I got some very scary news yesterday

[rbrnmw]

they found a nodule on my lung I see a lung specialist Monday. My Dr sent me to the ER because I had a kidney stone it was a 3.8m stone so they sent me home with pain medicine. They said it was important that I see my Dr the next day, they didn't say why. He told me and said the lung doc would go in and take it out and do a biopsy It was an incidental finding I am very scared I have kids to raise. Has anyone else ever been through this? please tell me this probably isn't what I think it is. My dad died march 13 2013 of lung cancer. They also found many kidney stones that are non active stones. I go to a kidney specialist for that sometime in march, they are focused on this nodule and that is why I'm scared everything is so hurried.

[B Calm]

1. 60% of nodule on lungs are found to be benign. I hope they

caught it early. It would be frighting for me too. Will have you in my thoughts, stay positive!

[rbrnmw]

2. thank you

[KitSileya]

3. I hope everything goes well for you.

I don't know much about these kinds of illnesses, but you have my positive thoughts, vibes, prayers, jedi hugs - whichever you prefer.

[66 dmhlt]

4. Wish you the best. And as much as possible, try ...

To distract yourself with other activities. There's nothing you can do about it at this point but to fret - which is clearly counterproductive.

I know it's easy to say and hard to do, but focus on something else. And good luck.

[bobGandolf]

5. My thoughts are with you....

Until you get the biopsy results back you'll be on an emotional roller coaster. It will be draining, so make sure you're taking care of yourself. Please take care and keep me posted....I'll help however I can.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. Are you a smoker or --

have had extensive exposure to second hand smoke? If not, the chances the nodule being cancerous go way down.

[rbrnmw]

8. I use to smoke

I quit a few years ago but I am exposed to lots second hand smoke I worked around lots of chemicals when I worked security. The smoking gave me COPD plus I grew up in a small town that was named the most toxic

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2009/06/25/Air_Toxics.ART0_ART_06-25-09_A3_64E9IOF.html

my best friend got cancer my sister did and many other along with breathing and sinus problems I am so glad they tore it down but I wonder if is it still in the river and soil. I grew up in New Boston in the 70's through the 80's

[WhiteTara]

36. ...

[HereSince1628]

7. I was confronted with a similar incidental finding after by-pass surgery

I understand the anxiety this puts you under. At the time I was told of my "nodules" 10 days or so after the heart surgery... and it seemed that every time I had seen a medic I got another serious dx. They had seen it in prep work they'd done for the surgery but hadn't wanted to tell me beforehand.

I related this only as an experience that supports the general notion that not everything that shows up in the lung is cancerous.

For me it turned out to be a scar. One of the scans they used to check it out showed it to be calcified so it was from a long dead infection of some sort...they thought possibly Histoplasma as I had lived in southern Illinois where that fungus is endemic and somewhat common.

[pinboy3niner]

10. I'm glad you're still here after the struggles you've had

The VA found some scarring on my lungs, and there had been new research on that being caused by a virus. When they said they wanted to do a biopsy, I asked them what treatment that could lead to for me. Turned out they had no treatment, but they said I could get inhalers if I ever got short of breath. I turned down the biopsy.

[rbrnmw]

9. they think mine is non calcified

I don't know what that means

[ScreamingMeemie]

49. Non-calcified typically means only that it did not show up as bright on the X-ray.

Last edited Sun Mar 2, 2014, 01:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Calcium deposits form on healing tissue (like from an infection) and tend to show up brighter on an X-ray.

[rbrnmw]

50. Thank you for explaining nt

[Ilsa]

11. I'm wishing for the best for you.

I understand that fear of leaving one's children prematurely.

[rbrnmw]

12. that part scares me more than anything

my kids need a mother

[pinboy3niner]

17. Hang in there, my best wishes to you

It's natural to fear the worst, but no one has told you that you won't be around for your kids. That's always a possibility for any of us, but you aren't there yet--and it may turn out not to be a worry at all.

I have friends who beat lung cancer, despite their direst fears.

[abelenkpe]

13. Hope everything is OK

[tomm2thumbs]

14. just some thoughts

My dad also died of lung cancer some years ago. So when more recently my mom was found to have it, I was freaking out. However, things have changed, even year to year, and they did the biopsy, went in to operate, removed a section of the lung (without even going through the ribcage) and removed the problem area. She stayed overnight and was home the next day. (Her hospital roommate had a more serious issue an had one of her entire lungs removed and was still out in 2 days!) Things have changed tremendously and you just need to be confident that finding it and dealing with it is what you need to focus on and not circling the what-ifs. Until you know, you don't know. Currently my mom is still doing well and about to turn 80. Doctors keep seeing her and kicking her back out every 6 months -- nothing new to report on her check-ups.

So although every case is different, I just wanted to let you know that things today are sooooo different than even 1, 2, or even 5 years ago. My only advice for now is that you should try and make sure to have a friend/advocate with you at all times possible just help ask questions, keep notes on the to-do's and information that may just pass you by with all the stress of everything happening at once. Hopefully you have family for this, but friends are just as good. Our doctor let us record everything on tape so we could revisit it later if we had questions. Made things a lot less stressful.

I hope for you the best of what comes, but definitely keep your wits about you and remember it is a new world as far as medicine is concerned. << big huggs >> and keep a journal if nothing else.... keeps the brain from locking it all inside and lets you vent and keep notes about every little thing that comes along.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

18. I like the idea of recording.

My partner was in the hospital last year and it seemed like every time the doctor came in and left my partner and I would have a different idea of what we were told.

[tomm2thumbs]

20. they actually provided the recorder and a blank tape for that very purpose

it can be overwhelming and it makes so much sense... even if you never go back to it, there is some comfort in the fact that it is there as reference

[Hassin Bin Sober]

30. That's great. I thought about asking but figured they would freak out .....

..... thinking we were causing trouble. Especially after the two endoscopies he had - the doctor would come in after my partner was still groggy from drugs.

My partner was recently looking at his own scans (he works for the hospital and has access) and told me "those fuckers never told me I had xyz lung condition after the surgery" (I forget what it was). I had to remind him the attending doc most certainly did tell us about it and ruled out the more serious possibility and it was just a minor glitch after major surgery. My partner was so miserable at the time with having to keep the nose tube in he doesn't remember much else.

[madokie]

15. Its only natural to be scared

I went through this a couple years back. Luckily for me it was benign.
I aged a few years those few days between the first x-ray and and the results from the biopsy, I know that.
Hang in there more than likely its benign.

[emsimon33]

16. I don't know where you live but Valley Fever can leaves scars

and many people never know that they have even had Valley Fever. I wish a positive outcome for you. Please keep us updated. If it is lung cancer--worse case--there have been a lot of advances.

[onecent]

19. I'm so sorry to hear this, my thouoghts

and prayers go out to you and your family for some really good news regarding your health.

[Enthusiast]

21. I wish you the very best outcome.

[Hoppy]

22. Best Wishes.

[polly7]

23. Best wishes to you rbrnmw.

I hope your fears are allayed and the doctors are just being thorough. It really is so hard waiting and not knowing though. I'm so sorry about your Dad.

[lillypaddle]

24. Can't blame you for being afraid.

Monday can't get here soon enough, I'm sure. Wishing you the very best. Please let us know what they find out. Fingers crossed!

[MoonRiver]

25. I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer 2 1/2 years ago.

I had a CT after surgery, which showed some nodules on my lung. The oncologist didn't think it was anything to worry about. Sure enough, follow-up CT showed the nodules remained the same. It's something almost everybody in the Midwest, probably elsewhere, develops. They also found a hemangioma on my liver, which also stayed the same, i.e. was benign. Not sure under what circumstances they found your lung nodule, but the majority do turn out to be benign.

[KittyWampus]

26. Hoping for the best.

[RKP5637]

27. I don't know anything about this medically, but I'm sending you and your family

good vibes and good wishes for you! I had a scare like this a couple of years ago with a polyp and it turned out to be benign.

[sybylla]

28. Information is power - and it also calms

At least for me it calms. When you know the lay of the land, you at least feel like you have some control and that's calming.

When my mom was told she had a lump, this is what we did.

The National Institute of Health has loads of great information on various kinds of cancer. You can go to their website and search for your particular kind of cancer.

Here's the link to info on lung cancer:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/lung/

At the NIH, we read about statistics. We read studies. We learned about the various treatments and their success rates. It helped us understand what the doctors were saying. It helped us ask the right questions. And it gave us the information we needed to make treatment decisions.

So even if it turned out to be benign, we went into the doctors office informed and prepared for most anything.

It's scary. But knowing what you're facing can make a difference.

I wish you and your family the best.

[LuvNewcastle]

29. Best of luck to you.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

31. The problem with really good imaging they can do now is they find more false positives...

.... that previously would go undetected. So it's a good chance it isn't anything to worry about.

[Lefta Dissenter]

32. I wish you the very best

The information upthread is very helpful and encouraging. Of course you're scared. But do whatever you can to distract yourself through these days.

My son had cancer that was diagnosed a week after he graduated high school. That was almost fifteen years ago. He's been cancer-free since his surgery and chemo, and is now a Diplomat in the Foreign Service.

I hope that the worst that comes out of this is that you have these days of incredible stress and worry, just to be told that it's scarring, or some other benign cause. But regardless of the diagnosis, be sure to lean on the people around you, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

[Lebam in LA]

33. I also had a lung nodule

They found it on an xray. The sent me for cat scan and MRI. When I got there a nurse asked me when I was diagnosed with cancer. I freaked out. My doctor had never said anything about cancer. Turned out it was benign. Hoping your diagnosis is the same. Hang in there.

[rbrnmw]

34. thank you for your encouragement and support

I love my DU family you are the best grouphug:

[raven mad]

37. I have. Went in for a cough.

Came out with "something on my lung". Duh. Smoker of 45 years (that's how long I've smoked).

Be careful with yourself. Don't panic, don't give up, and DO get a second opinion from someone not affiliated with your health care group/organization. The "something" turned out to be a shadow from a radiology tech who didn't get her hair out of the way. Shit happens. Not her fault. Mine, for scaring myself.

I'm pretty well on the way to death, myself. But it didn't happen because of fear. I'm old.

Do NOT let fear rule you. That's the worst thing you can do to yourself. And your kids.

[rbrnmw]

38. thank you so much

[raven mad]

39. Do not thank me for what isn't given you. Pay it back or forward.

It's pretty obvious your kids are your focus. Do that. It's all you can give to this world, and means everything to this world. Remember - bad thoughts come back at you 3x. Good thoughts do the same.

Love is love. You've got it in spades, friend. Here on DU, and elsewhere - you give it, you get it.

I know I'm weird; have been since birth. You'll get through this - one way or another. I live with pain and no medication daily. Sorta (got taken out to dinner last night!)

Love is love. Give it. Get it.

[rbrnmw]

43. your post was so touching

My main focus in life are my kids They give me a reason to get out of bed. I have been through a lot the last 17 mos. It doesn't seem to be letting up it is just making me stronger

[raven mad]

45. focus on strong

[LiberalEsto]

40. My husband had a kidney stone last year

They sent him home from the ER with pain medicine.

I did some looking up on the internet and read that drinking glasses of water with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar a couple of times a day seems to help some people pass their stones. I got my husband to try it and he was fine in a couple of days. Can't prove it was the vinegar, but you never know.

So sorry you're going through all this at once. Hang in there, DUers are here for you.
Please keep us posted on what's happening.

[Auntie Bush]

41. I wish you all the luck in the world and send good vibes and healing light your way.

[rbrnmw]

42. thanks everybody

I feel less nervous now

[Rowdyboy]

44. I wish you only the best....Hurried is good. It gives you less time to worry.

[rustydog]

46. My brother checked into the hospital two years ago for pneumonia

turned out he had Lung Cancer. It scared the crap out of us. He had a good doctor in the Cancer Care group in Yakima.
He has been cancer free since. Just because Cancer took your father doesn't mean it will take you.

keep your hopes up and FIGHT!

[rbrnmw]

47. I will use everything I have to fight

if it turns out to be malignant

[840high]

51. 2 time cancer

survivor. Fight like hell. I'll pray for you.

[hootinholler]

48. I've been there

It turned out to be a calcification from a histoplasmosis infection. I had a hilar mass that showed on an xray with nodes showing in the lungs. The initial diagnosis was possible non-hodgkins lymphoma with involvement of the lung.

The down side was either the mass or the biopsy pinched or cut the frenetic nerve on my left side so that part of my diaphragm doesn't work so well anymore.

Best of luck to you. My Dr has been trying to kill me for years and I'm still around

[Liberal_in_LA]

52. sending good vibes to that nodule! let it be benign