In the beginning...

So...This is my first ever blog, please bear with me!

The reason I'm starting this blog is to keep people updated, and lessen my guilt at not calling everyone everytime I get some news. Let's just say: this has been a crazy week!

It started out like a normal enough week. I began orientation for my re-hire at AVS, class was going great, was having fun messing around with the instructor. Went upstairs and outside for a cigarette and felt a little winded, no big deal - there have been air quality alerts for weeks and it was really humid...it seemed like my asthma was acting up. Later in the day went up the two flights of steps to sign out for the day, and could barely breathe. My diaphragm started cramping and it felt like no air was getting in. That kinda unnerved me, thought I should, maybe, go see a doctor. By the time I got home everything seemed to be fine, so I forgot about it. Tuesday, again with the shortness of breath after the ramp outside for our smoke break, and again with the cramping and drowning-sensation after the 2 flights of stairs. This time, I reminded myself to grab my inhaler when I got home... Forgot that too. Wednesday, things were the same again, but I decided to go to the Urgent Care to get a new inhaler - still thinking it was asthma.
The doctor was so happy and bouncy when he came in, listened to my lungs and told me they were "crystal clear" and that he was ordering an xray, just in case. When he came back from reading the xray, he sat down and wheeled himself over to me. He wasn't happy or bouncy anymore.
He told me there was something on the xray and that he was sending me to the hospital by ambulance. I was a little distraught at this point! He said it was either a mass in my lung or an aneurysm in my superior vena cava. You know, that great big vein that goes into you heart? Well, I tried to tell him I would drive myself to the ER, he said he would call the police, I went by ambulance. LoL!
After a short ambulance ride, I went - pretty much - straight into a room in the ER, where I was poked and prodded and asked the same questions over and over again by 500 different people. Then they did a CT scan. The word Lymphoma was used, and I was told my lung was 30-40% collapsed. I was admitted.
But there's more!
I went in for a biopsy (which was horrible beyond words) and the results came back that is wasn't Lymphoma, it was in fact lung cancer. Everyone - doctors, nurses, friends, family, and of course, myself - was completely shocked! Lung cancer is an older persons disease, it's usually found in people between 60 and 70 years of age. I'm only 32! The doctor (one of MANY) said there wasn't much to discuss at the point because they didn't know enough about the specifics yet. I don't even know what "stage" it is. I have more testing to go through to make sure it is contained to my poor half useless lung and to figure out how far along it is (like it's pregnant or something lol).
I've had a brain MRI and an abdominal CT scan and those have come back clear. And yes, they said there was a brain in there! So that was a little ray of hope! I still have to have a mammogram and bone scan to check the rest of me for abnormalities...quiet now, i'm sick and it's not nice to tease! :-P
One doctor came in today and described the cancer as a goober in my lung, I laughed until I choked! So, Goober it is!
What I know as of right now: Goober is a non-small cell cancer. The doctors say if Goober is in early staging and hasn't spread that we'll beat it down with a fast and large dose of chemo and radiation given at the same time. Surgery isn't really an option at the minute because they think Goober is tangled up with my pulmonary artery (which sucks), but if the radiation shrinks him enough surgery might be a possibility.
The staff at AGH (Allegheny General Hospital) have been wonderful so far, always in great spirits, very patient, and answering all of my questions, no matter how morbid or far-fetched they seem!
I am in a pretty calm state, taking things one step at a time, and trying not to worry too much. I've kept my roommate and nurses laughing for that past few days, and that keeps me happy and upbeat. Of course, I have had my moments of weakness and shed a few tears here and there, but i'm not a robot - I know how serious this is and I am scared of what "could" happen. But don't think for a second that I'm gonna give up! I'm set on beating this as quickly as possible and getting on with my life! And treasuring every moment of my life, now that I've realised how much time I've wasted on frivilous things!
Thanks for keeping up this far! I know this isn't the most thrilling read ever!
And if you're interested there will be more to come! But for now, it's time for some R&R!
See ya next time - Mandy (& Goober)