Hi gnomi in answer to your question. Most people do spring cleaning even if it isn't spring or decorate something to keep the mind on other things,. Good luck with results....... 

Billy 

Hi there, 

waiting I agree is one of the worst parts of all this. People have different ways of coping... most of them it's anything to take your mind off of the unknown and the worry. Sometimes it is really really hard and it will creep in from time to time, so many things can trigger that thought process your so desperate to get away from, it can be exhausting. There are lots of things you can do, it depends on your preference, for example I have a number of things to fall back on such as a work out, watching really good movies, and reading really good books, spending time with others who don't know what's going on or do but know that I need the time away from it, I take my family out on a day out if I can, walks help a lot, but the only downside with this is it causes you to think a lot so I usually have my music on so I don't think too hard, there's something about the fresh air, the scenery that just calms me, takes me away for a while. Work also helps, focusing on something, a task that needs to be done. There's also cleaning, cooking, sorting bits out that you haven't used in a while. I'm sure there is plenty more but my head is a tad cloudy this morning! I hope at least some of this helps you, and if you need anything else at all you know where we are :) wishing you all the best,

Bex 

Hi Gnomi,

All I can say is that the waiting is the worst bit. I found I was distracted by talk radio ( on my earphones to spare others ) not something I had ever been a fan of but I listened day and night ...but that probably wouldn’t work for many and might well be the last thing you would want !!

I have stage 4 lung cancer diagnosed 6 weeks ago. I hope and pray you don’t have cancer but if you do, I am here.

Joy x

I am going thru the same had chest xray then ct scan on monday I see the doc for results on tuesday.i find it helps if I go for a drive and a Macy's coffee.

Hope your results are good.

Take care lots of love 

Andy x

Thanks Andy. I'll post the outcome here on Friday; I have everything crossed for the both of us!

x

So the doctor has made an urgent referral to the MDT to discuss what is revealed to be a tumour/growth on Tuesday. I will be contacted Wednesday for a bronchoscopy and biopsies.

The scans showed that whatever the mass is, it's entirely confined to a lymph node in/on/by (not quite sure ha ha, I'm no doctor) the lung. Nowhere else lit up. Happy days!

So more waiting.

Can anyone advise what I can expect from the bronchoscopy and biopsies? Does it hurt? Will they offer me some lovely sedatives?

Hi there,

So sorry to hear that you have to have more tests. Take it step by step and remember that doctors can do lots of things nowadays . 

I expect you are feeling all sorts of things this evening, but as you say, more waiting is the game now and you just have to bear it.

I had a bronchoscopy and they took samples but although these definitively revealed the presence of cancer, which the PET scan had also done,  they couldn’t identify the type of cancer from them and that was done in the lab after the operation the following week when they removed my lung which contained the tumour. ( My tumour was huge ( 8cms x 8.2 cms x 6.5 cms) and I also had cancer in the lymph nodes within my lung and a spec on the outside of my lung lining -  hence the stage 4) This sounds so factual to write but it still an unreal thing for me. As you say, it is a shocking experience and I feel like I haven’t quite taken it in yet. Hopefully your situation is way better than that. 

The bronchoscopy is a bit unpleasant but you will be substantially sedated and I can tell you will be brave and just get on with it. It’s okay.

 Your description of your coughing reminds me so much of mine and it was so awful I am really feeling for you. (The coughing has to do with the position of the growth, so please don’t make comparisons with my diagnosis) Whatever treatment you need for whatever you have, you will get and I hope it will rid you of that cough as mine has done! I

My thoughts are with you. Everything is crossed. Let me know what happens.

Joy xx

Hi Joy,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! Especially since you're recovering from such recent major surgery. I had to bring home 2 different antibiotics as unfortunately, having picked up the kids' colds means my white blood cell count has dramatically risen along with my resting heart rate, so the cough is now 'productive' and infected. Bleurgh. So I'm hoping it might ease slightly once these have kicked in!

I feel much better knowing I'll be sedated for the bronchoscopy. It was the one question I prepared and totally forgot to ask because I was so relieved there were no other growths on the CT. 

Fingers crossed I get the call Wednesday for the next tests so we can get on with what this is. Your support, experience and advice is really appreciated, thank you.

Gnomi xx

Hi Gnomi,

Glad to hear that your cough has a (relatively) fixable cause!!

keep me posted

Joy xx