<p>Latetoschool, I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis! I agree that if anyone can hold this back, you can.</p>
<p>I have a close relative who was diagnosed with lung cancer 10 years ago - much older than you. He lost his lung, but is still alive, well, working and has since given both of his daughters away in marriage. You have much to live for.</p>
<p>All the best wishes to you in your recovery!</p>
<p>LTS, wishing you a complete recovery. I trust youāll tap into your strength and courage, and also know who you can fall apart upon when you need to recharge. Iāll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.</p>
<p>LTS: hugs and much caring to you. My worry beads will click away, and they are fearsome in their power, though not as strong as you already are. Thank you for sharing this with us, so that in some way we can share your burden. Bless you. Lorelei</p>
<p>LTS your post took my breath away. You CAN expect a remission. I have several metastatic small cell lung survivors in my practice, and I am not even an oncologist. </p>
<p>Stay positive and stay strong. You have your own inner power and a higher power to use to fight this battle. My thoughts and prayers are with you.</p>
<p>You are in my prayers, LTS.</p>
<p>LTS, I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I echo what many have already saidāyou are a strong, determined person and that strength will help to see you through this difficult time. My thoughts and prayers will be with you.</p>
<p>LatetoSchoolā¦</p>
<p>I had no idea. I am sorry for all that you are going through and wish so very much that you did not have to endure these challenges. My dad had lung cancer and I know there really were no symptoms prior to diagnosis. </p>
<p>But one thing I do knowā¦out of just about anyone I have met on CC, you are one person who can rise to this challenge. You have had enormous challenges in your life and have risen in incredible ways to where you are now and you will climb this next mountain as well. Iāll be thinking of you and hope that when you can you will keep in touch here. </p>
<p>Please know that everyone at CC, and the many long time members are cheering and supporting you and are here for you. </p>
<p>While not truly the same, I know that when I had a medical crisis of sorts in my family 2 1/2 years ago (you will recall my child was severely injured in a car crash), it was truly heartwarming the incredible support from the CC community, most of whom I had never met in person and who do not know my daughter. The outpouring of care and concern meant a lot during a challenging and scary time. I even printed out the very long thread of support. It helped. </p>
<p>So, please lean on CC. We are here for you. You have been an inspiration before all this, as someone who has overcome obstacles and made lemonade from lemons and I KNOW you will rise up to this next challenge and make the sweetest lemonade ever.</p>
<p>LTS, thank you for letting us know about your condition and for reminding us of the things that are really important. Iāll be praying for your complete healing.</p>
<p>LTS, sending hugs, prayers and good wishes your way for a full and speedy recovery.</p>
<p>LTS - Throw those statistics right out the window because they are meaningless when applied to one person. My very best wishes for continued strength in your fight. You are in my prayers.</p>
<p>LTS, I have always enjoyed reading your posts and perspective, and Iām so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. As others have said, a positive attitude makes all the difference, but you should also feel free to vent to all of us whenever you need to ā having a positive attitude doesnāt mean you wonāt be freaked out sometimes.</p>
<p>Many thanks to everyone for all of the very kind and encouraging postsā¦I also very much appreciate the resources sent to me in PMs, which are new; I have only had days to collect research on this. </p>
<p>jym626, because you asked, and if it helps anyone else, symptoms, yes, something like this: first, I had been feeling increasingly exhausted for weeks. I thought though it was because I was putting in some very long hours - for example, I tend to get obsessed with my work, so, I had been doing things like getting up at 3 a.m. etc. to talk to Europe or UAE and then working a full day U.S. time, and then events in the evenings. I had been keeping this sort of goofy schedule most of the summer. Knowing I was exhausted and in need of a break, I tried to take a weekās vacation in August, but, the reality was I couldnāt force myself off of my email etc. so never actually stopped working through my āvacationā. So I just assumed my exhaustion was due to overwork, and I resolved that I would take a nice, long two-week vacation this Christmas, and actually not answer any email or accept any phone calls, and recharge.</p>
<p>But I continued working out, kept my regular schedule; I did notice something about the appearance of my skin was āoffā but if you can imagine I attributed this too - well, I cannot look young forever, Iām getting older. </p>
<p>But then, about three weeks ago, I started swelling in my neck, and face. Very, very odd. Went to the doctor - incredibly, wasted some time on benedryl, if you can imagine - unknown allergy - mosquito bite? Long story short, in sub-second speed, or at least thatās how it seems now, I ended up in the ER in Miami, presenting with SVC syndrome. If you know what that is you will appreciate the horror of it; if you donāt know what that is, trust me when I tell you that you will sleep better tonight if I donāt tell you. Bottom line, I was in āguardedā condition for several days, hospitalized for a total of eight days, liver biopsy to five days of radiation and first round of chemo.</p>
<p>There is some good news out of it through - scans show it isnāt anywhere else, and I was especially relieved when the doctors said my brain is completely clean. That means I at least have one very powerful weapon to fight with. </p>
<p>In these few days I have resurrected a few life lessons very quickly - or perhaps just put back into play somethings I already understand very well about difficult challenges, and I believe they apply to all other areas of life. </p>
<p>One of the most important is the absolute mandate for a positive attitude, and a determined spirit. One of the hospital staff doctors (internal medicine, not an oncologist) told me my diagnosis, and literally told me my life expectancy is another 8 - 15 months. He showed me this on a piece of paper he printed off the internet. I pointed to the 1% - 6% survival statistic 2 years out, and asked him, hmmmā¦what about that? Who makes up that 1% - 6%? He shook his head sadly, looked at me, and said I will not be alive two years out. Itās not gonna be me. No one who has what I have makes it, he said. </p>
<p>Iām wondering if you can imagine that this doctor said this to me, his face full of final opinions and options forclosed. Iām just getting started, forming my battle plans and taking inventory of the people, medicines, knowledge base, finances, etc. that will comprise my war chest, and this man has me already buried. So I told him I only want winners on my team, and, if heās going to walk in my room, heād better bring his A game, because this fight isnāt over until I decide itās over, and Iām the only one who can. I am not foolish enough to believe that I can change genetics or cellular structures but I am absolutely, stone cold certain that I get to decide the information my brain decides to program, what information gets into my head, and how hard I intend to fight. That means he leaves his negative attitude at someone elseās bedside, not mine. He looked at me like he didnāt get it, like he wasnāt accustomed to patients telling him how to behave. </p>
<p>The next day he hadnāt learned anything from our prior discussion, still came around moping (was I in denial, he actually wonderedā¦) - he actually told me I should allow myself to be declared disabled, after all, why bother to work, Iām not going to survive this. So, I threw him out out my room. Fired him. Told the hospital exec not to send him back into my room, ever. </p>
<p>Then I hired my oncologist.</p>
<p>The other thing I rediscovered is to be very, very grateful for the very small miracles and gifts that may provide just enough leverage for larger successes that may become critical later. For starters, I am grateful that my brain is clear so at least I have one very powerful weapon. Second, I am being treated in Miami, and my oncologists office where I will receive chemo is a five minute drive from my house. The office has wireless throughout so I will be able to continue to do my work even while tethered to an IV, so, from an operational perspective, I will not even have the stress of interruption of work. </p>
<p>Then, if I should need access to one of the major cancer centers in the country, I already own my home in a city where one of the best is located. It feels comical to type this but itās ranked 16th on USNWR in the cancer center rankings. This week, I signed a lease to share a home in Arlington owned by a long time friend, so that when I travel to Washington I will have someone to stay with, rather than being in hotels. She is aware of my situation, and she desperately wants to feed me - and - she is a triathlete with a intense understanding of health issues (except for the part about she thinks she can get me to eat my way back to health), so, I will have her support, in addition to being in close proximity to major cancer centers such as Georgetown and Johns Hopkins - and Johns Hopkins is ranked #3. Hopefully the cancer center rankings are a little more scientific than the college rankings. I donāt know that I will need such places yet but I am grateful that if I decide I need them, I can get to them with very little effort. </p>
<p>I am very, very thankful for the small miraclesā¦</p>
<p>Iām so sorry! Sending you my thoughts and prayersā¦</p>
<p>That was a beautiful post. I apologize if I ever said anything bad to you and send you nothing but the bestā¦</p>
<p>LTS. I donāt pray. Iām an atheist. But I know how to curse. So I will curse any gods that others are not praying to.</p>
<p>Your spirit is so strong I wish I could bottle you and drink you every morning. </p>
<p>In China we talk about qi. So, I send you my qi. Itās pronounced Chee, if that matters.</p>
<p>I believe in my core you will be fine.</p>
<p>Oh my gosh, LTS, that has to be the most unexpected news iāve ever read on CC. A million squillion cyber hugs to you across the oceans both real and electronic.</p>
<p>If you need a cheerleading squad for your fightsāyou just let us know. We have your back.</p>
<p>LTS, Iām so sorry. My thoughts and prayers will be with you.</p>
<p>
Thatās it. Exactly.</p>
<p>LTS, I sent you a PM before I read your post # 32. Iād just like to add that you did exactly the right thing by firing that staff doctor. His pessimism and negative attitude has no place in the practice of medicine. </p>
<p>I have a friend with Stage IV colon cancer who, if the statistics are to be believed, shouldnāt still be here, but she is. Her attitude is SO positive and upbeat. She is convinced that she is one of the small percentage of people who defy the odds and, so far, she is right. I believe that your attitude will put you in that group of 1-6% that you spoke of. </p>
<p>Know that youāre in my prayers, as well, and itās good to see you back here on CC among friends!</p>
<p>Thanks patsmom for asking where latetoschool has been!! </p>
<p>Your cheering squad awaits you, LTS!</p>
<p>LTS, I, too, have been missing your posts and wondering where youāve been - I thought youād gone off to that Costa Rican island that noobie mentioned, so this news comes as quite a shock. I just want you to know that you have plenty of friends on CC as well as people who admire you greatly. Iām one of them. All my best wishes for a total and complete recovery from this illness. Thinking of you and sending heartfelt thoughts, prayers and most of all </p>
<p>{{{{{{{{{ HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}} to you.</p>