Living with Lung Cancer

My husband was diagnosed with NSCLC metastasis in April 2007, we were told 6-9 months. The only symptom was he was losing his voice. We got the results of the biopsy on a Monday and by the following Monday he was receiving chemo and radiation treatments together five days a week until early July.

He was one who had no side effects from the chemo and only some redness and sore throat from the radiation. He said he felt great and the CT scan showed decreases or no change in the tumors. He was free until the end of September. During this time he had two voice injections of Radiesse voice gel to try and get his left paralyzed vocal cord to work but had no success. This has left him very depressed.

He is on anxity and antidepressent medication, he is seeing a counselor and we are attending a local cancer support group. He had another CT the end of September which showed an increase in size of the leisions in his liver, the bone scan showed some cancer but the brain scan showed no cancer.

His doctor recommended chemo with taxotere and a study with erbitux. On his third treatment with the erbitux last week he had a reaction too it and EMS had too be called and spent the afternoon in the hospital.

Today he had chemo again but only with the taxotere and no problems. On Nov. 16th he will have another CT and bone scan to see if the chemo is working and if so he will be able too get an implant for his voice and I can’t tell you how much this would mean too him.

This is just a little of the changes in our life. For those of you dealing with your loved one with cancer, don’t be afraid or too proud too ask for help. We have two daughter’s 25 and 21 who is in her last year of college for their sake and my own I am on a low dosage of Zoloft for the last three weeks and it has made a difference on my outlook. I love my husband with all my heart and I will help him fight this all the way and I’m not giving up hope!!