, 2016. Chemo ended June 7, 2016. I got a CT scan/with contrast and an MRI/with contrast last week and they both were clear. My MD called to say: "You are cancer free!." Now for the really scary stuff. Usually with LD SCLC the patient gets low dose Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation, Monday - Friday for 3 weeks. SCLC is not curable though studies are showing some positive outcomes.Without radiation  metastasis to the brain. With radiation there is a better outcome. It delays and/or gets rid of matastasis and prolongs life with emphasis on quality of life. However, the side effects of the radiation to the brain is scary. Diminished cognitive ability which usually  start soon after treatment ends or starts a long time afterwards. In addition dementia slowly develops in your life and your quality of life is gone forever. I am on the fence... which do I do? I have 2nd opinions from promenent doctors in the field as well as I have been researching on line for any material on the subject.  Only one MD (2nd opinions) told me not to get radiation to my brain. He had read some articles written on the subject, etc. The other doctors told me that this is today's protocol and it they were in my position they woud get the radiation. 

Has anyone gone thru this or know someone who has? What were their side effects like? Dementia? Loss of cognative abilities? Quality of life gone down hill? I am really scared but am ready to face it. Please let me know any feed back.

Thank you for being there. sorry I have gone on and on and only hope that I have explained my delema well to hopefully get some helpful feedback.

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Sassiehc